HC Deb 18 January 1988 vol 125 cc536-7W
12. Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the level of central Government spending on education in Wales since 1979.

Mr. Wyn Roberts

In real terms, direct central Government spending on education has increased from £5 million in 1979–80 to £12 million in 1987–88. Spending by local education authorities has increased from £769 million to £862 million in the same period.

Mrs. Clywd

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was(a) central Government and (b) local authority spending on education, including higher education expressed per household, for 1979 and for 1986–87 at (i) current prices, (ii) 1979 prices and (iii) 1987 prices.

Mr. Wyn Roberts

[holding answer 14 January 1988]: The relevant information covering expenditure by the Department and by local authorities in Wales is as follows:

1979–80 £ 11986–87 £
Central Government expenditure per household in Wales
(i) cash 3.46 9.49
(ii) at 1979–80 prices 3.46 5.70
(iii) at 1987–88 prices 6.00 9.89
Local authority expenditure per household in Wales
(i) cash 572.85 917.89
(ii) at 1979–80 prices 572.85 551.29
(iii) at 1987–88 prices 994.12 956.88
1 Provisional.

Between 1979–80 and 1986–87 gross local authority expenditure actually increased by about 3 per cent., from £963.7 million to £990.7 million (at 1987–88 prices). The number of separate households in Wales has increased by some 7 per cent., from 969,400 in 1979 to 1,035,300 in 1986 due to larger numbers of young and elderly people living alone; over the same period the number of school pupils in Wales has fallen by some 13 per cent. and the amount spent per pupil has risen by 27 per cent.

Expenditure on the university of Wales falls outside my area of responsibility.