§ Mr. StrawTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes),Official Report, 24 April, column 421, why information on local education authorities' cash plans is not available for the years 1981 to 1984; and what relevant information is held by his Department.
§ Mr. MacGregorCash plans were not requested in the period 1981–84 and information comparable with that provided for later years could not be made available without disproportionate expense. For the period in question the Department sought estimates from local education authorities of the cost of certain elements of their capital programme, but not in respect of new places to meet basic need for areas of population growth. Where numbers were expected to increase pupil projections were converted to allocations by means of standard cost multipliers per pupil place.