§ Mr. StrawTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what increase in income tax would be required if the whole of the additional cost of transferring the total teachers' pay bill to the Exchequer was to be met from this source of revenue.
§ Mr. Mellor[holding answer 26 November 1990]: Local education authorities in the United Kingdom are likely to spend nearly £10 billion on teachers' pay in 1990–91. The additional cost to central Government of transferring the responsibility for that spending would depend on the extent to which there was a reduction in the grant paid to local authorities.