Local Government Expenditure

HC Deb 07 February 1990 vol 166 cc631-2W

Sir Peter Hordern

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the increase in local government expenditure in each of the last five years; and if he will express the cost of teachers' salaries as a proportion of the whole in each of these years.

Mr. David Hunt

The available information is as follows:

	Percentage increase in total expenditure over previous year	Cost of teachers' salaries as percentage of total expenditure
1985–861	1.8	24.2
1986–87	9.5	24.3
1987–88	8.2	24.6
1988–89	8.4	n/a
1989–902	6.2	n/a
1London Regional Transport was transferred from local authority sector in 1985–86.
2Polytechnics were transferred from the local authority sector in April 1989.
n/a = not available.

Total local authority spending covers rate fund revenue account net current expenditure on services plus net loan charges, contributions to other funds and accounts (eg. special funds and HRA) and net non-relevant expenditure (eg. net spending on housing benefit), less specific and supplementary grants.

The cost of teachers' salaries covers spending on school teaching staff, including national insurance and superannuation.