National Curriculum

HC Deb 26 January 1990 vol 165 cc895-6W

Mr. Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the cost to the Exchequer of implementing the national curriculum.

Mrs. Rumbold

The cost of delivering the national curriculum will be met largely by the redirection of existing resources. However, we are giving local education authorities specific grant support to help with implementation. In this financial year, some £70 million will be available from the Exchequer through education support grants and LEA training grants to support some £100 million LEA expenditure for this purpose. This is in addition to general rate support grant which local authorities may use to implement the national curriculum.

Some £20 million of Exchequer funds will additionally be deployed on central expenditure on the national curriculum, including the running costs of the National Curriculum Council and the School Examinations and Assessment Council and the costs of developing standard assessment tasks.