§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the implementation of local financial management of schools in Wales, and how it affects(a) schools of fewer than 100 pupils and (b) schools of 100 pupils or more.
§ Mr. RobertsSchemes for the local management of schools have been approved for each of the local education authorities in Wales and they came into force on 1 April. Accordingly all primary and secondary schools are being formula-funded subject to LEAs' transitional arrangements. The delegation to secondary and larger primary schools of responsibility for managing their budgets is being phased in over the next three years.
The position of small schools was carefully considered before formal approval to the schemes was given. The budgets of schools with fewer than 100 pupils and of the majority of primary schools with 100 pupils or more may benefit from additional LEA funding to protect them against disproportionately high salary costs and to ensure that the requirements of the national curriculum can be met.
§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what change there has been in the pupil-teacher ratio in Wales since implementation of local financial management; what were the comparable figures for the previous three years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RobertsSchemes for local management of schools were introduced by local education authorities in April 1990. No information on pupils or teacher numbers has been collected since that date.