§ 50. Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to help small rural schools implement the national curriculum.
§ Mr. EggarThe Government are giving local education authorities specific grant support for the introduction of the national curriculum. Grants will support some £120 million LEA expenditure in England this financial year, rising to nearly £170 million expenditure next financial year. This is in addition to general revenue support grant funding for local authority spending. It is for individual authorities to decide, in the light of local needs and priorities, how much to spend to help small rural schools to deliver the national curriculum.