§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the funding of(a) city technology colleges and (b) schools run by local education authorities.
§ Mr. EggarCity technology colleges receive Government grants for recurrent funding. Recurrent costs are calculated on the basis of pupil expenditure figures for LEAs which maintain schools in similar urban areas. This is paid to colleges as per capita grant on the basis of pupil numbers, along with earmarked grants for specific purposes. During the colleges' five—year build—up, per capita grant contains provision for extra administrative costs and to compensate for diseconomies of scale.
Schools maintained by local authorities are funded according to authorities' formula funding mechanisms as set down in statutory schemes of local management. National criteria for schemes require that at least 75 per cent. of school budgets should be distributed with reference to pupil numbers.
§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide figures of cost per pupil for each of the regions in England for primary and secondary schools for the last five years.
§ Mr. FallonIn the last five years for which actual spending information is available, average school-based spending by region in nursery and primary schools was as follows: