§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will provide extra resources for education for Coventry local education authority.
§ Mr. ForthOver the three financial years 1990–91 to 1992–93, the education component of Coventry's assessment has increased by almost 21 per cent. once the 1992–93 additional grant for teachers' pay has been taken into account. This is a substantial increase, well in excess of the rate of inflation.
The local authority finance settlement for 1993–94 allows for an increase of 2.6 per cent. in education standard spending once account is taken of the transfer of responsibility for most further education to the Further Education Funding Council. This increase is reasonable, given that inflation is falling and that public sector pay settlements in the coming financial year should be restricted to between zero and 1.5 per cent. Coventry will receive its fair share of this increase.