School Inspections

HC Deb 20 December 1994 vol 251 cc1136-7W

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the cost of schools inspection in(a) 1992 and (b) 1994 in constant prices.

Mr. Forth

In 1992–93 the DFE's provision for HMI and Ofsted was £30.5 million. It is not possible to disaggregate overall school inspection costs within this total. Local authorities spent some £149 million on their school inspection and advisory services.

In 1994–95, Ofsted's planned expenditure is £67 million; of this, some 55 per cent. is for the purchase of school inspections. Details of the estimated outturn expenditure by local authorities on school inspections and advisory services for 1994–95 are not yet available.