HC Deb 15 February 1994 vol 237 cc674-5W
Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much the Department for Education has spent on the operation of the assisted places scheme in each year since 1981; how many pupils have been covered by the scheme since 1981; and if there was any overspend on the budget allocated in each of these years.

Mr. Forth

The information requested is given in the following table for each year up to 1992–93, the latest year for which complete figures are available. Expenditure exceed the original budget estimate in 1990–91 and 1991–92.

Year Total cost

£ million

Total number of assisted pupils
1981–82 3.0 4,185
1982–83 8.7 8,616
1983–84 15.0 13,102
1984–85 22.2 17,386
1985–86 29.6 21,412
1986–87 37.9 24,478

Year Total cost £ million Total number of assisted pupils
1987–88 46.0 26,899
1988–89 50.9 27,083
1989–90 56.5 27,008
1990–91 63.4 26,740
1991–92 75.7 27,641
1992–93 192.8 28,674
1 Includes £4.9 million brought forward from financial vear 1993–94.

Note: The figures are for England only.