§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the average level of delegation of potential schools budgets by local education authorities; and which local education280W authorities and what percentage delegate more of their potential school budgets than they are required to under current legislation. [31836]
§ Mr. Robin SquireThe average level of potential schools budget, PSB, delegated by local education authorities in 1996–97 is 90.5 per cent. This percentage is derived from the financial budget statements published by LEAs in England under section 42 of the Education Reform Act 1988, and relates to expenditure on schools covered by their schemes for the local management of schools, LMS. All LEAs from whom statements have been received have planned to exceed the required delegation level—85 per cent. of PSB—in the current financial year. I understand that this is also true of the two LEAs—Redcar and Cleveland and York—from whom statements are still awaited.