§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the percentage of education and library boards' budgets which must be delegated to schools; and what plans he has to change it. [2066]
§ Mr. AncramThe LMS arrangements in Northern Ireland do not provide for fixed levels of delegation, but list specific areas of expenditure which boards either must delegate or may delegate to schools. Under these arrangements, education and library boards presently delegate to individual schools 86 per cent. of the funds capable of delegation. The boards retain resources to cover centrally funded services, such as landlord maintenance, curriculum advisory and support services, home-to-school transport, and educational welfare and psychology services. Levels of delegation are reviewed annually.