§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans the Government have to preserve the per capita funding required by schools in sparsely populated areas to deliver an equivalent standard of services to that provided by urban schools. [4055]
§ Mr. Robin SquireMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will be making a statement on the Government's plans for the distribution of funding between local authorities in 1997–98, shortly after the budget. Local authorities will continue to be responsible for distributing funds between schools in their areas.