§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the amount by which the 1998–99 revenue support grant has changed in relation to the 1997–98 figure as a result of the discontinuation of the pre-school voucher scheme in the 1998–99 academic year for each unitary and island authority in Scotland. [31392]
§ Mr. WilsonThe decision to end pre-school education vouchers has not in itself had any effect on revenue support grant for individual authorities. All grant funding for the education of children in the pre-school year under the Education (Scotland) Act 1996 will continue in 1998–99 to be outside Aggregate External Finance. However, £13.6 million has been transferred from AEF into the pre-school education grant programme in 1998–99 to prevent the double funding of local authorities for pre-school education places.