Comprehensive Spending Review

HC Deb 24 July 1998 vol 316 cc718-9W

Mrs. May

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to the Comprehensive Spending Review if he will publish the budget for Ofsted for the next three financial years. [52238]

Mr. Byers

Plans for Ofsted's future expenditure will be published in the Autumn.

Mrs. May

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will provide a breakdown of the items included within the £1 billion service development fund included in the Comprehensive Spending Review. [52252]

Dr. Howells

Within the provision announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review, the Government are creating a Service Development Fund of £750 million in 2000–01 and £1 billion in 2001–02. The purpose of holding such a Fund within the overall spending totals is to ensure that the right balance of funding between the existing agenda and those areas where policy is still being developed. Consequently it is not possible at this stage to give a breakdown of allocations from the Fund in those two years.