HC Deb 11 November 1998 vol 319 cc233-4W
Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list(a) for each local education authority and (b) for each Key Stage and for post-16 provision, expenditure per pupil on books and equipment for the most recent year for which figures are available and for each of the preceding two years. [59172]

Ms Estelle Morris

The information on expenditure per pupil on educational equipment. furniture and materials, which covers books and equipment, for each local education authority for the period 1994–95 to 1996–97, the latest year for which figures are available, is set out in a Table, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. Separate information on expenditure per pupil on books and equipment for each Key Stage and for post-16 provision is not available.

The Government have substantially increased provision for local authority spending on education in 1998–99 to £19.4 billion. They have also pledged an extra £19 billion for education throughout the UK in the next three years and provided an extra £2,000 over and above increased RSG levels to purchase books during 1998 to every school with more than 100 pupils in England as part of the National Year of Reading. In addition £102 million will be provided jointly by the Government and local education authorities in 1998–99 for the National Grid for Learning and an additional £954 million for schools capital in 1998£99.