§ Mr. AshdownTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is his estimate of(a) primary school per pupil standard spending assessments and (b) secondary school per pupil standard spending assessments for each English county for each of the years 1990–91 to 2000–01 in real terms using 1998–99 prices; and if in each case he will rank these from highest to lowest per pupil expenditure. [107787]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisI will place tables in the Library that give the figures requested for the 34 Upper Tier Authorities1 based on the final Standard Spending Assessment allocations for 1990–91 to 2000–01. These have not been adjusted for any changes in local authority function over the years and may not be directly comparable due to the effects of local government reorganisation.
1 Upper Tier Authority is a DETR term used to define county/shire councils.
§ Mr. AshdownTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what plans he has to review the levels of(a) primary school and (b) secondary school standard spending assessments across English counties; and if he will make a statement; [107788]
697W(2) if he will make a statement on his assessment of whether funding of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Somerset on the basis of standard spending assessments is presently fair and equitable in relation to such funding levels across the rest of English education authorities. [107793]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisThe Government are well aware that there is widespread concern about the fairness of the current formula for funding local authorities. The Government announced in November 1998 a review in partnership with local government to look for a way of distributing revenue support grant which is simpler, more stable, more robust and fairer than the present arrangements for Standard Spending Assessments. The Government will be issuing a Green Paper on options for change by the Summer.