HC Deb 05 November 2002 vol 392 cc187-8W
Sir Nicholas Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will calculate(a) the amount spent per pupil on primary and secondary education by Cheshire county council and (b) average amount spent per pupil on primary and secondary education by local authorities in England in the last financial year for which figures are available; what assessment he has made of the effect of the comparison of the resultant figures on educational provision in Cheshire; and if he will make a statement. [79275]

Mr. Miliband

The requested information is as follows:

(a) Net current expenditure per pupil in Cheshire
£
Primary 2,310
Secondary 2,920
Both 2,580

(a) Percentage of 15-year-olds achieving five or more GCSE grades A*-C or GNVQ equivalent in maintained schools in England, 1995–2001
Region 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
North East 36.1 36.3 36.8 37.1 39.4 41.7 42.5
North West 38.9 41.0 41.5 42.2 44.2 45.7 46.1
Yorkshire and the Humber 36.3 37.1 37.9 38.7 40.5 42.1 43.0
East Midlands 39.6 40.7 41.5 43.0 45.3 46.0 47.5
West Midlands 37.7 39.3 40.2 41.3 43.5 44.8 45.8
East of England 44.4 45.0 45.8 48.4 49.9 50.7 51.8
London 36.8 39.0 40.4 42.1 43.6 45.0 46.1
South East 45.4 47.0 47.7 49.2 51.2 52.1 52.8
South West 45.7 46.6 47.1 48.6 50.2 51.3 52.2
England (all schools including independent schools) 43.5 44.5 45.1 46.3 47.9 49.2 50.0

Participation estimates are produced using the academic age of the student (age as at 31 August). Therefore, the estimates for both 16-year-olds (the first post-compulsory year) and 17-years-olds are included.

(b) Net current expenditure per pupil in England
£
Primary 2,440
Secondary 3,060
Both 2,710

All figures in cash terms and rounded to the nearest 10.

The data have been taken from Cheshire education authority's section 52 Outturn statement for the 2000–01 financial year. Variations in spending per pupil between authorities reflect higher area costs and greater incidence of deprivation in some areas. The Government will be announcing later this year the outcome of its review of formula funding for local authorities.