§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills by how much(a) central and (b) local government spending will increase, on average, per child in (i) primary and (ii) secondary education in (A) England and (B) Devon in the next three years. [87313]
§ Mr. Miliband[holding answer 17 December 2002]: As a result of our drive to give extra resources to the front line, there will be no increase in central government spending per pupil but a national average increase of over £540 per pupil in our plans for local government spending over the next three years.
It is not possible to set out now Education Formula Spending Shares (EFSS) for Devon for 2004–05 and 2005–06: they will depend on pupil numbers and indicator data at January 2003 and 2004. However, we have provided local authorities with increases in total Education Formula Spending for 2004–05 and 2005–06, together with forward projections at national level of pupil numbers for those years. We have also said that there will be minimum and maximum increases for authorities as we introduce the new LEA funding system. Indicator data will be averaged over three years to provide further stability and predictability in future Formula Spending Shares. Authorities will be able to use this data—together with local knowledge about pupil numbers and indicators—to form a good estimate of what their EFSS might be in those years. That will in turn allow them to provide schools with indicative budgets for the next three years.
The balance of spending between primary and secondary education is determined by local decisions made in each LEA, both in respect to local government spending and, for the most part, support from central government.