asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make special allowance in the rate suport grant 1976–77 to cover a greater proportion of the recently announced 22·3 per cent. teachers' pay increase than the proportion of teachers' pay met by the 1975–76 rate support grant.

I have been asked to reply.Rate support grant is given in aid of local authorities' revenue generally, not in aid of specific items of expenditure. The national total is fixed as a proportion of the agreed forecast of total local authority relevant expenditure for the year. The forecast of expenditure and the grant proportion for 1976–77 are matters for discussion with the local authority associations in the rate support grant negotiations and the Consultative Council on Local Government Finance in the autumn.