To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much was spent per pupil at secondary schools in Bedfordshire in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what was the comparable figure in 1978–79 at constant prices.

Bedfordshire spent £535 per secondary pupil in 1978–79 and £1,635 per secondary pupil in 1988–89, the latest year for which figures are available. At 1988–89 prices, those figures are £1,175 and £1,635 respectively.