Education Expenditure

Mr. McQuarrie
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how Scotland's spending on education, expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product, compares with Western European countries; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Allan Stewart
[pursuant to his reply, 20 May 1985, c. 292]: In 1983–84 expenditure on educational services in Scotland, including universities was £1,785 million, representing 8·3 per cent. of the provisional gross domestic product for Scotland. The latest available information in respect of a range of European countries is given in the table: ---------
|Country|
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|Austria|
---------
|Belgium|
---------

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|Denmark         |7·4|1981|
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|Finland         |5·5|1981|
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|France          |5·0|1981|
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|Germany, Federal|5·0|1981|
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|Republic        |   |    |
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|Greece          |2·2|1979|
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|Ireland         |7·3|1981|
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|Italy           |5·8|1981|
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|Luxembourg      |6·6|1981|
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|Netherlands     |6·8|1981|
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|Norway          |8·5|1980|
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|Portugal        |4·5|1981|
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|Spain           |2·6|1979|
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|Sweden          |8·8|1982|
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|Switzerland     |5·1|1981|
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