Public Expenditure

Mr. Barry Jones
asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT those school projects, nursery, infants, primary and secondary, respectively, which will be affected by the recently announced cuts in public expenditure ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Thomas
Welsh Office Circular 309/73 advised local education authorities in Wales that projects designed to meet basic needs, special and nursery education would be eligible for approval up to 30th June 1975. It is not possible to list the detailed improvement projects on which a start will be deferred until my Department has undertaken consultations with local education authorities in Wales.

Mr. Bruce-Gardyne
asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will now specify the distribution of the reductions in the rate of growth of public expenditure announced on 17th December last between the various services for which his Department is responsible, and the consequential changes to take effect during  the course of the current financial year, respectively.

Mr. Peter Thomas
The reduction in capital expenditure in 1974–75 for the services for which my Department is responsible is as follows: -------------------------------------
|                                   |
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|Roads                              |
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|Education                          |
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|Other Environmental Services       |
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|Health and Personal Social Services|
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|Total                              |
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On procurement in 1974–75 I estimate the reductions to be as follows:
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|                                   |
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|Roads                              |
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|Education                          |
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|Other Environmental Services       |
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|Health and Personal Social Services|
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|Total                              |
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There will be consequential reductions in capital expenditure in the current financial year of about £1 million each on educational and other environmental services.