ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the continuing pressures for reform of local government finance and the reaction of successive governments. In addition to the importance of education in the cultural and democratic life of the country, public spending on the service is a significant proportion of all national economic activity. Spending on schools and on further education is for England only; that on universities, for the United Kingdom. Pressure on the government built up from sources including the House of Commons Select Committee on Education and Science and from interest groups. This intensified existing pressure within central government for greater national involvement in the provision of local education. Although the overall level of spending did not fall in line with government plans, individual authorities did respond to the call for stringency. The percentage increase in cash expenditure on education between 1981/2 and 1983/4 varied from 24.9 per cent to 4.1 per cent.
