Dunne: "Yet again Shropshire has been short changed by central Government when it comes to funding our schools."Reacting to the announcement of funding per pupil for Shropshire, Ludlow MP Philip Dunne said today: "Yet again Shropshire has been short changed by central Government when it comes to funding our schools."

The announcement of the detailed funding settlement for the next three years following the Comprehensive Spending Review last month has been announced for Shropshire.

Mr Dunne added: "Just as Shropshire is being forced by central Government to look at its rural primary schools policy due to historic settlements way below the national average, so yet again this Government is further widening the gap between funding allocations for rural counties like Shropshire and the national average funding per pupil in England.

In the current year 2007-08 there is a £329 per pupil shortfall, by 2010-11 this will rise to a £385 gap between what Shropshire receives and what the average LEA in England receives per pupil. For the 38,600 pupils on which the County Council is basing its figures, this is pushing up the shortfall from some £12.7m to £14.9m.

It is no wonder that people in Shropshire feel angry that our schools are at risk of being cut."