The Conservative Manifesto 1997

OUR RECORD - OPPORTUNITY

The Government has spent �6 billion through housing associations to provide homes for rent. Between 1992 and 1995 housing associations provided 178,000 new lettings - 25,000 more than promised in the 1992 Manifesto.

There are now around 10 million private shareholders, up from about 3 million at the time of the last Labour government. 2.5 million people now have tax free savings in PEP accounts, and 4.5 million in TESSAs.

Since 1979, the success of private pension provision has raised the average income of pensioners by 60% more than inflation. Almost 90% of recently retired pensioners now have incomes over and above state benefits.

Savings in private pension funds have increased to �650 billion - more than 4 times the level in 1979. Their value is greater than the pension funds in all other EU countries added together.

Over the period 1979 to 1995, education spending per pupil rose from �515 to �1,890 - an increase in real terms of 48%. Real spending on books and equipment per pupil rose 56%. Teachers' real pay rose 57%: from �270 per week in 1979 to �420 in 1995.

In 1979, 40% of three and four year olds attended nursery school; in 1995 the figure was 59%. Our nursery vouchers now give this opportunity to every child.

The proportion of sixteen year olds staying on in full-time education rose from 4 out of 10 in 1979 to 7 out of 10 in 1995.

Almost 1 in 3 young people now go to university, compared with 1 in 8 in 1979.

The proportion of adults with no academic qualifications has halved since 1979 and the proportion of adults with a degree or equivalent has more than doubled rising from 5% to 12%.