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Water Charges
Mr. Luff:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will investigate the impact on school budgets in Worcestershire of the proposed increase in water charges. [86871]
14 Jun 1999 : Column: 64
Ms Estelle Morris:
Under schedule three of the Financing of Maintained Schools Regulations 1999, local education authorities (LEAs) are free to determine factors--based on either actual or estimated costs--for the delegation of funds to schools for charges for water and sewage via budget shares. It is therefore a matter for Worcestershire LEA to devise such factors within its formula.
Mr. Tyler:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he proposes to take to ensure that the rate support grant for rural local education authorities takes into account the cost of home to school transport with particular reference to Cornwall. [86680]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The sparsity factor in the Standard Spending Assessment methodology delivers more funding to local education authorities in rural areas such as Cornwall, to help meet the extra costs of home to school transport. The Government will be reviewing the details of the formula over the next few years.
Mr. Tyler:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he intends to take to prevent adverse effects on core school budgets as a result of pressure on local education authorities to find the matching funding necessary for the Standards Fund. [86681]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The requirement for Local Education Authorities to contribute to the Standards Fund was allowed for in the 5.7 per cent. increase in the Education Standard Spending Assessment for 1999-2000 announced in December. Cornwall County Council's own Education Standard Spending Assessment increased by 6.2 per cent. Local Education Authorities have accepted over 99 per cent. of the Standards Fund allocations offered to them, with Cornwall accepting 100 per cent. Around two-thirds of the Standards Fund must be devolved to school level, contributing to the funds available to schools.