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18 Dec 2002 : Column 833W—continued
School Funding (Kent)
Jonathan Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the level of schools funding per pupil was in (a) Kent and (b) Medway in each year since 1996; what the predicted spending for the next three years will be in each case; and what the capital investment was each year since 1996. [87728]
Mr. Miliband: The tables show the Department's total education standard spending assessment, recurrent and capital grant per pupil allocated to Kent and Medway local education authorities for the financial years 1998–99 to 2002–03. The local government reorganisation means that data for 1996–97 and 1997–98 does not conform to current boundaries so comparable figures are not available.
| SSA | Recurrent grant | Capital grant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 2,610 | 20 | 110 |
| 1999–2000 | 2,710 | 70 | 110 |
| 2000–01 | 2,830 | 200 | 300 |
| 2001–02 | 2,970 | 290 | 290 |
| 2002–03 | 3,150 | 320 | 350 |
Notes:
1. Figures reflect education SSA settlement figures (all sub-blocks, excluding, where relevant, the funding for 4-year-olds at private, voluntary and independent institutions) plus all revenue grants in DfES's departmental expenditure limits relevant to pupils aged 4–19 (excluding EMA and other grants where it is not possible to get figures on a comparable basis over time).
2. The pupil numbers used are the maintained pupils underlying the SSA settlement calculations.
3. 2002–03 SSA figures include an element for LSC allocations in respect of school sixth forms.
4. 2002–03 figures are provisional.
5. Figures are rounded to the nearest #10.
18 Dec 2002 : Column 834W
| SSA | Recurrent grant | Capital grant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 2,580 | 20 | 120 |
| 1999–2000 | 2,670 | 80 | 130 |
| 2000–01 | 2,790 | 200 | 270 |
| 2001–02 | 2,930 | 300 | 290 |
| 2002–03 | 3,120 | 320 | 350 |
Notes:
1. Figures reflect education SSA settlement figures (all sub-blocks, excluding, where relevant, the funding for 4-year-olds at private, voluntary and independent institutions) plus all revenue grants in DfES's departmental expenditure limits relevant to pupils aged 4–19 (excluding EMA and other grants where it is not possible to get figures on a comparable basis over time).
2. The pupil numbers used are the maintained pupils underlying the SSA settlement calculations.
3. 2002–03 SSA figures include an element for LSC allocations in respect of school sixth forms.
4. 2002–03 figures are provisional.
5. Figures are rounded to the nearest #10.
As a result of our drive to give extra resources to the front line, there will be no increase in central Government spending per pupil but a national average increase of over #540 per pupil in our plans for local government spending over the next three years.
It is not possible to set out now education formula spending shares (EFSS) for Kent and Medway for 2004–05 and 2005–06: they will depend on pupil numbers and indicator data at January 2003 and 2004. However, we have provided Kent and Medway with figures for total education formula spending for 2004–05 and 2005–06, together with forward projections at national level of pupil numbers for those years. We have also said that there will be minimum and maximum increases for authorities as we introduce the new LEA funding system. Indicator data will be averaged over three years to provide further stability and predictability in future formula spending shares. Kent and Medway will be able to use this data—together with local knowledge about pupil numbers and indicators—to form a good estimate of what their EFSS might be in those years. That will in turn allow them to provide schools with indicative budgets for the next three years.
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School Security
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what measures he is taking to improve security arrangements in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools; [87805]
- (2) what grants are available to (a) primary and (b) secondary schools to improve on-site security arrangements. [87806]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department has produced a range of guidance on school security, most recently the video XCan You See What They See?". Advice is also available on the school security website www.dfes.gov.uk/schoolsecurity.
In 2002–03 funding of #10 million was provided to local education authorities from the capital modernisation fund for school security projects. This was allocated on a formula basis for their maintained schools, and it is for them to decide how best to use the funding to improve security in both primary and secondary schools.
Special Educational Needs
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much he estimates introduction of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 will cost in respect of (a) staff training costs, (b) other recurrent costs and (c) capital costs over the quinquennium from September 2002, broken down by local education authority. [87116]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Local education authorities (LEAs) and schools are able to use record increases in funding for education made available by the Government, of #12.8 billion between 2002–03 and 2005–06 (of which #2.7 billion is capital) to implement their duties under the SEN and Disability Act 2001.
Increases in the SEN Standards Fund and the Schools Access Initiative have provided specific sources of extra funding for local education authorities and schools to meet the requirements to include pupils with special educational needs and disabilities within schools and to establish local parent partnership and disagreement resolution services.
In 2002–03 a total of #91 million was made available to LEAs and schools to support the needs of pupils with SEN and disabilities and vulnerable children from the Standards Fund and in 2003–04 will remain at this record level. Eligible expenditure from the fund includes training and between 1999 and 2002 the fund has been used to establish parent partnership services, which are now statutory services.
Substantial funding has been provided, and continues to be provided under the schools access initiative to improve access for disabled children which is standing at #70 million this year and will increase again to #100 million from 2003–04 for the next three years.
Specialist College Status
Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will abolish the financial threshold for schools bidding for specialist college status. [87654]
18 Dec 2002 : Column 836W
Mr. Miliband: The Department will not be abolishing the sponsorship requirement for schools applying for specialist school status.
Raising sponsorship is a key aspect of the Specialist Schools Programme. The main rationale behind it is the need for specialist schools to build partnerships with sponsors and the local community. As a task, raising sponsorship links into the enterprising ethos that is integral to the programme as a whole and it serves as a forum for the school's public presentation of its plans for specialist designation.
The Department has already done much to help schools which are having difficulties raising the necessary sponsorship. We grant-aid the Technology Colleges Trust and the Youth Sport Trust, which advise schools on raising sponsorship. The Trusts are often able to help schools with money donated centrally, on the basis of criteria set out by sponsors.
In 1999 we reduced the sponsorship requirement to #50,000, and in May this year we reduced the amount of sponsorship required by small mainstream schools (defined as those with under 500 pupils on roll) to #100 per pupil, subject to a minimum of #20,000, rising to #50,000 for a school with 500 pupils.
In November the Secretary of State for Education and Skills announced the creation of a Partnership Fund. The Fund, which will contain #3 million in 2003–04, is designed specifically to help schools which have had serious difficulties meeting the #50,000 sponsorship requirement. The Department is in the process of developing criteria for the allocation of the fund, which will be managed by the Technology Colleges Trust. The criteria will be based around evidence that the school has made a real effort to raise sponsorship and has created valuable links with businesses.
Spending Review
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list for his Department (a) those comprehensive spending review 1998 targets that were outstanding at the time of the statement on the comprehensive spending review 2002, (b) progress on such targets since then and (c) the expected date when targets not yet achieved will be met. [87693]
Mr. Charles Clarke [holding answer 17 December 2002]: The Department publishes progress against all its outstanding PSA targets in its annual departmental report and autumn performance report. Progress against our CSR 98 targets was reported most recently in the 2002 autumn report, published in November, together with commentary where appropriate. A copy of the report is available from the House of Commons Library.
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