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15 Dec 2003 : Column 659W—continued

Coalfield Communities

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the levels of educational attainment in the UK coalfields, and on Government action to improve them. [142946]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: In England, the increase in levels of educational attainment in coalfield areas since 1998, reflects that of England as a whole. In addition we are

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already seeing evidence that the gap between attainment in coalfield areas and non-coalfield areas is beginning to close.

DfES is committed to working closely with other Departments in order to develop a package of support for former coalfield areas. We know that coalfield areas have suffered from low levels of educational attainment and we have a range of targeted initiatives to raise attainment. We are succeeding in raising aspirations and attainment though policies that aim to ensure that all learners attain the highest standards, regardless of where they live.

DfES also works closely with all the key coalfield organisations such as Coalfield Communities Campaign (CCC), Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT), Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation (CISWO) and Coalfield Learning Initiative Partnership (CLIP) to improve our targeting and tackle problems.

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding his Department has allocated in each year to the Sure Start programme since its establishment; and how it has been spent in (a) St. Helens South, (b) St. Helens, (c) Merseyside and (d) the North West Region. [141475]

Margaret Hodge: The total annual budget (capital and revenue) allocated to Sure Start local programmes since the policy was established has been as follows:

£ million
1999–200084
2000–01184
2002–02184
2002–03449
2003–04(5)355

(5) Grant has been re-profiled to take account of previous year's rate of spend Individual programmes have been established through six planning rounds. In each round, eligible local authority districts were invited to identify a catchment area and set up a programme. The resulting programme has been provided with an indicative annual revenue profile and a single capital allocation to develop necessary facilities.


524 local programmes are being developed across the country. Of these, 108 are in the north-west of England—26 in Merseyside. The St. Helens district has five programmes of which three are in St. Helens South.

The financial information requested for the north-west region is set out in the following table. Information is drawn from local programmes' grant letters and their audit certificates as well as the Sure Start Unit's finance and performance monitoring IT system. Explanatory notes are attached at the end of each table.

Table (a) St. Helens South

Revenue (£)
2001–022002–032003–04Capital (£)
RoundSure Start local programmeYear of approvalAllocationSpendAllocationSpendAllocationSpendto dateAllocationClaimto date
4Fourways5/9/2001102,691102,691382,400332,170594,200253,1151,000,0000
5Happy Elephant27/6/2002083,652365,069281,417539,914405,6951,000,00011,500
6Phoenix6/5/2003n/an/an/an/a560,00001,000,0000
Total funding102,691186,343747,469613,5871,694,114658,8103,000,00011,500

Notes:

1. Local programmes are allocated funds at the beginning of each financial year based on their delivery plan.

2. Programmes claim grant quarterly using the Sure Start Unit's online claims system.

3. n/a denotes that the programme was not operational in that year.

4. Where there is spend against a nil allocation, this indicates start up or advance payments, which are anticipated from the first financial year of operation.

5. Claims for the 2003–04 financial year are still on-going—£0 indicates that a claim has either not been made or is in the process of being made.

6. Capital funding for Sure Start local programmes is normally a single allocated sum from which programmes draw down funds for particular projects. As programmes do not make regular claims, this has been shown as spend (or claims) to date. Programmes are encouraged to use their capital allocation within 3–5 years of their delivery plan being approved.


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Table (b) St. Helens

Revenue (£)
2000–012001–022002–03
RoundSure Start local programmeYear of approvalAllocationSpendAllocationSpendAllocationSpend
1Parr(6)(6)20/1/2000519,000300,600547,000405,079694,950624,509
4Fourways5/9/2001n/an/a102,691102,691382,400332,170
5Happy Elephant27/6/2002n/an/a083,652365,069281,417
5Central Link6/9/2002n/an/a098,660323,129189,236
6Phoenix6/5/2003n/an/an/an/an/an/a
Total funding519,000300,600649,691690,0821,765,5481,427,332

Revenue (£)
2003–04Capital (£)
RoundSure Start local programmeYear of approvalAllocationSpend to dateAllocationClaim to date
1Parr(6)20/1/2000(6)755,170413,9141,250,00015,700
4Fourways5/9/2001594,200253,1151,000,0000
5Happy Elephant27/6/2002539,914405,6951,000,00011,500
5Central Link6/9/2002519,094202,3921,000,0000
6Phoenix6/5/2003560,00001,000,0000
Total funding2,968,3781,275,1155,250,00027,200

(6) Sure Start Parr was approved in financial year 1999–2000 but because of late approval, spend was negligible in that financial year.

Notes:

1. Local programmes are allocated funds at the beginning of each financial year based on their delivery plan.

2. Programmes claim grant quarterly using the Sure Start Unit's online claims system.

3. n/a denotes that the programme was not operational in that year.

4. Where there is spend against a nil allocation, this indicates start up or advance payments, which are anticipated from the first financial year of operation.

5. Claims for the 2003–04 financial year are still on-going—£0 indicates that a claim has either not been made or is in the process of being made.

6. Capital funding for Sure Start local programmes is normally a single allocated sum from which programmes draw down funds for particular projects. As programmes do not make regular claims, this has been shown as spend (or claims) to date. Programmes are encouraged to use their capital allocation within 3–5 years of their delivery plan being approved.


Table (c) Merseyside, including St. Helens
Total funding (£)

Number of programmes—(26 across six rounds)
Revenue
2000–01
Allocation2,871,232
Spend1,595,000
2001–02
Allocation5,228,760
Spend3,678,612
2002–03
Allocation9,390,882
Spend8,213,327
2003–04
Allocation15,999,058
Spend to date5,773,821
Capital
Allocation27,199,839
Spend to date3,765,510

Note:

1. A few round 1 programmes were approved at the end of the financial year 1999–2000 but, given the late start, spend in that financial year was negligible.


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Table (d) North West
Total funding (£)

Number of programmes—(108 across six rounds)
Revenue
2000–01
Allocationn/a
Spendn/a
2001–02
Allocation22,770,182
Spend15,379,256
2002–03
Allocation33,630,120
Spendaudits pending
2003–04
Allocation72,175,410
Spend to date14,417,816
Capital
Total allocation110,944,324
Spend to date45,800,000

Notes:1. We are unable to provide an accurate picture of the overall revenue spend for the North West region as a whole for financial year 2000–01 because data processes were not set up to collect this information on a regional basis until 2001–02.2. Audit certificates for the financial year 2002–03 are still being submitted to the Sure Start Unit from some of the North West programmes and therefore spend figures for the region as a whole are unavailable at present.

3. The capital spend to date figure refers to the total value of capital projects approved to date, which programmes are able to draw down. The actual amount claimed to date is £15.3 million. The discrepancy is due to building work not being completed (and so not claimed for) or accountable bodies funding work and not yet claiming it back.


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