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26 Mar 2007 : Column 1281W—continued
English Language
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was spent on teaching English as a foreign language in Bedfordshire and Luton in 2005-06; and what the expected estimated total expenditure is in 2007-08. [129377]
Bill Rammell [holding answer23 March 2007]: The following figures are for Further Education Learning Skills Council funded aims with Bedfordshire and Luton Providers in 2005-06 and 2006-07.
The expectation is that next year’s spending on ESOL will be broadly comparable to this year. The budget for the next five years will be dependent upon the comprehensive spending review after which all priorities will be re-assessed.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what he expects the fees to be for the range of English for Speakers of Other Languages courses in 2007-08 between a programme of two hours per week for 30 weeks and a full-time programme of 450 programme guided learning hours. [124695]
Phil Hope [holding answer 2 March 2007]: Since 2001, almost 2 million people have taken up the opportunity to improve their English language skills through the Skills for Life Strategy.
The fee for a learner taking a course in English for Speakers of Other Languages is an operational matter for the national Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and Mark Haysom, the LSC’s Chief Executive, has written to my hon. Friend with this information. A copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.
Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 21 March 2007:
I write in response to your recent question to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, about the expected fees for English for Speakers of Other Languages courses in 2007-08 between a programme of two hours per week for 30 weeks and a full-time programme of 450 programme guided learning hours (glh).
Guidance on assumed fee rates is set out in the “Funding Guidance for Further Education 2006/07”, Annex A. In particular Table A2 gives the loadbanded assumed fee element for provision from 9glh to 1019glh per year.
For 2007/08 the assumed fee contribution will move to 37.5% from 32.5% (2006/07).
Set out below is the likely assumed fee rate for all qualifications of the stated glhs for 2007/08. The 2007/08 guidance is due to be published by April 2007 and there may be a slight variance in the figures once all the final calculations have been done:
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