Examination of Witnesses (Questions 240-245)
MR CHRIS
BANKS, MR
GEOFF RUSSELL
AND MR
DAVID HUGHES
20 MAY 2009
Q240 Mr Marsden: So that will mean
you having to give a much clearer directive to your regional structures
and regional directors as to how they proceed with whatever money
is available in future.
Mr Russell: Absolutely. David
is in charge of capital nationally. I have someone in charge of
Train to Gain nationally. There will be someone in charge of every
single programme we have nationally.
Q241 Graham Stringer: Is the implication
of what you have just said, apart from the capital programme being
demand-led and not need-led, that you accept that the funding
methodology for student learning numbers is one view and in the
distance sending money towards the areas of greatest need?
Mr Russell: It is partly an issue
of semantics. If you ask officials in DIUS what they mean by demand-led,
they will say it is where we put the money to where there is a
need for it and, therefore, we should respond to those demands.
It is a slight change in emphasis, in truth, but I think the change
in emphasis is around the fact that we do not have as much money
as we have had in the past, so we need to be a little more active
in terms of deciding and playing a greater role in decisions about
where we want to place our bets.
Q242 Graham Stringer: So do you accept
that the methodology is not sending money towards the areas of
greatest need?
Mr Russell: I am not sure I can
say that I have the knowledge to look back and say how well bets
we have placed in the past have played out. As to the college
programme, you have heard that it was kind of who was first in
the queue. Clearly we need to move away from that. We have moved
away from that in capital; I think we have to move in the same
direction on all our programmes.
Q243 Chairman: Chris, one very brief
question. Do you have a good relationship with DIUS?
Mr Banks: Personally?
Q244 Chairman: Yes.
Mr Banks: Yes, with officials
and, indeed, with ministers. We have always had good, open, lively
and frequent contact with them.
Q245 Chairman: Thank you very much
indeed. Can I thank you very much indeed. Chris Banks, you have
been very straight with us today, Geoff Russell, the Chief Executive,
you have been straight with us today, and David Hughes, you have
been straight with us today, in case you take any inference from
that as the Projects Director. Thank you all very much indeed
and thank you for that very quick canter around some very difficult
issues.
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