§ 7. Sir David Rentonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will make a statement on her dis- 288 cussions with local authority associations on specific grants to local authorities for education purposes.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsI met representatives of the Council of Local Education Authorities on 18th April for a first discussion of my proposals for introducing a limited measure of specific grant for education purposes. Since then a group of officials from my Department and the local authority associations have been considering the detailed implications.
§ Sir D. RentonIs the right hon. Lady aware that, because of the large reduction in rate support grant adversely affecting most counties, especially Cambridgeshire, drastic reductions are having to be made in education in this financial year? In further discussions and decisions on this matter, will she ensure that everything possible is done to make up for the Government's folly and unfairness in reducing the rate support grant in the way they did?
§ Mrs. WilliamsI am aware that there have been difficulties in some counties in the last year, although it is right and fair to say that the Government wanted to give some priority to inner city areas, from which I do not dissociate myself [HON. MEMBERS: "Why?"] Because those areas have much greater needs than many people are aware of. However, the question relates to specific grants, and the purpose of such grants is limited and clearly defined and is very important in obtaining additional money for particular educational purposes. Without that power, such additional money is hard to come by.
§ Mr. NobleDoes my right hon. Friend agree that one of the essential areas of provision should be language training for immigrants? Does she further agree that there is a desperate shortage of such training in many inner city areas, and that this prevents immigrants being given equal opportunities in terms of jobs, housing and other matters? Will she seek to ensure that as much money as possible is allocated to local authorities for this purpose?
§ Mrs. WilliamsThe question indicates the difficulty, because some additional money is being made available for the education of immigrants under Section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 which 289 is administered by the Home Office, although the subject is concerned with education. Similarly, funds are made available for training through the Department of Employment. None of these funds can be made available through the Department of Education, for the straightforward reason that we have no power to do so. In my view, one of the crying needs is to give more positive help to disadvantaged children, immigrant and non-immigrant. At present we cannot do so.
§ Dr. HampsonSince it was not in the Green Paper as a priority, will the right hon. Lady say whether it is a Government priority to promote vocational courses in further education? If so, does she intend to adjust the grant provisions, because grants are now so difficult to come by in respect of local authorities for technician and non-advanced work whereas they are generous for degree courses, which in some areas are needed like a hole in the head?
§ Mrs. WilliamsThe hon. Gentleman will be aware that the Green Paper devoted itself to the compulsory years of education between 5 and 16. He will also know from answers to previous Questions that my Department is monitoring the level and number of discretionary grants so that we can discover just what the situation is. I share the view that this is an area where we should almost certainly do something urgently.