§ 7. Bob Russell (Colchester)If he will visit the Colchester sixth form college to discuss funding for the college. [1217011]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Skills (Mr. Ivan Lewis)Sadly, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will not be able to accept the hon. Gentleman's kind invitation. However, the hon. Gentleman should not despair, because my hon. Friend the Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education hopes to be able to visit the college in the autumn and would welcome the opportunity to discuss the increase in funding for further education over the next three years and the college's development plan for that period.
§ Bob RussellI warmly welcome that response. When the Minister visits the college, will he explain why a sixth form college that puts in a new building gets only a 30 per cent. building grant, while sixth forms in a school get a 100 per cent. grant? Also, why is it that, in the seventh year of a Labour Government, students who attend one of the 100 or so sixth form colleges across the country receive, on average, 25 per cent. less funding than sixth form students in schools? Why is there such an unlevel playing field between students at sixth form colleges and those who attend sixth form in a school?
§ Mr. LewisI thought that the hon. Gentleman was going to thank me for the £370,000 grant recently awarded to the college to help build its new information technology and education block, or for the 19 per cent. real-terms increase in funding for the college sector over the next three years, or for the 7 per cent. real-terms increase in funding for full-time equivalent students over the same period. Where was the hon. Gentleman when we have spoken in the House, as we have done frequently, about the most ambitious investment and reform package for further education for a generation, which has the clear objective of closing the funding gap between 16 to 19-year-olds educated in schools and those educated in college settings? As to the question of VAT, that is a matter that Customs and Excise is currently considering.