EDUCATION SUPPORT GRANTS (Hansard, 12 December 1984)

§ The Earl of Swinton

On 12th June my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science announced the Government's intention to support through education support grants in the financial year 1985–86 up to £30 million of expenditure by local education authorities in England. The activities to be supported were selected following detailed consultation with the local authority associations and were set out in the Education Support Grants Regulations 1984. Ninety-five authorities have bid for grant support, and for each of the 11 categories of activity for which bids were invited the total of the bids exceeded the expenditure which could be supported.

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Education support grants are intended to encourage local education authorities to redeploy a limited amount of expenditure towards activities with national priority in the education service. They should have an important contribution to make in promoting continuing improvements in the education service and in assisting local education authorities to respond to changing demands. Following careful consideration of the bids, local education authorities are being informed of the levels of expenditure for each category of activity which my right honourable friend has approved for the financial year 1985–86 for the purposes of the Education Support Grants Regulations 1984.

Table A below sets out for each category of activity the level of expenditure and the number of authorities to be supported through education support grants in the financial year 1985–86. Approval has been given so far in respect of £28.85 million of expenditure.

Table A
THE LEVEL OF EXPENDITURE FOR EACH CATEGORY OF ACTIVITY TO BE SUPPORTED THROUGH EDUCATION SUPPORT GRANTS IN THE 1985–86 FINANCIAL YEAR
		Expenditure to be supported in the financial year 1985–86 £m	Number of authorities in respect of which expenditure has been approved			Expenditure to be supported in the financial year 1985–86 £m	Number of authorities in respect of which expenditure has been approved
(A)	The management and appraisal of school teachers	1.00	—	(I)	The provision of retaining and updating courses directed towards the needs of industry and commerce (PICKUP)	2.00	54
(B)	The teaching of mathematics in schools	3.26	94
(C)	The teaching of science as part of primary education in schools	2.02	50	(J)	The development of the use of information technology at further education establishments, by providing equipment, preparing or providing course material and computer software, or training teachers employed at such establishments	13.00	91
(D)	The provision of microelectronic equipment designed or adapted for use by children with special educational needs	2.25	89
(E)	Pilot projects to provide records of achievement for young people in secondary schools and colleges	2.00	14
(F)	Pilot projects to improve the quality of education provided in primary schools in urban areas	0.54	12	(K)	The planning, development and co-ordination of provision to meet the educational needs of those who are unemployed (excluding those currently receiving full-time education)	1.50	45
(G)	Pilot projects to improve the quality or the range of the curriculum provided in primary schools in rural areas	0.45	6
(H)	Pilot projects to meet the educational needs of those ethnic minorities, to promote harmony between different racial groups or in other ways to prepare pupils and students for life in a multi-ethnic society	0.98	26	(L)	The provision of data processing equipment and accessories and software for use in the management of further education establishments	1.00	85
TOTAL	30.00

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Within this total, approval has so far been given in respect of expenditure of £1.85 million for pilot projects concerned with records of achievement. A further £0.15 million to provide for extensions to planned projects will be allocated after discussion with the authorities concerned. No decisions have yet been taken about the allocation between authorities of the £1 million to be expended on the management and appraisal of school teachers.

Table B below sets out the expenditure which my right honourable friend has approved for the financial year 1985–86 for the purposes of the Education Support Grants Regulations 1984 in respect of each category of activity for each authority. Fuller details about the allocations are set out in a note which has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

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Table B
APPROVED EXPENDITURE IN RESPECT OF EACH CATEGORY OF ACTIVITY FOR EACH AUTHORITY
£ Thousands
				Pilot Projects concerned with
Authority	Teaching of mathematics in schools	Science in primary education	Micro electronic equipment for children with special educational needs	Records of achievement	Urban primary schools	Rural primary schools	Educational needs in a multi-ethnic society	Retraining and updating courses (PICKUP)	Information technology in non-advanced further education	Educational provision for the unemployed	Management systems in further education establishments	Total
OUTER LONDON
BOROUGHS
Barking	13.4		17.2					(c)			8.2	38.8
Barnet	19.9		28.7						92.8		13.7	155.1
Bexley	18.7	36.9						21.8	39.4	15.0	13.6	145.4
Brent	17.9	37.9	20.9				25.0		41.2	20.2	6.0	169.1
Bromley	32.0	57.1						53.4	76.3		15.1	233.9
Croydon	32.0	33.9	25.3		45.5		43.9	52.3	95.5	27.0	7.2	362.6
Ealing	28.7		18.0						175.0		10.5	232.2
Enfield	28.1	34.3	15.5						125.0		10.0	212.9
Haringey	26.8	55.0	12.0		56.7		80.8	(c)	72.8		9.6	313.7
Harrow	30.0	29.4	27.0						82.4		11.8	180.6
Havering	24.8	23.8	22.0					(c)	46.9		4.4	121.9
Hillingdon	32.0		26.2				10.4	22.5	85.4	34.5	7.0	218.0
Hounslow
Kingston-upon-Thames	36.1	50.8	21.6						41.2		6.2	155.9
Merton	19.9								37.0		10.5	67.4
Newham	26.1	40.7	24.3					(c)	61.5	18.4	10.4	181.4
Redbridge	16.9		23.0					(c)	49.6		6.4	95.9
Richmond-upon Thames	30.9		21.8						41.2		7.7	101.6
Sutton	15.7		18.8						34.1			68.6
Waltham Forest	34.6	31.2	23.9					143.5(c)	5.0	23.6	9.3	271.1
ILEA	82.1	15.0	60.0	210.9	49.3		58.7	182.8	1,218.7		18.7	1,896.2
METROPOLITAN
DISTRICTS
Birmingham	31.1		29.8				60.4	52.3	349.6	58.9	13.9	596.0
Coventry	30.0		27.4	167.2(a)			11.5		76.8	20.2	13.6	346.7
Dudley	32.6		15.5					29.3	68.1		18.2	163.7
Sandwell	33.7		27.5						85.6	37.5	6.9	191.2
Solihull	25.0		4.7					18.5	41.2		6.9	96.3
Walsall	34.5		14.2		29.4		36.8		30.4		5.0	150.3
Wolverhampton.	22.0		21.4						89.3	36.6	9.9	179.2
Knowsley	20.9	29.1							82.4		12.6	145.0
Liverpool	50.6	23.8	29.9		66.6		31.3		224.8	41.5	25.4	493.9
St. Helens	19.0		20.9					49.9	87.4	20.0	11.5	208.7
Sefton	29.3											29.3
Wirral	30.0	26.4	28.5						46.2	54.1	16.9	202.1
Bolton	25.0		22.3					40.9	108.2	26.4	6.1	228.9
Bury	25.0	53.8	21.2						62.5		8.7	171.2
Manchester	30.0	54.2	26.4				41.8	52.3	130.9	50.3	5.0	390.9
Oldham	35.4		19.4				41.5		41.2		9.8	137.3
Rochdale	26.3		28.6					36.6	72.3		8.8	172.6
Salford	25.2		28.2					31.2	89.9	28.5	11.8	214.8
Stockport	21.9		22.8					27.0	423	26.1		140.1
Tameside	27.4	46.2	23.8				24.5	19.9	47.5	15.7	7.1	212.2
Trafford	23.5		24.6		29.3		47.0		51.2		6.0	81.6
Wigan	30.0		23.5	96.7				20.9	59.4			230.5
Barnsley	35.5		32.3						56.8	27.5	11.4	163.5
Doncaster	35.2	45.5	27.8					26.0	74.3	17.0	9.4	235.2
Rotherham	17.4		28.2				20.8	31.4	84.7	24.6	11.7	238.8
Sheffield	32.5	39.0	29.8		77.9		31.3		150.7		16.1	377.3
Bradford	38.6	28.9	37.6				104.3	32.7	156.5	32.8	12.5	443.9
Calderdale	26.8		11.8					(d)	37.5	44.6	6.8	127.5
Kirklees	24.4		29.0				48.7	53.2(d)	141.4	48.4	5	356.6
Leeds	26.0		22.3		40.4		17.7	52.0	198.4	39.7	9.3	405.8
Wakefield	35.1	35.3	27.8					42.3	41.2		8.9	190.6
Gateshead	10.2		23.6						41.3	26.9	1.0	103.0
Newcastle Upon Tyne	19.8	34.6	25.6					36.6	154.4	43.9	15.5	330.4
N. Tyneside	23.4		28.6				18.1	15.7	24.9		5.0	115.7
S. Tyneside	23.9		18.6					32.5	88.0	27.0	12.7	202.7
Sunderland			25.0		43.1				153.1	29.9		251.1
SHIRE COUNTIES
Avon	59.4	55.8	29.0						376.5			520.7
Bedfordshire	53.2	41.6	25.4						183.6	20.0	15.3	339.1
Berkshire	35.6		31.0				62.7		118.8	30.9	17.7	296.7
Buckinghamshire	47.1	32.5	29.8					31.4	288.2		18.1	447.1
Cambridgeshire	48.9	46.9	26.0			57.5			185.5		12.4	377.2
Cheshire	50.2		19.3		34.0							103.5
Cleveland	60.6	38.8	29.3		32.1				176.2	29.3	8.8	375.1
Cornwall	45.5	36.7	23.7					12.5	146.9	23.0	7.9	296.2
Cumbria	52.6	40.3	22.2			71.9		53.8	254.6			495.4
Derbyshire	59.6		27.0	(b)			24.3		245.7		20.4	377.0
Devon	40.1		23.7					26.1	279.7	75.2	14.5	459.3
Dorset	44.1	51.5	19.2	168.3		106.9			89.6		13.4	493.0
Durham	41.3		26.6					14.0	128.1		12.7	222.7
East Sussex	25.3	16.0	22.0						259.8		9.3	332.4
Essex	55.4		30.4	276.4				62.7	377.3	21.9	18.8	842.9
Gloucestershire	42.1	41.4	10.9				20.7	41.8	282.0	26.1	12.8	477.8
Hampshire	23.5	56.2	29.0					52.3	3121		9.8	482.9
Hereford & Worcester	41.1		25.5					44.0	201.5	49.1	10.9	372.1
Hertfordshire	61.4	51.7	29.0					26.1	278.2		16.4	462.8
Humberside	58.2		26.0				14.7	34.2	155.2	35.4	16.6	340.3
Isle of Wight	14.4		20.9						41.2		2.8	79.3
Kent	44.8		27.8				18.8	62.7	164.3		19.7	338.1

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APPROVED EXPENDITURE IN RESPECT OF EACH CATEGORY OF ACTIVITY FOR EACH AUTHORITY
£ Thousands
				Pilot Projects concerned with
Authority	Teaching of mathematics in schools	Science in primary education	Micro electronic equipment for children with special educational needs	Records of achievement	Urban primary schools	Rural primary schools	Educational needs in a multi-ethnic society	Retraining and updating courses (PICKUP)	Information technology in non-advanced further education	Educational provision for the unemployed	Management systems in further education establishments	Total
Lancashire	58.7	38.4	27.6	62.7			19.1	36.4	249.1		11.7	503.7
Leicestershire	55.2	30.8	60.0	167.2(a)			65.8	29.4	127.1	53.7	22.9	612.1
Lincolnshire	52.2		28.0	(b)					96.8		8.0	185.0
Norfolk	45.1	46.8	27.2			73.4			119.7		15.5	327.7
N. Yorkshire	36.1	28.6	24.9					52.3	205.5		16.6	364.0
Northamptonshire	33.1	51.0	29.8	274.9(b)				52.3	262.5	53.9	12.6	770.1
Northumberland	25.4	52.0	22.4						49.5	9.8	10.5	169.6
Nottinghamshire	55.2		26.7	(b)					158.7			240.6
Oxfordshire	45.0	58.6	22.2	167.2(a)				36.1	206.2	39.6	16.7	591.6
Shropshire	50.0	47.4	24.8			64.8			118.7		21.6	327.3
Somerset	32.0	41.5	24.0	167.2(a)					243.0	59.7	12.8	580.2
Staffordshire	63.5	89.8	30.9					42.0	297.3		16.9	540.4
Suffolk	13.4	19.3	60.0	88.6				12.2		31.9	13.1	238.5
Surrey	41.1	29.4						25.6	122.8	23.7		242.6
Warwickshire	42.9	42.2	22.7						166.8		16.7	291.3
West Sussex	22.9	43.3	22.0					47.0	143.9		13.5	292.6
Wiltshire	27.1	28.3	8.3		33.9	79.9		27.6	176.0		10.4	391.5
NOTES:
1. (a). (b): these two groups of 4 authorities comprise 2 consortia for pilot projects concerned with records of achievement. The total amount approved for consortium (a) is £668,000 and for (b) £274,900. The authorities comprising consortium (a) each submitted their own application: for consortium (b) Northamptonshire submitted a single application on behalf of the consortium as a whole.
2. (c), (d): these two groups of authorities comprise 2 consortia in respect of which expenditure has been approved concerned with the provision of retraining and updating courses. The total amount approved for consortium (c) is £143,500; and for (d) is £53,200. Single applications were submitted by Waltham Forest In respect of (c) and Kirklees in respect of (d) on behalf of the consortia.

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