§ Jane GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what action he is taking to reduce the bureaucracy brought about by varied bidding criteria for the Standards Fund. [104395]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisFor the Standards Fund for 2000–01 we have reduced the number of grants allocated via competitive bidding. Seven of the 38 grants for 2000–01 required competitive bidding, compared to 10 in 1999–2000 and 14 in 1998–99.