§ Mr. SandersTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make additional support available to schools to help them fund the services of life education centres; and if he will make a statement. [104009]
§ Jacqui SmithThe DfEE has already provided a significant amount of support for the work of Life Education Centres (LECs). Specific support has been provided for a Regional Development Officer's post, and LECs have also benefited from some the money provided by the DfEE through the Grants of Education Support and Training (GEST) and Standards Fund programmes for drug prevention and education work. We are providing a further £7.5 million of support this year and in 2000–01, through the Standards Fund, to assist all schools to deliver effective drug education. It is for individual schools to decide on the detailed content and organisation of drug education programmes in schools; Life Education Centres is one of a number of possible programmes they may adopt.