§ Mr. ChaytorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to equalise the funding arrangements for post-16 education and training. [128002]
§ Mr. WicksHow the Learning and Skills Council will allocate its funds is subject to a current consultation. The Government have invited partners' views on a system of national rates for the majority of learning programmes, which means that the same programme would attract the same funding wherever it was delivered. The Government recognise the current differences in funding levels, and favours upwards convergence, but we recognise that this can only happen over time, and subject to resources being available. Changes in levels of funding will, of course, be subject to the real-terms funding guarantee we have given to school sixth forms.