§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of whether Wokingham Unitary Authority would qualify for the last round of Basic Needs funding; and what discussions he has had with Wokingham Unitary Authority on its ability to qualify for the last round of Basic Needs funding. [89252]
§ Mr. MilibandAll local education authorities (LEAs) were invited to bid for Basic Need funding when the guidance for 2003–04 was issued on 30 July 2002, and the deadline for LEAs to submit their bids was 30 September 2002. It was for LEAs to decide whether or not to bid for funding based on the criteria in the guidance. Wokingham LEA did not submit any bids for Basic Need funding in 2003–04. Officials within the Department confirmed with Helen Rowlay at the LEA that no bids were being made.