§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the cost to(a) Government and (b) individual schools of installing interactive computer display whiteboards. [168669]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeA total of £50 million has been announced for the provision of interactive whiteboards to primary and secondary schools. This funding has been split equally between the financial years 2003–04 and 2004–05 and has been allocated to LEAs. All LEAs in England will receive funding and we would expect over 18,000 classrooms to benefit.
The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) have created an interactive whiteboards framework contract which delivers significant savings in price and considerably reduces the time and effort that would be needed to procure them. Details are available at www.whiteboards.becta.org.uk. LEAs and schools are also able make purchases via this contract with funds not associated with the central initiative.