§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress he is making with his Building Schools for the Future programme. [169301]
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§ Mr. MilibandWe have made excellent progress on Building Schools for the Future, working closely with local government and other partners. This is starting to deliver our commitment to a 10 to 15-year programme of rebuilding and renewal to ensure that secondary education in every part of England has facilities of 21-Century standard.
Four in five respondents to our consultation last year supported our new approach to capital investment. In February 2004, we announced the first wave of 16 projects, involving an estimated 180 schools across 19 local authorities. We also published 11 exemplar designs which show what the schools of the future may look like. This month, we have established Partnerships for Schools, a new body to ensure that the investment is good value for money. Lastly, following the Chancellor's announcement of this Department's spending review settlement, we are well placed to announce the next waves of projects later this year.