§ Mr. Eyreasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what extra provision for remedial English language teaching is made in respect of local authorities with substantial immigrant populations; and upon what criteria this is based.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonLocal authorities may claim Government grant at the rate of 75 per cent. under Section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 on the costs of employing staff, including teachers of English, to help overcome difficulties caused by differences in language or custom between Commonwealth immigrants and the indigenous community. Section 11 grant is available for all expenditure of this description in areas with substantial numbers of Commonwealth immigrants. Payments in respect of educational staff amounted to over £10 million in 1974–75.
A variety of projects also put forward by local authorities in these areas to 288W meet the special needs, including the teaching of English to immigrants, is grant-aided at the rate of 75 per cent. under the urban programme. The criteria for grant under the programme are (a) the degree of social need in the area to be assisted; and (b) the relevance of the proposals to specific needs. Approvals of educational projects specifically for immigrants in the current financial year amount to over £200,000.