§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1986 is made available to the Avon multicultural centre; how much is provided for similar centres and if he will list them; how much is provided for other educational purposes and if he will categorise them; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaddingtonFor the financial year 1984–85, the last year for which the relevant information is available, the Home Office has approved a claim from Avon county council for a grant under section 11 totalling £703,215 in respect of staff employed at the Avon multicultural education centre. For the same year, it is estimated that total claims for section 11 grant from local education authorities in England and Wales will amount to approximately £60.3 million. Of this, approximately £55 million will be payment in respect of teachers, approximately £4.8 million payment in respect of ancillary helpers and approximately £0.46 million payment in respect of education and welfare officers. These totals include grant claimed by a number of local education authorities in respect of staff working from central units as distinct from schools. These have a variety of titles and functions so that it is difficult to compare them with the Avon centre. However, the available information in respect of these central units is as follows.
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Education authority Name of central unit Grant claimed in 1984–85 £ Birmingham Bordesley Centre (including multicultural resource and support units) 1,554,060 Brent Language Centre 876,578 Buckinghamshire Multicultural Centre 17,027 Cambridgeshire Cambridge Multicultural Unit 96,686 Peterborough Multicultural Education Centre 75,945 Coventry Minazitj Group Support Service 561,867 Derbyshire Multicultural Education Centre 90,441 Ealing Multicultural Support Service and Section 1,029,097 Haringey English Language Research Centre 469,225 Oldham Multicultural education and language Service 227,300 Sandwell Ethnic Minorities Support Service 834,556 Tameside Multicultural Education Support Section 77,048 Total 5,909,830 Following discussion with representatives of the local education authority about the work of the Avon centre, the Home Office has asked for further information about the functions of certain posts. In the light of this information, which is awaited, we will determine whether these functions can properly be supported by grant under section 11.