§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department keeps any record of the debt charge of schools leaving local authority control.
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§ Mr. EggarAs the liability of an authority in respect of the principal of, or any interest on, any loan held by the authority for the purposes of a school which becomes grant maintained is not transferred to the governing body of a grant-maintained school, the Department has no need to keep a record of such debts.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice his Department gives local authorities in respect of debt charge incurred from capital investment in schools which subsequent to the investment leave local authority control; and what account is taken of any such debt charge when assessing the Department's revenue support for the local authority.
§ Mr. EggarThe statutory provisions on debt charges relating to schools which become grant maintained are set out in section 74 of the Education Reform Act 1988. Those debt charges are treated in the same way as other local authority debt charges for the purpose of calculating standard spending assessments.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has for financing the debt charge paid by local authorities in respect of schools which adopt grant-maintained status.
§ Mr. EggarAuthorities receive an appropriate allowance for the financing of their capital debt liabilities, including relevant liabilities relating to schools in their area that are grant maintained, within their standard spending assessments.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the debt charge to local authorities in regard to capital spend on schools which have subsequently opted out of local authority control; and if he will list the debt charge by local authority, indicating in each case the number of schools which have taken grant-maintained status.
§ Mr. EggarAs the responsibility and the financing for any debt charge attributable to a grant-maintained school
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Name of Body Next appointment due, and length of appointment Salary Business and Technician Education Council Chairman and all 12 members in 1992 Chairman part-time £7,500 Three-year appointments Members unpaid Centre for information on Language Teaching and Research Three members in 1991 Four members in 1992 Appointed for up to three years Unpaid Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges Six members in 1991 Four-year appointments Unpaid Education Assets Board Chairman and all six members in 1992 Two-year appointments Chairman part-time £20,310 Members unpaid National Council for Educational Technology New Chairman appointed on 1 April 1991 Nine members in 1991 Three1year appointments Chairman part-time £6,030 Members unpaid Council for National Academic Awards 25 members in 1991 New Chairman appointed in April 1991 Members unpaid Chairman part-time salary still under negotiation remains with the former maintaining authority, the Department has no need to keep a record of the debt charges. The information requested is therefore not available.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department takes account of the debt charge on a local authority in regard to a school which adopts grant-maintained status when determining the allocation of revenue funding between the school and the local authority.
§ Mr. EggarThe responsibility for meeting debt charges that relate to the period before a school is incorporated as grant-maintained remains with the school's former local authority. Authorities receive an allowance for capital financing within their standard spending assessments. A grant-maintained school's annual maintenance grant, which is recouped from its former maintaining authority, does not include provision to meet such charges.