§ Mr. Bill MichieTo ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) to what extent the 1993–94 budget of each of the further education colleges with in excess of 4,000 full-time equivalent students, has been adversely affected by changes in local education authority policy on the level of funds devoted to discretionary awards;
(2) to what extent Sheffield college's 1993–94 gross budget has been affected by Sheffield city council's decision to cease paying the course fees of adult disadvantaged students; and if he will take steps to ensure that the college's 1993–94 gross budget is protected against the consequences of Sheffield city council's decision.
§ Mr. BoswellThe allocation of funding to colleges in the FE sector is a matter for the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC). The council's aim in its allocations for 1993–94 is to secure stability of funding for colleges by comparison with their 1992–93 net budgets and to provide the opportunity for growth in student numbers in line with my right hon. Friend's initiative to encourage 25 per cent. growth in the further education sector over the three year period to 1995–96. The FEFC's allocations to individual colleges will not be affected one way or the other by local education authorities' decisions on discretionary awards.
§ Mr. Bill MichieTo ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what was the proportion of students in receipt of discretionary local education authority funded fee remission at each of the further education colleges with in excess of 4,000 full-time equivalent students, for the academic year 1992–93; and whether discretionary awards were included in the college's delegated budget or treated as income in each case;
(2) how he intends to ensure that students enrolled on further education courses are not adversely affected by local education authorities' decisions to reduce their expenditure on discretionary awards.
§ Mr. BoswellThe information requested for 1992–93 is not collected centrally. Tuition fees paid by LEAs as part of discretionary awards would normally have been treated as college income. The provision of discretionary awards is a matter for local education authorities. The early results of a national survey of LEA discretionary awards—supported by the Department, and yet to be completed—show total numbers of awards continuing to rise: both numbers and total spending are above the levels of three years ago. Within that overall picture, some LEAs may be reducing their provision or altering their priorities: that is a matter for them.