HC Deb 15 December 1994 vol 251 cc807-8W
Mr. William O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if she will make a statement on the funding for primary school provision;

(2) what additional financial assistance is given to areas of social deprivation to help with primary education; and if she will make a statement;

(3) what representations she has received on the future funding for nursery and primary school education; and if she will make a statement;

(4) what advice she gives to local education authorities on the formula for the funding for primary education; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Forth

My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations concerning the future funding of nursery and primary school education. An announcement on the further development of nursery education will be made once the work of the task force is complete.

Within the education standard spending assessment, some 20 per cent. of grant is distributed through the additional educational needs index, which reflects the higher cost of providing education in areas of relative deprivation.

At local level, the allocation of resources to individual schools will be determined by the local education authority's local management of schools funding formula, and the proportion of funding allocated to primary schools will depend substantially on the relative weightings assigned by the formula to pupils of different ages—which are a matter for the LEA to determine. LEA's formulae may make special provision for schools affected by social deprivation, provided that the factors used for this purpose are sufficiently objective and the formula as a whole complies with certain requirements as to the overall proportion of funding which must be distributed according to pupil numbers. Guidance to LEAs on these matters is contained in the Department's circular 2/94.