§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what representations he has received concerning the effects on New Commonwealth children 423W learning English of reductions in section 11 funding; and how many such representations were (a) favourable and (b) unfavourable;
(2) what changes he proposes to make to section 11 funding; and over what time scale.
§ Mr. Peter LloydWe have received many representations from local authorities and associations, teacher unions, ethnic minority communities and other interested parties about reductions in section 11 funding which, it was announced in November 1992, would need to take effect in 1994–95 and 1995–96. Such representations have essentially been to express concern about implications of reductions for the education system. However, there has been widespread support among relevant organisations for the approach, which we have announced we are adopting from 1994–95, of paying grant in the form of an annual budget to each grant recipient, rather than as a fixed percentage of actual salary costs, in order to ensure maximum flexibility for grant recipients in using the substantial funding which remains available.
In the future, funding to meet particular needs of ethnic minorities will be available from the section 11 programme, or through wider regeneration programmes under the single regeneration budget.