§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to safeguard access to the national curriculum for members of ethnic minorities who have English language difficulties(a) nationally and (b) in Coventry.
§ Mr. Robin SquireProvision for the education of pupils from minority ethnic groups who have English language difficulties is primarily a matter for schools and local education authorities. Authorities with high proportions of children with origins outside predominantly English-speaking countries generally receive within their education standard spending assessment higher allowances to spend per pupil than other authorities in otherwise60W comparable circumstances. Nationally, when undertaking the recent review of Education SSAs for the 1994–95 financial year, we took account of the reduction in the section 11 grant rate. But SSAs are not prescriptive and Coventry will remain responsible for determining its own spending priorities.