HC Deb 21 November 1994 vol 250 cc43-5W
Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what is the level of expenditure per pupil in grant-maintained schools in 1994–95; and what is the expected level of expenditure per pupil in grant-maintained schools in 1995–96;

(2) what is the estimated outturn in 1994–95 of local authority expenditure on grant-maintained schools.

Mr. Robin Squire

It is estimated that some £1.4 billion will be recouped from local education authorities in 1994–95 in respect of annual maintenance grant— AGM—paid to grant-maintained schools by the Funding Agency for Schools. Dividing this amount by the most recent information available on numbers of pupils at GM schools contained in the 1994 form 7 census produces a figure of some £2,200 per pupil. However, this should be treated with caution. The final amount of AMG recouped from LEAs will depend on the extent of any redeterminations of AMG for existing GM schools, and calculation of AMG for schools becoming GM, up to the end of the financial year. LEAs will also incur direct expenditure on pupils at GM schools in respect of services for which they retain statutory responsibility. Moreover, the form 7 figures do not include pupils in schools which have become GM since the census date.

Expenditure on AMG in 1995–96 will depend on the number of GM schools and on decisions by LEAs which have not yet been taken.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if the post for the director of the Grant-Maintained Schools Foundation was advertised.

Mr. Robin Squire

No. The Grant-Maintained Schools Foundation took over from the Grant-Maintained Schools Centre the role of providing factual information to schools considering grant-maintained status, with effect from April 1994. The directors of the centre and the foundation, having taken account of legal advice on the provisions of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 and the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993 and what they saw as good employment practice, decided that employees of the centre working on information activities should be offered equivalent posts with the foundation. On this basis the director of information of the centre was offered the post of director of the foundation. The Department was not involved in this decision and has no powers to intervene in such appointments.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the level of grant given to the Grant-Maintained Schools Centre before April 1994.

Mr. Robin Squire

After the establishment of the Grant-Maintained Schools Centre in 1988, the following grant was provided by the Department:

Grant1 £000s
1988–89 25
1989–90 250
1990–91 425
1991–92 600
1992–93 577
1993–94 782

Mr. Byers

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the amount of grant aid allocated this year to Grant-Maintained Schools Foundation Ltd.; and who is its finance director.

Mr. Robin Squire

The Grant-Maintained Schools Foundation Ltd. has been given a grant ceiling of £695,000 for the current financial year. The amount of grant paid, within that ceiling, will depend on the foundation's actual expenditure on agreed activities. The foundation's finance officer is Mr. James Curran.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the level of grant given to the Grant-Maintained Schools Foundation; how many existing and proposed offices it has; and how many existing and proposed staff it employs at each of the offices.

Mr. Robin Squire

The Grant-Maintained Schools Foundation Ltd. has been awarded grant to a ceiling of £695,000 for the current financial year. It has one head office and three existing local offices and plans to increase the number of local offices in England to five. There are currently 7.7 full-time equivalent staff employed at the head office and four full-time staff are employed in the three existing local offices. The number of staff at the head office is due to increase to 9.7. The number of staff in the local offices will increase to six, one at each of four offices and two staff at the fifth.

I understand that the Grant-Maintained Schools Foundation will also be opening an office in Wales, with funding provided by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

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