HC Deb 09 February 1995 vol 254 cc385-6W
Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what plans she has to provide funds for the maintenance of college buildings, in response to the report of the Further Education Funding Council;

(2) what response she has made to the finding in the Further Education Funding Council's report on the extent of hutted accommodation;

(3) what is her response to the findings of the Further Education Funding Council on the necessity for major and minor building programmes for colleges.

Mr. Boswell

Capital investment in the further education sector has more than doubled since colleges left local authority control, and we have taken steps to increase it still further. In 1992–93—the last year of their control—local authorities spent £102 million. In 1993–94, the Further Education Funding Council and colleges spent £224 million, to which the Department contributed £152 million. We contributed £157 million in 1994–95, and plan to contribute £159 million in 1995–96,1996–97 and 1997–98. From April, colleges will be able to use their capital allocations to service loans or other finance raised from the private sector, as well as to incur direct expenditure. This will permit another substantial increase in their capital programmes.