§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what funding is provided by her Department to assist(a) local education authority maintained and (b) grant-maintained schools which have recently been inspected by the Office for Standards in Education; and, in each case, what requirements exist over how this may be spent. [31835]
§ Mr. Robin SquireIn respect of(a), in addition to school effectiveness grants paid to all schools, and grants retained by local education authorities targeted especially towards the weakest schools, the Government have now introduced a new grant payable to all LEA-maintained schools inspected by Ofsted in the 1995–96 academic year. The grant typically amounts to some £17 per pupil. Schools are able to use the grant to address the key issues for action identified in the inspector's report. The intention is that, subject to Parliament's approval of the necessary regulations, grant will be available to support schools inspected in future years.
In respect of (b), for grant-maintained schools, grants for education support and training activities are supported through the payment of a special purpose grant (development). The calculation and payment of special purpose grants is now the responsibility of the Funding Agency for Schools and I have asked the chairman of the Funding Agency for Schools to write to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if, under regulations issued by her Department, the local education authority contribution to grant for education support and training funding is included in the calculation of the relevant expenditure by a local education authority for the purposes of determining the level of central annual maintenance grant for grant-maintained schools. [31840]
§ Mr. SquireYes.
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§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what regulations or guidance she has issued in accordance with which the Funding Agency for Schools determines the current level of funding per pupil to grant-maintained schools through special purpose grant (development) and the conditions applied to its expenditure by the schools regarding the purposes for which it may be spent. [31842]
§ Mr. SquireThe level of special purpose grant (development) is a matter for the Funding Agency for Schools. The powers of the agency to pay special purpose grants to grant-maintained schools are set out in paragraph 54 of, and schedule 7 to, the Education (Grant-maintained and Grant-maintained Special Schools) (Finance) Regulations 1996.
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the current level of expenditure on grants for education support and training in local education authorities and local education authority maintained schools; what is the total number of pupils in local education authority maintained schools; how much of the total expenditure on GEST in the current year is provided by (i) her Department and (ii) local education authorities; what proportion of GEST expenditure (1) must be delegated to schools and (2) cannot be delegated to schools; and what conditions are applied to the expenditure of GEST funding regarding the purpose for which it may be spent. [31841]
§ Mr. SquireIn 1996–97, level of expenditure available to local education authorities under grants for education support and training will be £265.3 million. The total number of pupils in local education authority-maintained schools in England is 6,617,851, as at January 1995, the latest figure available. The total amount of expenditure on GEST in 1996–97 provided (i) by the Department of Education and Employment will be £163.5 million; and (ii) by the local education authorities will be £101.8 million. The proportion of GEST expenditure that must be devolved to schools is £153.5 million and the proportion that must not be devolved is £13.2 million. The purpose for which GEST may be spent is outlined in GEST circular 8/95 and subsequent letters to local education authorities. Copies of the circular and letters have been placed in the Library.