§ Mr. LuffTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment he has made of the response by local authorities to the new arrangements for the funding of dance and drama students; and if he will make a statement. [6927]
§ Mr. FisherOn 6 March the Arts Council of England announced the terms of its interim scheme for assisting the funding of professional training for dance and drama students. The scheme is administered by the Arts Council which is monitoring the level of response by local authorities to the new arrangements. As at 2 July the Council had received responses from 44 local education authorities, of which 30 had confirmed that they intended 473W to participate in the scheme or had agreed to provide awards, and a further four were still considering their position.