§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if he will make a statement on the arrangements made for redundancy payments to the staff of the Grant-Maintained Schools foundation; [568]
(2) when he expects the Grant-Maintained Schools Foundation to be closed; [569]
78W(3) what sum of money would be saved by his Department in the current financial year by closing the Grant-Maintained Schools Foundation at the end of May 1997. [570]
§ Mr. Byers[holding answer 20 May 1997]: Under the Government's proposed new framework of foundation, community and aided schools, grant-maintained status would no longer exist. There is thus no further need to allocate public funds to the Grant-Maintained Schools Foundation to provide information and advice to schools about GM status. The Foundation's chairman has been informed that grant will cease at the end of June. It is for the Foundation in the first instance to consider the consequences for its employees. Provision of £840,000 was made for the Foundation's grant in the Department's estimates for this financial year. £213,000 is being paid as grant up until the end of June.