§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what new moneys he has released to colleges of further education in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [41495]
§ Mr. HainIn recognition of the pressures on the further education sector in Wales, we increased the Further Education Funding Council for Wales's 1998–99 grant by £5.4 million in November 1997. In March this year, we made £1 million capital available to the sector in 1997–98 and £360,000 for FE developments associated with the New Deal. Furthermore, arising from the Budget on 17 March, we have made an additional £3.5 million available to the FEFCW to set up an 'Education for Industry Challenge Fund' to meet local adult skills needs and develop outreach provision. This amounts to a total of over £10 million of new money to the further education sector.