§ 33. Mr. BestTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on progress made in providing funding for additional non-teaching assistants in schools. [81549]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisAs part of the Government's proposal to increase the number of teaching assistants by 20,000 full-time posts (or equivalent) by 2002, we have allocated £22.15 million in 1999–2000 for the Additional Literacy Support programme in primary schools. This will support the deployment of about 2,000 full-time equivalent classroom assistants nationally. In the years 2000–02, funding for the recruitment and training of a further 18,000 full time equivalent assistants will be made available.