§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on standards fund grants for adult and continuing education. [94756]
§ Mr. WicksThe level of the 2000–01 Standards Fund grant for Local Authority Lifelong Learning Development Plans will be announced shortly. Local education authorities have an important role in lifelong learning and the grant next year will be significantly higher than this. We want authorities to use this money to reach new learners, to improve the quality of learning opportunities they offer, and to strengthen their own internal planning and their links with other learning providers. That is the way to ensure the learning opportunities they offer best meet the needs of the people they serve.
§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations he has received concerning the withdrawal of local authority discretionary award schemes and the implications of new funding arrangements for improving access to further education. [94735]
§ Mr. WicksThe discretionary awards scheme was not working well with large variations in funding in different parts of the country with consequential effects on access. A number of letters have been received about the new further education student support arrangements in 1999–2000. But more money will be available overall so534W that, in general, students are better off than in the previous year and than would have been the case had we allowed discretionary awards to continue for this year.