Learning and Skills Councils: Funding of Objective 3 Activities

HL Deb 29 June 2000 vol 614 c85WA

Lord Smith of Leigh

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How they intend to allocate European Objective 3 funds to individual Learning and Skills Councils. [HL2891]

Baroness Blackstone

We intend to involve the Learning and Skills Council in the delivery of European Social Fund (ESF) Objective 3 activities, subject to the passage of the Learning and Skills Bill. Our aim is to move to a co-financing approach to improve the targeting and simplify the delivery of this element of ESF. The detailed implementation arrangements have yet to be finalised, and are subject to consultation, but the intention is that local Learning and Skills Councils will apply to the Objective 3 Regional Committees for the allocations in respect of learning and skills activities in their areas. The local councils would then contract with providers to deliver specified activities which met the objectives of the LSC and the Objective 3 Regional Development Plan. The local councils would allocate to those providers both ESF funds and any LSC funds needed to match them.