§ Annette BrookeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the Government's commitment to increase the level of funding for the lowest-funded school sixth forms will be applied by the Learning and Skills Council to schools in the Mid-Dorset and North Poole constituency. [2851]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisThere is significant variation at present between the levels of funding given to school sixth forms by local authorities. The Government have given an unprecedented guarantee to school sixth forms that, when the LSC takes over the responsibility for funding them in April 2002, their funding will be maintained, in real terms, at 2000–01 levels, provided their pupil numbers do not fall. This means that convergence can only be upwards. The speed at which convergence can be achieved will depend on the overall availability of resources.
§ Annette BrookeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will take steps to increase the level of funding for post-16 school education in the(a) Poole and (b) Dorset local education authorities. [2852]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisFrom 2002–03 the funding of post-16 school education in these and other education authorities will be the responsibility of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Funds will be passed to schools by their education authorities. The overall total from which the LSC will calculate allocations for each school has yet to be determined, but will be announced shortly. School sixth forms will be protected by a real terms guarantee whereby their funding will not fall provided they maintain their numbers on roll.