HC Deb 28 March 2001 vol 365 c689W
Ms Blears

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the Learning and Skills Council will be operational; and if he will make a statement. [156061]

Mr. Blunkett

On 26 March, the LSC assumed the responsibilities it is taking over from the Training and Enterprise Councils, and from 1 April it will assume the full range of its initial responsibilities, including those which it is taking over from the Further Education Funding Council.

I am today announcing a significant real terms increase in the Learning and Skills Council's budget for its third year of operation. The Council will have an additional £434 million in 2003–04 compared with 2002–03, an increase in real terms of 5 per cent., bringing planned resources available for 2003–04 to £6.4 billion (excluding funding for school sixth forms, which will from April 2002 flow through the Learning and Skills Council to local education authorities). The total including this money will come to over £7.4 billion.

These increased resources, which are in addition to those already announced, will for 2003–04 include, compared with 2002–03: an additional £102 million to support further increases in participation by young people in Further Education; an additional £67 million to widen participation in learning and drive up basic skills levels among adults; a further step change in investment in Further Education infrastructure, with an increase of £52 million in FE capital spending.

The 47 local arms of the Learning and Skills Council are today announcing the expenditure the Council will be investing in their local areas in 2001–02 to meet local learning and skills needs. I am writing to hon. Members with further details of these announcements.