§ 25. Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance she has given to learning and skills councils on the financial support of post-16 education in schools. [14655]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisWe have guaranteed that school sixth form funding will be maintained in real terms, uprated for inflation, provided that numbers do not fall.
§ Alistair BurtTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her estimate is of the operating costs of the Learning and Skills Council in(a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [17296]
§ Margaret HodgeThe original budgets for the administration costs of the Learning and Skills Council were set some time ago as £188 million for 2001–2 and £193 million for 2002–3. While the council may wish us to consider an increase in their budget we will ensure that annual administration costs will remain at least £50 million lower than the relevant administration costs of its predecessor bodies.