§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations she has received from(a)schools with sixth forms and (b)local education authorities regarding the operation of learning and skills councils in respect of funding school sixth forms; and if she will make a statement. [48241]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisMy right hon. Friend has received representations from a number of school headteachers, deputy headteachers and local education authorities.
The Real Term Guarantee given to sixth forms means that their funding will be maintained relative to 2000–01 funding levels, provided pupil numbers are maintained. The Learning and Skills Council has calculated two figures for each sixth form—its RTG and its LSC formula allocation—and the school will receive the higher of the two. The Financing of Maintained School Regulations 2002 have been amended to ensure that sixth forms funded through the LSC formula see some benefit. Schools should gain a minimum of one third of the potential benefit from the LSC's allocations for 2002–03. We intend to amend the regulations further for 2003–04 to ensure that such schools have a minimum two-thirds gain in that year.