HC Deb 18 December 2002 vol 396 cc833-4W
Jonathan Shaw

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the level of schools funding per pupil was in(a) Kent and (b) Medway in each year since 1996; what the predicted spending for the next three years will be in each case; and what the capital investment was each year since 1996. [87728]

Mr. Miliband

The tables show the Department's total education standard spending assessment, recurrent and capital grant per pupil allocated to Kent and Medway local education authorities for the financial years 1998–99 to 2002–03. The local government reorganisation means that data for 1996–97 and 1997–98 does not conform to current boundaries so comparable figures are not available.

Kent local education authority
£
SSA Recurrent grant Capital grant
1998–99 2,610 20 110
1999–2000 2,710 70 110
2000–01 2,830 200 300
Kent local education authority
£
SSA Recurrent grant Capital grant
2001–02 2,970 290 290
2002–03 3,150 320 350

Notes:

1. Figures reflect education SSA settlement figures (all sub-blocks, excluding, where relevant, the funding for 4-year-olds at private, voluntary and independent institutions) plus all revenue grants in DfES's departmental expenditure limits relevant to pupils aged 4–19 (excluding EMA and other grants where it is not possible to get figures on a comparable basis over time).

2. The pupil numbers used are the maintained pupils underlying the SSA settlement calculations.

3. 2002–03 SSA figures include an element for LSC allocations in respect of school sixth forms.

4. 2002–03 figures are provisional.

5. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10.

Medway local education authority
£
SSA Recurrent grant Capital grant
1998–99 2,580 20 120
1999–2000 2,670 80 130
2000–01 2,790 200 270
2001–02 2,930 300 290
2002–03 3,120 320 350

Notes:

1. Figures reflect education SSA settlement figures (all sub-blocks, excluding, where relevant, the funding for 4-year-olds at private, voluntary and independent institutions) plus all revenue grants in DfES's departmental expenditure limits relevant to pupils aged 4–19 (excluding EMA and other grants where it is not possible to get figures on a comparable basis over time).

2. The pupil numbers used are the maintained pupils underlying the SSA settlement calculations.

3. 2002–03 SSA figures include an element for LSC allocations in respect of school sixth forms.

4. 2002–03 figures are provisional.

5. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10.

As a result of our drive to give extra resources to the front line, there will be no increase in central Government spending per pupil but a national average increase of over £540 per pupil in our plans for local government spending over the next three years.

It is not possible to set out now education formula spending shares (EFSS) for Kent and Medway for 2004–05 arid 2005–06: they will depend on pupil numbers and indicator data at January 2003 and 2004. However, we have provided Kent and Medway with figures for total education formula spending for 2004–05 and 2005–06, together with forward projections at national level of pupil numbers for those years. We have also said that there will be minimum and maximum increases for authorities as we introduce the new LEA funding system. Indicator data will be averaged over three years to provide further stability and predictability in future formula spending shares. Kent and Medway will be able to use this data—together with local knowledge about pupil numbers and indicators—to form a good estimate of what their EFSS might be in those years. That will in turn allow them to provide schools with indicative budgets for the next three years.