§ Mr. FlookTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the specialisms that specialist colleges will cover following the March 2002 round of funding; if the Government have a target number for(a) each of the specialisms and (b) each round of applications in future years; and what plans she has to increase the funding available for specialist colleges following the increase in the number of specialisms. [27492]
§ Mr. TimmsThe March 2002 specialist school competition will cover all eight specialisms: business and enterprise, engineering, science, mathematics and computing, arts, languages, technology, and sport. As part of the Government's Sports Strategy there is a published target of 200 sports colleges by September 2004 but there are no target numbers for other specialisms. Our target is to have at least 830 specialist schools by September 2002, at least 1,000 by September 2003 and at least 1,500 by September 2005. The level of funding available for the specialist schools programme will take account of the Government's commitment to expand the number of specialist schools.