Sixth Form Funding

HC Deb 23 January 2002 vol 378 cc906-7W

Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which local education authorities she estimates to be entitled to education budget transitional support grant on the basis of the transfer of post-16 support to learning and skills councils in 2002–03; and if she will estimate the size of the grant in each case. [29714]

Mr. Timms

The transfer of sixth form funding to the LSC from April 2002 will be cost neutral at LEA level—the adjustments to individual SSAs to take account of the transfer will match the payments that LEAs get back from the LSC. But we propose to pay a special grant to a minority of LEAs where the changes being made to the funding methodology would not fully eliminate the impact of the funding changes in 2002–03.

I expect details of the special grant to be released after consultation on the Local Government Finance Settlement has been completed at the end of the month.