HC Deb 23 May 2002 vol 386 cc456-7W
21. Mr. Love

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the results from the inspections of further education colleges in the last 12 months. [56366]

Margaret Hodge

Of the 93 college inspections carried out to date under the new regime, results have been published for 44 colleges. There have been some good results, but there is still some way to go to achieve consistent quality.

30. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent representations she has received about funding and other support for further education colleges. [56375]

John Healey

Ministers have received extensive recent representations about funding and other support for further education. In particular, the Association of Colleges, NATFHE, the NUS and others organised a lobby of Parliament on 23 April on the issues of further education funding, pay and support. We are listening carefully to the views of those in the further education sector and will take these into account in determining how best to use the 2002 spending review settlement.

12. Mr. Clifton-Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on funding for further education. [56356]

John Healey

The Government are steadily increasing investment in further education. By next year funding for further education will have risen by 26 per cent. in real terms since 1997. The Learning and Skills Council's funding rates for programmes delivered by further education colleges are increasing by 2.5 per cent. above current rate of inflation for the 2002–03 academic year. Beyond this we are looking to the current spending review to deliver the resources needed to meet the Government's ambitions for further education.