HC Deb 07 November 2002 vol 392 cc731-2W
Mr. Djanogly

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will ensure that no schools in Cambridgeshire have a cash budget cut in the next financial year. [79567]

Mr. Miliband

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 6 November 2002.

Mr. Djanogly

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many representations his Department has received in connection with the funding of(a) schools and (b) school pupils in Cambridgeshire over the last year. [79570]

Mr. Miliband

My right hon. Friend has received 25 letters in connection with the funding of schools in Cambridgeshire over the last year. In addition a number of Cambridgeshire residents responded to the consultation on Local Government Funding reform which closed on 30th September: to identify precisely these letters from amongst the very large numbers of responses to the consultation would incur disproportionate cost.

Mr. Djanogly

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many schools in Cambridgeshire had a cash budget cut in this financial year. [79568]

Mr. Miliband

In Cambridgeshire Local Education Authority 46 schools had a fall in their cash budget share in 2002–03, but of these only 7 also had a fall in their cash budget share per pupil. Changes in pupil numbers are the principal reason for changes in budget share from year to year. 199 schools had a rise in their cash budget share, but of these 12 had a fall in their cash budget share per pupil: this was largely in cases where small primary schools had rising rolls and therefore received less of the extra funding that goes to the smallest schools under the authority's formula.

The information is taken from data published in the LEA's section 52 budget statements for 2001–02 and 2002–03.