HC Deb 27 November 2002 vol 395 cc312-3W
John Mann

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the level of capital investment in school buildings in coalfield areas was in each year since 1997; and how this compares with the national average. [82252]

Mr. Miliband

We do not have this information. The Department currently allocates most capital funding for schools to local education authorities (LEAs), based on needs-related formulae, and it is for the authorities to assess and prioritise the capital needs of their school buildings in line with their local asset management plans. Individual LEAs will, therefore, hold information on how much capital investment has been allocated to schools within coalfield areas.

The table shows the level of central Government support for capital investment in school buildings in England for each financial year from 1996–97 to 2003–04.

£ billion
Year Capital allocation
1996–97 0.7
1997–98 0.8
1998–99 1.1
1999–2000 1.4
2000–01 2.1
2001–02 2.2
2002–03 3.0
2003–04 3.8
Total 15.1