HC Deb 28 November 2002 vol 395 cc395-6W
Bob Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate his officials have made of the(a) number and (b) cost of children in this country receiving state education (i) who do not have the legal rights to settle in the UK and (ii) whose parents are illegal immigrants. [80957]

Mr. Stephen Twigg

The requested information is not collected centrally.

All children are entitled to education regardless of their immigration status.

Local education authorities receive funding for these children in the same way that they do for other children on school rolls. Other financial support is available through the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant for help with the provision of English as an additional

Mr. Redwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the additional spending required in England to meet EU educational benchmarks. [83204]

Margaret Hodge

[holding answer 25 November 2002]The structure and organisation of education systems is the responsibility of individual EU member states. There are no education benchmarks at EU level that we are required to meet. Education Ministers will consider next year whether or not to use some existing international indicators and/or benchmarks to help share and spread best practice in education.