§ Alan SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children from families of asylum seekers are in Nottingham schools; what additional funding has gone to schools in Nottingham to address the needs of the children of asylum seekers; how much specialist language teaching the Government have funded for each child from an asylum-seeking family in Nottingham; and what funding packages the Government have made available in Nottingham to meet the education and training needs of asylum seekers. [73691]
§ Stephen TwiggThere were over 400 children from families of asylum seekers in Nottingham schools in May 2002 but numbers fluctuate greatly throughout the school year.
Nottingham schools receive funding for these children in the same way that they do for all other children on school rolls, through the Education Standard Spending Assessment. Both LEAs are eligible for funding through the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG). The total allocations for EMAG for 2002–03 are £1,974,000 for Nottingham City and £278,000 for Nottinghamshire. In addition, Nottingham has received a total of £148,500 from this Department's grant to support the children of asylum seekers in schools in the Home Office dispersal areas.
In Nottingham, the EMAG supports 100 specialist teachers who provide English language support to children, including those from asylum seeking families.
123WThe provision of funding to meet the education and training needs of asylum seekers is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. I have therefore asked John Harwood, the Council's Chief Executive to write to the Honourable Gentleman with the information requested and to place a copy of his reply in the Library.