HC Deb 07 April 2003 vol 403 cc75-6W
Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost is in 2002–03 of the implications of recommendations in the Social Exclusion Unit's report on neighbourhood renewal. [106011]

Margaret Hodge

DfES is the lead Department for 16 of the commitments under the Government's National Strategy Action Plan for neighbourhood renewal. In addition to these commitments, the implications of the neighbourhood renewal strategy have an impact across a wide range of the Department's programmes, which are increasingly geared towards closing the gap between the most deprived neighbourhoods and the rest, in terms aged 16 and over. The information below accounts for the majority of publicly-funded literacy and numeracy provision. It is not possible to say what proportion this represents of all literacy and numeracy provision as this level of detail is not available for learners funded through other routes.

of educational achievement and skills. This means that, of the £23 billion total planned programme spend in 2002–03, progressively more than before is being spent on deprived neighbourhoods.