§ Mr. HobanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the funding for the proposed city academies announced recently. [140975]
§ Mr. MilibandThe Secretary of State recently announced a new package of measures to raise standards of education in the five most challenging London boroughs, as part of the London Challenge initiative. These London boroughs—Haringey, Islington, Hackney, Lambeth and Southwark—will have at least 10 new schools, seven of which will be academies. These academies form part of the Government's overall strategy for the expansion of the Academies programme and the funding for them will be drawn from the Department's significant existing capital resources earmarked for the regeneration of the schools estate.