§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with the local authorities whose grant increase is equal to their schools' formula spending share increase in the 2004–05 settlement. [143146]
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§ Mr. Charles ClarkeNo Ministers from the DfES have had specific discussions with the relevant local authorities regarding the 2004–05 settlement. Representatives of local authorities and the Local Government Association were involved in discussions on this topic with officials from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister at Settlement Working Group meetings.
§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance he has issued to local authorities regarding the passporting of schools' formula spending share budget increase of the 2004–05 settlement. [143166]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeBoth myself and my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to all local authorities with an education responsibility setting out their clear expectation that LEAs will passport their Schools Formula Spending Share in full unless there are wholly exceptional circumstances. The Government have ensured that every authority will receive an increase in its Formula Grant which is at least as big as its cash SFSS increase, on a like-for-like basis and has put additional resources into other services—a total of £300 million in additional Revenue Support Grant and specific formula grant to ensure that a decision to passport the full SFSS increase to schools should not be at the expense of other services.
Officials have also written twice to Chief Education Officers, firstly setting out the basis of the passporting calculation and explaining the amendments to the "reserve power" provisions of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (as amended) which were recently enacted through the Local Government Act 2003; and secondly setting out the passporting figures, the steps authorities need to take and the timetable involved.