§ Mr. Liddell-GraingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what assistance he plans to make available to Somerset county council to help with replacement of classrooms in 2003; [98282]
(2) what assistance is available in the county settlement for 2003 for classroom replacement. [98284]
§ Mr. MilibandThe Department currently allocates most capital funding for schools to local education authorities (LEAs) by needs-related formulae, and it is for authorities to assess and prioritise the capital needs of their school buildings through their asset management planning process, in consultation with local schools. Individual LEAs will therefore hold information on how much capital investment is being directed towards replacing classrooms in their area.
Central Government support for capital investment in school buildings in Somerset LEA totals £15 million (including Voluntary Aided schools) in 2002–03, rising to £19.2 million in 2003–04, with further allocations shortly to be announced. This forms part of the total capital investment for England of £3 billion in 2002–03, rising to over £3.8 billion in 2003–04.