HC Deb 17 March 2003 vol 401 cc568-9W
Mr. Willis

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what figures he collates on an annual basis of the number of schools that have received substantial repairs to buildings. [101838]

Mr. Miliband

Because of the bureaucratic burden it would impose both locally and centrally, we do not collect information annually on the number of schools that have received substantial repairs to buildings. As part of asset management planning, we will be asking local authorities in the spring for data from condition and suitability surveys of all their schools, which will show the needs of school buildings. We previously asked for this information in 2000 and will be making the results available at the end of this month. We plan to publish a similar analysis of the 2003 data in the autumn.

Mr. Willis

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the Department will verify it has satisfied its investment strategy targets of (a) replacing or refurbishing 650 schools by 2004 and (b) addressing the most urgent repairs in 7,000 schools by 2004. [101880]

Mr. Miliband

Because of the bureaucratic burden it would impose both locally and centrally, we do not collect detailed information on the number of schools that are benefiting from the £9 billion of funding that we have made available from 2001–02 until 2003–04. However, we are content that our targets will be met: private finance initiative investment on its own will support the renewal of 426 schools in that period. Local education authorities have received over 3 billion of formulaic funding for their investment priorities. All maintained schools in England receive their own direct capital funding: for example, over the period 2001–02 to 2003–04 a typical secondary school of 1,000 pupils will have received more than £146.000 for its priority building needs.