§ Mr. JackTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in annex D of his Department's policy guidance note, School and local education authority funding in 2003–04, what increase in the education formula spending was indicated for local education authority budget forecasters to use for 2004–05; and how this was determined. [136886]
§ Mr. MilibandThe Department's guidance note, sent to local education authorities on 10 December 2003, included advice to authorities to help them in forecasting their budget over the period 2003–04 to 2005–06, so they could set indicative three-year budgets for schools.
Based on the outcome of the 2002 Spending Review, the guidance noted that Education Formula Spending was planned to increase between 2003–04 and 2004–05 by 5.5 per cent. in cash, and approximately 6.0 per cent. per pupil, based on pupil number estimates from the Department's pupil projection model. It also noted that the floor and ceiling arrangements, introduced in 2003–04, would continue to operate in future years.
The guidance explicitly recognised that the Department is unable to provide firm estimates of EFSS increases for future years for each authority.