§ Lady HermonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding has been made available to education and library boards in Northern Ireland specifically for parenting initiatives in each of the past five years; what plans he has to increase the current level of funding for parenting initiatives; and if he will make a statement. [165726]
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§ Mr. GardinerThe Department of Education recognises the importance of engaging parents in their children's learning. Over the last five years the allocations to Education and Library Boards specifically for parenting initiatives were as follows:
£000 Amount 1999–2000 1131 2000–01 207 2001–02 212 2002–03 217 2003–04 238 1part year There are no plans to increase the current level of earmarked funding which the Department of Education makes available to Education and Library Boards for this purpose. However, Boards are free to supplement this funding by allocating further resources from within their overall block grant.