HC Deb 11 May 2004 vol 421 cc295-6W
Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Capital Modernisation Fund computer-learning centres have been established in Oldham, West and Royton. [170926]

Mr. Charles Clarke

Four Capital Modernisation Funded UK online centres have been established in Oldham, West and Royton.

Mr. Benton

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many(a) teachers and (b) families in Bootle have benefited from the Computers in Reach programme. [171127]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The Computers Within Reach (CWR) scheme closed on 31 October 2001 having delivered over 24,000 recycled computers to people in 22 pilot areas, at a cost of £7.1 million over two years. Those eligible were in receipt of certain working age benefits or a State Pension with minimum income guarantee.

At the same time as funding was made available for the Computers within Reach scheme, funding was also provided for the Computers for Teachers programme. For teachers who met certain criteria, this programme subsidised the cost of a computer, It was subsequently replaced by the current Laptops for Teachers scheme which dispensed with subsidies, and through which sufficient funding will be provided to enable two thirds of teachers to receive a laptop by March 2006.

Of the 24,000 computers delivered through the Computers within Reach scheme, approximately 3,000 were for people in the Liverpool area, including those in and around Bootle.

Mr. Borrow

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many families in South Ribble have benefited from the Computers Within Reach scheme; and how many teachers have benefited from the Computers for Teachers programme. [171978]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The Computers Within Reach (CWR) scheme closed on 31 October 2001, having delivered over 24,000 recycled computers to people in 22 pilot areas, at a cost of £7.1 million over two years. Those eligible were in receipt of certain working age benefits or a state pension with minimum income guarantee.

At the same time as funding was made available for the Computers Within Reach scheme, funding was also provided for the Computers for Teachers programme. For teachers who met certain criteria, this programme subsidised the cost of a computer. It was subsequently replaced by the current Laptops for Teachers scheme, which dispensed with subsidies, and through which sufficient funding will be provided to enable two-thirds of teachers to receive a laptop by March 2006.

South Ribble was not one of the pilot areas for the CWR scheme.

Mr. Borrow

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Capital Modernisation Fund computer learning centres have been established in South Ribble. [171979]

Mr. Charles Clarke

15 Capital Modernisation Fund UK online centres have been established in South Ribble.

Mr. Borrow

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding has been spent on computers for schools in South Ribble in each of the last seven years. [171980]

Mr. Charles Clarke

My Department does not collect information on school spend on computers at constituency level. However, South Ribble is in Lancashire LEA and in the last seven years schools in Lancashire have benefited from the following funding through the Standards Fund grant for ICT (including match funding from the LEA):

Allocation to Lancashire LEA (£)
1998–99 2,500,000
1999–2000 1,627,867
2000–01 5,576,036
2001–02 6,483,142
2002–03 8,983,493
2003–04 9,169,124
2004–05 11,892,478