HC Deb 18 May 2004 vol 421 cc902-3W
Mr. Ben Chapman

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what public funding has been spent on adult(a) literacy and (b) numeracy in Wirral, South in each of the last five years. [173623]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

The estimated total spend on "Skills For Life" (the Government's strategy for literacy, language and numeracy needs of all post-16 learners from pre-entry level up to and including level 2) and on Key Skills (essential skills of communication, application of number and information technology), from April 2001 to July 2003, in the Greater Merseyside Learning and Skills Council (LSC) area is set out in the table:

Basic skills Key skills
April 2001 to July 20011 3,803 1,094
August 2001 to July 2002 6,575 1,564
August 2002 to July 2003 10,677 1,755
1 The figures for April to July 2001 include costs incurred from August 2000 on learning aims continuing into April 2001.
Note:
Figures in £ thousands

From the information available to the LSC it has not been feasible to obtain estimates at constituency level or separate figures by subject without incurring disproportionate cost. Likewise it has not been feasible to obtain comparable figures for periods before.