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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 21 February 2005, Official Report, column 279W, on further education, to the hon. Member for Finchley and Golders Green (Dr. Vis), what proportion of the funding gap between school sixth forms and further education colleges is due to (a) base funding rates, (b) the annual real-terms funding guarantee, (c) differing funding of institutions when students drop- out, (d) the funding of teachers' pensions, (e) the differential in standards funds, (f) VAT which is able to be reclaimed and (g) costs of maintaining buildings and funding capital projects. [222725] Dr. Howells: As stated in the answer of 21 February 2005, Official Report, column 279W, on further education (FE), to the hon. Member for Finchley and Golders Green (Dr. Vis), the main measure the Department has used to identify the funding gap is the difference in Learning and Skills Council national base funding rates for an AS/A2 qualification at 2002/03, and the comparative increases since. I recognise that there is more to overall levels of funding than differences in funding rates and I acknowledge that there are other important differences between school and FE funding. This is a complex area and there is currently no reliable like-for-like comparison between schools and colleges. As part of its agenda for change the LSC is currently reviewing the funding systems and will be consulting later in the year.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

432 c447W;432 c445W; 222725

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Costs Buildings Finance Further education Workplace pensions Schools Teachers Repairs and maintenance VAT Sixth form education Standards Fund

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk