Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Ian Cawsey (Labour). It was answered on Thursday, 11 June 2009 on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Further Education Colleges

Question: May I congratulate my hon. Friend and fellow MP4 band mate on a well-deserved promotion to his new post? We look forward to hearing the song that he will no doubt write about it. On the colleges issue, my hon. Friend will be well aware of the worry that has been caused, the delay to the capital programme and the money that colleges have already expended in order to be shovel-ready. In my constituency, Goole college, which is part of the Hull college campus, is trying to push forward a project as part of the town's renaissance project; and, in north Lincolnshire the excellent John Leggott college is shovel-ready and a local contractor, Clugston, is ready to go in and deliver. Will my hon. Friend look into the issue as a priority and give those people the news that they hope to hear?

Answer: I thank my hon. Friend for welcoming me to my post. Being shovel-ready—to use the phrase that appears in some papers relating to the issue—is one of the criteria, along with a scheme's impact on the local economy and local learning, and so on. Those criteria are now being used to come to an objective decision. On his concerns about the expenditure and costs that have been incurred so far, as I said in my answer to the hon. Member for Henley (John Howell), reasonable costs will be reimbursed to colleges. I also assure my hon. Friend that the Learning and Skills Council's decisions will be announced shortly.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 493 c922-3
Session: 2008-09
Oral question type: Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Subjects: Capital investment Finance Further education Building colleges for the future programme
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk