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Education and Skills Bill

My Lords, I first thank the noble Lord for the amendment and for again giving us the opportunity to discuss these important issues. Funding is not ring-fenced, as this is against DCSF policy. Traveller education services are funded through the authorities’ revenue support grant, and ethnic minority achievement grant. These grants are for all vulnerable pupils, not just for the Gypsy Roma Traveller community. The noble Lord asked for an update on progress. Since July, the national strategies Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Achievement Project has been extended across a further 10 local authorities, bringing the total to 22. This will disseminate good practice in Traveller education to secondary and primary schools in these areas. In late 2009, it will produce guidance documents available to all schools. New target-setting groups for local authorities will be laid before the House in December. The number of groups will be reduced from 17 to eight, and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller is one of these. This means in practice that any authority with three or more pupils from this group will set progression targets at key stage 2 and 4 for Gipsy, Roma and Traveller pupils. In response to concerns about the possible erosion of Traveller education support services, the DCSF has commissioned the National Association of Teachers of Travellers to undertake a survey of its members to explore this issue in more depth. The results of the survey will be available in December and will enable the DCSF to implement appropriate action. To enable Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils who regularly travel with their families, the electronic learning and mobility programme has been extended to include more than 700 Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils who may otherwise have had their education interrupted. I am sure that there is a lot more to talk about and I am concerned that I may not have answered all of the noble Lord’s questions. He suggested that I write to him, which I will do to expand on my comments. My colleague in the other place who joined the department at the same time as me, Sarah McCarthy-Fry, is the new Minister for Gypsies, Roma and Travellers. She is very keen to meet the noble Lord to hear his views on the subject and his perspective on the issues. Although it is late, I hope that we have been able to continue the momentum that the noble Lord initiated and my noble friend Lord Adonis responded to. I hope that the noble Lord will feel able to withdraw his amendment.