Arm's Length Body Reform

Tuesday 7th June 2011 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Education (Michael Gove)]

I am committed to improving the transparency, accountability and efficiency of the education system, including slimming down the number of arm’s length bodies. This will allow more resource to be directed to the front line, where it matters most, and enable people to see more clearly who is accountable for what and to speak more directly to Government.

Partnerships for Schools (PfS) will be wound up and its functions transferred to the Department for Education policy directorates and the new Education Funding Agency (EFA), an executive agency of the Department. My intention is that this will happen in April 2012.

Following Sebastian James’s proposals for a new system for managing capital expenditure and the wider reform of arm’s length bodies, I have decided the time is right to bring together, in a single agency, the allocation and management of revenue and capital funding, including the delivery of capital programmes.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Partnerships for Schools for its excellent work over the years. In particular, I am grateful for its support and advice on academies and free schools, contributing to the success of these priority reforms for the coalition Government.

I can also confirm that the post of chief executive of the Education Funding Agency will be filled by Peter Lauener, transferring from his current role as chief executive of the Young People’s Learning Agency subject to the passage of the legislation necessary to dissolve that organisation. The Education Funding Agency will take over responsibility from the Young People’s Learning Agency for the funding of young people’s education and training—including the increasing number of academies. Peter’s leadership of the Young People’s Learning Agency, since its inception, has made an invaluable contribution to the success of that organisation and I expect that he will make a similar contribution to the work of the Education Funding Agency.