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Written Question
Askham Bryan College: Grants
Thursday 15th July 2021

Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when Askham Bryan College of York’s application for a grant for a calf and grower teaching building for cattle was (1) submitted, and (2) approved; how much funding was provided; and on what date.

Answered by Baroness Berridge

Askham Bryan College’s application for capital funds to support the development of a calf and grower teaching building for cattle was included in the Yorkshire and Humber Institute of Technology proposal which was submitted on 21 November 2018.

The Yorkshire and Humber Institute of Technology proposal was approved on 7 November 2019.

Within the Yorkshire and Humber Institute of Technology proposal, Askham Bryan College were approved to receive £1,746,448 capital funds.

Askham Bryan College have been paid £489,880 to date. The balance of funding, £1,256,568, is due to be paid in this financial year (2021/22).


Written Question
Askham Bryan College: Closures
Wednesday 9th June 2021

Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the closure of Askham Bryan College’s Newton Rigg campus in Cumbria; and what discussions they have had with (1) Askham Bryan College, and (2) other bodies, about the closure.

Answered by Baroness Berridge

The Further Education Commissioner and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) carried out a comprehensive analysis of local provision needs for Newton Rigg and the surrounding area in 2020. The core objective of this analysis was to establish if there was a need for college provision within the general vicinity of the Newton Rigg campus. It considered the location of neighbouring further education (FE) colleges in relation to travel to learn options and identified that most enrolments could be accommodated at other statutory FE institutions.

In total, 286 16 to 18 year-old students were enrolled onto land based further education courses at Newton Rigg, of which 70 were in residential accommodation. Where gaps in provision were identified, specifically agricultural provision, alternative arrangements for the next academic year have been agreed with Myerscough College in partnership with Ullswater Community College to ensure continuity of delivery of this provision in the Penrith area after Newton Rigg closes.

Both the Further Education Commissioner and the ESFA continue to have regular meetings with the senior leadership team at Askham Bryan College, and this includes, but is not exclusively related to, matters concerning the closure of Newton Rigg Campus.

During the analysis of local provision needs and subsequently the strategic review, the Further Education Commissioner, with support from the ESFA, has engaged with a significant number of stakeholders who had an interest in Newton Rigg, the implications of its proposed closure and the delivery of FE, including land-based provision within Cumbria. This included Cumbria County Council, Eden District Council, Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, all statutory FE colleges located within Cumbria, Scotland’s Rural College, the University of Cumbria, University of Central Lancashire, Lancaster University, National Farmers Union, Friends of Newton Rigg, current and former governors of Askham Bryan College and a range of industry stakeholders.

The strategic review commenced in July 2020 and completed in February 2021. This review engaged with local interested parties and all the educational institutions identified above to ascertain interest and options available to maintain specialist provision at the Newton Rigg campus. No suitable alternative solution was identified to maintain education provision at that site.


Written Question
Cumbria University: Newton Rigg College
Tuesday 23rd March 2021

Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the abolition of the Northwest Regional Development Agency on 31 March 2012, what plans they have to publish documents previously held by that Agency relating to (1) the Agency’s funding of the University of Cumbria’s acquisition of Newton Rigg College in Cumbria, and (2) the transfer of (a) assets, and (b) land, between Newton Rigg College and the University of Cumbria.

Answered by Baroness Berridge

The government has no plans to publish documents concerning the funding and transfer of assets and land relating to the University of Cumbria’s acquisition of Newton Rigg College in 2007.


Written Question
Askham Bryan College: Newton Rigg College
Monday 8th March 2021

Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the acquisition of Newton Rigg College in Cumbria by Askham Bryan College in York in 2011 met their standards of propriety in public sector procurement; and what plans they have, if any, to review the negotiation process that took place during the acquisition.

Answered by Baroness Berridge

Following the decision by the University of Cumbria in 2010, to cease delivering the provision of further education funded by the Skills Funding Agency and the Young People’s Learning Agency, the Skills Funding Agency led an open and competitive procurement process, in accordance with Part B of Schedule 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006, to secure an alternative provider or providers for the delivery of arts provision in Carlisle and predominately land-based provision at Newton Rigg. As a result of this competition, the funding for students studying further education at the University’s Brampton Road building was transferred to Carlisle College, and the funding for students studying further education at Newton Rigg, together with the further education assets at Newton Rigg, was transferred to Askham Bryan College. The procurement was subject to a review by Cabinet Office in 2011 and its findings have been published on gov.uk and are attached.

The successor organisation to the Skills Funding Agency, the Education and Skills Funding Agency now procure provision in accordance with the requirements of the Public Contracts Regulations, 2015. In some circumstances, for example the provision of education and training for young people, separate arrangements apply, but processes and procedures are fair and transparent. Where this applies, we use a mix of local negotiation and tendering appropriate to the circumstances in each case.


Written Question
Askham Bryan College
Monday 15th February 2021

Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government which Government departments have relationships with Askham Bryan College; and which Department has overall responsibility for policies towards that college.

Answered by Baroness Berridge

Askham Bryan College’s primary relationship with government is with the department and its executive agency, the Education and Skills Funding Agency. The department has overall responsibility for policies relating to the delivery of further education and higher education which are provided by Askham Bryan College.


Written Question
Newton Rigg College
Monday 1st February 2021

Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the report of the Newton Rigg Strategic Review undertaken by the Further Education Commissioner Team and which concluded in December 2020.

Answered by Baroness Berridge

The Newton Rigg Strategic Review process has been extended. The Further Education Commissioner team and Education and Skills Funding Agency officials are continuing to work closely with stakeholders, including Askham Bryan College, to try and find a solution for retaining some or all of the education provision on the Newton Rigg campus.

Askham Bryan College is independent of the government and is responsible for any decision on Newton Rigg and the associated financial implications.


Written Question
Newton Rigg College
Monday 1st February 2021

Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Further Education Commissioner Team that undertook the (1) Newton Rigg Strategic Review, and (2) Newton Rigg Review, about publishing any financial planning proposals by Askham Bryan College relating to the viability and future of Newton Rigg college in Penrith.

Answered by Baroness Berridge

The Newton Rigg Strategic Review process has been extended. The Further Education Commissioner team and Education and Skills Funding Agency officials are continuing to work closely with stakeholders, including Askham Bryan College, to try and find a solution for retaining some or all of the education provision on the Newton Rigg campus.

Askham Bryan College is independent of the government and is responsible for any decision on Newton Rigg and the associated financial implications.


Written Question
Askham Bryan College: Expenditure
Monday 1st February 2021

Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they have paid in grants to Askham Bryan College for the development of assets and projects relating to the Newton Rigg estate in each of the last seven years; and for which projects any such grants were provided.

Answered by Baroness Berridge

In the 2020-21 financial year, the department provided all further education colleges and designated institutions with the Further Education Capital Allocation for addressing estate in poor condition. £200 million was allocated in total, and Askham Bryan received £845,748. The college is able to invest that funding according to the condition need identified in the department’s Condition Data Collection or its own survey.

Between the 2015-16 financial year and the present, Local Economic Partnerships have had devolved responsibility for allocating skills capital funding via the Local Growth Fund. There is no record of funding for the Newton Rigg campus.

Before 2015, capital funding for colleges was the responsibility of the Skills Funding Agency. In the 2014-15 financial year, a grant of £139,593 was paid to Askham Bryan College. There is no record as to whether any part of that funding was used in relation to Newton Rigg campus