Oral Answers to Questions

Lord Hanson of Flint Excerpts

Monday 21st November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Teather]

Our survey suggests that there have been six closures and 124 mergers since last year, out of a total that started at 3,631, so there has been a 3% change in the number of Sure Start children’s centres, demonstrating that most local authorities are not only doing the best in what are, I recognise, very difficult circumstances, just as they are for the Government. Those authorities are prioritising services on the ground and that is certainly what we are encouraging them to do, as we ask them to publish the information on what they spend, under the new transparency requirements that the Government have introduced. Similarly, payments by results will focus them much more on outcomes.

[Mr David Hanson (Delyn) (Lab)]

22. What assessment he has made of the findings of the report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on trends in education and schools spending.

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

I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave a wee while ago.

[Mr Hanson]

The report says that spending on 16 to 19-year-olds’ education has fallen by more than 4%. At the same time, an Association of Colleges report shows that half of all colleges have seen a significant drop in enrolment by 16 to 19-year-olds, including in some cases a drop of up to 15%. Does the Secretary of State think that the two are by any chance related?