Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has provided for adult (a) literacy and (b) numeracy education in further education colleges in each of the last 10 years.

This government is committed to supporting people to climb the ladder of opportunity towards better jobs, better wellbeing and better options for the future.

To enable this, the department recognises the importance of numeracy skills, both in work and everyday life. That is why the department launched Multiply in 2022, the government’s programme for improving adult numeracy. This is funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is the government’s flagship fund for supporting people and places across the UK. Up to £270 million is available in England and up to £160 million in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, to deliver innovative initiatives to tackle poor adult numeracy. The department is responsible for delivery of the Multiply programme in England.

Table of Multiply Programme Spend by Financial Year (England only):

The spend figures for the 2023/24 financial year will be available in June 2024.

Delivery is now underway. Multiply provision is available in all 81 local areas in England that were allocated funding, with over 67,000 course starts since the programme began to August 2023. Local Areas determine Multiply provision, which will include, but not exclusive to, numeracy interventions delivered by further education colleges.

The Adult Education Budget (AEB) fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to Level 3, to support adults to gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. This includes fully funded English and mathematics courses up to and including Level 2 for learners aged 19+.

In 2022/23, the government devolved approximately 60% of the AEB to nine Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority. These authorities are now responsible for the provision of AEB-funded adult education for their residents and allocation of the AEB to providers. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is responsible for the remaining AEB in non-devolved areas.

The attached file contains adult (19+) further education literacy and numeracy courses delivered through the AEB from the 2015/16 academic. Please note:

1. The data shows the funding earned for delivery through AEB for literacy and numeracy.
2. The data does not include delivery of literacy and numeracy courses through 19 to 24 Traineeships and Community Learning as Community Learning is not formula funded and therefore funding cannot be assigned to specific types of provision.
3. The data covers delivery through all providers not just further education colleges, therefore will cover local authorities, private providers, etc.
4. In 2019/20 the AEB started being devolved, therefore some funding was routed through devolved authorities and currently approximately 60% of AEB funding is devolved. Therefore, funding shown since 2019/20 only relates to learners who are residing in non-devolved areas and are therefore funded by the ESFA.