Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many reports his Department has received of irregular (a) financial and (b) delivery activity at providers, including sub-contracted provision, that received Adult Education Budget funding in the last 12 months.

44 providers allocated funding from the Adult Education Budget received an inadequate outcome following their latest financial health assessment by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

The ESFA does not have direct relationships with subcontractors and does not visit them. The contractor is responsible for all the actions of its subcontractors connected to or arising out of the delivery of the services, which it sub-contracts.

Since 1 April 2017, the ESFA has received a total of 33 reports covering allegations of irregular financial and/or delivery activity. This includes sub-contracted provision.