Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which Minister authorised the payment of £4.55 million grant to the National College for Advanced Transport and Infrastructure referred to in that organisation's Board Minutes dated 12 December 2018; in what amounts and on what dates that grant was paid; and whether further applications for funding of that organisation have been received by his Department.

In December 2018, in recognition of the National College for Advanced Transport and Infrastructure’s (NCATI) future potential to deliver high level technical education in the advanced transport industry and understanding the college’s intent to rebrand itself to attract a wider market share, the former Minister of State for Apprenticeships and Skills, the right hon. Anne Milton, approved revenue grant provision to the value of £4.55 million to the National College for High Speed Rail (now known as the NCATI). Payments of this funding were to be allocated as follows:

The forecasted number of learners during the October 2019 intake was lower than expected. As a result, the college was awarded an emergency payment of £600,000, paid in January 2020 to keep it operational, in place of the £800,000 due to be awarded from 1 April 2020. This emergency payment triggered an Education and Skills Funding Agency Financial Notice to Improve and a Further Education Commissioner’s visit, resulting in a recommendation for a Structure and Prospects Appraisal (SPA). An application for further funding (up to a maximum of £1.6 million) has been agreed. This will be paid to the college in monthly installments, on evidence of need, and is to be used for educational purposes only to keep the college operational during the SPA.