Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that funding is available for schools to enable them to maintain the variety of A-levels they offer.

For the academic year 2015/16, the Department for Education has maintained the base rate of funding for 16- to 19-year-olds in schools and colleges at £4,000 for full-time 16- and 17-year-olds, and £3,300 for 18-year-olds. This is sufficient to fund a study programme of 600 hours, which is enough for students to take three A levels and one AS level, plus around 150 hours of enrichment or tutorial activity across each two-year course. It is for schools to determine what they offer their students, taking into account the needs and aspirations of their students as well as the overall budget available to the school.