To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 May 2007, Official Report, columns 365-66W, on schools: combined heat and power, whether the £110 million allocated for the purpose of reducing carbon emissions as part of the refurbishment of secondary schools is ring-fenced. (138371)

The funding of £110 million over three years to 2010-11 will be ring-fenced specifically for the purpose of reducing carbon emissions of school which will have at least 75 per cent. of their gross floor area rebuilt under the Building Schools for the Future programme, including academies.

The additional funding will reflect the size of the school and will provide about £500,000 for the average secondary school. The funding will be provided to the local authority specifically to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy measures that directly reduce schools’ carbon emissions. We will set a target reduction in carbon emissions of a minimum of 60 per cent. for this investment. We are also exploring the potential for investing in measures to offset carbon emissions through regulated schemes which will help the push towards carbon neutrality.