To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of his Department’s budget was spent on adult education and training in Merseyside in 2007. (211263)

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has responsibility for the funding of providers of post-16 further education (FE) and training.

Around £77 million was spent on adult participation programmes in Merseyside for the financial year 2007-08. This includes expenditure on FE participation, work based learning/adult apprenticeships, Train to Gain and Adult Safeguarded Learning.

Total departmental spend on adult participation spend for 2007-08 is not yet available. However as set out in the 2008-09 LSC Grant Letter (published November 2007) the comparable budget for adult participation through the LSC for 2007-08 was £2.84 billion.