We remain fully committed to the BSF programme and I currently expect funding for Building Schools for the Future (BSF) for both waves 5 and 6 projects to be determined in the same way as for previous waves, when local authorities receive approval of the business case for their project.
The Department is continuing to monitor the impact of the current economic conditions on capital programmes such as BSF, and is working with Partnerships for Schools and HM Treasury to ensure the programme moves forward as planned. On 3 March 2009, my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury announced Government action to safeguard capital infrastructure investment in projects being delivered through the private finance initiative.
DCSF does not hold information on apprenticeship places that have been created by the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. However, DCSF has responded to the pre-Budget report in November which announced that Government Departments and their Agencies committed that whenever they let a new construction contract they will consider making it a requirement that successful contractors have apprentices as a proportion of the project workforce. DCSF announced on 23 February 2009 that all construction companies winning contracts for the Building Schools for the Future programme will be required to have formal training programmes—creating up to an extra 1,000 apprenticeship places from June 2009—including posts in construction, information technology and facilities management.
Partnerships for schools is putting in place arrangements for monitoring the numbers of apprenticeships and training places in existing and new projects.