(2) whether the final 16 to 18 learner funding allocations cover (a) all students enrolled in schools and sixth form colleges and (b) all students predicted to enrol for the 2009-10 academic year;
(3) when the Learning and Skills Council notified schools and colleges of their provisional 16 to 18 learner funding allocation.
We are planning record investment of over £6.7 billion in education for 16 to 18-year-olds from September this year. That means there is funding for over 1.5 million young people to study, the most 16 to 18-year-olds that have ever been in education in this country.
As part of the Department’s wider discussions in the National Economic Council on what more we can do to support the economy, we are working across Government on the extra financial support we need to provide for the new learners that are coming forward.
The Learning and Skills Council’s (LSC) letter of 31 March said that we continue to consider options for further funding, including meeting emerging pressures from the impact of the recession and recruitment during the year.
The LSC will be writing again to schools and colleges by the end of April.
I refer the hon. Member to the press statement of 3 April 2009, which is available at:
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0068