Funding for computers and information and communications technology in schools is made available predominantly via the Harnessing Technology Grant. This is paid by the Department to local authorities through the Standards Fund. The available figures on the amount of the Harnessing Technology Grant paid to the Sunderland local authority for each of the three years in the current spending period is set out in the following table:
£ 2008/09 853,603 2009/10 952,606 2010/11 1,042,241 Total 2008/2011 2,848,450
However, the harnessing technology grant will not be the total ICT spend, as schools are free to use money from other sources on technological services and infrastructure. It should also be noted that the harnessing technology grant does not include funding that is being provided to the Government's educational technology agency, Becta, in particular for the Home Access scheme (£300 million across England) which provides computers and an internet connection for eligible low income households.