To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what (a) funding and (b) other support his Department has provided to the South West Grid for Learning in 2009-10; and whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of the grid on funding of broadband access for small primary schools. (323329)

[holding answer 22 March 2010]: The South-West Grid for Learning (SWGFL) has not received any funding or support from DCSF or Becta in 2009-10, other than (i) small-scale grants to help promote adoption of the Becta self-review framework by schools; and (ii) support in kind to become a Framework for ICT Technical Support (FITS) training partner. Becta personnel recently met the chief executive for SWGFL to continue discussions about an effective strategic partnership in the SW—the costs of their broadband provision to schools, and the possibility of giving schools greater choice over the range of SWGFL-provided services that they pay for were also raised.