asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Adonis on 14 June (WA 25), whether they propose that the annual Department for Education and Skills grant letter to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) will provide an indication of how funding will be distributed on both a regional and local basis to each individual LSC.[HL6500]

The annual grant letter to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) sets out the total budget that will be allocated for the next financial year along with indicative allocations for any remaining years of the spending review period. It does not include allocations below the national level.

The LSC was set up to plan and fund post-16 learning, based on a detailed assessment of learning and skill needs. It works with a range of partners to inform the assessment of national, regional, sector and local priorities. This planning and funding system is responsive to the customers of education and training and must be driven by need, not by central design. It is for the LSC national office to allocate its budget to local areas, and for them to determine how resources can best be used to raise participation and learning and skills levels in the areas they serve. The LSC's regional directors also have a key role to play in agreeing plans, budgets and targets locally to ensure that both regional and local skill needs are met.