Immigration: English Language Courses

Lord Alton of Liverpool
asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their estimate of the financial savings they will make by cutting provision for English for speakers of other languages courses for refugees and asylum seekers. [HL1921]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Lord Adonis)
From Department for Education and Skills analysis of Learning and Skills Council (LSC) data, spend on asylum-seeker English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses for learners aged 19-plus was £20.2 million in 2004-05, the last year for which data are available. The changes announced in October to ESOL funding are not intended to result in savings but to reprioritise existing provision. The adult learning budget is expected to increase next year by approximately 7 per cent.

We will shortly publish the results of the race equality impact assessment and any changes to our proposals that Ministers will make as a result.