News Release

6th November 2003

STAFFORDSHIRE MUST NOW APPLY FOR SCHOOL FUNDS

Following the shock news that despite Staffordshire being almost at the bottom of the schools funding table with schools in Slough, for example, receiving almost twice as much as those in Staffordshire schools and some others in the midlands, the Schools Minister has told Michael that local education authorities must approach the Government if they feel they are hard done by. Michael Fabricant says: "It is imperative that Stafford now makes out a 'compelling case' as the Minister puts it. Despite all the promises by the Government, our schools remain underfunded".

Michael Fabricant asked the David Miliband, the Schools Minister: "......how much the target transitional grant for Staffordshire local education authority will be in the next two years; and what arrangements have been made for the provision of the grant?"

"In short, the reply was nothing, no money at all, despite Staffordshire being near the bottom of the payment league table." says Michael Fabricant. But in a Parliamentary Written Reply, Mr. Miliband answered: "Details of the transitional support package for 2004-05 and 2005-06, including the arrangements for paying the targeted grant, will be published at the time of the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this month.

"On 29 October the government published indicative figures for the targeted grant in 2004-05, which have been placed in the Library of the House. These assumed that grant would be available to authorities whose increase in Education Formula Spending and relevant DfES grant between 2002-03 and 2004-05 would otherwise be less than 12 per cent. per pupil. The increase in Staffordshire LEA is expected to be above 12 per cent. per pupil over the relevant period, which means it would not be eligible for the targeted grant.