MP's Questions

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (Vernon Coaker) in how many local authorities the implementation of the Building Schools for the Future programme has been suspended in the absence of a visionary or transformative bid.

Vernon Coaker: Three Building Schools for the Future projects-Hull, Oldham, and Stoke-have previously been suspended in the pre-procurement phase while the local authorities were asked to re-examine their school estate proposals to ensure that the proposals would make a significant educational impact. Local authorities are required to demonstrate that their BSF plans are visionary and transformational at two key points in the process. At initial entry, local authorities must submit a robust 'Readiness to Deliver' document which explains how their plans will impact on the local educational environment. Once the programme has commenced, they are required to submit a 'Strategy for Change' which describes the educational impact of their plans across all of the local schools to benefit from BSF investment. If, at either milestone, it is judged that the local authority is not setting high enough aspirations, they are asked to revise the strategies and resubmit them. This process helps to reduce the need to suspend BSF programmes.

Barry Sheerman: My hon. Friend will know that this Government have an amazing record on child care provision, but there is now a worry: at the same time as we applaud reaching down to two-year-olds, how do we guarantee quality under the new arrangements?

Iain Wright (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Children, Schools and Families): My honourable Friend, who is obviously very knowledgeable about the issue through his chairmanship of the Select Committee on Children, Schools and Families, makes an important point. The inspection and regulatory regime that we have put in place with Ofsted will ensure that we can enhance quality and, at the same time, sustain funding and investment or increase them wherever possible. For example, local authorities have more than £1 billion at their disposal in capital and revenue funding to ensure the sustainability of the child care provision available in their areas.