Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many sites for free schools have been purchased by the Education and Skills Funding Agency since June 2010; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Since June 2010, the Education and Skills Funding Agency have purchased 748 sites for free schools. This figure includes both temporary and permanent sites.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will set out the criteria by which the Education and Skills Funding Agency is required to seek prior approval from HM Treasury before sites can be purchased that are for free schools; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has to meet the requirements set out in HM Treasury publication, Managing Public Money, when sites are purchased for free schools. Consideration is given to each transaction and whether it meets any criteria that may require escalation to HM Treasury under Managing Public Money, including whether a potential transaction is novel, contentious or otherwise repercussive. The Department has agreed a process with HM Treasury for making purchases where the acquisition price exceeds the Red Book Valuation. This includes a requirement that those acquisitions where the price exceeds the Red Book Value by more than 60% receive prior approval from HM Treasury.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2017 to Question 10246, whether the purchase of the Bowring Sports Ground required the approval of HM Treasury; whether an estimate of the cost of the work by the Environment Agency to relocate flood defences on that site was made prior to purchase; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Pursuant to the answer to PQ10247, published on 20 September 2017, HM Treasury approval was not required for the exchange of contracts for the Bowring Sports Ground. No estimate of the cost of relocating flood defences was made prior to the exchange of contracts.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what date the Education Skills Funding Agency determined the Red Book price of the Bowring Sports Club Ground, Eltham Road, London, SE12 8ER; on what date the purchase of that ground took place; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) received a Red Book Valuation in August 2015 for the Bowring Sports Club Ground and exchanged contracts in December 2015 subject to planning approval. The ESFA is still in the process of seeking planning approval therefore the acquisition of the site has not yet been completed.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many sites for new schools have been purchased by the Education Skills Funding Agency in each education authority area in the last three years (a) at, (b) below and (c) above the Red Book price; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The department purchases sites for future free schools where it represents value for money. We do not pay in excess of what a site is worth or purchase expensive sites if there are better value for money alternatives in the area.
Official market value is subjective and at a specific point in time, we do carry out Red Book Valuations as per Treasury Green Book guidelines but these reports are carried out as a guide to the sites value and are treated as commercially confidential documents.
The ESFA acquired 175 freehold sites between 2011 and 2016. On average, they paid 19% above Red Book Valuations for free schools with 20 sites costing 60% or more and 31 sites costing less than the Red Book Valuation. Any site that has been acquired that is 60% above the Red Book Valuation requires the ESFA Accounting Officer and HM Treasury approval.
Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many sites for new schools were purchased by the Education Skills Funding Agency in the last three years at 60 per cent above the Red Book price; how many of those purchases were investigated by the accounting officer; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The department purchases sites for future free schools where it represents value for money. We do not pay in excess of what a site is worth or purchase expensive sites if there are better value for money alternatives in the area.
Official market value is subjective and at a specific point in time, we do carry out Red Book Valuations as per Treasury Green Book guidelines but these reports are carried out as a guide to the sites value and are treated as commercially confidential documents.
The ESFA acquired 175 freehold sites between 2011 and 2016. On average, they paid 19% above Red Book Valuations for free schools with 20 sites costing 60% or more and 31 sites costing less than the Red Book Valuation. Any site that has been acquired that is 60% above the Red Book Valuation requires the ESFA Accounting Officer and HM Treasury approval.