Asked by: David Winnick (Labour - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when decisions from the Education Funding Agency on applications to the Condition Improvement Fund for 2017-18 will be announced.
Answered by Nick Gibb
We expect to publish the list of successful Condition Improvement Fund 2017-18 projects and notify all schools and colleges of the outcome of their applications by April 2017.
Asked by: David Winnick (Labour - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications were made for funding for substantial building repair work at (a) secondary and (b) primary schools in 2015-16; and how many such applications for such funding there were in 2016-17.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Education Funding Agency (EFA) provides a Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) for eligible academies to access. The table below sets out the number of CIF applications made by primary and secondary schools for projects to address their building condition needs over the years specified:
CIF 2015-16 round | Phase of Education | Total of applications |
| Primary | 1,244 |
| Secondary | 1,383 |
| All-through | 119 |
| Total | 2,881 |
CIF 2016-17 round | Phase of Education | Total of applications |
| Primary | 1,512 |
| Secondary | 1,426 |
| All-through | 155 |
| Total | 3,212 |
Asked by: David Winnick (Labour - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many staff at the Education Funding Agency assist with assessing applications to the Condition Improvement Fund; and how many staff assisted with such applications in each of the last three years.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Each CIF application was assessed twice independently. 9 EFA technical assessors worked on the assessment of CIF bids between January and February 2016 (alongside other duties). The EFA also contracted 2 external technical assessor suppliers to assess CIF applications. These suppliers assessed CIF bids between January and February 2016. Each supplier utilised some 25-30 assessors in total through the period, reducing or increasing levels according to the progress they were making against the deadline for assessing bids. In addition 9 other EFA staff worked on the Condition Improvement Fund throughout the 2016-17 programme on matters like processing applications and managing assessors.
The resource approach to previous bidding rounds has been similarly based on the volume of applications received.
Asked by: David Winnick (Labour - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the procedures are for people involved in assessing applications for the Condition Improvement Fund to contact applicants seeking further information when required.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Education Funding Agency (EFA) provides detailed guidance for Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) applicants when the application round is launched. The EFA’s enquiry service is on hand to answer applicants’ queries throughout the process.
CIF assessors do not make contact with applicants during the assessment window. This is to ensure that all bids are assessed consistently on the basis of the evidence which applicants have submitted. Unsuccessful CIF applicants can request a review of their outcome through the CIF appeals round.
Local authorities, voluntary-aided partnerships and larger Multi Academy Trusts receive a direct School Condition Allocation to address condition needs for their schools.
Asked by: David Winnick (Labour - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the contract of employment of the Chief Executive of the Education Funding Agency is due to expire.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Chief Executive of the Education Funding Agency has a permanent contract of employment, i.e. there is no set end date and the contract will continue until either party decides to end it.
Asked by: David Winnick (Labour - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the contract of employment of the Chief Executive of the Education Funding Agency expires.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Chief Executive of the Education Funding Agency has a permanent contract of employment, i.e. there is no set end date and the contract will continue until either party decides to end it.
Asked by: David Winnick (Labour - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on how many occasions the Chief Executive of the Education Funding Agency met her predecessor in the last two years.
Answered by Edward Timpson
As Chief Executive of the EFA, Peter Lauener has been a board member of the Department for Education since September 2012. As part of these roles, he regularly met the previous Secretary of State.
The information on the number of occasions in the last two years when the Chief Executive of the EFA met the Secretary of State’s predecessor is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: David Winnick (Labour - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much has been allocated from the Condition Improvement Fund for 2016-17; and how much from that Fund was allocated in 2015-16.
Answered by Edward Timpson
On 26 March 2015, the Department for Education announced the outcome of the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) 2015 to 2016. 1,407 projects across 1,127 academies and sixth-form colleges were approved funding of £383 million. This includes institutions successful following appeals in July 2015.
We announced the outcome of the CIF for 2016 to 2017 on 24 March 2016. Funding of £435 million was approved for 1,276 projects across 1,030 academies and sixth-form colleges. The information can be viewed on the government’s website here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2015-to-2016-outcome
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2016-to-2017-outcome
Asked by: David Winnick (Labour - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans for the hon. Member for Walsall North to receive a reply to his letter of 1 August 2016 on behalf of a constituent concerning the teaching of mathematics.
Answered by Nick Gibb
I can confirm that the Department has received the letter to which the Hon. Member refers. I have responded on behalf of the Secretary of State, and he will now have received this response.
Asked by: David Winnick (Labour - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide the private office telephone numbers for the ministerial offices of her Department to hon. Members; and for what reasons those numbers are not available to hon. Members.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Cabinet Office publishes the list of Ministerial responsibilities, which includes contact details for all Ministers. For Ministers at the Department for Education, the switchboard number is given, and Members will always be put through to the relevant Private Office. Copies are provided to all Members upon publication, and are available in the Vote Office and the Libraries of both Houses. It is also available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-ministers-and-responsibilities