Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 16 February 2016 to Question 26162 on free schools: Luton, whether she plans to publish details of the repayments made by Luton Girl's Academy or people associated with its application, by date, in March 2016.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Total pre-opening revenue costs for Luton Girls’ Academy will be published by end March 2016. This will take into account a repayment of grant which was made by the Trust in July 2015.
In line with the Government’s transparency agenda the Department’s policy is to publish expenditure data in a manner helpful to the public. With that in mind we publish the full pre-opening revenue cost of cancelled or withdrawn free school projects once the amount of expenditure, taking into account any repayments, has been finalised.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is her Department's policy to publish details of repayments to the public purse made by cancelled or withdrawn free schools.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Total pre-opening revenue costs for Luton Girls’ Academy will be published by end March 2016. This will take into account a repayment of grant which was made by the Trust in July 2015.
In line with the Government’s transparency agenda the Department’s policy is to publish expenditure data in a manner helpful to the public. With that in mind we publish the full pre-opening revenue cost of cancelled or withdrawn free school projects once the amount of expenditure, taking into account any repayments, has been finalised.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what payments her Department has provided to Luton Girl's Academy or people associated with its application to achieve free school status since 2013; on what dates such payments were made; and on what dates the school or such individuals repaid payments to her Department.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Proposer groups whose applications are approved into the pre-opening stage of the free school process receive a fixed rate project development grant to cover essential expenditure to establish a new school.
Total pre-opening revenue costs for free schools that opened or were withdrawn before opening, are published on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/revenue-expenditure-for-free-schools.
The Department plans to publish updated expenditure for free schools that were open or withdrawn in 2015, which will include Luton Girls’ Academy, by end March 2016. Any unspent funding is returned to the Department by the trust.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions officials from her Department have had with Luton local authority on the implications of the decision to withdraw approval for Luton Girls' Academy.
Answered by Edward Timpson
All free school projects approved to enter the pre-opening stage are paid a grant to support the project through to opening – the Project Development Grant (PDG). The PDG is essential to financially support the school during pre-opening. Where a project is withdrawn from the programme, payment of the PDG is stopped. To date, Ace Trust Limited has received two PDG payments amounting to £180,000 and the department will take steps to recover any unspent funds.
The Regional Schools Commissioner for North West London and South Central held a meeting with senior officers from Luton Borough Council on 14 November 2014. The department received written correspondence from the Corporate Director, Children & Learning at Luton Borough Council on 5 January 2015 and a subsequent telephone discussion took place on 14 January 2015 between officials and the team responsible for admissions and pupil place planning in Luton to discuss secondary pupil place need and the potential implications of withdrawing the Luton Girls’ Academy free school project. This ensured the views of the council were taken into account prior to any decision being made, and the impact on pupils was carefully considered.
The decision to withdraw approval for Luton Girls’ Academy was taken on 26 January 2015 and communicated to Ace Trust Limited in a letter dated 27 January 2015.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has provided to ACE Trust Ltd for the development of Luton Girls' Academy.
Answered by Edward Timpson
All free school projects approved to enter the pre-opening stage are paid a grant to support the project through to opening – the Project Development Grant (PDG). The PDG is essential to financially support the school during pre-opening. Where a project is withdrawn from the programme, payment of the PDG is stopped. To date, Ace Trust Limited has received two PDG payments amounting to £180,000 and the department will take steps to recover any unspent funds.
The Regional Schools Commissioner for North West London and South Central held a meeting with senior officers from Luton Borough Council on 14 November 2014. The department received written correspondence from the Corporate Director, Children & Learning at Luton Borough Council on 5 January 2015 and a subsequent telephone discussion took place on 14 January 2015 between officials and the team responsible for admissions and pupil place planning in Luton to discuss secondary pupil place need and the potential implications of withdrawing the Luton Girls’ Academy free school project. This ensured the views of the council were taken into account prior to any decision being made, and the impact on pupils was carefully considered.
The decision to withdraw approval for Luton Girls’ Academy was taken on 26 January 2015 and communicated to Ace Trust Limited in a letter dated 27 January 2015.