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.

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.