Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions officials from (a) his Department and (b) the Education and Skills Funding Agency have had with the Director of Electrical Services and project Management Ltd on the (i) content and (ii) veracity of the invoices from that company to (A) Bright Tribe Trust and (B) Adventure Learning Academies Trust for Conditional Improvement Fund works in line with draw-downs from the Education Funding Agency; and if he will make a statement.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency and the Trusts have completed their initial review work to establish the facts surrounding existing concerns about Bright Tribe and Adventure Learning Academy Trusts, including those aired in the BBC Panorama programme of 10 September 2018. The results of the investigations are sensitive and cannot be shared at this time.

The Condition Improvement Funded works at The Whitehaven Academy and Fowey River Academy were undertaken by independent, externally appointed consultants. An official from the Department for Education was present at the technical inspection which took place at Fowey River Academy on 23 August 2018, but was not present at the Whitehaven Academy technical inspection, which took place on 17, 18 July and 30 August. However, officials had previously visited the academy on a number of occasions.

Our current policy is that reports into such reviews are published and we will do so once due process has been completed.