Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on providing (a) simple and (b) quick routes for colleges to (i) identify and (ii) secure cashflow support.
Treasury Ministers remain in close contact with their counterparts at the Department for Education on the UK’s COVID-19 response. The Government is committed to supporting the education sector as it faces this challenge.
We have confirmed that the Education & Skills Funding Agency will continue to pay grant-funded providers their scheduled monthly payments for the remainder of the year. Because of the activity-based funding model for apprenticeships, both the Treasury and Department for Education are exploring the impact of the current disruption with training providers. For colleges in significant difficulties, the existing support arrangements remain in place, including emergency funding.
We are working to develop more detailed operational guidance, which will be circulated as soon as possible. Colleges should speak to their ESFA territorial teams for further guidance on issues relating to funding.