Downing Street Says » Prime Minister’s Visit

» Thursday, July 5, 2007

Prime Minister’s Visit

The PMS told journalist that the Prime Minister had visited Newham Sixth Form College, where he met students and teachers to discuss the increases in financial support that we announced today.

They discussed with students about what they are going on to do at university or college. John Denham took the students through the details of what had been announced.
Asked when the system would be fully in place, meaning the Department would be investing over four hundred million pounds a year, the PMS said the journalist should check with the department, but his understanding was, that certain elements of the package were subject to consultation.

Asked whether this was in addition to the CSR figures that journalists were aware of, the PMS said this was funded out of unallocated provision from within the former Department of Education’s settlement. It was not the case, that money had been taken from elsewhere.

Asked if the PMS could confirm the net total annual cost, the PMS said it was the four hundred million pounds John Denham was referring to.

Asked whether the amount would be a lot smaller next year, the PMS said journalists should contact the excellent Head of Communications at Her Majesty’s Treasury on this matter.

Asked what did the Prime Minister mean by "unmanageable debt", the PMS said he would let the Prime Minister’s words speak for themselves.

Asked how come there was an unallocated amount of funding, and was it part of the existing HE budget, the PMS said it was a usual part of any spending review settlement that there would be unallocated provisions to deal with issues that arise subsequently. Asked whether this was a contingency plan, the PMS said this was a normal part of the planning process in departments, that they have some provisions to deal with future developments.

Asked whether the PMS was saying this was contingency, rather than pre-planned, the PMS said he was not saying that it was pre-planned. It was a fairly normal part of any spending review settlement.

Asked about future budgets, the PMS said the budget was the budget.

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