David Laws (Yeovil, Liberal Democrat)

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families

(1) how much expenditure under each budget heading his Department has incurred on the introduction of diploma courses and qualifications in each year since 2005;

(2) what estimate his Department has made of its expenditure on diplomas in each of the next three years; and under what budgetary headings such expenditure is expected to be incurred.

Iain Wright (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Children, Schools and Families; Hartlepool, Labour)

Expenditure for 2005-06 to 2008-09 on diplomas was made under the following categories:

development costs for diploma qualifications; for 2008-09 onwards it also includes costs of Diploma Awarding;

preparation funding to support consortia to deliver diplomas;

funding for local delivery and capacity building, including the diploma specific grant; from 2008-09 onwards it includes the diploma formula grant which supports additional costs of early delivery of diplomas at KS4;

work force development to prepare the work force for the delivery of diplomas; and

supporting transport arrangements in the most rural areas.

Total spend on diploma qualifications in each of these categories for each financial year is as follows:

The estimated funding level for diplomas for 2009-10 and 2010-11 is as follows:

2011-12 will be considered as part of the next Spending Review process.