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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, SPORT AND CULTURE BY DEPUTY S. Y. MÉZEC OF ST. HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 5th OCTOBER 2015
Question
Following the admission in a scrutiny hearing that the budget of the Education, Sport and Culture Department is actually being reduced next year by £263,200 once changing demographics have been factored in, how does the Minister intend to proceed from 2017 onwards to ensure that the Council of Minister does not continue to be in breach of its Strategic Plan commitment to increase investment in education?
Answer
Since last November, the Council of Ministers, the Corporate Management Board and department teams have spent a considerable amount of time working on a sustainable solution to tackle the deficit. The importance of education has been recognised throughout the discussions, which have been lengthy and difficult at times.
We have reached a position where Education, Sport and Culture's budget for 2016 is £111.4 million – an increase of £2.8 million on the previous year. This means the department is in a position where it is still able to meet its statutory duties and provide education to the increased number of students in our schools.
If the issue of changing demographics is separated out – which is not the approach taken by the Minister or department – the investment may not be obvious in the revenue budget. However, it is clearly apparent once the capital expenditure is added:
- £40 million for Les Quennevais School
- £10 million for Grainville Phase 5
- £5.5 million for St Mary's School refurbishment
The Minister will continue to play a full part in Council of Ministers' ongoing discussions about investment and will continue to champion the case for supporting education.