Issue - meetings

To seek approval for the Council to not take up the power to grant discretionary awards for the 2010/11 academic year.

The Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services considered a report seeking approval not to take up the power to grant discretionary awards for the 2010/11 academic year.

The Local Education Authority (Post-Compulsory Education Awards) Regulations 1999 required LEAs to make an annual determination in respect of their powers to make awards to students. The determination had to be made before the start of the following financial year. The requirement to make an annual determination applied regardless of whether an LEA had previously determined that it would not exercise its power to offer awards.

No financial provision had been made to make discretionary awards in the 2010/11 academic year, either for a specific category or on appeal. No discretionary awards had been paid since the academic year 2003/4 when existing students already in receipt of an award were funded from a residual fund to allow them to complete their courses.

RESOLVED

That the Council does not take up the power to grant discretionary awards for the 2010/11 academic year.