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Free schools row: Michael Gove to answer urgent question in Commons Free schools row: Michael Gove to answer urgent question in Commons
(about 1 hour later)
The education secretary, Michael Gove, will answer an urgent question on free schools tabled by Labour in the House of Commons, after reports that the programme is £800m over budget. The education secretary, Michael Gove, is to answer an urgent question on free schools tabled by Labour in the House of Commons, after reports that the programme is £800m over budget.
The debate is likely to involve a fiery exchange of views as the Liberal Democrats have accused their coalition partners of taking £400m from the basic budget for local authority primary places to prop up funding for independently run free schools. The debate is likely to involve a fiery exchange of views as the Liberal Democrats have accused their coalition partners of taking £400m from the "basic needs" budget for local authority primary places to prop up funding for independently run free schools.
Gove will respond to his Labour counterpart, Tristram Hunt, who has called on him to explain why ministers have directed the money "away from areas of high and severe need for new school places at a time when we have a national crisis in primary places".Gove will respond to his Labour counterpart, Tristram Hunt, who has called on him to explain why ministers have directed the money "away from areas of high and severe need for new school places at a time when we have a national crisis in primary places".
On Monday morning, Tim Farron, the Lib Dem president, also called on Gove to prioritise the creation of local authority primary school places over giving money to free schools. On Monday morning, Tim Farron, the Lib Dem president, called on Gove to prioritise the creation of local authority primary school places over giving money to free schools.
His remarks are a continuation of the row between Nick Clegg and Gove's Department for Education (DfE) in which each side has accused the other of wasting money on pet projects.His remarks are a continuation of the row between Nick Clegg and Gove's Department for Education (DfE) in which each side has accused the other of wasting money on pet projects.
The Conservative former education minister Tim Loughton said the Lib Dems should stop whingeing and trying to create a "fake row" because they signed up to the free schools policy under the coalition.The Conservative former education minister Tim Loughton said the Lib Dems should stop whingeing and trying to create a "fake row" because they signed up to the free schools policy under the coalition.
He said briefings against Gove were examples of the party trying to throw a bit of "red meat" to it supporters by appearing to stand up to a senior Conservative.He said briefings against Gove were examples of the party trying to throw a bit of "red meat" to it supporters by appearing to stand up to a senior Conservative.
However, Farron said there were legitimate concerns about local authority primary school places and class sizes if around £400m had been diverted from the "basic needs" budget to spend on Gove's free schools. However, Farron said there were legitimate concerns about local authority primary school places and class sizes if around £400m had been diverted from the basic needs budget to spend on Gove's free schools.
"The evidence is that there are many parts of the country – south-west London, Liverpool and Durham, from the top of my head – where there is particular pressure on school places and yet the money, the extra £400m coming from basic needs, is going instead to support free schools, some of which are not really meeting any demand at all for additional school places," Farron said as the two MPs appeared on BBC Radio 4's Today programme."The evidence is that there are many parts of the country – south-west London, Liverpool and Durham, from the top of my head – where there is particular pressure on school places and yet the money, the extra £400m coming from basic needs, is going instead to support free schools, some of which are not really meeting any demand at all for additional school places," Farron said as the two MPs appeared on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"It's important that Michael Gove rows in behind what is the number one priority for anyone that is concerned about education, but certainly his department, which is to meet the basic needs of providing school places.""It's important that Michael Gove rows in behind what is the number one priority for anyone that is concerned about education, but certainly his department, which is to meet the basic needs of providing school places."
Government sources told the Guardian on Sunday that Gove had been warned by the Lib Dem chief Treasury secretary, Danny Alexander, and officials at the Exchequer that the budget for free schools must be brought back under control.Government sources told the Guardian on Sunday that Gove had been warned by the Lib Dem chief Treasury secretary, Danny Alexander, and officials at the Exchequer that the budget for free schools must be brought back under control.
The sources said senior Treasury officials had raised concerns with the DfE about the cost of free schools, which the Liberal Democrats claim has led to an £800m black hole.The sources said senior Treasury officials had raised concerns with the DfE about the cost of free schools, which the Liberal Democrats claim has led to an £800m black hole.
"This isn't just David Laws [a Lib Dem schools minister] and the Liberal Democrats who are very concerned about the free schools budget spiralling out of control," a senior government source said."This isn't just David Laws [a Lib Dem schools minister] and the Liberal Democrats who are very concerned about the free schools budget spiralling out of control," a senior government source said.
"The Treasury has now made it crystal clear to Gove and the Department for Education that they want to sign off all future rounds of spending on free schools and won't do so until the capital budget for free schools is back under control.""The Treasury has now made it crystal clear to Gove and the Department for Education that they want to sign off all future rounds of spending on free schools and won't do so until the capital budget for free schools is back under control."
The education secretary's free-schools policy is now being put under much greater scrutiny by Alexander, who is in charge of all government spending. The education secretary's free schools policy is now being put under much greater scrutiny by Alexander, who is in charge of all government spending.
A separate Treasury source added: "Concern has been expressed by very senior Treasury officials and at ministerial level over free schools in a whole variety of ways, in meetings and in correspondence." A separate Treasury source said: "Concern has been expressed by very senior Treasury officials and at ministerial level over free schools in a whole variety of ways, in meetings and in correspondence."
A DfE spokesman insisted the financial situation had not changed: "There has been no change in the process. The Treasury has always signed off free school spending."A DfE spokesman insisted the financial situation had not changed: "There has been no change in the process. The Treasury has always signed off free school spending."
Free schools are independent of local council control and are set up by parents, teachers or charities. They have their own admissions policies and the right to employ teachers without qualifications.Free schools are independent of local council control and are set up by parents, teachers or charities. They have their own admissions policies and the right to employ teachers without qualifications.
The controversy over free schools comes after Conservatives briefed against Clegg's pledge to bring in free school meals this autumn for five- to seven-year-olds, arguing it was too expensive.The controversy over free schools comes after Conservatives briefed against Clegg's pledge to bring in free school meals this autumn for five- to seven-year-olds, arguing it was too expensive.
It began as a war of words after Gove's former adviser Dominic Cummings launched a personal attack on Clegg, saying he was a revolting and self-obsessed character who cared only about his image. He accused the deputy prime minister of demanding hundreds of millions of taxpayers' money for his "latest absurd gimmick" whenever he gave a speech.It began as a war of words after Gove's former adviser Dominic Cummings launched a personal attack on Clegg, saying he was a revolting and self-obsessed character who cared only about his image. He accused the deputy prime minister of demanding hundreds of millions of taxpayers' money for his "latest absurd gimmick" whenever he gave a speech.
In response, Clegg said Cummings "obviously has anger-management issues" and hit back at "slightly loopy ideologues like him" in the Tory party who wanted to impose experiments on the school system.In response, Clegg said Cummings "obviously has anger-management issues" and hit back at "slightly loopy ideologues like him" in the Tory party who wanted to impose experiments on the school system.
However, it has now escalated to a series of full-blown leaks from within the heart of the coalition. On Friday, private emails obtained by the BBC showed Gove had warned that giving an extra £80m to help implement Clegg's free school meal programme risked affecting the quality of teaching and learning.However, it has now escalated to a series of full-blown leaks from within the heart of the coalition. On Friday, private emails obtained by the BBC showed Gove had warned that giving an extra £80m to help implement Clegg's free school meal programme risked affecting the quality of teaching and learning.
Then, over the weekend, a senior Lib Dem source branded Gove a "zealot" for transferring £400m from the "basic need" budget to help plug the £800m black hole in the free-schools scheme. Then, over the weekend, a senior Lib Dem source branded Gove a "zealot" for transferring £400m from the "basic need" budget to help plug the hole in the free-schools scheme.
David Cameron stepped in on Sunday to defend Gove, telling the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "What the government is doing is spending £5bn in this parliament expanding the number of school places.David Cameron stepped in on Sunday to defend Gove, telling the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "What the government is doing is spending £5bn in this parliament expanding the number of school places.
"Part of that is actually investing in free schools, most of which in the primary schools are in areas of high need, and they're providing good new school places for people inside the state sector. I think you should judge the government on its results in education.""Part of that is actually investing in free schools, most of which in the primary schools are in areas of high need, and they're providing good new school places for people inside the state sector. I think you should judge the government on its results in education."
A spokesman for Gove said it was wrong to suggest the DfE had cut money for new places in areas of need in order to pay for free schools.A spokesman for Gove said it was wrong to suggest the DfE had cut money for new places in areas of need in order to pay for free schools.
"These claims pretend that money spent in free schools is not creating new places in areas of need. That is simply not true," the spokesman said. "From 2015, funding to councils for new school places will rise by more than £200m a year.""These claims pretend that money spent in free schools is not creating new places in areas of need. That is simply not true," the spokesman said. "From 2015, funding to councils for new school places will rise by more than £200m a year."