24
Not Addressed
The ESFA told us that some amounts that were originally given as loans then had...
Conclusion
The ESFA told us that some amounts that were originally given as loans then had to be converted to grants because not enough work had been done at the outset to assess whether there was a realistic expectation of repayment. It explained, however, that if a college did not have the capacity to repay debts, emergency funding had to be given as a grant in order for the college to continue to provide for learners.43 It also said that emergency funding was now subject to stronger governance arrangements, involving HM Treasury, which included an assessment of value for money.44
Government Response Summary
The government response provided factual information about emergency funding paid to colleges, detailing the amounts and the proportion later categorized as non-repayable, but did not address the committee's observations about repayment assessments or governance.
Government Response
Not Addressed
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
Between November 2014 and March 2019, the ESFA paid £253 million to 36 colleges which had serious cashflow problems. The purpose of this emergency funding was to help the colleges maintain their teaching and other services for learners. At the beginning of this period, government’s intention was that all the emergency funding would be repayable. However, at March 2020, the ESFA had categorised 39% of the total (£100 million) as non-repayable.42
Source
Committee
Public Accounts Committee
Report
Thirty-Eighth Report - Managing colleges’ financial sustainability
27 Jan 2021
HC 692
Addressee Bodies
HM Treasury
Timeline
Recommendation age
5.5 yrs
Report published
27 Jan 2021