1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Education Support Grants (Amendment) Regulations 1987 and shall come into force on 1st December 1987.

2.  The Education Support Grants (Amendment) Regulations 1985(2), the Education Support Grants (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 1985(3) and the Education Support Grants (Amendment) Regulations 1986(4) are hereby revoked.

3.  In regulation 4 of the Education Support Grants Regulations 1984(5) ("the principal regulations") for the figure "70" there shall be substituted the figure "50" and there shall be added after the word "approved" in the second place where it appears the following words-

"in the case of item No. 4(a) in the Schedule hereto and 70 per cent of the expenditure so approved in any other case.".

4.  After regulation 4 of the principal regulations there shall be inserted the following regulation-

"Condition of Grant

4A.  Where at the time of approving expenditure for the purpose of these Regulations, the Secretary of State requests information in respect of any purpose or pilot project listed in the Schedule hereto, payment of grant in respect of that purpose or pilot project shall be conditional on that information being included in the authority's application for payment of grant.".

5.  For the Schedule to the principal regulations (which specifies the purposes for or on connection with which education support grants are payable) there shall be substituted the following Schedule-

Regulation 2(1)

"SCHEDULEPURPOSES FOR OR IN CONNECTION WITH WHICH GRANTS ARE PAYABLE

1.  The management and appraisal of school teachers.

2.  The teaching of mathematics in schools.

3.  The teaching of science and technology as part of primary education.

4.  A pilot project devised with one of the following objectives:

(a)to provide records of achievement for pupils in secondary schools or students at further education establishments;

(b)to improve the quality of education provided in primary schools in urban areas;

(c)to improve the quality or the range of the curriculum provided in primary schools in rural areas;

(d)to meet the educational needs of persons from ethnic minorities, to promote harmony between different racial groups or in other ways to prepare persons for life in a multi-ethnic society;

(e)to improve the use of the spoken word by pupils of compulsory school age;

(f)to promote social responsibility in children;

(g)to broaden the range of languages learnt by pupils in secondary schools as their first foreign language.

5.  The provision of re-training and up-dating courses directed towards the needs of industry and commerce.

6.  The development of the use of information technology at further education establishments, by providing equipment, preparing or providing course material and computer software, or training teachers employed at such establishments.

7.  The planning, development and co-ordination of provision to meet the educational needs (including the need for guidance) of persons who are unemployed (excluding those currently receiving full-time education).

8.  Where provision to meet the need of the unemployed for educational guidance is being planned, developed and co-ordinated, the planning, development and co-ordination of the provision of such guidance for other adult persons.

9.  The provision of data-processing equipment, and accessories and software for such equipment, for use in the management of further education establishments.

10.  Developing the knowledge and appreciation, among pupils in schools in Wales, of the heritage, culture and language of Wales.

11.  The development, provision and appraisal of courses of initial training for school governors.

12.  The provision of support for parents in the teaching of children under the age of 5 with special educational needs.

13.  The provision of computerised learning aids and associated software at further education establishments for use by students with special educational needs.

14.  The employment of staff to strengthen links between further education establishments and employers in order to improve the quality and relevance of further education courses.

15.  Combatting, through education, the misuse of drugs.

16.  Securing the supervision of pupils in schools at midday.

17.  The provision to schools and further education establishments of books and equipment for use on courses leading to an examination for the General Certificate of Secondary Education.

18.  The organisation in urban areas of leisure-time activities of vocational benefit to young persons mainly between the ages of 14 and 21.

19.  The development and support of methods of learning which do not require regular attendance at educational establishments including activities connected with the Open College.

20.  The provision of computer-aided engineering equipment for engineering courses in further education establishments.

21.  The development of the use of information technology in primary and secondary schools through the provision of staff and computer hardware."

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the Education Support Grants Regulations 1984 by an amendment to regulation 4 to reduce the rate of grant payable on one of the purposes in the Schedule for or in connection with which grants are payable and by the addition of a new regulation (regulation 4A) to make payment of grant conditional upon such information as the Secretary of State may request in respect of a purpose or pilot project at the time of approving expenditure being included in the authority's application for payment of grant (regulations 3 and 4 respectively). Further, the original Schedule is replaced by a revised Schedule which consolidates earlier amendments, omits item 4 of the original Schedule (the provision of micro-electronic equipment for use by children with special educational needs), adds one further pilot project to those eligible for support under what is now item 4 (at item 4(g)), amends item 10 to include the Welsh language and item 17 to add further education establishments, and adds as items 18 to 21 four further purposes for or in connection with which grants are payable by the Secretary of State to local education authorities (regulation 5). This has enabled earlier amending regulations made in 1985 and 1986 to be revoked (regulation 2).