Topical Question: National Star College Funding
12th November 2009
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown calls on the Minister for Further Education to "redouble his efforts" to find funding for the National Star College redevelopment project.
Mr. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold) (Con): May I raise with the Minister the subject of further education and the National Star college? The college provides some of the finest residential training anywhere in the world, and it has worked extremely hard to raise £2 million of its own money, which will be in jeopardy if it cannot access funding from the Government. It has also worked very hard at the Minister’s behest to take 15 per cent. off the cost of the project. Will he redouble his efforts to see whether he can find that funding?
Kevin Brennan: I am happy to join the hon. Gentleman in paying tribute to the work of the National Star college, and I undertake to carry on my efforts to look into this matter. This particular proposal is part of the huge investment in further education that has covered more than 700 projects in 330 colleges in the past few years, at a cost of £2.7 billion.