'Post Code Lottery' over Adult College Fees

11.14.55am GMT Mon 13th Nov 2006

Local residents have been surprised and worried to discover that on top of cuts in adult education there are big disparities between fees being charged in Richmond and surrounding boroughs, including Kingston.

Vincent Cable MP has raised the issue with RACC which has explained that there are big disparities in government money given to different boroughs. Richmond residents get £3.50 for adult education (roughly the same as Bromley and Harrow) but Kingston gets £5.40, Wandsworth £7.30 and Sutton £10.20 and Westminster £16.55.

Vincent Cable said: "In addition to the usual factors which lead to our Borough receiving less than others, the allocation for leisure and community courses is based on the historic funding position back in 1999 when colleges were much more dependent on council funding and it happened that the Council at the time had financial problems of its own and squeezed the adult college. It seems utterly absurd that residents today should be penalised for decisions made by local councils almost a decade ago. I have written to the Learning and Skills Council, a quango which oversees adult colleges to challenge the formula."