Cable Tackles Balls over Academy Funding

3.15.53pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 30th Jun 2008

At Education Questions today, MP Vincent Cable tackles school secretary Ed Balls about the way in which the school academies programme is being funded:

"Two academies are being proposed in my constituency - Whitton and Hampton Community College. The schools and the council are being brave in taking this new and positive initiative to raise standards. But they are taking a risk under the current funding arrangements. The council is expected to shoulder risks, like cost overruns, even though the school is then handed over to the academy sponsors. I have made it clear to Ed Balls that if the Government wants to promote academies, it should put its money where its mouth is!"