1. These Regulations may be cited as the Education (Infant Class Sizes) (Grant) Regulations 1999, and shall come into force on 1st April 1999.
2.—(1) In these Regulations—
“the 1998 Act” means the School Standards and Framework Act 1998;
“approved expenditure” means expenditure approved by the Secretary of State under regulation 3;
“infant class” has the meaning given by section 4 of the 1998 Act;
“infant class grant” means grant paid to a local education authority by the Secretary of State under regulation 3;
“relevant school”, in relation to a local education authority, means a school containing one or more infant classes which is—
in relation to any time before 1st September 1999(1)—
a county, voluntary or maintained special school maintained by that authority, or
a grant-maintained or grant-maintained special school situated within that authority’s area; and
in relation to any time on or after that date—
a community, foundation or voluntary school, or
a community or foundation special school,
maintained by that authority.
(2) A reference in paragraph (1) to a county, voluntary, maintained special, grant-maintained or grant-maintained special school shall be construed in accordance with the Education Act 1996(2).
3. Subject to regulations 4 and 5, the Secretary of State may pay grants (“infant class grant”) to a local education authority in respect of expenditure incurred or to be incurred by them for the purpose of ensuring that the limit imposed by Regulations(3) made under section 1 of the 1998 Act is complied with in relation to infant classes at relevant schools, but only to the extent to which that expenditure is approved by the Secretary of State for the purposes of this regulation.
4. The Secretary of State may not pay any infant class grant to a local education authority where no proposed arrangements by that authority have been approved by him under section 2 of the 1998 Act.
5. When determining whether any infant class grant (and if so, what amount) should be paid by him to a local education authority, the Secretary of State shall have regard to their proposed arrangements as so approved by him under section 2 of the 1998 Act.
6. Grant paid under these Regulations may be of any amount (determined by the Secretary of State) up to 100 per cent. of the approved expenditure to which it relates.
7. Payments of grant under these Regulations shall be made at such times and in such instalments as the Secretary of State thinks appropriate.
8. The making of payments of grant under these Regulations shall be dependent upon the fulfilment of such conditions as may be specified by the Secretary of State.
9.—(1) Any local education authority to whom infant class grant is paid shall comply with such requirements as may be determined by the Secretary of State in the case in question.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), requirements determined under this regulation may include requirements as to—
(a)the implementation of the proposed arrangements approved by him under section 2 of the 1998 Act;
(b)the repayment of grant;
(c)the payment to the Secretary of State of other sums related to the value of assets acquired, provided or improved with the aid of grant;
(d)the payment of interest on sums due to the Secretary of State;
(e)the keeping of such records and accounts, and the provision to the Secretary of State of such information, documents, returns and accounts as the Secretary of State may from time to time require.
(3) The Secretary of State may determine to withdraw a requirement imposed under this regulation or, after consulting the local education authority upon whom it is imposed, to vary such a requirement.
Estelle Morris
Minister of State,Department for Education and Employment
4th January 1999
Peter Hain
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Welsh Office
7th January 1999