Funding 23 These are challenging objectives. They will need additional secure funding. We will change the current arrangements for funding which, in prisons, have tended to place education budgets in competition with other budgets, leading to some loss of education resource. From 1 April 2001, funds earmarked for prison education and libraries, including funding for juvenile prisoners’ education, will be ring-fenced. They will be allocated to DfEE and then transferred to the Prison Service and the Youth Justice Board on the basis of agreed targets. Funding for education, libraries and education materials will be at least £51m next year and is planned to increase to at least £59m in 2002-03 and £63m in 2003-04, an increase of over 17% in real terms in 2003-04 compared to 2000-01. 24 The Prison Service will continue, through initiatives like the new £21m Custody to Work initiative and its substantial funding of vocational training, physical education, and workshops to contribute additional resources to support the education, training and resettlement of prisoners. More generally, the Government, through its programmes for education and training run by the Learning and Skills Council and the Employment Service, makes a significant and increasing contribution to the support of adult learners, including the most vulnerable such as ex-offenders. 25 To lay a firm basis for the future of education and training in prisons, and in line with our plans to build capacity, the partnership will review the present arrangements for funding (including running and capital costs) and for procurement from private and further education contractors; and will assess the resources required for prison education and training. The partnership will also work actively to make best use of any existing funding available from mainstream government programmes for prisons and resettlement.

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