TEATHER RAISES PLIGHT OF COLLEGE OF NORTH WEST LONDON

4.42.38pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 23rd Jun 2005

Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather has once again raised the plight of the College of North West London in Parliament. Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate on Adult Education the local MP told Government Ministers of the funding pressures that the college faces. The college has previously been dubbed the 'Cambridge of plumbing'.

The Government is encouraging the College to take on pupils on courses for construction and basic skills such as English as a foreign language. The college faces huge problems with the Government insisting they provide these courses yet failing to provide adequate funding for them. The College is left with two choices either to turn away such students or to risk its financial viability.

The College has also suffered through the area-uplift funding dictated by the Learning and Skills Council. Sarah Teather will also be meeting with the Minister to discuss the College's financial problems.

Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather said:

"The Government cannot have it both ways. On the one hand it is encouraging the College to meet demand and the other hand it is not providing the requisite funding.

"This issue is of grave concern to the College. They do not want to cut the courses to students that they offer but they are under pressure to meet demand."