Citation and Commencement

1. —(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Education (Nursery Education Training Grant) (England) Regulations 2001 and shall come into force on 9th April 2001.

(2) These Regulations apply only in relation to England.

Interpretation

2. In these Regulations—

“the 1998 Act” means the School Standards and Framework Act 1998( 2 );

“approved expenditure” means any expenditure which is approved under regulation 3;

“early years development and childcare partnership” means a body established in accordance with section 119 of the 1998 Act;

“early years development plan” means a plan prepared by an LEA in accordance with section 120 of the 1998 Act;

“LEA” means a local education authority;

“nursery education” has the meaning given to it in section 117 of the 1998 Act;

“nursery education training grant” means grant payable under regulation 3.

Nursery Education Training Grant

3. —(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary of State may pay grant to an LEA in respect of expenditure incurred for or in connection with measures designed to provide or support the training and development of staff providing nursery education when the education is included in an LEA’s early years development plan.

(2) The Secretary of State may only pay grant under this regulation to the extent to which the expenditure in respect of which the grant is to be paid is approved for the purpose of these Regulations.

Rate of Grant

4. Grant paid under these Regulations may be of an amount constituting reimbursement of the approved expenditure to which it relates, or of a lesser sum determined by the Secretary of State.

Payment of Grant

5. Payments of grant under these Regulations shall be made at such times and in such instalments as the Secretary of State thinks appropriate.

Conditions of Payment

6. 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.

Requirements to be observed

7. —(1) An LEA to which grant is paid under these Regulations 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 repayment of grant;

(b) 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;

(c) the payment of interest on sums due to the Secretary of State; or

(d) 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 LEA upon which it is imposed, vary such a requirement.