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Andrew StunellWorking hard for Bredbury, Compstall, Great Moor, Hawk Green, Hazel Grove, Heaviley, High Lane, Marple, Marple Bridge, Mellor, Offerton, Romiley, Rose Hill, Strines & Woodley since 1997 |
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LSC CHIEF RESIGNS AFTER COLLAPSE OF MARPLE AND CHEADLE SIXTH FORM COLLEGE BUILDING PROJECT
March 23, 2009 6:30 PM
Hazel Grove MP Andrew Stunell has welcomed the resignation of the Learning and Skills Council's Chief Executive following its failure to support colleges and students in Stockport.
Mark Haysom's resignation this week comes just days after Mr Stunell challenged Government Ministers in the Commons to get a grip of the LSC's failure to pay vital Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) on time for thousands of local students, and their cancellation of the long-planned re-building of Cheadle and Marple Sixth Form College.
Education Minister John Denham told Mr Stunell that these were "issues of legitimate concern", and added that 'the good news is that we are going to abolish the LSC'.
Commenting, Andrew Stunell said:
"The Learning and Skills Council is a shambles, completely unfit for purpose, and it is right that Mr Haysom has taken the hint and gone.
"The LSC has let down the students of Stockport badly with huge delays in paying maintenance money, and on top of that the abandonment of the re-building of Marple and Cheadle Sixth Form College.
"The government must now take real action to ensure that the re-building project gets moving, and all eligible students in the borough receive the EMA payments that are rightfully theirs."
The LSC took over its duties towards post-16 students and colleges from Stockport Council in a move to centralise administration by Whitehall, but Mr Stunell says the experiment has been a disaster, and that the best way ahead would be to return control to the Town Hall.
Mr Stunell continued:
"No-one has a good word to say for the LSC, and its job should be given back to local people who know what they are doing. Sadly the Government has come up with yet another gimcrack quango instead, so the risk is that things still won't improve."
ENDS
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