The Supervising Authority for a School PFI Company
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | SI 2002/3177 |
| Year | 2002 |
2002 No. 3177
EDUCATION, ENGLAND
The School Companies (Private Finance Initiative Companies) Regulations 2002
Made 17th December 2002
Laid before Parliament 19th December 2002
Coming into force 20th January 2003
In exercise of the powers conferred by section 12 and 210(7) of the Education Act 20021, the Secretary of State for Education and Skills hereby makes the following Regulations:
PART 1
Preliminary
Citation and commencement
1. These Regulations may be cited as the School Companies Regulations (Private Finance Initiative Companies) Regulations 2002 and shall come into force on 20th January 2003.
Interpretation
2.—(1) In these Regulations—
“the 2002 Act” means the Education Act 2002;
“a further education institution” means
(a) an institution which has been designated by order of the Secretary of State under section 28 of the Further and Higher Education Act 19922; or
(b) an institution conducted by a further education corporation as defined by section 17(1) of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992;
“a higher education institution” means
(a) an institution conducted by a higher education corporation as defined by section 90(1) of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992;
(b) a university; or
(c) an institution which has been designated by order of the Secretary of State as eligible to receive funding from a higher education council under section 129 of the Education Reform Act 19883
“a relevant local education authority” means a local education authority which maintains any schools whose governing bodies are members of the school PFI company;
“a school PFI company” means a company to which these Regulations apply in accordance with Regulation 4;
“supervising authority” means the local education authority designated in accordance with Part 4 of these Regulations to supervise a school PFI company.
(2) For the purpose of these Regulations a school is “subject to special measures” if—
(a)
(a) a report of an inspection of the school has been made under either Part 1 of the School Inspections Act 19964or section 65 of the Learning and Skills Act 20005in which the person making it stated that in his opinion special measures were required to be taken in relation to the school;
(b)
(b) either that person was a member of the Inspectorate or the report stated that the Chief Inspector agreed with his opinion; and
(c)
(c) the report has not been superseded by any subsequent report in which the person making it stated that in his view special measures were not required to be taken in relation to the school.
(3) For the purposes of these regulations a school “has serious weaknesses” if—
(a)
(a) a report of an inspection of the school has been made under Part 1 of the School Inspections Act 1996 in which the person making it stated that in his opinion the school had serious weaknesses; and
(b)
(b) that report has not been superseded by a subsequent report stating that, in the opinion of the person writing the report, the school either no longer has serious weaknesses, or stating that special measures are required to be taken in relation to the school.
Definition of “an agreement under the private finance initiative”
3.—(1) For the purposes of these Regulations “an agreement under the private finance initiative” means an agreement to which paragraph (3) or (4) of this regulation applies.
(2) In this regulation—
“asset” means—
(a) any tangible asset, including any land, building or equipment; or
(b) any computer software;
“works” means the construction, enhancement, replacement or installation of an asset.
(3) This paragraph applies to an agreement where—
(a)
(a) consideration is received by the governing body of a maintained school under the agreement and that consideration includes—
(i) the provision or making available of an asset or the carrying out of works for the purposes of, or in connection with, the discharge of a function of the governing body; and
(ii) the provision of services for the purposes of, or in connection with, the discharge of the same function;
(b)
(b) the governing body do not give to any other person any indemnity or guarantee in respect of any liabilities of the person with whom they enter into the transaction (whether those liabilities are incurred in respect of the transaction or otherwise);
(c)
(c) the consideration given by the governing body under the transaction includes the payment of fees by instalments at annual or more frequent intervals;
(d)
(d) the fees are determined in accordance with factors which in every case include—
(i) standards attained in the performance of the services; or
(ii) the extent, rate or intensity of use of the asset, or as the case may be of the asset which is constructed, enhanced, replaced or installed under the transaction; and
(e)
(e) the first instalment of fees falls to be paid after the services have started to be provided.
(4) This paragraph applies to an agreement where private finance initiative credits are given to a local authority in respect of that agreement.
Companies governed by these Regulations
4. These Regulations apply in relation to any company—
(a) whose members include the governing body of a maintained school which has exercised its powers under section 11 of the 2002 Act to become a member of the company;
(b) where the main purpose of the members in forming the company is to enter into or facilitate agreements under the private finance initiative; and
(c) one of the company’s objects is to enter into or facilitate agreements under the private finance initiative.
PART 2
Restrictions on School PFI Companies
Persons who may be admitted to membership of a school PFI company
5.—(1) The constitution of a school PFI company must provide that the company must not admit to its membership any person who is not listed in paragraph (2) below.
(2) The following persons may be members of a school PFI company—
(a)
(a) the governing body of a maintained school;
(b)
(b) a local authority in England;
(c)
(c) a company which has as a significant proportion of its business the provision of education or educational or ancillary services or goods;
(d)
(d) a company which provides services or facilities under private finance agreements;
(e)
(e) the governing body of a further or higher education institution (within the meaning of section 90(1) of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992) if it has legal personality;
(f)
(f) the proprietor of an independent school or the governing body of an independent school (if the governing body has legal personality), which provides full-time education for five or more pupils of compulsory school age;
(g)
(g) any individual not excluded by the Schedule.
Restriction on school funding of school PFI companies
6. Where a governing body of a maintained school, which is a member of a school company, is spending money as agent of its local education authority by virtue of section 49(5) of the School Standards and Framework Act 19986, it must only make payments to that company in the following circumstances—
(a) as consideration for services or facilities that the company has supplied or procured for the school; for
(b) where such payment is necessary or expedient to enable the company to pursue its objects.
PART 3
Seeking Consent to Become a Member of a School PFI Company
Grounds on which a local education authority may refuse consent to a school governing body to become a member of a school company
7. Where the governing body of a maintained school seek the consent of the local education authority to form or become a member of a school PFI company in exercise of their powers under section 11 of the 2002 Act, the local education authority must give that consent unless—
(a) the school has a deficit budget;
(b) the governing body of the school has been a member of a school PFI company which failed to act in accordance with these Regulations whilst the governing body was a member, within the last 3 years;
(c) the school is subject to special measures; or
(d) the school has serious weaknesses.
Duty to provide written reasons for refusal
8. Where the local education authority does not consent to a governing body becoming a member of a school PFI company, it must provide written reasons for its refusal.
PART 4
The Supervising Authority for a School PFI Company
Designation of a supervising authority by a school PFI company
9.—(1) Each school PFI company must have a local education authority designated as its supervising authority.
(2) Where the governing bodies of maintained schools who are members of a school PFI company are all governing bodies of schools which are maintained by one local education authority, then that local education authority is the supervising authority for that school PFI...
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