Sio William: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Sio William: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 18 November 2009. Volume:659;Page:7773. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
11.  
SU’A WILLIAM SIO (Labour—Mangere) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: Is she prepared to back up her support for literacy programmes by funding the expansion of the Manukau Family Literacy Programme a programme that PricewaterhouseCoopers says has already boosted the income of participating families by an average of $200 per week? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister of Education) 
: 
 The City of Manukau Education Trust’s request for funding for brokerage and administration for this programme was initially declined as it did not fit in any of the current funding forms run by the Ministry of Education and the Tertiary Education Commission. However the Government is committed to finding a way to support the programme and I have instructed the Ministry of Education to work with the trust on a solution that allows the programme to continue. 
Su’a William Sio 
: When will she make her final decision and is she aware that if the City of Manukau Education Trust does not receive the minimal investment of $35000 this week the Manukau Family Literacy Programme as upheld by PricewaterhouseCoopers will fold? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: I repeat that I have instructed the Ministry of Education to work with the trust to find a way to support that programme. I understand that discussions are happening as we speak. 
H V Ross Robertson 
: Can the Minister confirm that the $350000 sought by the City of Manukau Education Trust—COMET—for a programme recognised by her as a high-quality programme has been declined; if so why has the Prime Minister told the trust to go back to her saying that she should look harder? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: I repeat what I said in answer to the primary question. The trust’s request for funding for the brokerage and administration for this programme was initially declined because it did not fit any of the current funding models within the Ministry of Education and the Tertiary Education Commission. I have instructed the ministry to work with the trust to find a way to support the programme and it is working on that as we speak. 
Carmel Sepuloni 
: Given that the Minister is looking to backtrack on her decision to cut funding to the Manukau Family Literacy Programme are there any other ill-considered decisions that she has made that have been overturned by the Prime Minister that the public should be aware of; if so what are they? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: I totally reject the original premise of that question and that answers it. 
Carmel Sepuloni 
: Given that the Minister is looking to backtrack on her decision to cut funding to the Manukau Family Literacy Programme due to the Prime Minister’s intervention does this mean that the other ill-considered decisions she has made such as cuts to adult and community education funding will also be reviewed? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: I repeat: I have not cut any funding to the City of Manukau Education Trust. 
Su’a William Sio 
: Mr Speaker— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am afraid that by my reckoning all the supplementary questions available to Labour today have been used. 
Su’a William Sio 
: I seek leave through you Mr Speaker to ask one more supplementary question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to ask a further supplementary question. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Su’a William Sio 
: I seek leave through you Mr Speaker to table a PricewaterhouseCoopers report outlining the significant dollar value for dollar investment in the Manukau Family Literacy Programme. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.