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| Coalition row over school places funding | Coalition row over school places funding |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A row has broken out in the coalition over school places funding, with allies of the deputy prime minister accusing the education secretary of "lunacy". | A row has broken out in the coalition over school places funding, with allies of the deputy prime minister accusing the education secretary of "lunacy". |
| Lib Dem sources claim 30,000 local authority places are being lost as money is diverted to new free schools. | Lib Dem sources claim 30,000 local authority places are being lost as money is diverted to new free schools. |
| Lib Dem allies of Deputy PM Nick Clegg have called Conservative Michael Gove "ideologically obsessed". | Lib Dem allies of Deputy PM Nick Clegg have called Conservative Michael Gove "ideologically obsessed". |
| Aides to Mr Gove have branded the Lib Dems "pathetic", saying more school places are being created overall. | Aides to Mr Gove have branded the Lib Dems "pathetic", saying more school places are being created overall. |
| BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said the row was not the first within the coalition government over education policy. | BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said the row was not the first within the coalition government over education policy. |
| But he said the "striking" language used was evidence that both parts of the coalition were becoming more willing to air their disagreements and grievances in public a year ahead of the general election and less than two weeks before the local and European elections. | But he said the "striking" language used was evidence that both parts of the coalition were becoming more willing to air their disagreements and grievances in public a year ahead of the general election and less than two weeks before the local and European elections. |
| 'Bad idea' | 'Bad idea' |
| According to sources in Mr Clegg's office, last December Michael Gove overruled the Lib Dem schools minister David Laws to take £400m from the Basic Need Budget for 2015-17. | According to sources in Mr Clegg's office, last December Michael Gove overruled the Lib Dem schools minister David Laws to take £400m from the Basic Need Budget for 2015-17. |
| The sources say the sum, from the budget for local authorities to expand school places, represents 30,000 school places. | The sources say the sum, from the budget for local authorities to expand school places, represents 30,000 school places. |
| They claim the money was diverted to help cover a projected £800m overspend between 2013 and 2016 in the budget of free schools - a project close to Mr Gove's heart. | They claim the money was diverted to help cover a projected £800m overspend between 2013 and 2016 in the budget of free schools - a project close to Mr Gove's heart. |
| Free schools can be set up by parents, teachers, charities, businesses, universities, trusts, religious or voluntary groups, but are funded directly by central government. There are currently 174 free schools in England with another 116 approved to open from this September. | Free schools can be set up by parents, teachers, charities, businesses, universities, trusts, religious or voluntary groups, but are funded directly by central government. There are currently 174 free schools in England with another 116 approved to open from this September. |
| The Lib Dem source said the Conservatives were "putting the needs of a handful of their pet-projects ahead of the requirements of the other 24,000 schools in the country". | The Lib Dem source said the Conservatives were "putting the needs of a handful of their pet-projects ahead of the requirements of the other 24,000 schools in the country". |
| He added: "Michael Gove is so ideologically obsessed with his free school experiment, he's willing to see children struggle to get suitable school places. | He added: "Michael Gove is so ideologically obsessed with his free school experiment, he's willing to see children struggle to get suitable school places. |
| "Everybody knows there's real pressure on school places at the moment and the secretary of state for education knows better than most. It is nothing short of lunacy to slash the amount of money available for new school places to lavish on free schools. | "Everybody knows there's real pressure on school places at the moment and the secretary of state for education knows better than most. It is nothing short of lunacy to slash the amount of money available for new school places to lavish on free schools. |
| "Michael Gove was warned by the schools minister David Laws that this was a bad idea but the zealot pressed on anyway." | "Michael Gove was warned by the schools minister David Laws that this was a bad idea but the zealot pressed on anyway." |
| School meals | School meals |
| Research last month highlighted by the Labour Party suggested the government was currently funding free schools for 1,500 more pupils than were actually attending. | Research last month highlighted by the Labour Party suggested the government was currently funding free schools for 1,500 more pupils than were actually attending. |
| Mr Gove's allies say the Basic Need Budget will still rise by more than £200m a year in 2015-17 and argue that expansion of free schools will lead to more school places overall. | Mr Gove's allies say the Basic Need Budget will still rise by more than £200m a year in 2015-17 and argue that expansion of free schools will lead to more school places overall. |
| A spokesman for Mr Gove disputes the claim by critics of free schools that the places being created are not necessarily where they are most needed. | A spokesman for Mr Gove disputes the claim by critics of free schools that the places being created are not necessarily where they are most needed. |
| The row comes days after emails leaked to BBC Radio 4's World at One indicated senior Department for Education officials had raised concerns school places may need to be cut if the Lib Dems' free school meals policy for infant children was put into place. | |
| The spokesman for Mr Gove's office said: "This is a pathetic attempt by the Lib Dems to divert attention from their botched school food policy which councils are being forced to fund by cutting money for school places. | The spokesman for Mr Gove's office said: "This is a pathetic attempt by the Lib Dems to divert attention from their botched school food policy which councils are being forced to fund by cutting money for school places. |
| "They opted for free schools and backed them from the start. For the Lib Dems to attack them now is frankly risible." | "They opted for free schools and backed them from the start. For the Lib Dems to attack them now is frankly risible." |
| In the area of education, the Lib Dems and Tories have also previously clashed over the employment of classroom staff without formal teaching qualifications and Mr Gove's decision not to re-appoint Labour peer Sally Morgan to watchdog Ofsted. | In the area of education, the Lib Dems and Tories have also previously clashed over the employment of classroom staff without formal teaching qualifications and Mr Gove's decision not to re-appoint Labour peer Sally Morgan to watchdog Ofsted. |