Local councils beat path to new minister's door

The Local Government Association, representing 130 councils, and the Further Education Funding Council, will be pressing whoever becomes minister for further and higher education after the election for an early meeting. Graham Lane, chair of LGA's education committee, said the two bodies would be pressing for a restoration of the funding cuts expected in 1997-98, a role for councils in college strategic planning and a fairer system of discretionary grants.