Evans, Sen Christopher

Senator Chris Evans: The Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs has provided the following answer to the honourable senator ' s question: (1) (a) and (b) Funds committed is understood to refer to funds committed by the Commonwealth and equates to how much is in the National Partnership agreement. Funds expended is how much money the Commonwealth has paid to the States. This information is publicly available. Information on funding in National Partnerships is available on the federal financial relations website at: www.federalfinancialrelations.gov.au/content/national_partnership_agreements/default.aspx While information on how much money the Commonwealth has paid the States is reported in the Final Budget Outcome at: http://budget.gov.au/2012-13/content/fbo/html/index.htm Please note, the following National Partnership agreements are not payments to the States but Commonwealth Own Purpose Expenditure: the National Partnership on Indigenous Economic Participation (IEP NP); and the National Partnership on Remote Service Delivery (RSD NP). (2) (a) and (b) The COAG Reform Council, in its assessment of the targets 'halve the gap for Indigenous students in reading, writing, numeracy within a decade' and 'halve the gap for Indigenous students in Year 12 attainment or equivalent attainment', specifically draws on the National Education Agreement and the National Partnership on Literacy and Numeracy. The broader Closing the Gap Framework recognises that outcomes in other areas, such as health, housing and early childhood, are also likely to contribute to improving outcomes in areas such as reading, writing, numeracy and Year 12 attainment or equivalent attainment.