It is hard to imagine a more shambolic situation than that which prevails over further education funding at this time. As more details come out about funding for sixth-form and college courses and new building work overseen by the Learning and Skills Council, the more chaotic the picture is.

It appears that as the LSC was embroiled in controversy over unforeseen delays to multi-million pound building projects at further education colleges, it was telling schools that there would be extra money for A-level courses — which a month later had also turned to dust.

Ministers ordered an inquiry into the fiasco over building projects but it appears the problem is even more deep-seated.

The demise of the LSC — programmed for next year when funding responsibility will be passed to councils — cannot come too soon.

The fiasco begs questions about leadership at the LSC but also about communication between it and the Government.

Abolishing the LSC may solve the one problem but not the second.

In Oxfordshire, as in many other areas of the country, colleges have been preparing new building projects important to the education of young people and to local prosperity. In a lot of cases, work is so far advanced that money has been spent or committed.

The Government cannot escape responsibility either directly or indirectly. It should act to ensure that the full funding is honoured for all of these schemes.