Catalogue description Records of the Further Education and Higher Education Funding Councils for Wales and successors

The Further Education Funding Council for Wales (FEFCW) and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) were established under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 as non-departmental public bodies. The Councils came into existence on 6 May 1992 and assumed full funding responsibilities for the two sectors from 1 April 1993. The Councils were responsible for securing the provision of higher and further education in Wales and administering funds made available by the Secretary of State for Wales and from 1997, by the Welsh Assembly. Each Council was an independent body with its own Chairman but were served by a joint management executive; the Welsh Funding Councils (later re-named ELWa by the Welsh Assembly) was an umbrella title for the two Councils.

Under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, the FEFCW took over responsibilities for funding colleges and other institutions providing further education in Wales from the local authorities. It was responsible for ensuring that the sufficient full and part-time further education was provided in Wales; for encouraging the provision of vocational education; for promoting continuous improvement in the quality of further education; and for ensuring the development of provision for further education through the medium of Welsh. The FEFCW was also required to ensure that value for money is obtained for the funds distributed through it.

On 1 April 2001, as a result of the Learning and Skills Act 2000, the National Council for Education and Training for Wales was created from the combination of the FEFCW, the four Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) in Wales and the Council of Welsh TECs. It is responsible for the strategic direction, implementation and funding of all post-16 training and education in Wales, with the exception of higher education.

Under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, the HEFCW took over responsibilities for funding the higher education sector in Wales from the Universities Funding Council. It is responsible for ensuring that cost-effective higher education is provided in Wales; for monitoring the maintenance, development and improvement of the quality of research carried out in Wales; for widening access to higher education to those who have the ability to benefit from it; and for advising the Secretary of State for Wales on those and other matters relating to the diverse range of higher education being supplied by institutions in Wales.

From 2003 each Council had their own Chief Executive and the two Councils formally separated in 2005. In April 2006 the National Council was abolished and its functions transferred to the Welsh Assembly; HEFCW remained as an Assembly Sponsored Public Body (ASPB).