REDDITCH MP Jacqui Smith has been challenged by a neighbouring MP to lend her support to the long-running fight for more education funding in the area.

Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff has written to the schools minister demanding she help close the growing funding gap between Worcestershire schools and their neighbours.

The letter said: "You will be aware if our county is to catch up with the national average it needs percentage increases in funding significantly above the national average to close the gap."

Mr Luff claimed Ms Smith's own figures showed an English average funding increase of 6.8 per cent for 2006-7 and 6.7 per cent for the following year, compared to Worcestershire figures of 6.7 per cent and 6.5 per cent.

"You are clearly planning the discrimination against Worcestershire should increase over the next few years and I find this both disappointing and deeply disturbing," he said.

He criticised differences in funding per pupil between the national average of £4,310, the Birmingham figure of £4,750 and Worcestershire's £3,880.

He added: "This may be a familiar and repetitive argument, but it is one we must carry on making for the sake of our children's future."

But Ms Smith argued funding in Worcestershire had increased by £910 per pupil in real terms since 1997/8.

She also said primary school results in maths and English had shown marked improvements and the percentage of secondary school pupils achieving five or more good GCSEs was up from 46 per cent in 1998 to 55 per cent in 2005.

She added: "Conservatives like Mr Luff have voted against every single measure to provide the fund to achieve these results.

"I won't take any lessons from him about investing in our schools."