While colleges and others groan about having to cut adult education courses, Buckinghamshire County Council is giving itself a pat on the back.

“We realised early in our planning for the next academic year that we are likely to have a cut in real terms in our funding,” says a press release, entitled “Foresight means county adult learning can still offer a good range of courses”. When pressed for some figures, however, the council said there will be no cuts in the numbers on its “published programmes” but its “community outreach” work will be reduced.

So, without the spin, the more needy students will be hit the hardest.