Plymouth City Council has said 100 teachers will lose their jobs

Nearly �18m of government money has not yet been passed on to schools in the South West, according to new figures.

They show that �5.3m has not yet been passed on to schools in Plymouth and �0.7m. in Torbay.

Devon has been allocated all the money intended for schools, but Cornwall has apparently failed to pass on �1.1m, Dorset �4.3m and Somerset �9.5m.

Many councils are blaming funding shortages in schools on inadequate government cash in the first place.

All the money the council has been allocated will be spent Kevin Wigens, Plymouth City Council

Plymouth City Council had earmarked �113m for education in the coming year, but warned that up to 100 teachers and twice as many teaching assistants would lose their jobs in September.

The council is getting an extra �831,000 as part of a �28m handout to councils around England.

The ruling Conservative group lost control to Labour in Thursday's local elections.

Former council leader and Conservative group leader Kevin Wigens said: "All the money the council has been allocated will be spent in the normal course of the year, as it should be, through the budget process."

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) believes local education authorities have yet to allocate more than �590m intended to fund schools around the country.

Minister Charles Clarke said "big questions" must be asked about why it had not reached headteachers.

However, he also indicated a desire to work with them to solve the problem rather than apportioning blame.

He said he wanted to avoid teacher redundancies, but added his comments were "not a naming and shaming exercise".