A BUSINESSMAN sponsoring the new academy at Folkestone’s Channel School says he is doing so to improve the prospects of pupils and not because he was promised an honour in return for funding.

Roger De Haan, who owned the Folkestone-based Saga travel company, is ploughing £1million into the academy and has invested £2million in the Marlowe Academy in Ramsgate.

The Government is embroiled in a 'cash for honours' row after allegations that a key adviser had suggested would-be sponsors could be nominated for honours if they became involved in substantially backing the academy programme.

In his first public comment on the row, Mr De Haan, who was awarded the CBE in 2004 for services to business, charity and education, said his involvement in the academy programme had come through Kent County Council alone and stressed that he had never been directly approached by either the Government or its agents.

He also emphasised he had never made any personal donations or loans to any political party and neither had Saga while he had been a director.

"My involvement in the City Academy programme was instigated by and has always been conducted through Kent County Council. At no time, have I been approached by the Department for Education and Skills, the Specialists Schools Trust or their agents to sponsor an academy," he said.

His involvement began in 2002, when as a member of the Kent Strategic Partnership, he had attended a meeting at which KCC’s education chief Graham Badman outlined his plans for boosting classroom standards through academies, he said.

At the time, KCC lacked the private sponsor it needed and he was attracted "by the opportunity to make a lasting, positive contribution to the countless thousands of school pupils and the prosperity of their community".

It was for similar reasons that he later agreed to sponsor the academy in Folkestone.

"I am proud we succeeded in our bid and attracted a Government investment of some £40m into the Folkestone Academy," he said.

It is understood that Mr De Haan has not been interviewed in relation to any of the allegations but would be happy to do so.