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Sewage Treatment
Dr. Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total of non-compliant sewage treatment works in 1986 and 1987 in England and Wales, broken down by water authority area.
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Mr. Ridley : The number of water authority sewage treatment works with numerical consent conditions which did not comply with their consents in 1986 and 1987 is given in the following table.
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Sewage treatment works with numerical consent conditions:
non-compliance 1986 and 1987-England and Wales
Water authority Number Number testeWorks in breach of
consent
Number Percentage of wor
tested
|1986 |1987 |1986 |1987 |1986 |1987 |1986 |1987
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anglian |782 |760 |774 |754 |309 |260 |40 |34
Northumbrian |196 |182 |196 |82 |37 |27 |19 |15
North West |458 |448 |458 |448 |62 |55 |14 |12
Severn-Trent |773 |753 |762 |742 |179 |160 |23 |22
Southern |282 |274 |282 |274 |54 |39 |19 |14
South West |226 |226 |188 |219 |55 |65 |29 |30
Thames |374 |382 |374 |379 |67 |70 |18 |18
Welsh |803 |764 |668 |611 |112 |108 |17 |18
Wessex |272 |272 |272 |270 |39 |29 |14 |11
Yorkshire |380 |360 |380 |351 |88 |74 |23 |21
|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----
England and Wales |4,546|4,421|4,354|4,230|1,002|887 |23 |21
London Fire and Civil Defence Authority
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received requesting section 138 powers to be granted to the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Representations were received earlier this year from the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority and one other person.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to extend section 138 powers to the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Viginia Bottomley : My right hon. Friend has no plans to extend section 138 powers to the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority. There is no case for giving the authority access to these powers.
Water and Sewerage
Mr. Boswell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish a model instrument of appointment under the Water Bill for the water and sewerage undertakers.
Mr. Howard : I have today made copies available to Members of the Standing Committee considering the Water Bill, and placed copies in the Library of both
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Houses accompanied by an explanatory memorandum. The model includes conditions concerning the charges, accounts, levels of service, asset availability and underground assets of the future water utility companies, and includes requirements on those companies to have codes of practice concerning customers and relations with customer service committees, disconnection of water supplies, and liability for leaking of water. The companies will also be required to provide information to the Director General of Water Services and to pay fees to cover regulatory costs.Rating Reform
ace Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide a breakdown of both the numbers and the average liability of (a) one parent families, (b) two parent families, (c) single pensioners and (d) couple pensioners who will pay the community charge, broken down into (i) regions and (ii) local authority areas.
Mr. Gummer [holding answer 15 December 1988] : The table shows domestic rates and community charges net of rebate in pounds per week, broken down into regions. The figures are based on data contained in the family expenditure survey and the illustrative community charges published on 23 June 1988. Analyses of individual local authority areas are not possible because of the limitations of the survey data.
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1988-89 Rates and Community Charge net of rebate by region by tax-unit type (£
per week)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish up-to-date poll tax figures to replace tables in Cmnd. 9714, "Paying for Local Government."
Mr. Gummer [holding answer 19 December 1988] : The Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax but I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 15 December at columns 725-6 to my hon. Friend the Member for Gillingham (Mr. Couchman) concerning the community charge.
Housing Investment Programme
Mr. Shore : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been, in real terms, the housing investment programme allocation, showing, separately, money from the Housing Corporation, to the London borough of Tower Hamlets in each year since 1978-79 ; and when has been the actual housing expenditure achieved.
Mr. Trippier [holding answer 13 December 1988] : The available information is given below :
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
£ million (1987-88 prices)
|Housing investment |Borough housing capital|Housing corporation<1>
|programme allocation |expenditure
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979-80 |23.9 |18.0 |n/a
1980-81 |18.6 |21.8 |n/a
1981-82 |7.2 |12.2 |n/a
1982-83 |13.2 |8.4 |n/a
1983-84 |14.4 |11.8 |12.7
1984-85 |14.2 |13.0 |11.2
1985-86 |12.6 |13.0 |11.9
1986-87 |18.3 |29.0 |10.9
1987-88 |19.6 |29.2 |9.7
<1> Lending to housing associations in the Tower Hamlets area.
n/a not available.
Since 1981-82 local authorities have been able to supplement their allocations by expenditure financed from capital receipts. Nationally, over half of local authorities capital expenditure in 1988-89 is expected to be financed from capital receipts.
Football Clubs (Membership Scheme)
Mr. David Young : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessments have been made of the financial effects on smaller football clubs of the compulsory introduction of a pass for members, of the effect of such a scheme on violence in town centres and on the workload of local police forces.
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Mr. Moynihan [holding answer 16 December 1988] : It is not possible to estimate the financial effects of the scheme until its details, particularly the technology to be employed, have been settled. But a company with considerable experience of membership schemes at individual clubs has said that with co-operation from the football authorities and proper marketing and management, the scheme could be set up and run at no cost to the clubs.
The scheme is an important element of the Government's efforts to break the link between football and hooliganism. As these take effect, I hope they will help to reduce all football-related violence both inside grounds and elsewhere, and consequent demands on the police service.
Water Authorities
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 2 December, Official Report, column 427, whether he will instruct the water authorities in England to provide details of the area of land owned by them which has been designated as (a) sites of special scientific interest, (b) national parks, and (c) areas of outstanding natural beauty.
Mr. Howard [holding answer 19 December 1988] : No. But I am considering whether additional information on these matters should be assembled and made available.
Football (Racism)
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on measures being taken to counteract racism at football matches.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I have been asked to reply.
The policing of football matches is a matter for the appropriate chief officers of police, whose unremitting efforts have brought about an improvement in overall crowd behaviour in the last three years. The police are committed to taking firm action against racially offensive behaviour wherever and whenever it occurs. Part III of the Public Order Act 1986 provided tough new powers against those whose behaviour is intended, or is likely, to stir up racial hatred. The football authorities and the clubs themselves also have a part to play in making it very clear that such behaviour will not be tolerated on their premises. The national membership scheme will provide them with an excellent opportunity for doing so.
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EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
National Curriculum
12. Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the latest position regarding the introduction of the national core curriculum.
24. Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement on the implementation of the national curriculum.
54. Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement on the implementation of the national curriculum.
61. Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the progress of the national school curriculum.
65. Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement on the implementation of the national curriculum.
Mrs. Rumbold : My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Education and Science and for Wales have recently published proposals for primary English and will shortly publish draft orders for mathematics and science. They have published interim reports from working groups on design and technology and Welsh. We are well on target for the implementation of statutory requirements from September 1989.
15. Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received regarding the percentage of time proposed to be spent on science in the national curriculum.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Western Isles (Mr. MacDonald).
27. Dr. Moonie : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is now in a position to publish the quantity and type of teachers required to deliver the national curriculum ; and if he will make a statement.
46. Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is now in a position to publish the quantity and type of teachers required to deliver the national curriculum ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Butcher : I refer the hon. Members to the answer which my right hon. Friend gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Glanford and Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley).
41. Mr. Dickens : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what further progress has been made with the working parties on the national curriculum.
Mrs. Rumbold : The English working group has submitted its report on ages 5 to 11, which my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Education and Science and for Wales published on 15 November with their comments. It has been asked to report on ages 11 to 16 by 30 April 1989. Both the Welsh and the design and technology working groups have submitted interim reports, which were published on 9 and 24 November respectively. Their final reports are due by 30 April 1989.
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Engineering Courses
13. Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students are currently taking engineering courses at universities in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : In 1987 there were 45,000 students studying engineering and technology at universities in the United Kingdom.
City Technology Colleges
14. Mr. McWilliam : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any further proposals for city technology colleges ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Ipswich (Mr. Irvine).
77. Mr. Kirkhope : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the number of applications he has received to sponsor city technology colleges.
Mrs. Rumbold : There has been an unprecedented response from industry to the CTC programme. Already over 100 firms have pledged over £31 million in sponsorship. Many more will come forward as CTCs are established. The original support for the Kingshurst CTC came from just two companies : it now has 64 companies providing financial and other support ; and Nottingham, which will open next year, already has 27.
33. Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any further proposals for city technology colleges ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ipswich (Mr. Irvine) earlier this afternoon.
Private Schools
16. Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions have been undertaken by his Department in regard to the maintenance of a statistical record of the costs of charitable status of private schools.
Parent Governors
18. Mr. Colin Shepherd : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his estimate of the percentage parent governors of primary and secondary schools who have a background of active professional teaching.
Mrs. Rumbold : Information on the occupational backgrounds of school governors is not collected centrally. The Education (No. 2) Act 1986 provides for parent governors to be elected by and from parents of registered pupils at the school. It is thus a matter for the whole parent body to decide who can best represent parents' interests on the governing body.
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Inner London (Education)
19. Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions he has had with the inner London boroughs on the transfer of responsibilities to them from the Inner London education authority ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : My right hon. Friend and I have met the leaders of the inner London councils, individually and collectively, several times this year, and are due to do so again tomorrow. We have been heartened by the positive approach which the boroughs are taking to their new education responsibilities.
Student Loans
20. Mr. Caborn : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to introduce legislation during the current session to enact the proposals in his White Paper on student finance ; and if he will make a statement.
52. Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to introduce legislation during the current Session to enact the proposals in his White Paper on student finance ; and if he will make a statement.
70. Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he plans to introduce legislation to enact the proposals in his White Paper on student finance ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : Legislation will be introduced in time to enable top- up loans to be introduced in the 1990-91 academic year.
22. Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many representations he has received, since his statement on student loans (a) in support of the Government's policy and (b) expressing opposition to Government policy.
78. Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received on his White Paper concerning student loans ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received on his White Paper on student loans ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many representations he has received about student grants and loans.
Mr. Jackson : I refer the hon. Members to the answer my right hon. Friend gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Wallace).
23. Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to transfer resources from the maintenance grant currently paid to students to the recurrent grant.
Mr. Jackson : No. On the illustrative assumptions in the White Paper "Top-up loans for Students", public expenditure on support for students' living costs will show a substantial increase from 1990 to the beginning of the next century.
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80. Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now withdraw his proposals for the introduction of student loans ; and if he will make a statement.
Applied Sciences
21. Mr. Dykes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is seeking any further initiatives to develop sixth-form and higher education skills in the applied sciences in 1989.
Mrs. Rumbold : No. I am satisfied that developments in hand-- including the spread of advanced supplementary levels, the improvement of the vocational qualifications systems, and bridging courses for non-science A-level holders to enter scientific and technological degree courses--will contribute to improved numbers undertaking scientific and technological courses post-16. The engineering and technology programme and the manufacturing systems engineering programme will provide additional places in higher education in engineering and technology subjects.
Mathematics and Science Teachers
25. Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment he has made of the likely impact of any shortages of specialist trained teachers on mathematics and science in primary schools ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : Most teaching in primary schools is by general class teachers. The Government are supporting in-service training through the LEA training grant scheme and the provision of advisory staff through education support grants to provide primary teachers with extra subject expertise and support in mathematics and science.
Nursery Teachers
26. Mr. Boateng : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Department has any plans to increase the number of nursery teachers ; and if he will make a statement.
36. Ms. Richardson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Department has any plans to increase the number of nursery teachers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : I refer the hon. Members to the answer which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Redcar (Ms. Mowlam).
Scottish Universities
28. Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received about the financing of Scottish universities.
Mr. Jackson : My right hon. Friend and I receive many representations bearing on the financing of Scottish universities.
57. Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on
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the financial deficits of each of the following universities : (a) Edinburgh, (b) Heriot-Watt, (c) Strathclyde, (d) Glasgow, (e) Stirling, (f) Aberdeen, (g) Dundee and (h) St. Andrews.Mr. Jackson : The University Grants Committee monitors the financial position of these and all other universities in the context of its administration of the restructuring programme which aims to help institutions achieve financial balance in sound academic shape by 1990-91.
Grant-maintained Schools
29. Mr. Page : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools have applied for grant-maintained status ; and how many applications he expects to receive.
50. Mr. McLoughlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools have given an indication that they wish to apply to opt out of local authority control.
Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools have made inquiries as to the possibility of opting out of local authority control.
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the progress in respect of opting out ballots under the Education Reform Act.
Mr. Stern : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many requests for grant-maintained status have so far been received by his Department.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools have conducted ballots with a view to opting out of the local authority system and becoming
grant-maintained schools ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools he expects to opt out of the maintained system in their first year of eligibility to do so ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Butcher : A large number of parents and governors from schools of all kinds have made inquiries about grant-maintained status and about the formal procedures by which an individual school can seek to become grant-maintained. Four schools have already held secret postal ballots of parents which have shown large majorities in favour of making applications to my right hon. Friend, and he will consider these on their merits in due course. I expect a good many more to follow suit over the coming months.
Schools (Opting-out)
30. Mr. Favell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when is the first school term in which he expects schools to be opted out.
Mr. Butcher : I expect the first schools to become grant-maintained in September 1989.
34. Mr. Flannery : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools on the verge of closure have asked for opting out ; and how many other schools of the state system of education have also applied.
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Mr. Butcher : Schools for which my right hon. Friend has approved closures proposals under section 12 of the Education Act 1980 are not eligible to apply for grant-maintained status. Schools which are currently subject to proposals under that Act may apply for grant-maintained status : in such cases my right hon. Friend will consider both sets of proposals together.
60. Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what figures he has for the percentages of parents taking part in the ballots to decide whether or not schools should opt out of local authority control.
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