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Mr. Butcher : The results of the four secret postal ballots on grant -maintained status held so far have shown a very high level of interest among the parents concerned. The percentage of parents of registered pupils voting in each ballot has been :
|Per cent.
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Skegness Grammar School, Lincolnshire: |80
St. James's Church of England School, Farnworth: |83
Audenshaw High School for Boys, Tameside: |86
Wilson's School, Sutton: |76
Greenhouse Effect
31. Dr. Bray : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what arrangements he has made for co-ordinating research on the greenhouse effect.
Mr. Jackson : The principal agencies funding relevant research on the global environment, namely, the Natural Environment Research Council, the Science and Engineering Research Council and the Meteorological Office, interact through channels including their Joint Climate Committee, the Robert Hooke Institute, and the United Kingdom Committee for the World Ocean Circulation Experiment. I understand that discussions are planned to further develop co-ordination in global environment research.
Schools (Organisation)
32. Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received concerning the operation of the three-tier system of school organisation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Butcher : My right hon. Friend has recently received correspondence from hon. Members, the Oxfordshire county council and the public concerning plans agreed by the Conservative group on the council to replace the present three-tier system of schools in Oxford with a two-tier one. Responsibility for formulating plans for school reorganisation rests with local education authorities and other proposers in the voluntary schools sector. My right hon. Friend's powers are limited to considering those statutory proposals submitted to him for consideration. It would be inappropriate for me to comment on this plan, other than to note that it has not yet been considered by the county council.
School Activities (Charging)
35. Mr. Andrew MacKay : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Education Reform Act 1988 as it affects charging for school activities.
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Mr. John Butcher : The Education Reform Act clarifies earlier legislation in establishing that schools may not charge for any provision offered during school hours, with the exception of individual music tuition. Charges may be made for activities provided outside school hours, unless these are required for a prescribed examination syllabus, or to fulfil statutory duties in connection with the national curriculum or religious education. Restrictions on charging do not prevent local authorities or schools from seeking voluntary contributions in support of any activity. Guidance on this aspect of the Act will issue in January 1989.
University Physics
37. Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he proposes to meet the University Grants Committee to discuss the conclusions and recommendations of its "Review of the Future of University Physics".
Mr. Jackson : My right hon. Friend and I have frequent meetings and exchanges with the chairman of the University Grants Committee on a variety of issues.
GCSE
38. Mr. John Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what conclusions his Department has drawn from the results of the GCSE examinations held this summer ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : This year's GCSE results support the findings by Her Majesty's inspectors of better teaching and learning in schools following the introduction of the new examination. The GCSE examining groups and the School Examinations and Assessment Council are reviewing syllabuses and procedures in order to make any necessary improvements for next year's courses and examinations.
45. Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Department will fund a study into the relationship between GCSE and staying on rates at 16 years of age.
48. Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Department will fund a study into the relationship between GCSE and staying on rates at 16 years of age.
Mrs. Rumbold : The Department already monitors staying on rates, and is able with the help of advice from Her Majesty's inspectorate and other sources, to deduce causes of changes in such rates. In addition, the Department has been co-funding the youth cohort study, together with the Department of Employment and the Training Agency, which provides evidence from a large sample of 16-year-olds on the factors influencing their subsequent decisions and attainments. My right hon. Friend is at present considering the possible funding of a study of the cohort reaching the age of 16 in 1987-88, which includes the first GCSE award holders.
Higher Education
39. Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Department intends to announce further plans to broaden access to higher education ; and if he will make a statement.
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68. Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Department intends to announce further plans to broaden access to higher education ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Allen McKay : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Department intends to announce further plans to broaden access to higher education ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : The need for broader patterns of entry to higher education is widely recognised. The Government are assisting the process by funding a variety of related research projects. While actual recruitment is dependent on the policies and decisions of individual institutions, there has been an increase in the overall number of students of some 200,000 or 25 per cent. over the past decade.
e app
Surplus School Places
40. Mr. Hoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has received any representations from local education authorities about surplus places ; and if he will make a statement.
63. Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has received any representations from local education authorities about surplus places ; and if he will make a statement.
67. Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has received any representations from local education authorities about surplus places ; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Butcher : My right hon. Friend receives such representations from time to time, usually in connection with statutory proposals for school reorganisation. He has also recently received a letter on this subject from the chairman of the education committee of the Association of County Councils.
Teachers (Pay and Conditions)
42. Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been made towards establishing new negotiating arrangements for school teachers' pay and conditions ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 11 November at column 318 .
City Technology College (Brent)
43. Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether there are any plans to open a city technology college in the London borough of Brent.
Mrs. Rumbold : The London borough of Brent is one of a number of London boroughs being considered with sponsors as a suitable area for the establishment of a city technology college.
Universities Funding Council
44. Mr. Doran : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he next expects to meet the chairman-designate of the Universities Funding Council ; and what subjects he expects to discuss.
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Mr. Jackson : My right hon. Friend and I have had, and will continue to have, discussions with the chairman-designate of the Universities Funding Council on a range of matters.
HM Inspectors
47. Mr. Gill : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what role he intends for Her Majesty's inspectors in the implementation of the Education Reform Act 1988 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : Her Majesty's inspectors will continue to assess educational standards and trends, and to advise me on the performance of the system at both institutional and national levels, in the light of all developments including the Education Reform Act.
School Meals
49. Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received about the nutritional value of school meals in Bradford.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will publish a table showing how much expenditure on school meals has changed in cash and real terms each year between 1979 and the latest date available ;
(2) if he will publish a table showing the average price of a school meal in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools for each year between 1979 and 1988 in current prices and 1988 prices.
Mr. Butcher : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle) on 10 November at columns 253- 54.
Science Teaching
51. Mr. Turner : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to announce proposals on the implementation of the report on science teaching from the National Curriculum Council.
55. Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to announce proposals on the implementation of the report on science teaching from the National Curriculum Council.
Mrs. Rumbold : The draft order for national curriculum science will be sent out very shortly to those to be consulted under the process of further consultation required by the Education Reform Act. It will be been drawn up in the light of the National Curriculum Council's advice.
Police and Schools
53. Mr. Key : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the code of practice on police and schools produced by the police-school liaison group.
Mr. Butcher : I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him on 15 December by my hon. Friend
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the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department. Like my hon. Friend, I welcome the spirit of co- operation which the code of practice reflects.Physics and Chemistry
56. Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to strengthen the links between teaching and research in physics and chemistry throughout higher education.
Mr. Jackson : The first-stage reports of the University Grants Commitee's reviews of physics and chemistry in universities, which were issued for consultation on 28 October, both consider the principles of strengthening provision for teaching and research in these subjects. Generally, my right hon. Friend's letters of 31 October to the chairmen of the new higher education funding councils deal with the roles of both teaching and research in higher education.
Private Schools (Subsidies)
58. Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to reduce the present level of subsidies by the taxpayer to the private school system.
Mr. Butcher : No, and I am pleased to say that the assisted places scheme which comes within my Department's expenditure programme is to be expanded to take in 52 more independent schools from September 1989.
Teachers
59. Mr. Patrick Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will report on progress on his policy of attracting more teachers to the profession.
81. Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any proposals to announce aimed at improving teacher recruitment ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any proposals to announce aimed at improving teacher recruitment ; and if he will make a statement.
72. Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Eduation and Science what proposals he has to attract more mature entrants to the teaching profession.
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any proposals to announce aimed at improving teacher recruitment ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Butcher : Our existing action programme on teacher recruitment includes special bursaries for trainee teachers, substantial local and national advertising and the establishment of the "Teaching as a Career" unit. Action is focused on tackling shortages in secondary subjects and in particular regions. We aim to recruit teachers from all sources including mature entrants. The programme is under continual review and we are prepared to take further action as necessary.
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Mount Carmel School, Accrington
62. Mr. Ken Hargreaves : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received about consolidating Mount Carmel high school, Accrington, on one site at Wordsworth road ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Butcher : The plans submitted by Lancashire LEA for capital building work at county and voluntary schools in 1989-90 included a project to consolidate Mount Carmel Roman Catholic high school on to one site. My right hon. Friend is at present considering these plans together with those from other LEAs and expects to make an announcement shortly.
Schools-Industry Links
64. Mr. Sumberg : To ask the Secretary of Srtate for Education and Science if it is possible to estimate the number of secondary schools that maintain tangible links with local industry through inviting industrialists to speak to pupils or organising field trips to local industrial sites as part of the school curriculum.
Mr. Butcher : The information with which to estimate the number of secondary schools with these specific links is not available. However, on the basis of two surveys conducted in 1987 and 1988, it is possible to state that well over two thirds of secondary schools have regular links with local industry.
Schools (Capital Allocations)
66. Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, what recent representations he has received relating to capital allocations for schools.
Mr. Butcher : All local education authorities in England have now submitted to the Department their capital expenditure plans for 1989-90 with supporting information. In addition, a number of school governors, diocesan bodies and hon. Members have made representations about capital allocations in support of individual LEAs and schools. I have also recently met several deputations to discuss capital allocations for schools.
Bradford CTC
69. Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what will be the estimated contribution from public funds towards the proposed city tecnnology college in Bradford ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : The Department is currently undertaking a feasibility and cost study for Bradford CTC and discussions with sponsors are continuing. It would be premature to make a statement on figures for either capital or recurrent costs to the Department until both the study and discussions have been completed ; but, as with all CTCs, the sponsors will be required to make a significant contribution to capital costs.
Homework
71. Mr. Madel : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is planning to give any advice to local education authorities about arrangements for pupils' homework ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mrs. Rumbold : The Government believe that appropriately set and marked homework valuably reinforces work in the classroom. We would encourage every local education authority to have a policy for homework as part of its policy for the curriculum as a whole. This should state clearly how parents can help their children to get most value out of homework and should offer guidance on the amount and character of homework which should be expected of pupils of different ages and abilities.
School Governors
73. Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement on the take-up of school governor posts by representatives of local communities and businesses.
Mr. Butcher : The information available so far from local authorities suggests that most schools are successfully filling all the places on their governing bodies. In very many areas considerable interest has been shown by the local community, including business representatives. That is welcome.
Further Education Colleges
74. Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to modify the arrangements for crediting short-term courses in further education colleges ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : With the exception of non-advanced evening only courses and non-released part-time day courses, places provided by each local education authority on further education courses are taken into account in that authority's grant-related expenditure assessment for rate support grant purposes in accordance with returns made by the authority in the further education statistical record on 1 November each year. From 1989 -90 onwards the grant-related expenditure assessment will also take account of certain part-time and non-degree courses of higher education provided by local education authorities in colleges which they maintain or assist.
Technical and Vocational Education Initiative
75. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the progress of the extension of the technical and vocational education initiative.
Mrs. Rumbold : Since the TVEI extension programme began in September 1987, nearly 70 education authorities in England, Wales and Scotland have started a preparatory or extension scheme ; and nearly 40 more have applied to participate from September 1989. I am glad to say that every authority in Britain now has a TVEI pilot, preparatory or extension scheme.
Aberdeen University
76. Mr. Robert Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has had any discussions with the University Grants Committee or Universities Funding Council on the report into the finances of Aberdeen university jointly commissioned by the University Grants Committee or Universities Funding Council and Aberdeen university ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Jackson : The management consultants' report in question was commissioned by Aberdeen university and the University Grants Committee to offer an independent review of the university's financial situation and prospects. Its recommendations concern both planning and funding. They are rightly addressed to the university and the UGC, to which appropriate action now falls.
Speech Therapy
79. Mrs. Maureen Hicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the role of education authorities in the provision of speech therapy.
Mr. Butcher : An amendment to the Education Act 1981 which came into force on 1 November 1988 gives local
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education authorities the power to provide non-educational provision, including speech therapy, for children with statements of special educational need. It remains however the duty of the district health authority to provide speech therapy under the National Health Service Act 1977.Women (Education)
Mr. Butterfill : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of women in full-time further education or Open University courses for each year since 1973.
Mr. Jackson : The readily available information is shown in the following table.
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Women in higher education in Britain
Thousands
Academic Year
beginning in
|1973 |1974 |1975 |1976 |1977 |1978 |1979 |1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Full-time
Universities |77.7 |82.5 |87.7 |92.5 |97.1 |102.2 |107.3 |112.4 |115.4 |115.7 |115.0 |116.0 |118.4 |121.8 |125.2
Polytechnics and colleges |n/a |n/a |121.0 |n/a |n/a |n/a |95.6 |97.6 |106.5 |115.7 |124.0 |130.3 |134.9 |140.0 |146.5
Part-time
Universities |5.7 |6.2 |6.8 |7.2 |8.1 |8.6 |9.5 |10.4 |11.4 |12.0 |12.7 |13.6 |14.3 |15.1 |16.4
Open University |n/a |20.6 |22.1 |25.1 |28.0 |30.3 |30.1 |30.0 |32.2 |33.8 |33.9 |35.4 |36.2 |37.5 |40.1
Polytechnics and colleges |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |41.1 |44.8 |47.1 |50.8 |55.0 |57.1 |69.3 |81.1 |83.0
Higher Education (Derbyshire)
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many full-time students in higher education are in receipt of the following levels of grant from Derbyshire county council : (a) maximum grants, (b) minimum grants and (c) grants over the minimum and below the maximum levels presented in deciles.
Mr. Jackson : The available data are as follows :
Mandatory Awards (Derbyshire LEA) 1986-87
-------------------------------------------------------------
Full maintenance |<1>1931 |31.5
Maintenance reduced by Assessment
(i)Numbers of dependent
students with Parental
Contributions of:
Under £200 |457 |7.5
£201-£400 |438 |7.2
£401-£600 |381 |6.2
£601-£800 |345 |5.6
£801-£1,000 |286 |4.7
£1,001-£1,200 |250 |4.1
£1,201-£1,400 |233 |3.8
£1,401-£1,600 |144 |2.4
£1,601-£1,800 |138 |2.3
£1,801-£2,000 |89 |1.5
over £2,001 |55 |0.9
(ii)Independent students |105 |1.7
<2>Nil maintenance |<1>1,271|20.8
<1>Includes dependent and independent students.
<2>The minimum grant was abolished with effect from 1985-86.
For these students only the course fees are paid.
Governors and Parents (Guidance)
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he intends to issue guidance to governors and parents of schools who have voted to become grant maintained but whose plans are hindered by the actions of the local education authority.
Mr. Butcher : My Department has issued a circular (10/88) on grant- maintained schools and has also published a booklet for school governors on how to apply for grant-maintained status for their school. We have no plans to issue further guidance but these documents give the names of officials in my Department who are ready to answer requests for advice from individual schools, governors and parents on particular questions of concern to them.
Top-up Loans (Mature Students)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his answer of 5 December, Official Report, column 7, what proposals he will institute to ensure that mature students of 50 years and over will be eligible for student top-up loans ; and whether there is to be an upper-age limit for entitlement to student top-up loans.
Mr. Jackson : None. Like the student loan schemes of other countries, our top-up loans scheme will be subject to an age limit. We propose to restrict top-up loans to eligible students aged less than 50 at the start of their course. Students reaching that age after the start of their course will however be eligible to make fresh borrowings for the full length of it.
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SOCIAL SECURITY
Family Credit
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many non-industrial civil servants are in receipt of family credit ; how many receive income support and how many receive housing benefit ; and what is the total amount paid weekly to non-industrial civil servants for each of the above benefits.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I regret that the information is not available.
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the average length of time taken to process applications for family credit ; what is his assessment of the effect this has upon (a) the subsequent processing of housing benefit and (b) the accumulation of rent arrears ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : For the average length of time taken to process claims for family credit, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Hereford (Mr. Shepherd) on 6 December at column 124. Where a person receiving or claiming housing benefit has also claimed family credit, the calculation of his housing benefit will not be affected until family credit is actually received. The award will be treated as a normal change of circumstances, reducing housing benefit or eliminating it altogether depending on the amount by which the claimant's total net income including family credit exceeds his applicable amount. There should be no question of rent arrears arising from these arrangements.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will indicate how many claims for family credit have (a) been received, (b) been determined and (c) resulted in an award.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : By 16 December 1988, 480,000 claims had been received. Of these, 434,000 had been determined, of which 299,000 had resulted in an award. In addition, 206,000 awards of family income supplement were converted to awards of family credit, without a claim being made.
Pensioners
Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security who will benefit from the new scheme for pensioners announced in the House on 24 November.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Pensioners on income support aged 75 and over, and disabled pensioners aged 60 and over, will benefit directly ; those on housing benefit in these categories will also gain by up to the specified amounts.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has as to the comparative value of pensioners' income and costs between countries in the European Community.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I regret that this information is not available as the European Commission does not collect
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information as to the comparative value of pensioners' income and costs between countries in the European Community.
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