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Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much a teacher's pay on the top of the main professional grade with an allowance has increased during the period that the interim advisory committee has existed ; and by how much it is below or above the increase in average earnings over the same period.
Mrs. Rumbold : The first incentive allowances were awarded in October 1987. A teacher at the top of the main scale outside London who has held the same incentive allowance since October 1987 would have seen his pay rise by between 11 per cent. and 13 per cent. by April 1989. A teacher who received one of the 70,000 additional allowances coming on stream in 1988 and 1989 would have seen his salary increase by at least 17 per cent. Average earnings increased by 14.2 per cent. between October 1987 and April 1989.
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what factors were used to determine the £600 million level of constraint placed on the interim advisory committee in the current year ; and what projected rate of inflation is included in the figure.
Mrs. Rumbold : The IAC's remit reflects the Government's view that teachers' pay should be sufficient to recruit, retain and motivate sufficient teachers of the right quality within what the nation can afford.
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the level of constraint on the interim advisory committee in 1988 and 1989 in terms of a percentage rise against those years, inflation rates giving the actual percentage rise for each year and basing the 1989 inflation rate on the present figure.
Mrs. Rumbold : The remits given to the interim advisory committee for the teachers' pay settlements in 1988 and 1989 were £300 million and £385 million respectively. The IAC's recommendations led to increases to the pay bill of 4.75 per cent. in 1988-89 and 6.3 per cent. in 1989-90. When changes already planned are taken into account, the overall pay bill will rise by 7.5 per cent. this year. Retail price inflation stood at 3.9 per cent. in April 1988 and 8 per cent. in April 1989.
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will increase the teaching profession's main pay scale to a level that will restore teachers' pay to a competitive position in a graduate labour market.
Mrs. Rumbold : The interim advisory committee has been asked to recommend what general pay increase should be given to teachers in England and Wales, having regard to the Government's view that school teachers' pay should be such as to enable the maintained school system to recruit, retain and motivate sufficient teachers of the required quality within what can be afforded.
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what measures are to be taken to secure the position of the common main scale as the central feature of the teachers' pay structure.
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Mrs. Rumbold : My right hon. Friend is considering what new pay determination arrangements should be put in place. It is likely that the pay structure resulting from these arrangements will continue to be given statutory force.National Curriculum
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what he intends to do to ensure that teachers in all schools have time during the school day away from the classroom to deal with the additional duties attributed to the national curriculum.
Mrs. Rumbold : The organisation of the school day and the duties to be undertaken by teachers in their 1,265 hours of directed time are matters for head teachers. Not all directed time is taken up with contact with pupils in the classroom. There is scope for teachers to spend time on other tasks such as preparing for the national curriculum.
Teachers
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many trained teachers who have left the teaching profession the Government estimate can be persuaded to return to the profession.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The recruitment of qualified teachers returning to the profession has increased steadily in recent years. If the local authority employers support and encourage them, we believe that more will return. Almost 90 per cent. of re-entrants are women and over three quarters of these are aged 30 to 44. In 1986 there were an estimated 191,000 qualified teachers in this group not in full-time service in the maintained sector in England and Wales. We are considering how we might undertake a sample survey of qualified teachers not in service to establish what proportion might return to teaching and what conditions in the teaching profession would encourage more to return.
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if a collegiate approach is to be adopted for the teacher staffing structure in schools.
Mr. Alan Howarth : Decisions about staffing structure in maintained schools are matters for LEAs and school governors, and not for my right hon. Friend.
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will direct the interim advisory committee on school teachers' pay and conditions to investigate the organisation and management of schools to include a full assessment of the role of the classroom teacher, the role of heads and deputies and the existence of other specific management reponsibilities.
Mrs. Rumbold : The interim advisory committee has been asked to advise on what changes should be made to teachers' pay and conditions in the year beginning 1 April 1990. In so doing it will be considering the evidence that it has received on a wide range of issues.
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what arrangements have been made to promote part-time teaching, job -sharing and managed career break arrangements for women returners to the teaching profession.
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Mr. Alan Howarth : The Government agree that every effort must be made to encourage former teachers to return to the profession. "Guidelines for Recruitment", published by the teaching as a career (TASC) unit in May 1988, drew to the attention of LEAs the need for such arrangements to attract qualified women returners to the teaching profession. Education support grant for 1990-92 will support the efforts of a number of LEAs in developing such provision.
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his estimate of the number of extra teachers needed to supplement existing numbers excluding current vacancies to meet the additional teaching requirements generated by the new national curriculum in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The implementation of the national curriculum in England and Wales does not imply increased demand for teachers, although it will change the balance of subject specialism. We are supporting in-service training to provide teachers with the additional support they need to ensure delivery of the national curriculum. The Department's memorandum on teacher supply to the Education, Science and Arts Select Committee--a copy of which is in the Library--analyses teacher demand and supply assuming full implementation of the national curriculum.
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what means the Government will employ to persuade trained teachers to re-enter the teaching profession.
Mr. Alan Howarth : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Members for Barnsley, Central (Mr. Illsley) and Bridgend (Mr. Griffiths) on 14 November (Official Report, column 228).
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what measures are to be taken to attract sufficient numbers of qualified teachers to fill existing vacancies in British schools.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The recruitment of teachers to specific vacancies is a matter for local education officers, not for my right hon. Friend. The teaching as a career unit (TASC) advises LEAs in England and Wales on recruitment measures. TASC is also involved in publicity to attract qualified teachers back to teaching. The education support grant programme in 1990-91 will support LEA expenditure on local recruitment measures to attract back former teachers and recruit mature entrants with relevant qualifications. Measures eligible for ESG support include "keeping in touch with teaching" schemes and refresher courses, as well as job-share, part- time working and childcare provision.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to ensure that there are sufficient teachers to teach the national curriculum.
Mr. Alan Howarth : My right hon. Friend is taking the requirements of the national curriculum fully into account in setting the intakes to initial teacher training, in revising the criteria for initial teacher training courses, in planning the LEA in-service training grants scheme and education support grants and in managing the range of measures being taken on teacher supply.
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Incentive Allowances
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many vacancies in teacher-shortage subject areas have been filled by the announcement of the incentive allowance system ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alan Howarth : Incentive allowances were introduced in October 1987. They may be awarded to teachers who teach subjects in which there is a shortage of teachers, or who are employed in posts which are difficult to fill. There is evidence that an increasing number of allowances is being awarded on these grounds, but it is impossible to estimate how many teacher vacancies would not otherwise have been filled.
Licensed Teachers
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if qualified professional teachers will be paid extra money for providing support and back-up for licensed teachers.
Mrs. Rumbold : It will be for local education authorities to consider whether to exercise for this purpose any of the discretions available to them under the school teachers' pay and conditions document.
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what support and back-up will be provided for licensed teachers ; and what provision will be made for the help, advice and time of qualified, professional teachers.
Mr. Alan Howarth : It is for the local education authority and school governing body to ensure that appropriate support and training are provided for licensed teachers and that qualified staff are available to offer advice and guidance.
Training and associated costs for licensed teachers, including the provision of supply cover for a mentor teacher, are eligible for grant support under the local education authority training grants scheme.
Support Services
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what measures are being taken to provide increased administrative, technical and ancillary support in British schools.
Mrs. Rumbold : My right hon. Friend recognises the importance of administrative, technical and ancillary support for the effective running of schools. In England, some activities in the 1989-90 and 1989-91 education support grant programmes--notably some relating to local management of schools (LMS) and the national curriculum--will provide specific grants which can be used to improve such support. Otherwise, it is for local education authorities and, under LMS, their schools to decide for themselves what proportion of available funding to devote to such support. The education standard spending total within the proposed local authority grant settlement for England in 1990-91 allows for priority to be given to such spending, relative to the levels of spending assumed in the comparable total for 1989-90.
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Teacher Training
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what measures have been taken to enhance appropriate in-service training for teachers in British schools.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The main instrument of support for in-service training in England and Wales is the local education authority training grants scheme which was introduced in April 1987. In the current financial year it will support LEA expenditure of over £227 million with grant of over £131 million. LEAs and schools are also expected to use at least three of the five non-contact days for in-service training. In addition, two further non-contact days have been made available in 1989 specifically for national
curriculum-related training. It is for LEAs to determine appropriate training based on a systematic identification of the training needs of all groups eligible under the scheme.
The position in Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Flexible Pay Schemes
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many local schemes of flexible pay equal to 1 per cent. of the salary bill, resulting from the latest pay settlement for non-clinical academic and academic-related staff in the universities have been approved for funding by the Universities Funding Council ; how many have been rejected, and for what reasons ; and how many such schemes which have so far been approved have included (a) specific elements for improved recruitment and (b) earmarked money for specific academic departments.
Mr. MacGregor : I understand that, as at 5 December, the council had approved 39 schemes. At that date, the council had not yet approved six other schemes : five because insufficient detail was available and one because too high a proportion of the institution's professors would have received payments. Eleven of the approved schemes included specific elements for improved recruitment. The earmarking of money for specific departments does not have to be notified to the council.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list (1) the proportion of the total money so far approved for local schemes of flexible pay equal to 1 per cent. of the salary total to be spent on (a) promotion of staff to a higher scale, (b) accelerating individuals up their scale, and (c) moving individuals to discretionary salary points beyond the normal scale maximum, and (2) the proportion of the total money so far approved for such schemes which is to be spent on (i) professional staff, (ii) senior lecturers and readers, (iii) lecturers, (iv) others, and (v) women staff.
Mr. MacGregor : I understand from the Universities Funding Council that, because of the way in which some universities have submitted details of their schemes, the information is not available in the form requested. Of the total to be spent, the division is as follows :
29 per cent. is for increases in professors' salaries ; 33 per cent. is for moving senior lecturers, readers and
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lecturers to discretionary salary points beyond the normal scale maxima ;14 per cent. is for accelerating senior lecturers, readers and lecturers up their scales ;
4 per cent. is for promotions of academic staff ;
14 per cent. is for discretionary scale points or accelerated increments for academic-related staff ;
1 per cent. is for promotion of academic-related staff ; 5 per cent. is for other purposes such as recruitment incentives. Data are not collected separately for male and female staff.
Physical Education
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to establish the working party for physical education and the national curriculum ; and when he expects it to report.
Mrs. Rumbold : My right hon. Friend hopes to make an announcement shortly about the timetable and arrangements for considering physical education within the national curriculum.
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to increase the number of places for those waiting to train as physical education teachers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alan Howarth : My right hon. Friend announced aggregate intake numbers for initial teacher training for 1990-91 earlier this year. For the three-year period 1991-92 to 1993-94 a major planning exercise is taking place. Aggregate intake numbers for these years will be announced next year and will take account of our latest projections of teacher supply and demand.
Child Care Facilities
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to assist local education authorities in developing child care facilities for teachers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : Our proposed education support grant programme for 1990-91 includes support for expenditure of over £2 million on local recruitment measures to attract back more former teachers and to recruit mature entrants. The invitation to bid made it clear that it is for each LEA to develop its own recruitment model, but suggested that models might include the establishment of supporting and flexible working practices together with child care
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provision. In addition, I have encouraged local education authorities and school governors to respond to requests for the after-hours use of schools for child care.City Technology Colleges
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether it is now his policy to develop a city technology college in each local education authority ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : It is a key aim of the CTC programme that the colleges should make a major contribution to the development of higher standards in all schools. Within the last week my right hon. Friend has announced funding for curriculum development work to support the colleges' contribution to higher standards across the education system as a whole. He is also considering a number of other ways in which the lessons of CTCs could be made more widely available.
National Curriculum
Mr. Haselhurst : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much money has been earmarked to assist schools in the introduction of the national curriculum.
Mrs. Rumbold : Earmarked expenditure by local authorities to assist schools in introducing the national curriculum is supported at national level through specific grants. This financial year education support grants and the LEA training grants scheme will support some £100 million expenditure for that purpose. Otherwise, it is for each local education authority to determine how to deploy the total resources available to it to meet the requirements of the national curriculum.
Student Numbers
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the numbers of (a) university first-degree full-time students, (b) polytechnic and other higher education first-degree full-time students, (c) part-time university students, (d) part-time polytechnic and other higher education students, and (e) full-time postgraduate students, with (c) and (d) expressed in actual numbers and full-time equivalents, in each year since 1979.
Mr. Jackson : The information requested is shown in the following table.
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Higher Education students in Great Britain
\£\Thousands
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Professional Qualifications
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions there have been between his Department and (a) representatives of the academic world, (b)
representatives of careers officers and (c) the student movement regarding the recognition of professional qualifications between member states of the European Economic Community ; and what further action he will take between now and January 1991 on (i) raising awareness, (ii) consultation and (iii) resourcing.
Mr. Jackson : There have been no discussions with the groups mentioned. Responsibility for co-ordinating action on the implementation of the general directive on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. The Department of Education and Science's responsibilities extend only to the mutual recognition of teachers' qualifications and any wider implications of the directive for higher education. In this connection the Department has issued and will as necessary continue to issue a series of briefing notes on the directive to a range of teacher and other interests directly involved.
Student Exchanges
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions there have been between his Department and (a) the University Funding Council, (b) the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals and (c) the National Union of Students on the subject of student exchanges in western Europe after 1992.
Mr. Jackson : There have been no discussions with the three bodies mentioned on the specific question of student exchanges after 1992. However, the Department maintains frequent contact with the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals on a range of related issues, including the future development of the Erasmus programme.
SCOTLAND
Sheriffs
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many new (a) full-time sheriffs, (b) temporary sheriffs and (c) floating sheriffs were appointed in each of the years 1987 and 1988 and to date in 1989.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The information is set out in the table :
|1987 |1988 |1989<1>
---------------------------------------------------
Full-time sheriffs |2 |4 |3
Temporary sheriffs |30 |33 |nil
Floating sheriffs |1 |1 |nil
<1> To 8 December
Trials
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has regarding the number of summary trials in Scotland which were adjourned owing to pressure of business on the trial date between 1 January and 31 October.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : In over 90 per cent. of the sheriff courts in Scotland the number of summary criminal trials adjourned due to lack of court time did not exceed 5 per cent. of the total number of trials set down in the period from 1 January 1989 to 30 September 1989. The figure for October is not available.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total number of sheriffs as at 30 November 1989 and 30 November 1987.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The information is set out in the table :
|1987 |1989
--------------------------------------------------
Sheriff posts as at 30 November
Full-time sheriffs |<1>91|<1>95
Temporary sheriffs |83 |100
<1> This includes 1 sherrif seconded to the
Scottish Law Commission, and 1 sherrif seconded
to the Lands Tribunal for Scotland.
Parliament House
Sir Nicholas Fairbairn : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimated cost of the Cowgate extension of Parliament house ; what proportion of the space provided is for courts ; and what proportion is accommodation and offices for officials.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The estimated cost of the Cowgate extension is approximately £14 million. The extension, which has been designed to facilitate the more effective use of accommodation in Parliament house and to make provision there for work of the supreme courts which at present is undertaken in out-housed accommodation, will provide court accommodation (11 per cent.), office accommodation for officials of the supreme courts (44 per cent.), and general services and ancillary accommodation (45 per cent.).
Water
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is considering bringing in any statutory procedures regarding disconnection for non-payment of water rates, by either a private or public authority.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : We have no proposals to introduce legislation regarding disconnection for non payment for public water supplies. Where water is supplied privately, arrangements depend upon the agreement between the parties concerned and are not subject to statute.
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Forestry
Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on progress on forestry and farm woodland planting in 1989 over 1988.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Tree planting statistics for the private sector are normally collected and published by the Forestry Commission on the basis of grants paid in each financial year. For the financial years to 31 March 1988 and 31 March 1989, the areas of new planting so recorded were 23,821 hectares and 25,108 hectares respectively, including in the last year 126 hectares planted in association with the farm woodland scheme. In the first six months of the current financial year the figure was 11,992 hectares (including 1,681 hectares under the farm woodland scheme). By comparison, the area of new planting grant-aided in the first full planting season since the forestry tax changes introduced in the 1988 Budget, covering the year to 30 September 1989, was 15,293 hectares ; included in that total were 1,825 hectares planted in association with the farm woodland scheme.
Expenditure
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide a detailed analysis of Scottish Office expenditure since 1984-85, using the new definition of the planning total compatible with the tables for the years 1990-91 to 1992-93, Official Report, 6 December, column 329- 30.
Mr. Rifkind : Details of expenditure on the new planning total basis for the period prior to 1989-90 will be provided in the Public Expenditure White Paper which will be published next month.
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report tables listing his Department's expenditure since 1984-85 (a) in cash terms, (b) in constant 1988-89 prices and (c) as a percentage of the United Kingdom planning total ; and if
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he will publish similar tables for the years 1990-91 to 1992-93 based on the public expenditure plans contained in the Autumn Statement.Mr. Rifkind : Details of expenditure on the new planning total basis for the period prior to 1989-90 will be provided in the Public Expenditure White Paper which will be published next month. The table below shows the information requested for the period covered by my statement last week ( Official Report, 6 December, column 328-30. ). The Comparison requested does not take account of expenditure in Scotland on services such as social security and defence, which are not included in my responsibilities.
|(a) |(b) |(c)
|Cash |Constant
|prices
|£ million|£ million|<1>
---------------------------------------------------------------
1989-90
(estimated outturn) |9,051 |8,459 |5.60
1990-91
(plans) |9,576 |8,523 |5.35
1991-92
(plans) |10,090 |8,677 |5.25
1992-93
(plans) |10,400 |8,683 |5.11
<1> (a) as a percentage of the United Kingdom planning total
Factory Space
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on available factory space in Scotland for the years 1987 to 1989, including the total square footage of factory space built and available, the number of units this represents, indications of the size ranges and the respective numbers of each, indications of the respective location of such space and indications as to the public-private balance of the development and ownership of these units.
Mr. Lang : There is no information available on private owned factories. The latest available figures on public owned factories relate to 1988.
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Number of available factories by floor space size band in Scotland
Floor space range (square metres)
1988
Region |0-249 |250-499 |500-2,499|2,500 and
|over
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borders |14 |2 |- |-
Central |23 |23 |11 |1
Dumfries and Galloway |14 |3 |- |-
Fife |40 |5 |18 |6
Grampian |60 |4 |4 |2
Highland |18 |3 |- |-
Lothian |15 |12 |10 |2
Strathclyde |337 |73 |163 |17
Tayside |57 |6 |4 |-
Islands |1 |- |- |-
Not known |30 |9 |7 |3
|---- |---- |---- |----
Total |609 |140 |217 |31
Number of available factories by floor space size band in Scotland
Floor space range (square metres)
1988
Region |0-249 |250-499 |500-2,499|2,500 and
|over
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borders |14 |2 |- |-
Central |23 |23 |11 |1
Dumfries and Galloway |14 |3 |- |-
Fife |40 |5 |18 |6
Grampian |60 |4 |4 |2
Highland |18 |3 |- |-
Lothian |15 |12 |10 |2
Strathclyde |337 |73 |163 |17
Tayside |57 |6 |4 |-
Islands |1 |- |- |-
Not known |30 |9 |7 |3
|---- |---- |---- |----
Total |609 |140 |217 |31
Number of available factories by floor space size band in Scotland
Floor space range (square metres)
1988
Region |0-249 |250-499 |500-2,499|2,500 and
|over
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borders |14 |2 |- |-
Central |23 |23 |11 |1
Dumfries and Galloway |14 |3 |- |-
Fife |40 |5 |18 |6
Grampian |60 |4 |4 |2
Highland |18 |3 |- |-
Lothian |15 |12 |10 |2
Strathclyde |337 |73 |163 |17
Tayside |57 |6 |4 |-
Islands |1 |- |- |-
Not known |30 |9 |7 |3
|---- |---- |---- |----
Total |609 |140 |217 |31
Shellfish Waters
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any proposals to assist regional and islands councils in Scotland to improve their sewage and sewerage discharge systems in order to meet requirements of the European Community directive on shellfish waters.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 11 December 1989] : Monitoring of waters designated under the European Community Directive on the Quality Required of Shellfish Waters is the responsibility of the river purification authorities. Where such waters fail to meet the standards of the directive, regional and islands councils, as sewerage authorities, may in some circumstances be required to carry out improvement works.
My right hon. and learned Friend announced to the House on 6 December a major increase in investment in Scotland over the next three years. The additional resources announced will mean a programme of £500 million over these years for water and sewerage services. This will allow regional and islands councils, who decide their own priorities in the light of local needs, to make faster progress in further improving the quality of the environment including inshore waters.
Scottish Bus Group
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has decided on the timetable for the sale of the Clydeside and Western subsidiaries of the Scottish Bus Group ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 11 December 1989] : My right hon. and learned Friend will shortly be publishing a disposal programme which will set out the basis on which the subsidiaries of the Scottish Bus Group will be sold. The first companies are expected to be
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advertised for sale around the beginning of 1990. It is not, however, possible at this stage to say when Western Scottish Omnibuses Ltd. will be offered for sale.
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