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Mr. Baldry : Detailed discussions are continuing with the international safeguards authorities on the safeguards to be applied to waste containing civil nuclear material.
Column 473
Euratom Annual Safeguards Report
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has received a copy of the 1988-89 Euratom annual safeguards report from the European Commission.
Mr. Baldry : The Secretary of State has received no such report.
Neighbourhood Energy Action
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy from what percentage of projects in England and Wales Neighbourhood Energy Action has received statistical returns.
Mr. Wakeham : In the latest two quarters for which information is available (April to June and July to September 1989) the response rates of projects in England and Wales providing statistical returns to Neighbourhood Energy Action were both over 99 per cent.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will itemise the progress made by the Energy Efficiency Office in developing quality indicators for Neighbourhood Energy Action projects.
Mr. Wakeham : All community insulation projects operating under employment training are contracted to undertake a "standard job" to a specification provided by Neighbourhood Energy Action. In addition, that organisation with the support of the Energy Efficiency Office, is continuing to develop certified training for the benefit of both project staff and trainees.
Gas-fired Power Stations
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list all the schemes for gas-fired power stations which are known to his Department giving in each case details of the progress of applications for consent to build and operate them and the names of the organisations concerned.
Mr. Wakeham : Not all gas-fired projects known to my Department are in the public domain, and I must respect the wish for commercial confidentiality where it exists. The projects that have been made public, and the consents that I have so far given are :
Company |Project |Consents received
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lakeland Power |Roosecote |Gas burn consent
Thames Power |Barking |Gas burn consent
Hawker Siddeley |Corby |Gas burn consent
|Peterborough |Gas burn consent
Lasmo/Ranger |South Denes |Gas burn consent
British Sugar |Brigg |--
Shell |Shellhaven |--
ICI/Enron |Wilton |--
Sheffield Heat & Power |Sheffield |--
CEGB |Killingholme (A) |Gas burn consent
|Little Barford |Gas burn consent
|Killingholm |Gas burn consent
|(PowerGen)
|Rye House |Gas burn consent
The stations planned by the CEGB would require capital investment approval in addition to consents from me under section 2 of the Electric Lighting Act 1909. I
Column 474
shall reach decisions in due course. I cannot comment on the position on other consents or authorisations which may be required for these stations from other authorities.Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what assessment his Department has made of the likely impact on employment in the mining industry of the proposed gas-fired power station at Killingholme.
Mr. Wakeham : It will be for the British Coal Corporation to assess the implications for its manpower requirements of changes in fuel purchasing arrangements within the United Kingdom.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what effect the European Community directive prohibiting the use of national gas for power generation is likely to have on gas-fired power station proposals in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Wakeham : The use of gas for power generation is not prohibited by EEC directive 75/404 ; rather, its use has to meet certain criteria. The Government assess gas-powered generation project proposals against the criteria in the directive, such as the thermal efficiency and environmental impact of the plant.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what estimate his Department has made of the likely impact of gas-fired power stations on the consumption of coal in power stations.
Mr. Wakeham : My Department makes no such estimates ; decisions on fossil fuel choice are matters for the industry. Mechanistic scenarios, which are not to be construed as estimates, illustrating the technical options which may be available to curtail emissions of the greenhouse gases from the United Kingdom are however contained in my Department's paper "An evaluation of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions and measures to ameliorate them", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Section 2 of chapter 5 deals with alternative fossil-fuelled power generation.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what is his Department's estimate of the likely increase in gas-fired generating capacity in the United Kingdom in each year to 1995 ; (2) what is his Department's estimate of the likely percentage of electricity to be generated by gas-fired power stations in each year to 1995.
Mr. Wakeham : This depends on the growth of demand and on decisions to be taken by the electricity industry.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, when he expects to announce his decision on the application to build a gas-fired power station at Killingholme.
Mr. Wakeham : The CEGB has submitted two applications for my consent under section 2 of the Electric Lighting Act 1909 to construct combined cycle gas turbine power stations at Killingholme. My officials are currently discussing a number of points relevant to my consideration of the applications with the CEGB, the relevant local planning authorities and other Government Departments. I will announce my decisions on the two applications when I am ready to do so.
Column 475
Energy Efficiency
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what financial resources will be made available to the Director General of Electricity Supply to promote energy efficiency and electricity conservation measures.
Mr. Baldry : The Office of Electricity Regulation will be financed by vote with its costs covered through licence fees. It will be for the director general to assess the resources he needs and to manage those resources in the most appropriate way to meet his statutory duties.
Close links are being established between his office and the Energy Efficiency Office to ensure that they both complement and reinforce one another's work in the important area of energy efficiency.
Energy Conservation
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will amend the draft licence for electricity suppliers to allow cost-pass- through for energy conservation measures.
Mr. Wakeham : I am reviewing the conditions in all the electricity licences with a view to publishing revised versions of the licences shortly.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Grants
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Oxford, East, Official Report, 18 December, columns 36-40, if he will publish the numbers of students on which his calculations are based for each year from 1990 to 2027.
Mr. Jackson : The table gives estimates of the numbers of students eligible for loans from 1990-91 to 2000-01 inclusive. The basis is the United Kingdom. The figures in annex E of the White Paper rest on a series of assumptions, one being that numbers remain constant after the end of the century. This assumption also applies to the revised estimates of costs and savings.
United Kingdom numbers eligible for loans Year |(000s) --------------------- 1990 |569.2 1991 |582.2 1992 |584.6 1993 |580.6 1994 |576.4 1995 |574.3 1996 |581.6 1997 |600.0 1998 |625.7 1999 |645.1 2000 |655.5
Disabled Students
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to revise the guidelines to local education authorities concerning administration of the disabled students allowance ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : As I indicated in the reply that I gave to my right hon. Friend on 19 December 1989 at columns 219-20, guidance is normally issued to local education authorities following the revision of the mandatory awards regulations. My right hon. Friend will consider later this year what if any new guidance is needed on the disabled students' allowance, after he has reviewed the contents of the regulations in the light of representations received.
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether students who become disabled during their course will continue to receive loans.
Mr. Jackson : An eligible student who becomes disabled will remain eligible for loans.
Secondary Schools
Mr. Norris : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Epping Forest of 29 November, Official Report, columns 261-2, if he will break down the information in (a) and (b) on closures and significant changes of character of secondary schools by the categories (i) to (v) which he has applied in the case of enlarged schools under (c) .
Mr. Alan Howarth : The information is given in the table. Figures in respect of school closures are for the total number of schools approved for closure in a given year ; the equivalent figures in my answer of 29 November were net of new schools established as a result of amalgamations. Disaggregated figures by gender before 1988 are not available.
Column 475
Calendar Year |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988 |<1>1989
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of maintained
secondary schools
approved for closure |106 |117 |107 |92 |94
(i) girls' schools |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |7 |9
(ii) boys' schools |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |9 |7
(iii) mixed schools |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |76 |78
(iv) voluntary schools |18 |33 |23 |18 |7
(v) county schools |88 |84 |84 |74 |87
Number of maintained
secondary schools for
which proposals were
approved for significant
change of character |31 |75 |18 |35 |37
(i) girls' schools |1 |- |- |2 |3
(ii) boys' schools |1 |1 |3 |1 |2
(iii) mixed schools |29 |74 |15 |32 |32
(iv) voluntary schools |2 |3 |2 |5 |5
(v) county schools |29 |72 |16 |30 |32
<1> To 31 October 1989.
Single-Sex Schools
Mr. Norris : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list by gender of pupils and name single-sex schools which have been closed since 1985.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The names of the single sex maintained and non- maintained schools that have closed in 1985 and onwards are given in the table. The table includes maintained schools that have been closed following the approval of statutory proposals ; in some cases for the purpose of amalgamation.
The table is not fully up to date as some replies from local education authorities are still awaited confirming closures in 1989.
Independent schools are shown in the education authority in which they are situated.
Local education authority |School name
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Girls Schools Closed since 1985
Barnet |Southaw Girls
Bexley |Sidcup Girls School
Bromley |Ravensbourne School for Girls
|Rock Hill School for Girls
|Beckenham Convent School
Croydon |Lady Edridge Girls High
|Selhurst Girls High School
|Purley Girls High School
Ealing |St. Annes Convent School
Harrow |White Gate Senior School for Girls
Newham |London School of Islamics
Waltham Forest |Connaught High School for Girls
|Leyton Manor High School for Girls
|Warwick High School for Girls
|Leyton Senior High Schools for Girls
|Walthamstow Senior High School for
| Girls
Birmingham |Erdington School
|Longmeadow School
Coventry |Cardinal Wiseman Roman Catholic
| Secondary School for Girls
Wolverhampton |Ely House Girls School
Knowsley |Knowsley St. Gregorys Roman Catholic
| Girls Comprehensive
Liverpool |St. Teresas Roman Catholic Junior Girls
|Stanley Park Girls County
| Comprehensive
|Aigburth Vale Girls County
| Comprehensive
|Childwall Valley Girls County
| Comprehensive
|Liverpool Institute Girls High School
|Queen Marys Girls County
| Comprehensive
|Allerton Priory
St. Helens |Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High
| School
|Notre Dame Roman Catholic High
Sefton |St. Augustines Roman Catholic High
Wirral |Bebington Secondary School for Girls
|Oxley School
|The Marian Roman Catholic High
|Avalon High School
|Hoylake Coaching Centre
Manchester |The Hollies Roman Catholic High
| School for Girls
|St. Josephs Roman Catholic High
| School for Girls
Stockport |Priestnall School
Trafford |Urmston Grammar for Girls
|Stretford Grammar for Girls
Sheffield |Islamia Girls High School
Bradford |Tinakori Towers School
Calderdale |The Princess Mary School
|Brighouse Girls Grammar School
Kirklees |Hyrstlands Community Home
|Waverley School
|Batley Muslim Girls High School
Leeds |Springfield Park Community Home
|West Park Girls High
|Notre Dame High School
Newcastle upon Tyne |The Silverhill School
Inner London |Wandsworth Ensham
|Greenwich Park
|Wandsworth Mayfield
|St. Veronicas Roman Catholic Secondary
|Battersea Notre Dame High School
|Wandsworth Convent of the Holy
| Family
|Sternhold College
|Hugh Jones Tutor
|Elvaston House School
|Northcote Lodge
Berkshire |Reading Westwood Comprehensive
Reading Alfred Sutton Girls
| Comprehensive
Buckinghamshire |Chesham the Lowndes Secondary
| School for Girls
|Amersham Brudenell Secondary for
| Girls
Cambridgeshire |Wisbech Queens Girls Comprehensive
Cumbria |Askham Church of England School
|Carleton Hill School
Devon |Plymouth Stoke Damerec High School
| for Girls
|Plymouth Public High School for Girls
|Plymouth Salisbury Road Girls
| Secondary School
|Withycombe House School
Dorset |Ashley Cross County Modern for Girls
|Oakmead County Secondary for Girls
|Queensmount School
|St. Marys Gate School
East Sussex |Charters Towers School
|St. Michaels Convent Girls School
Essex |Westborough High School for Girls
|Belfairs High School Girls
|Eastwood High School for Girls
|Gainsborough Lodge School
Gloucestershire |Colwell School for Girls
|Cheltenham Pates Grammar School for
| Girls
Hampshire |Winchester Danemark Comprehensive
|Manor Girls Comprehensive
|Queens Mead School
Hereford and Worcester |Hallow Park School
Hertfordshire |Stevenage Girls School
|St. Angelas Roman Catholic Girls
|Christs Hospital School
|Poles Convent FCJ
|Rosary Priory High School
|Rosary Priory Preparatory School
|Chorley Wood College for the Blind
|Hertfordshire College of Higher
| Education
Humberside |Fifth Avenue Junior High Girls
|St. Mary High
|Rise Hall School
Kent |Margate Lausanne Secondary School
| for Girls
|Malling House School
|Nonington College
Lancashire |Clitheroe Grammar for Girls
|Lindenhurst College
Leicestershire |Morcott Hall School
|Windsor Classical Dance Centre
Norfolk |Kings Lynn St. James Junior Girls
|Londsdale School
|St. Georges School
North Yorkshire |Mill Mount Girls Grammar
|Queen Annes Girls Grammar
|Burton Stone Secondary Modern
|St. Margaret Clitherow Roman
| Catholic Secondary Modern
Northamptonshire |Croft Lodge School
|Irchester Arkwright School
Somerset |Kingsbury School
Staffordshire |St. Josephs Convent School
Surrey |Sunbury St. Teresas Roman Catholic
Warwickshire |Rugby Dunsmore School for Girls
West Sussex |Convent of the Family School
|Summerlea School
|Springfield Park School
|Hatchlands School
|Summerfold School
Local education authority |School name
Boys Schools Closed since 1985
Barnet |Holmewood Preparatory School
|Haynes School
Bexley |Parklands School
Brent |St. Benedicts Community Home
Bromley |Ravensbourne School for Boys
|Kentwood School for Boys
Croydon |Norbury Manor Boys High
|Selhust Boys High School
|Purley Boys High School
Enfield |St. Ignatius College
|St. Ignatius College Lower School
Haringey |The Somerset School
Harrow |Harrow High School
Hillingdon |Park Place School
Kingston-upon-Thames |Arundel House School
Redbridge |London School of Islamics
Sutton |Cheam CE Junior Boys
|Glastonbury High School for Boys
|Wilsons School
Waltham Forest |George Mitchell High School for Boys
|Norlington High School for Boys
|Warwick High School for Boys
|Leyton Senior High
|Sir George Monoux Senior High for
| Boys
Birmingham |Alderlea School
|Selly Oak School
Coventry |Cardinal Wiseman Roman Catholic
| Secondary School for Boys
Walsall |Druids Heath Community Home
|The Queslett School
Wolverhampton |Nordley Special School
Knowsley |Knowsley St. Kevins Roman Catholic
| Boys Comprehensive
Liverpool |Anfield County Comprehensive
|Alsop Boys County Comprehensive
|Collegiate Boys County Comprehensive
|Liverpool Institute Boys High School
|Hillfoot Hey Boys County
| Comprehensive
St. Helens |Campion Roman Catholic High School
|West Park Roman Catholic High
| School
Sefton |Bishops Court School
Wirral |Bebington Secondary School for Boys
|The Henry Meoles School
|Bishop Challoner Roman Catholic
| High
|The Leas School
Manchester |Rosehill Observation and Assessment
| Centre
|St. Marks Roman Catholic High
| School for Boys
|St. Pius Roman Catholic High School
| for Boys
|De La Salle College of Education
Salford |The Bezalel High School
Stockport |Stockport School
Trafford |Stretford Grammar for Boys
|Urmston Grammar for Boys
Wigan |Worthington Burtholme Hostel
Sheffield |Limb Lane School (Family Shirecliffe
| House)
Calderdale |The Heath School
|Hipperholme Grammar School
|Rastrick Grammar School
Leeds |Moor Grange Boys High
|St. Michaels Roman Catholic College
|Harewood Bridge House School
Newcastle upon Tyne |Condercum House School
|Eastview School
|Castledene School
|Kenton Lodge School
Sunderland |Washington Hall School
|Milton Hall School
Inner London |Lambeth Henry Thornton
|Wandsworth School
|Wandsworth Spencer Park
|Wandsworth Sir Walter St. Johns
| School
|Wandsworth Clapham College
|Hammersmith London Oratory Roman
| Catholic
|Wandsworth John Griffiths Roman
| Catholic Secondary
|St. Josephs Academy Pre-Prep School
|St. Vedast Independent School for
| Boys
|Life Christian School
|St. Aloysius Junior School
|Edward Rudolf Memorial Special
| School
|Heathermount School
|Shephall Manor School
|Nathaniel Heckford School
|Winceby House School
|London School of Nautical Cookery
Berkshire |Reading Stoneham Comprehensive
|Reading Alfred Sutton Boys
| Comprehensive
|Reading Collegiate School
Buckinghamshire |Amersham The Raans Secondary
| School for Boys
|Cestreham Secondary Boys School
|Beckets Senior School
|Beckets Preparatory School
|Divine Mercy College
Cambridgeshire |Wisbech Queens Boy Comprehensive
Cheshire |Torpenhow School
Derbyshire |Fernilee Infant
|Frank Merifield School
Devon |Forde Park Community Home
|Plymouth Sutton High School for Boys
|Plymouth Public High School for Boys
|Plymouth Widey High School for Boys
|Plymouth Prince Rock Boys Secondary
| School
|Brunel School
|Montpelier School
|Heathercombe Brake School
|Dawlish College
|Heanton School
|Russell College (Family Dennington
| College)
|Ward House School
|Lupton House School
|St. Pauls College
|Swallow Cliff School
|Morice School
Dorset |Seldown County Secondary Boys
|Oakmead County Secondary School
| for Boys
|Stinsford School
Durham |Redworth Hall Residential School
East Sussex |Central Boys Club
|Strickland House School
|Great Sanders School
|Rotherfield Hall
Essex |Eastwood High School for Boys
|Fairfax High School for Boys
|Belfairs High School for Boys
|Copford College
Gloucestershire |Cheltenham Grammar School for Boys
|Whitefriars School
|Badgeworth Court School
|Dowdeswell Court School
|Washbournes Place School
|Advicenna College
Hampshire |Winchester Montgomery of Alamein
| Boys Comprehensive
|Heron Wood Boys Comprehensive
|Drayton Manor School
|Oakmore School
|Mile End House School
|Ark Family Units
|Kinloss School
Hereford and Worcester |Cathedral Preparatory School
|Cotsbrook School
|Bodenham Manor School
Hertfordshire |Bushey Grange Park
|St. Michaels Roman Catholic Boys
Humberside |Castle Howard Community Home
|Hull Grammar School
|Endike Junior High Boys
|Riley High Boys
|Marist College Boys School
Kent |Margate St. Johns Church of England
| Secondary School for Boys
|Winchester House School
|Foxbush School
|St. Vincent School
Lancashire |Upholland College
Lincolnshire |Holbeach Eastfields Hostel
Norfolk |Kings Lynn St. James Junior Boys
|Duncan Hall School
North Yorkshire |Nunthorpe Boys Grammar
|St. Georges Roman Catholic
| Secondary Modern
|Ingmanthorpe Hall School
Nottinghamshire |St. Hughs College
Oxfordshire |Smith Hospital School
Salop |Apley Park School
|Castle Hill School
Somerset |King Alfred School
|Barwick House School
|Midelney Place School
Staffordshire |Needwood School for the Partially
| Hearing
Suffolk |Nowton Court School
|The Development Centre
Surrey |Sunbury Cardinal Godfrey Roman
| Catholic
|Allen House School
Warwickshire |Rugby Dunsmore School for Boys
West Sussex |Fernden School
|Goring Hall School
|St. Johns College
|Pennfold School
|Dalesdown School
Wiltshire |St. Probus School
Column 480
Local Management Schemes
Mr. Norris : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table to show such information as he has to hand from the schemes for local management of schools submitted for his approval by local education authorities under the headings (a) the value of the general schools budget, (b) the value of the mandatory exceptions, (c) the value of the aggregate schools budget, (d) (b) as a percentage of (a) and (e) (c) as a percentage of (a) .
Mrs. Rumbold : A table giving such information as is available will be published very shortly.
Teacher Shortages
Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children have not been receiving full in-school education since the start of the 1989 autumn term in (a) Vauxhall constituency, (b) Lambeth, (c) the Inner London area, (d) the Greater London area and (e) nationally.
Mrs. Rumbold : The particular data requested are not all available to the Department. At the beginning of the 1989 autumn term, some 200 primary pupils in the area of the Inner London education authority, including about 100 in Lambeth, were sent home from school because of the shortage of teaching staff. The authority was able to recruit more teachers during the term and all these pupils returned to school. Other pupils, on a rotation basis, have been sent home for short spells. The authority is continuing to monitor the situation, and is keeping the Department informed.
Column 484
The Department does not have equivalent information in respect of the other London boroughs or other parts of the country.Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action his Department will be taking to tackle teacher shortages, particularly in inner-city areas.
Mr. Alan Howarth : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham (Mr. Amos) on 14 November 1989 at column 235. In addition, the teaching as a career unit will be assisting in a Londonwide recruitment campaign in collaboration with the ILEA and the London boroughs. My right hon. Friend has also asked the interim advisory committee to look at measures to improve supply in areas where vacancy rates are highest--particularly in Inner London.
Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of graduates entered a career in teaching in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Alan Howarth : Statistics of graduates entering teaching and of the total number of graduates can not readily be compiled on a common basis, so a precise calculation of the first as a percentage of the second is not possible. The table provides the best approximation that can be made from the available data.
(thousands)
|<1>(1) |<2>(2) |Ratio of (1)
|to (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1978 |11.9 |- |-
1979 |15.1 |- |-
1980 |15.0 |79.8 |0.19
1981 |12.8 |82.9 |0.15
1982 |11.3 |86.9 |0.13
1983 |11.8 |91.7 |0.13
1984 |11.6 |97.4 |0.12
1985 |10.2 |99.3 |0.10
1986 |10.4 |102.1 |0.10
1987 |10.7 |104.0 |0.10
1988 |- |106.2 |-
1989 |- |107.5 |-
<1> Graduates newly entering full-time service in maintained
nursery, primary and secondary schools in England and Wales in
the 12 months ending 31 March of the year shown.
<2> First degree United Kingdom domiciled graduates from
institutions in England and Wales in the previous academic year (
including the Open University). (Figures include an element of
estimation).
Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what were the total numbers of teachers leaving the profession each year for the last 10 years, indicating whether the reason was (a) retirement and (b) entering a new profession.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The number of teachers leaving full-time service in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in England in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available is as follows :
Year ending 31 March
All figures in
thousands
|Number
---------------------
1978 |29.8
1979 |32.7
1980 |34.5
1981 |33.5
1982 |30.8
1983 |29.4
1984 |29.6
1985 |31.1
1986 |31.2
1987 |29.0
Information on the nature of these departures is available only for the last two years, and even then does not provide a complete breakdown of destinations. The available data are :
Year ending 31 March
|1986 |1987
|per cent.|per cent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Percentage of teachers leaving full-time
service in maintained nursery,
primary and secondary schools in
England who:
transferred to other service,
full or part-time, in the
maintained sector in
England or Wales<1> |15 |17
transferred to teaching outside
the maintained sector<1> |4 |4
retired or died |34 |30
others |47 |49
<1> The Department's "Database of Teacher Records" does not provide
complete coverage of the non-maintained sector nor of part-time
service within the maintained sector, so these figures may be slightly
understated (with the "others" correspondingly overstated).
The "others" category in this table includes teachers leaving for alternative non-teaching employment, but also those withdrawing for family reasons. The sex and age distribution of these cases (more than half are women aged 25-39) suggests that the latter group are a substantial part of the whole.
National Curriculum
Mr. Gregory : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether it is his policy that the 10 subjects of the national curriculum should take up approximately 70 per cent. of the school timetable and that the remaining 30 per cent. should be left for schools to use at their own discretion.
Mrs. Rumbold : Section 4(3) of the Education Reform Act makes it clear that it is for schools themselves to determine how much time should be devoted to the subjects of the national curriculum. I would expect that in key stages 1 to 3 schools will devote the great majority of curriculum time to the national curriculum subjects and to religious education, as they have done in the past. In key stage 4, I would expect that schools will offer some optional subjects outside the national curriculum.
Student Loans Company
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how may people are likely to be employed by the Government to run the Student Loans Company.
Mr. Jackson : Some 130 people are likely to be employed by the Student Loans Company by December 1990. There will be some increase in numbers thereafter as the collections department staff are employed and take-up is known.
Column 486
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will estimate profit levels for the Student Loans Company in each of the next 10 years.
Mr. Jackson : The Student Loans Company will operate at cost. Any income will be offset against the administration costs which will be met by the Government.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will estimate the cost to the Government of running the Student Loans Company for (a) 1990, (b) 1991, (c) 1992, (d) 1993, (e) 1994 and (f) 1995.
Mr. Jackson : The annual administrative costs of the Student Loans Company will be in the order of £10 million to £20 million.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the estimated cost of transferring the Student Loans Company into the hands of the Government.
Mr. Jackson : The Government have purchased the shares of the Student Loans Company Limited at a total cost of £10. The banks agreed to make a contribution of £500,000 towards the preparatory costs of the student loans scheme.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the Government intend to appoint a chairman of the Student Loans Company.
Mr. Jackson : An official of the Department of Education and Science has been appointed chairman of the Student Loans Company.
EMPLOYMENT
Police (Earnings)
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, why earnings etc. figures have been left blank for the police in the new earnings survey.
Mr. Nicholls : Footnotes to the relevant tables in the new earnings survey report explain why some figures for certain occupations, including police inspectors and above, have been omitted.
Labour Statistics
Mr. Andrew Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the fall in unemployment since June 1987 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : Since June 1987 the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the United Kingdom has fallen by 1,207,500 to 1,649,700 in November 1989 and is now at its lowest level for over nine years.
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the rise in the number of people in employment in the last quarter ; and what were the comparable figures for other countries in the European Community.
Mr. Nicholls : In the second quarter of 1989, the latest date for which information is available, the civilian work
Column 487
force in employment in the United Kingdom rose by 82,000 (0.3 per cent.) to 26,033,000. Quarterly data are published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in respect of some European countries and data for recent quarters are shown in the following table :Column 487
European comparisons of civilian employment
Seasonally adjusted
Thousands
Q4 1988 Q1 1989 Q2 1989 Changes Q1 1989 to Q2 1989
|Thousands |Percentage
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
United Kingdom |25,787 |25,951 |26,033 |82 |0.3
Germany |26,842 |27,011 |27,075 |64 |0.2
Italy |20,700 |20,695 |20,674 |-21 |-0.1
Spain |11,895 |12,053 |12,208 |155 |1.3
Portugal |4,322 |4,363 |n.a. |41 |0.9
France<1> |21,264 |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a.
<1> Figures for France are unadjusted and are published only for the fourth
quarter of each year.
Source: "Quarterly Labour Force Statistics 3/1989" (OECD) except United Kingdom (
ED).
Property Services Agency
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any conveniently available figures for the (a) value, and (b) size of Department of Employment property being removed by the Property Services Agency ; and how much priority one Department of Employment property is not being renovated, owing to shortage of funds.
Mr. Eggar : The Department of Employment occupies approximately 604,000 sq m of the civil estate, but figures are not conveniently available for the value of these occupations.
Responsibility for maintenance of the civil estate, under the property repayment system (PRS) arrangements, is shared between PSA and Departments. On 24 May 1989, Sir Gordon Manzie, the chief executive of the PSA, informed the Environment Committee that, at current funding levels, it should be possible to clear the backlog of priority maintenance work on the civil estate as a whole by 1995-96. There is, however, no readily available information relating the backlog to individual Department occupations.
Unemployment Benefit
Mr. Loyden : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many claimants have completed the UB671 since its inception ; and how many have been disallowed benefit as a result, for each quarter and by each standard region.
Mr. Eggar : The information requested is not available.
Jobstart Scheme
Mr. Loyden : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have participated in the 50-plus jobstart scheme in each of the pilot areas ; what was the average hourly pay earned by participants, excluding the £20 a week allowance, what was the average amount of hours worked per week by participants ; and how many participants remained in employment after the allowance had ceased.
Mr. Eggar : Between the start of the 50-plus Jobstart pilots on 26 June and 15 December 1989 a total of 61 people were accepted on the programme. The breakdown of the number of people on the programme and their average hours and wages by area is as follows :
Column 488
Area |Participants|Average |Average
hourly wage £ hours
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dudley and Sandwell |14 |2.00 |20.0
Leeds |27 |2.20 |18.7
London South |1 |2.00 |20.0
Lothian and Borders |19 |2.27 |17.4
Unemployment Benefits (Adjudication)
Mr. Loyden : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average length of time between a claimant's referral for adjudication and an adjudication officer's decision on grounds of actively seeking work, by standard regions in Great Britain.
Mr. Eggar : The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Loyden : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average length of time between a claimant's referral for adjudication and an adjudication officer's decision on grounds of refusal of employment by standard Great Britain regions.
Mr. Eggar : Information is not available in the precise form requested. However, the speed with which adjudication officers make decisions--that is, the time between their receiving a referral and reaching a decision--is monitored in a 5 per cent. sample of cases. The sample shows that for the three-month period ending 30 September 1989, the percentage of refusal of employment questions decided within four weeks of referral to an adjudication officer, for each employment service region, was as follows :
Refusal of employment
|per cent.
---------------------------------------------
Northern |100
Yorkshire and Humberside |73
East Midlands |65
Eastern |94
Southern |73
Western |75
West Midlands |92
South West |72
Wales |100
North West |81
Scotland |71
Footwear and Textile Industries
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what numbers of jobs there have been in (a) footwear and (b) textile industries for each year since 1979 ; and how many have been lost in each industry in 1989, by month.
Column 490
Mr. Nicholls : The information is supplied in the table.
Column 489
Employees in the footwear and textile industries
(SIC 80)
Great Britain (thousands)
|Footwear SIC|1989 monthly|Textiles SIC|1989 monthly
group 451 |change |class 43 |change
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 1979 |68.8 |- |371.4 |-
June 1980 |65.3 |- |324.8 |-
June 1981 |58.8 |- |273.0 |-
June 1982 |53.5 |- |256.2 |-
June 1983 |51.4 |- |238.8 |-
June 1984 |52.8 |- |233.5 |-
June 1985 |51.1 |- |234.5 |-
June 1986 |51.9 |- |238.2 |-
June 1987 |50.8 |- |229.0 |-
June 1988 |49.5 |- |231.0 |-
December 1988 |48.9 |- |225.9 |-
January 1989 |48.7 |-0.2 |223.3 |-2.6
February 1989 |48.2 |-0.5 |219.5 |-3.8
March 1989 |47.7 |-0.5 |218.6 |-0.9
April 1989 |47.2 |-0.5 |217.6 |-1.0
May 1989 |46.8 |-0.4 |216.5 |-1.0
June 1989 |46.6 |-0.2 |217.8 |1.3
July 1989 |46.4 |-0.2 |215.5 |-2.3
August 1989 |45.7 |-0.7 |215.7 |0.2
September 1989 |45.3 |-0.4 |218.1 |2.5
October 1989 |45.2 |-0.1 |217.0 |-1.1
Employment Training
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of trainees in employment training for the most recent date for which information is available in Great Britain and in each of the standard regions, Scotland and Wales.
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 21 December 1989] : The information is not available in the precise form requested. Information is available only for the eight Training Agency regions in England and for Scotland and Wales. The latest available figures of employment training filled places are given in the table.
Employment training
Number in-training at 8 December 1989
Region |Numbers
------------------------------------------------
South East |14,300
London |21,400
South West |12,300
West Midlands |23,100
East Midlands and Eastern |16,900
Yorkshire and Humberside |25,600
North West |29,400
Northern |24,500
Wales |16,500
Scotland |26,400
Great Britain |<1>211,000
<1> Including a small number of trainees at
Residential Training Colleges and other
training providers not identified separately in
the regional totals.
PRIME MINISTER
Nuclear Energy Projects
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Prime Minister if she will initiate a review of all statements since 1979 made to the House by Ministers having responsibility for military and civil nuclear energy projects and programmes, to assess whether they require revision in the light of official information made public under the 30-year rule on 1 January 1990.
Eastern Europe
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to meet the Heads of Government of (a) Bulgaria, (b) East Germany, and (c) Czechoslovakia, to discuss the creation of free markets in those countries.
The Prime Minister : I have no immediate plans to meet the Heads of Government of Bulgaria, East Germany or Czechoslovakia. I have no doubt that when I do meet them, economic reform will be high on the agenda.
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations she has made to President Gorbachev regarding the political situation in eastern Europe.
The Prime Minister : We and other western Governments have kept in close contact with the Soviet authorities over developments in eastern Europe. This was one of the topics at my meeting with Mr. Shevardnadze on 19 December.
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