House of Commons Hansard Debates for 15 Jan 1991

Mr. MacGregor : The fourth report of the Services Committee of last Session (HC 614) states that, while access by Members to satellite and terrestrial television should be accepted in principle, no action should be taken to implement the introduction of that facility until the feasibility and cost of installing a broad-band

telecommunications network for the Palace is known. The report calls for urgent communications to identify the type and capacity of cable required for the transmission of all forms of electronic data.

Text Telephones

Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Lord President of the Council what consideration has been given to the installation of minicoms, or text telephones, in the House to enable deaf people to contact their Members of Parliament and Members of Parliament to contact their deaf constituents.

Mr. MacGregor : Text telephones for the assistance of deaf persons are not in use within the House of Commons at present. I am arranging for the matter to be looked into.

PRIME MINISTER

Government Achievements

Mr. Sayeed : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the achievements of Her Majesty's Government since 1987.

The Prime Minister : Since 1987 the Government have continued to build upon the changes begun in 1979, to strengthen the economy, foster a spirit of enterprise and improve living standards. Sterling has been brought into the exchange rate mechanism of the European monetary system, reinforcing the Government's strict anti-inflationary policy. Output is 8 per cent. higher. Investment has grown faster than at any time since the second world war. Taxes have been reformed. Privatisation of 29 more major businesses has taken place and 24 per cent. of the adult population now own shares. The Government have exercised strict control of public

expenditure--general Government expenditure

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has been brought below 40 per cent. of GDP for the first time since 1966-67. Almost £30 billion of public debt will have been repaid by the end of the current financial year. Over 2 million more people are in work than in 1987.

In the public services we have improved efficiency, safeguarded quality and enhanced safety. Key themes, reflected in the reform of the health service, in housing policy and in education have been to increase choice and to encourage people to take personal responsibility for their well-being and that of their families. The Government have striven to improve the quality of life of all the British people. A number of special initiatives have focused on those living in inner cities. The Government have played a leading role in developing environmental protection, nationally and internationally.

The Government have maintained a firm commitment to national defence and the NATO alliance. We have supported and contributed to NATO's efforts to establish closer relations with the Soviet Union and with the countries of eastern Europe. The United Kingdom has played an important role in securing firm reaction of the United Nations in dealing with Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. We have played a positive role in the building of the single market in the European Community.

Common Agricultural Policy

Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Holland with Boston (Sir R. Body) Official Report, 18 December, column 165, what further investigation of the common agricultural policy he expects the EC to make ; and if he will make a statement.

The Prime Minister : The common agricultural policy is likely to be subject to a period of further reform as a result of renewed production and expenditure pressure and the outcome of the current GATT negotiations. The Commission's 1991-92 price proposals are likely to incorporate a first instalment of these reforms.

GATT

Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister, further to his statement on 18 December, Official Report, column 157, whether the remit for the EC negotiations in the GATT talks has been altered by the recent Heads of Government meeting.

The Prime Minister : The meeting of European Heads of Government asked the Commission, which negotiates on behalf of the Community, to intensify its contacts with other participants in order to resolve outstanding problems.

Minimum Wage

Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answer of 13 December, Official Report, column 1108, on what basis he calculates the figure of a loss of three quarters of a million jobs through the establishment of a national minimum wage.

The Prime Minister : Officials in the Department of Employment have estimated that a national minimum wage set at half male median earnings will result in the loss of about three quarters of a million jobs. This estimate uses earnings information from the new earnings survey and information on the relationship between real wages and

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employment set out in the published Treasury paper "The Relationship Between Employment and Wages : Empirical Evidence for the United Kingdom" (HM Treasury, January 1985).

A detailed explanation of the method was placed in the House of Commons Library on 2 February 1990--"Estimating the Effect of a National Minimum Wage".

Publicity and Advertising

Mr. Michael : To ask the Prime Minister, further to his reply on 17 December, Official Report, c. 15, if he will list the Government conventions regarding the use of paid publicity and advertising within which expenditure on advertising in the press, television and other forms of publicity is a matter for departmental Ministers.

The Prime Minister : The conventions on Government publicity and advertising have already been published. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy on 28 June 1990 to my hon. Friend the Member for Wanstead and Woodford (Mr. Arbuthnot) at column 311.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

University Staff (Salaries)

13. Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received on the current salary levels of university staff ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Alan Howarth : My right hon. and learned Friend received a delegation from the Association of University Teachers on 11 December 1990. I myself received representatives of the union on 20 November. At these meetings a number of issues, including salary levels, were raised.

Youth Service Organisations

14. Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from youth service organisations concerning proposals for a core curriculum of activities.

Mr. Atkins : We have received a number of representations on the core curriculum following the first and second ministerial conferences with the youth service. The Government will take account of the comments received in responding to the recommendations of the second ministerial conference. I shall send my hon. Friend a copy of that response in due course.

Educational Provision

15. Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy towards eliminating surplus places and rationalising educational provisions.

Mr. Eggar : It is for local education authorities to bring forward proposals for rationalising their school provision. My right hon. and learned Friend and his predecessors have repeatedly urged LEAs to do more to remove wasteful surplus places.

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Sport (Drugs)

16. Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will meet the chairman of the Sports Council to discuss means to discourage the use of drugs in sport.

Mr. Atkins : I already meet the chairman of the Sports Council at regular intervals to discuss issues of mutual concern, including the misuse of drugs in sport.

University Funding

17. Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from the Association of University Teachers on university funding.

20. Mr. Douglas : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received from the Association of University Teachers on university funding.

Mr. Alan Howarth : My right hon. and learned Friend has received copies of the association's recent publications, and met a deputation from the association on 11 December.

Vocational Education

18. Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he last met representatives of the Business and Technical Education Council to discuss vocational education.

Mr. Eggar : I met representatives of the council on 21 November to discuss vocational education. My right hon. and learned Friend hopes to meet them in the spring.

Schools Budget

19. Mr. Cran : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what variation there is between local education authorities in the proportion of education budgets delegated to schools under local management of schools.

25. Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the proportion of the schools budget which local education authorities are holding back for central control.

Mr. Fallon : The proportion of the potential schools budget delegated to schools varies from 89.10 per cent. in the LEA delegating the most, to 77.97 per cent. in the LEA delegating the least. This wide variation is unacceptable and we are determined that LEAs should delegate more. We have recently proposed that LEAs should delegate at least 85 per cent. of the potential schools budget by 1 April 1993.

Secondary School Libraries

21. Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when was the last occasion on which Her Majesty's inspector of schools investigated the state of secondary school libraries.

Mr. Fallon : Her Majesty's inspectorate's most recent report on secondary school libraries was published in January 1990 and covered 58 secondary schools in six local education authorities.

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Bradford City Technology College

22. Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total amount, to the most recent practicable date, spent on grant aid by his Department on the city technology college in Bradford ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Eggar : Total grant aid to Bradford city technology college up to 31 December was £7.8 million. This total includes management, capital and running costs.

Teacher Recruitment

23. Mr. Tredinick : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he last discussed teacher recruitment in Leicestershire ; what were his conclusions ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Fallon : Leicestershire local education authority requested grant support for £150,000 of expenditure on teacher recruitment in 1991-92 ; the authority was informed last month that this bid will be met in full, as part of the grant support announced by my right hon. and learned Friend on 18 December, at columns 122-23. A similar amount will be available in 1992-93. This funding reflects the Department's commitment to assist authorities in the development of initiatives to improve teacher recruitment.

Sixth-form Colleges

24. Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many applications he has received from sixth-form colleges seeking to obtain grant-maintained status.

Mr. Eggar : None so far.

Daily Worship

26. Mr. Gregory : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his estimate of the number of schools holding a daily act of collective worship ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Eggar : Under the Education Reform Act all maintained schools are required to provide daily collective worship for all registered pupils, except those pupils withdrawn by their parents.

Sport

27. Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards sport in schools.

Mr. Atkins : Physical education, which includes sport, will be a compulsory part of the curriculum in all maintained schools for the first time under the requirements of the national curriculum. All pupils of compulsory school age will be required to participate in a programme of physical education throughout all the key stages of the national curriculum.

As part of the Government's current review of their policies towards sport and active recreation, we are also looking at other ways in which children of school age can be encouraged to participate in sport both during and outside school hours, including through the further promotion of links between schools and local sports clubs.

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Further Education

28. Mr. Turner : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consideration he has given to the setting of targets for participation in full and part-time education and training for 16 to 19- year-olds ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Eggar : My right hon. and learned Friend's objective is to raise both the proportion of 16 to 19-year-olds taking part in full and part-time education and training, and their levels of attainment. The Government are making good progress in both respects as a result of the recent school reforms, the introduction of pilot training credit schemes, and the many growing links between education and industry. They expect to see further improvements in participation rates in the 1990s as a result of the introduction of the national curriculum.

English and Mathematics

29. Mrs. Currie : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of 15 and 16-year-olds achieved an A, B or C pass in (a) GCSE English and (b) GCSE mathematics for the most recent year available.

Mr. Eggar : Of the pupils eligible to take GCSE examinations in year 11 in 1988-89, 45 per cent. gained grades A to C in GCSE English and 34 per cent. in mathematics.

Deaf Children

Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans his Department has to research and monitor the literary attainment of deaf children in mainstream schools and special units.

Mr. Fallon : The Department has no plans to undertake any specific research in this area. However, unless statutory exceptions have been made, the literary attainments of deaf children in ordinary schools and special units will be assessed, as for all children, under the arrangements for the national curriculum.

Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidance his Department has issued to inner London boroughs on the provision of special youth work provision for young deaf people to replace that previously provided by the Inner London education authority.

Mr. Atkins : No special guidance has been issued to individual inner London boroughs. Following the abolition of the Inner London education authority, the Department is providing interim support of £500,000 per annum for each of the financial years 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1992-93 to the Londonwide voluntary education organisations. Friends for the Young Deaf has benefited from this arrangement, as have organisations such as SENSE, PHAB and Gateway.

TEMPUS Scheme

Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the European Council of Ministers intends to extend the TEMPUS scheme to promote the development of the higher education systems

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in the countries of central and eastern Europe to countries in addition to Poland and Hungary ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Alan Howarth : The European Community has already approved the extension of the TEMPUS programme to the former German Democratic Republic and Czechoslovakia in academic year 1990-91, and in principle to Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria in 1991-92. The Community would consider extensions to other central and eastern European countries if they requested it.

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Teacher Assessment

Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what additional funding is to be made available to meet the additional cost of teacher assessment.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I shall support through education support grants £10 million of spending on school teacher appraisal in England in 1991-92 and at least £10 million in 1992-93. The figures for subsequent years will be set in due course.

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