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Hospital Closures

Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers a health authority has to alter a relocation plan for a hospital scheduled for closure under a different plan approved by her.

Dr. Mawhinney : When a health authority proposes to make significant changes to proposals for hospital closures and service reprovision which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has agreed, we would expect them to consult on their new proposals.

Gene Therapy Advisory Committee

Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will set out the terms of reference of the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee.

Mr. Sackville : The terms of reference for the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee are :

"To consider and advise on the acceptability of proposals for gene therapy research on human subjects on ethical grounds, taking account of the scientific merits of the proposals and the potential benefits and risks.

To work with other agencies which have responsibilities in this field, including local research ethics committees, and agencies with statutory responsibilities--the Medicines Control Agency, the Health and Safety Executive and the Department of the Environment. To provide advice to United Kingdom Health Ministers on developments in gene therapy research and their implications."

Crownhill Hospital, Plymouth

Mr. Jamieson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total cost of converting the former Crownhill hospital in Plymouth into offices for Plymouth and Torbay health authority.


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Mr. Sackville : Information is available centrally on schemes with a cost of over £1 million. The Crownhill conversion was below this figure and the hon. Member may therefore wish to contact Mrs. Judith Leverton, chairman of the Plymouth and Torbay health authority, for details.

Health Authorities

Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether each health authority seeks or holds details of the political affiliations of people nominated to or appointed to it.

Dr. Mawhinney : We are not aware that any health authority either seeks or holds such information.

Ambulance Personnel (Retirement)

Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements exist in England to allow ambulance personnel employed by district health authorities or NHS trusts to retire at 55 years.

Mr. Sackville : The national health service pension scheme for England and Wales provides for retirement below the age of 60 on grounds of ill health, organisational change, redundancy and in the interests of the efficiency of the service. The employer meets the additional costs involved in cases other than ill health, and resources have been made available in 1993-94 for the ambulance service in England to cover the costs of a limited programme of early retirement.

Pay Beds

Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of dedicated NHS pay bed units, their location and number of beds contained in each year since 1990.

Mr. Sackville : This information is not available centrally.

Clothier Inquiry

Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what external public relations staff from (a) the private sector or (b) other NHS bodies have been employed by (i) Grantham and Kesteven district general hospital, (ii) South Lincolnshire district health authority or (iii) Trent regional health authority to assist with work relating to the Clothier inquiry ; and what was the cost of any of these contracts.

Dr. Mawhinney : This is a matter for the Trent regional health authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of Trent regional health authority, Sir Michael Carlisle, for details.

Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total cost to date of the Clothier inquiry.

Dr. Mawhinney : Up to 14 January, £96,574.

Nuclear Weapons

Mr. Chisholm : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to oppose in the World Health Assembly the withdrawal of resolution WHA4640 of


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14 May 1993 on the request to the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on the legal status of the use by a state of nuclear weapons in armed conflict.

Dr. Mawhinney : The agenda for the May 1994 World Health Assembly has not yet been published. We are unaware of any proposal for a resolution which would negate resolution WHA 46.40.

NHS Beds (Private Use)

Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give details of the costs to public funds that arise through the provision of authorised NHS beds for private use, listing each separate budget head, and the total costs thereby incurred by each hospital with authorised beds.

Mr. Sackville : Since 1 April 1991 health authorities, on behalf of directly managed units, and trusts have, subject to certain safeguards, been able to determine their own private patient activity. National health service private patient charges are calculated at the appropriate commercial rate generating valuable income for improving services for all patients.

Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the location and number of authorised NHS beds for private use in each year since 1990.

Mr. Sackville : I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Member for Loughborough (Mr. Dorrell) gave the hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on 16 March 1992 at columns 857-66 for the latest available information. Since 1 April 1991 health authorities, on behalf of directly managed units, and trusts have, subject to certain safeguards, been able to determine their own private patient activity.

Health Spending, North Essex

Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what will be the percentage increase in health spending in the North Essex health authority area in 1994-95 ; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Sackville : The 1994-95 revenue cash limit for North Essex health authority represents a 5.3 per cent. increase over 1993-94. The allocation is made by North East Thames regional health authority.

Brook Hospital

Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the South East Thames regional health authority authorised the purchase of a second-hand mobile MRI scanner for use at the Brook hospital ; when the authority had paid a non-refundable deposit ; what was the total cost paid for the scanner and the amounts borne by (a) the authority and (b) Greenwich Healthcare Trust ; when the scanner was delivered to the Brook hospial ; when it became operational ; how many NHS patients have been scanned with this equipment ; what consultation took place with consultants at the Brook hospital prior to the purchase of this equipment ; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Sackville : The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Peter Barker, chairman of South East Thames regional health authority concerning its involvement in the purchase of the MRI scanner at Greenwich Healthcare national


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health service trust and Mr. Neville Thompson, chairman of Greenwich Healthcare NHS trust about the installation and use of medical equipment at the trust.

GPs (Suspension)

Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of whether the actions of the Greenwich and Bexley family health services authority were appropriate and satisfacory in dealing with complaints against the doctor concerned in the recent case raised with her by the hon. Member for Woolwich ; and whether the actions of the General Medical Council were appropriate and satisfactory in dealing with the complaints.

Dr. Mawhinney : It would not be right to comment on the actions of Greenwich and Bexley family health services authority in this case until proceedings to which the family health services authority is a party have been formally concluded.

The General Medical Council is an independent statutory body whose constitution and functions are governed by the Medical Act 1983. The council has sole


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responsibility for the registration and regulation of the medical profession and it would not be appropriate for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health to intervene in the way that it carries out its responsibilities under the Act or to comment on individual cases in which the council has directed the removal of a doctor's name from the register.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Suffragan Bishops

Mr. William Powell : To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners if he will list those suffragan bishops for whose salary the Commissioners are responsible, with their dates of appointment, and such suffragan sees as are currently vacant.

Mr. Alison : The suffragan bishops whose stipends the Commissioners are empowered to pay and their dates of appointment are as follows :


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See                     |Suffragan See      |Bishop             |Date of appointment                    

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bath and Wells          |Taunton            |John Lewis         |3 July 1992                            

Birmingham              |Aston              |John Austin        |3 September 1992                       

Blackburn               |Lancaster          |John Nicholls      |25 April 1990                          

Bristol                 |Malmesbury         |Peter Firth        |30 November 1983                       

Canterbury              |Dover              |Richard Llewellin  |9 October 1992                         

                        |Maidstone          |Gavin Reid         |9 October 1992                         

Carlisle                |Penrith            |George Hacker      |10 October 1979                        

Chelmsford              |Barking            |Roger Sainsbury    |17 January 1991                        

                        |Colchester         |Michael Vickers    |2 February 1988                        

                        |Bradwell           |Laurence Green     |23 February 1993                       

Chester                 |Birkenhead         |Michael Langrish   |2 March 1993                           

                        |Stockport          |Frank Sargeant     |25 January 1984                        

Chichester              |Horsham            |Lindsay Urwin      |30 November 1993                       

                        |Lewes              |Ian Cundy          |3 July 1992                            

Coventry                |Warwick            |Clive Handford     |5 December 1990                        

Derby                   |Repton             |Henry Richmond     |30 January 1986                        

Durham                  |Jarrow             |Alan Smithson      |21 September 1990                      

Ely                     |Huntington         |Gordon Roe         |1 November 1980                        

Exeter                  |Crediton           |Peter Coleman      |2 July 1984                            

                        |Plymouth           |Richard Hawkins    |29 June 1988                           

Gloucester              |Tewkesbury         |Jeremy Walsh       |29 January 1986                        

Guildford               |Dorking            |David Wilcox       |1 February 1986                        

Hereford                |Ludlow             |Ian Griggs         |1 August 1987                          

Lichfield               |Shrewsbury         |John Davies        |5 February 1987                        

                        |Stafford           |Michael Scott-Joynt|1 September 1987                       

                        |Wolverhampton      |Michael Bourke     |29 September 1993                      

Lincoln                 |Grantham           |William Ind        |23 October 1987                        

                        |Grimsby            |David Tustin       |25 January 1979                        

Liverpool               |Warrington         |Michael Henshall   |1 February 1976                        

London                  |Fulham             |John Klyberg       |25 March 1985                          

                        |Kensington         |John Hughes        |26 October 1987                        

                        |Stepney            |Richard Chartres   |22 May 1992                            

                        |Willesden          |Graham Dow         |22 May 1992                            

                        |Edmonton           |Brian Masters      |20 December 1984                       

Manchester              |Hulme              |Colin Scott        |13 September 1984                      

                        |Bolton             |David Bonser       |13 September 1991                      

Norwich                 |Thetford           |Hugo de Waal       |17 January 1992                        

Oxford                  |Buckingham         |Simon Burrows      |18 October 1974                        

                        |Dorchester         |Anthony Russell    |2 February 1988                        

                        |Reading            |John Bone          |4 October 1989                         

Peterborough            |Brixworth          |Paul Barber        |25 January 1989                        

Ripon                   |Knaresborough      |Malcolm Menin      |2 December 1986                        

Rochester               |Tonbridge          |Brian Smith        |2 November 1993                        

St. Albans              |Hertford           |Robin Smith        |25 January 1990                        

St. Edmunds and Ipswich |Dunwich            |Jonathan Bailey    |3 December 1992                        

Salisbury               |Ramsbury           |Peter Vaughan      |21 April 1989                          

                        |Sherborne          |John Kirkham       |1 December 1976                        

Sheffield               |Doncaster          |Michael Gear       |2 March 1993                           

Southwark               |Kingston           |Martin Wharton     |3 November 1992                        

                        |Woolwich           |Peter Hall         |29 November 1984                       

                        |Croydon            |Wilfred Wood       |25 July 1985                           

Southwell               |Sherwood           |Alan Morgan        |1 September 1989                       

Truro                   |St. Germans        |Graham James       |23 February 1993                       

Wakefield               |Pontefract         |John Finney        |14 May 1993                            

Winchester              |Southampton        |John Perry         |5 February 1989                        

Worcester               |Dudley             |Rupert Hoare       |29 September 1993                      

York                    |Hull               |Donald Snelgrove   |28 May 1981                            

                        |Selby              |Humphrey Taylor    |1 September 1991                       

                        |Whitby             |Gordon Bates       |9 June 1983                            

Europe                  |Europe             |Edward Holland     |22 July 1986                           

                                                                                                        

The following suffragan sees are currently vacant but will be filled by the person named on the date    

Blackburn               |Burnley            |Martyn Jarrett     |2 February 1994                        

Manchester              |Middleton          |Stephen Venner     |2 February 1994                        

Norwich                 |Lynn               |David Conner       |2 February 1994                        

St. Albans              |Bedford            |John Richardson    |23 February 1994                       

Winchester              |Basingstoke        |Geoffrey Rowell    |2 February 1994                        

EDUCATION

Education Assets Board Recommendations

Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if he will describe in general terms the nature and use of the premises at each educational establishment where his determination of an Education Assets Board recommendations is awaited ;

(2) how many recommendations from the Education Assets Board are awaiting a decision by his Department ; if he will list them ; and for how long each of them has been with his Department.

Mr. Robin Squire : There are 17 cases awaiting determination by my right hon. Friend. They are:


Institution                             |Date received                    

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grant-Maintained Schools                                                  

Abbotswood School, Hampshire            |October 1993                     

Arnewood School, Hampshire              |November 1993                    

Dartford Grammar School for Girls, Kent |December 1992                    

Epsom and Ewell High School, Surrey     |March 1993                       

Great Barr School, Birmingham           |August 1992                      

Kingsley Park School, Northamptonshire  |September 1992                   

Pate's Grammar School, Gloucestershire  |November 1991                    

Reading School, Berkshire               |April 1993                       

Ringwood School, Hampshire              |November 1993                    

St. George's School, Lincolnshire       |July 1993                        

Thamesview School, Kent                 |March 1993                       

Wilson's School, Sutton                 |June 1993                        

Wymondham College, Norfolk              |December 1992                    

                                                                          

Higher Education Institutions                                             

Falmouth College of Art and Design      |September 1991                   

University of Greenwich                 |September 1991                   

University of West of England;          |November 1991                    

 Bath College of HE                                                       

                                                                          

Further Education Institutions                                            

Lincolnshire College of Agriculture and                                   

 Horticulture                           |December 1993<1>                 

<1> Appeal received.                                                      

Note: Under the provisions of the Further and Higher Education Act        

1992, the Education Assets Board (EAB) may determine the transfer         

of property, rights and liabilities in respect of further education       

institutions where it appears that agreement between the parties is       

unlikely to be reached. Under the 1992 Act both the institution and       

local authority have the right of appeal to the Secretary of State        

against determinations made by the EAB.                                   


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Of the 17 cases being considered by my right hon. Friend, 13 involve the transfer of land and/or property. They are :

Grant-Maintained Schools--

Abbotswood School, Hampshire-- A dispute with Hampshire county council concerning the ownership of an area of land which acts as an access road to the school and another of the council's properties. Arnewood School, Hampshire-- A dispute concerning the ownership of a recreation centre and land used by the school and community. Dartford Grammar School for Girls, Kent-- A dispute between the school and Kent county council over (i) transfer of an area of playing field, (ii) pedestrian rights of access and (iii) transfer of a further area of land.

Great Barr School, Birmingham-- A dispute between the school and Birmingham county council over the ownership of an adjacent sports hall and an area of playing field which is used by both the school and the local community.

Kingsley Park School, Northamptonshire-- A dispute between the school and Northamptonshire county council over the transfer of a gymnasium block in a building on the school site which is also used by another of the Authority's schools.

Pate's Grammar School, Gloucestershire-- A dispute between the school and Gloucestershire county council over the transfer of the site of a former secondary school which had been leased to Pate's grammar school whilst major building work was carried out on their own school site.

Ringwood School, Hampshire-- A dispute concerning the ownership of a recreation centre and land used by the school and community. St. George's School, Lincolnshire-- The dispute with Lincolnshire county council concerns the ownership of a property the school shares with the county's adult education and library services and an area of land which is also used by a local scout group.

Thamesview School, Kent-- A dispute between the school and Kent county council concerning the transfer of a house occupied by a teacher at the school.

Wilson's School, London Borough of Sutton --This dispute concerns the authority's refusal to sign documents transferring ownership of property to the school pending clarification of the authority's continued use of a swimming pool owned by the school's Trustees. Higher Education Institutions --

Greenwich --A dispute between the London borough of Wandsworth, which inherited ILEA's education responsibilities in the area, and Thames polytechnic (now the university of


Column 539

Greenwich) over the transfer of the freehold of property known as Manresa house, and the grounds surrounding this property. Wandsworth use part of Manresa house for adult education.

Falmouth School of Art and Design --A dispute between Cornwall county council and Falmouth school of art and design over the transfer of properties in Falmouth and Camborne, used by the school. Further Education Institutions--

Lincolnshire College of Agriculture and Horticulture --This appeal case concerns the Education Assets Board's determination that ownership of a veterinary investigation centre which was used prior to 1 April 1993 under a lease between Lincolnshire county council and the Minister of Public Buildings and Works should transfer to the college.

Student Awards

Mr. Robert Ainsworth : To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his answer of 11 January 1994, Official Report, column 72, if he will publish in the Official Report the comparable figures on the percentage of dependent students receiving full and nil maintenance given in the "Statistics of Education Student Awards" volume for 1988-89 to 1990- 91 ; and what is the reason for the differences between those figures and the data given in his previous answer.

Mr. Boswell : Figures on the percentage of dependent students receiving full and nil maintenance published in the Statistics of Education Student Awards Volume show scale 1 and scale 2 contributions as follows :


Percentage of dependent students receiving full and nil      

maintenance in                                               

England and Wales.                                           

                 |1988-89   |1989-90   |1990-91<1>           

-------------------------------------------------------------

Scale 1                                                      

full maintenance |28.8      |27.3      |27.5                 

nil maintenance  |30.7      |33.0      |32.4                 

                                                             

Scale 2                                                      

full maintenance |29.6      |27.4      |27.0                 

nil maintenance  |23.1      |25.8      |28.3                 

<1> Calculated from subset of LEAs able to provide data.     

The figures given in the reply of 11 January, Official Report, column 72 differed from these in that they represented the combination of the two scales.

Education Costs

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to issue vouchers to parents to pay towards education costs.

Mr. Robin Squire : We have no present plans to do so.

Higher National Diploma Courses

Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy to ensure that students who are entitled to a mandatory grant for a higher national diploma course are allowed to continue to receive that grant for a degree at another institution while continuing to study the same subject.

Mr. Boswell : A student who has already received a mandatory award for an HND course and who goes on to study for a first degree will normally be eligible for a further, modified mandatory award for the final year or


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years of a designated first degree course, depending upon its duration. Local education authorities can make discretionary payments in respect of any other year. It is for individual institutions to decide whether to give exemption from any part of the course to students enrolling on a first degree course who have already completed an HND in the same subject.

Further Education

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) 16-year-olds and (b) 17-year-olds in the Doncaster area continued in full-time education in each year since 1988.

Mr. Boswell : The numbers of 16 and 17-year-olds in the Doncaster LEA continuing in full-time education in each year since 1988 are shown in the table.


16 and 17-year-olds in full-time education in the    

Doncaster LEA Area                                   

Age as at 31 August at the start of the academic     

year                                                 

             |1988-89|1989-90|1990-91|1991-92        

-----------------------------------------------------

16 Year Olds |1,824  |1,873  |1,934  |1,987          

17 Year Olds |1,280  |1,278  |1,332  |1,444          

Pupil Numbers

Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in England have fewer than 20 pupils.

Mr. Robin Squire : In January 1993, 200 schools in England had fewer than 20 full-time equivalent pupils.

Data Protection

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he will make arrangements for the Data Protection Registrar to inspect relevant contracts with suppliers of IT services that involve the use of personal data held by his Department in order to check whether all appropriate arrangements in relation to the Data Protection Act 1984 have been made, and whether such contracts make provisions for the Registrar to make random inspections in order to check the suppliers' compliance with the eighth data protection principle.

Mr. Boswell : The Data Protection Registrar has a wide range of powers, under the Data Protection Act 1984, to ensure that all individuals and organisations holding personal data on computer systems are registered and observe the data protection principles as required by the Act. When IT services are contracted out by a data user, the contractor and the user will be subject to the application of the data protection principles, and to the registrar's powers to promote compliance with them, as provided for in the Act. It is for the registrar to decide how he will use his powers under the Act, and I do not consider that any further arrangements are necessary for him to discharge his duties effectively.

Schools, Wandsworth

Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Leith (Mr. Chisholm) of 14 December 1993, Official Report, column 825, how many children at


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the latest available date in the borough of Wandsworth were (a) in attendance in nursery classes or nursery schools, (b) in reception classes in primary schools under school starting age and (c) in other pre-school groups ; how many (i) qualified nursery teachers, (ii) qualified nursery nurses and (iii) other qualified or non-qualified teachers and nurses, were employed in the borough on nursery education at the latest available date ; and what is the latest estimate of the number of children aged three and four years currently resident in that borough.

Mr. Robin Squire : In Wandsworth, in January 1993--the latest date for which information on schools is available--there were nearly 2,400 pupils below compulsory school age in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in maintained primary schools. A further 1,700 pupils below compulsory school age were in infant classes in maintained primary schools. Information on reception classes only is not collected centrally.

The maintained nursery schools and nursery classes were staffed by 71 full- time equivalent teachers, of whom two were unqualified 75 full-time equivalent qualified nursery assistants and a further 26 full-time equivalent unqualified nursery assistants and other education support staff.

As regards other pre-school groups, we are informed by the Pre-school Playgroups Association that their member playgroups in Wandsworth had nearly 400 three and four-year-olds in attendance in mid-1992, the latest date for which such information is available. Information on other forms of pre-school group provision, such as day nurseries, is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health. Information on nursery classes in independent or special schools is not collected centrally. In January 1993, the estimated three and four-year-old population in Wandsworth was just over 6,000. I should perhaps add that Wandsworth now has a policy of offering a nursery class place to all parents who want one for the year before entering compulsory education. This policy is not yet fully reflected in the figures available.

University Expenditure

Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what amount of university student fees was paid by Her Majesty's Government in the academic years 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1992-93 ; what is the expected level of expenditure for 1993-94 and 1994-95 ; and how much was spent per registered student in each of the years ; (2) what was the level of Government expenditure on student grants in (a) higher and (b) further education in the academic years 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1992-93 ; what are the expected levels of expenditure for 1993-94 and 1994-95 ; and how much was spent per registered student in each of the years.

Mr. Boswell : My right hon. Friend pays 100 per cent. specific grant to local education authorities--LEAs--in England and Wales in respect of their expenditure on mandatory awards in respect of students who are domiciled in their areas. Mandatory awards, which cover both maintenance grants and fees, are available to eligible students attending full-time or sandwich courses provided by institutions including universities in the United Kingdom and leading to a first degree or comparable qualification, or to a diploma in higher education or the


Column 542

higher national diploma. They are also available for full-time and part-time courses of initial teacher training. Mandatory awards are not availble for further education courses. LEAs may give discretionary awards to students on such courses and to students who are personally ineligible for a mandatory award but must meet the expenditure themselves.

Departmental records of expenditure and plans relate to financial years. It is not possible to distinguish expenditure on fees to universities from fees for other higher education institutions. The actual expenditure on mandatory awards and the average expenditure per award holder in the financial years 1990-91 to 1992-93 are shown in the table. The table also shows the total announced expenditure for 1993-94 and 1994-95.

My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Northern Ireland are responsible for Government expenditure on support for students domiciled in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively. The table therefore relates to expenditure in England and Wales only.


             Total Expenditure       Average per                        

                         Student<1>                                     

            |Fees       |Maintenance|Fees       |Maintenance            

            |£ million  |£ million  |£          |£                      

------------------------------------------------------------------------

1990-91     |593        |701        |1,228      |1,451                  

1991-92     |1,172      |813        |2,178      |1,511                  

1992-93     |1,559      |985        |2,467      |1,559                  

<2>1993-94  |1,534      |1,098                                          

<3>1994-95  |1,171      |1,145                                          

<1> Average per award holder.                                           

<2> Announced expenditure including Winter Supplementary Estimate.      

<3> Planned.                                                            

Student Loans Company

Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much has been spent on the administration of the Student Loans Company ; how many people are employed by the company ; and how many cases of non- repayment have been legally pursued under (a) Scottish law and (b) English and Welsh law.

Mr. Boswell : These are matters for the Student Loans Company. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

Local Education Authorities

Mr. Byers : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the pupil to teacher ratio as at January 1993 for each local education authority in (a) the primary sector, (b) the secondary sector and (c) overall.

Mr. Robin Squire : The information requested is shown in the table.


Pupil:teacher ratios in maintained primary and secondary schools and   

overall in each local education authority in England                   

                       |Primary    |Secondary  |Overall                

                       |(including |(including |maintained             

                       |self-      |self-      |nursery,               

                       |governing  |governing  |primary and            

                       |(GM)       |(GM)       |secondary              

                       |schools)   |schools    |schools                

                       |(1)        |(1)        |(2)                    

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Corporation of London  |15.2       |n/a        |13.9                   

Camden                 |20.8       |15.6       |16.4                   

Greenwich              |20.4       |16.7       |16.6                   

Hackney                |19.9       |14.6       |15.1                   

Hammersmith and Fulham |19.8       |15.1       |14.4                   

Islington              |19.8       |15.0       |14.1                   

Kensington and Chelsea |17.6       |13.3       |14.5                   

Lambeth                |19.4       |15.5       |15.9                   

Lewisham               |21.1       |16.5       |17.2                   

Southwark              |21.6       |16.9       |17.3                   

Tower Hamlets          |17.8       |14.0       |14.2                   

Wandsworth             |19.9       |14.7       |15.0                   

Westminster            |17.2       |14.5       |13.7                   

Barking and Dagenham   |22.1       |17.0       |18.0                   

Barnet                 |21.1       |15.0       |16.1                   

Beley                  |23.4       |16.7       |18.5                   

Brent                  |21.6       |15.3       |16.6                   

Bromley                |23.3       |16.3       |17.8                   

Croydon                |21.5       |16.0       |17.5                   

Ealing                 |20.7       |15.3       |17.5                   

Enfield                |21.3       |16.3       |17.1                   

Haringey               |20.8       |14.5       |17.1                   

Harrow                 |21.3       |15.7       |17.1                   

Havering               |22.8       |16.4       |17.4                   

Hillingdon             |22.0       |15.8       |17.5                   

Hounslow               |20.5       |16.4       |17.2                   

Kingston upon Thames   |22.5       |15.8       |16.5                   

Merton                 |19.6       |15.5       |16.5                   

Newham                 |24.1       |16.6       |19.1                   

Redbridge              |23.0       |17.2       |18.0                   

Richmond upon Thames   |20.3       |16.5       |16.8                   

Sutton                 |23.4       |16.8       |18.3                   

Waltham Forest         |22.2       |15.2       |16.5                   

Birmingham             |23.6       |16.3       |18.0                   

Coventry               |22.3       |15.1       |17.2                   

Dudley                 |20.9       |15.3       |16.8                   

Sandwell               |22.0       |15.5       |16.4                   

Solihull               |23.1       |16.1       |18.0                   

Walsall                |22.6       |16.0       |17.7                   

Wolverhampton          |21.0       |14.9       |16.1                   

Knowsley               |23.0       |16.5       |19.5                   

Liverpool              |23.5       |15.7       |18.6                   

St. Helens             |22.2       |15.2       |17.4                   

Sefton                 |23.2       |16.3       |18.0                   

Wirral                 |22.3       |15.9       |17.5                   

Bolton                 |22.0       |15.1       |17.1                   

Bury                   |22.9       |16.5       |18.5                   

Manchester             |21.9       |14.6       |17.2                   

Oldham                 |22.9       |15.0       |17.8                   

Rochdale               |24.1       |16.3       |18.1                   

Salford                |23.4       |15.5       |17.9                   

Stockport              |23.5       |15.8       |18.3                   

Tameside               |24.0       |16.3       |17.8                   

Trafford               |23.9       |15.9       |18.9                   

Wigan                  |22.3       |15.2       |16.0                   

Barnsley               |23.9       |17.0       |19.1                   

Doncaster              |22.8       |16.0       |17.8                   

Rotherham              |21.3       |15.2       |17.9                   

Sheffield              |22.5       |16.1       |17.6                   

Bradford               |20.7       |17.1       |16.7                   

Calderdale             |23.3       |16.0       |17.5                   

Kirklees               |21.3       |15.6       |16.7                   

Leeds                  |22.0       |16.0       |17.5                   

Wakefield              |22.6       |15.9       |17.7                   

Gateshead              |21.2       |15.6       |17.0                   

Newcastle upon Tyne    |22.4       |15.7       |17.3                   

North Tyneside         |22.3       |16.0       |17.2                   

South Tyneside         |22.6       |17.1       |18.3                   

Sunderland             |22.1       |15.9       |18.0                   

Isles of Scilly        |14.9       |7.4        |10.1                   

Avon                   |22.7       |16.2       |17.4                   

Bedfordshire           |21.7       |17.1       |17.1                   

Berkshire              |22.8       |16.0       |17.3                   

Buckinghamshire        |22.8       |16.6       |18.3                   

Cambridgeshire         |23.0       |16.5       |17.6                   

Cheshire               |23.9       |16.6       |18.8                   

Cleveland              |23.5       |15.7       |18.1                   

Cornwall               |23.4       |16.8       |18.7                   

Cumbria                |22.3       |15.3       |17.3                   

Derbyshire             |22.9       |15.4       |16.9                   

Devon                  |22.8       |16.1       |18.8                   

Dorset                 |23.2       |17.0       |18.9                   

Durham                 |22.7       |16.3       |17.5                   

East Sussex            |22.3       |15.9       |17.2                   

Essex                  |23.1       |16.9       |18.3                   

Gloucestershire        |21.9       |17.1       |18.5                   

Hampshire              |21.9       |16.1       |17.9                   

Hereford and Worcester |21.8       |16.8       |17.6                   

Hertfordshire          |22.1       |15.7       |17.7                   

Humberside             |23.1       |16.3       |18.0                   

Isle of Wight          |22.1       |17.1       |17.5                   

Kent                   |23.9       |17.0       |18.7                   

Lancashire             |22.8       |15.9       |17.7                   

Leicestershire         |22.5       |15.8       |18.4                   

Lincolnshire           |23.1       |15.8       |17.7                   

Norfolk                |21.8       |15.6       |17.6                   

North Yorkshire        |22.6       |15.7       |17.0                   

Northamptonshire       |22.6       |16.6       |17.1                   

Northumberland         |23.8       |17.8       |18.4                   

Nottinghamshire        |22.6       |15.7       |17.5                   

Oxfordshire            |21.6       |16.7       |17.4                   

Shropshire             |22.0       |15.3       |17.2                   

Somerset               |22.5       |16.3       |17.6                   

Staffordshire          |24.7       |16.9       |19.2                   

Suffolk                |21.4       |16.1       |16.9                   

Surrey                 |21.7       |15.8       |17.9                   

Warwickshire           |22.3       |16.2       |17.7                   

West Sussex            |22.1       |16.4       |17.5                   

Wiltshire              |22.6       |16.3       |17.5                   

                                                                       

England                |22.4       |16.1       |17.7                   

Note:                                                                  

1.  Excluding all unqualified teachers and teachers providing          

short-term cover as well as teachers absent for a term or more but     

including the latter's qualified replacements, if any.                 

2. Including qualified teachers (including those not in schools and    

teachers providing short-term cover), student teachers, instructors    

and                                                                    

licensed teachers employed by local education authorities and          

self-governing (GM) schools.                                           

Primary School Classes

Mr. Byers : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the average size of maintained primary school classes taught by one teacher in January.

Mr. Robin Squire : In January 1993--the latest date for which information is available--the average size of single teacher classes in maintained primary schools in England was 26.6.

Quangos

Mr. Don Foster : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the grants given to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations by his Department in each year from 1985.

Mr. Boswell : The grants given to the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Department are listed in the table. Those made to the research councils and to the Sports Council, formerly sponsored by the then Department of Education and


Column 545

Science and now by the Office of Public Service and Science and the Department of National Heritage respectively, are published in the appropriation accounts, copies of which are in the Library.


Column 545


                                      |1985-86   |1986-87   |1987-88   |1988-89   |1989-90   |1990-91   |1991-92   |1992-93   |1993-94              

                                      |£ million |Cash                                                             |Outturn   |Estimate             

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Business and Technology Education                                                                                                                   

 Council<1>                           |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-                    

                                                                                                                                                    

Central Bureau for Educational Visits                                                                                                               

 and Exchanges<2>                     |1.831     |1.731     |1.760     |1.813     |2.184     |3.021     |3.498     |3.848     |4.084                

                                                                                                                                                    

Centre for Information on Language                                                                                                                  

 Teaching and Research                |0.359     |0.369     |0.395     |0.383     |0.472     |0.535     |0.652     |0.949     |0.807                

                                                                                                                                                    

Council for Educational Technology                                                                                                                  

 (United Kingdom)                      0.758      0.998      0.870      Merged April 1988 to form                                                   

                                                                        National Council for Educational Technology                                 

Micro-Electronics in Education                                                                                                                      

 Support Unit                         |-         |2.791     |3.075                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                    

National Council for Educational                                                                                                                    

 Technology<3>                        |-         |-         |-         |4.729     |4.227     |4.660     |4.961     |5.658     |4.946                

                                                                                                                                                    

Council for National Academic                                                                                                                       

 Awards<4>                            |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-                    

                                                                                                                                                    

Further Education Unit                |3.495     |3.359     |3.038     |3.525     |2.486     |3.871     |3.129     |3.545     |<5>-                 

                                                                                                                                                    

National Youth Bureau                 |0.483     |0.478     |0.490     |<6>-      |0.557     |0.571     |<7>-      |<7>-      |<7>-                 

                                                                                                                                                    

National Youth Agency                 |<8>-      |<8>-      |<8>-      |<8>-      |<8>-      |<8>-      |1.840     |1.495     |1.706                

                                                                                                                                                    

Education Assets Board<3>             |-         |-         |-         |0.770     |0.642     |0.552     |0.500     |0.858     |2.694                

                                                                                                                                                    

School Curriculum and Development                                                                                                                   

 Council                               1.053      1.140      1.340      Wound up August 1988. Replaced by School Examinations and                   

                                                                        Assessment Council and National Curriculum Council                          

School Examinations Council           |2.341     |2.484     |2.339                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                    

School Examinations and Assessment                                     |3.681     |5.250     |7.730     |10.532    |12.383    |10.427               

 Council                                          Established 1988                                                                                  

                                                  Wound up 1993                                                                                     

National Curriculum Council                                            |5.338     |7.345     |7.340     |7.698     |8.135     |6.400                

                                                                                                                                                    

School Curriculum and Assessment                                                                                                                    

 Authority<9>                         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |3.600                

                                                                                                                                                    

Teaching as a Career Unit<3>          |-         |-         |0.513     |0.934     |0.954     |1.487     |1.402     |1.407     |1.182                

                                                                                                                                                    

Polytechnics and Colleges Funding                                                                                                                   

 Council<10>                          |-         |-         |-         |-         |1,113.603 |1,104.255 |993.158   |1,034.601 |-                    

                                                                                                                                                    

Universities Funding Council<11>      |-         |-         |-         |-         |1,851.661 |1,836.708 |1,782.142 |1,806.426 |-                    

                                                                                                                                                    

Higher Education Funding Council                                                                                                                    

 for England<12>                      |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |<13>0.500 |2,806.458            

                                                                                                                                                    

Further Education Funding Council<12> |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |<13>24.417|2,552.911            

                                                                                                                                                    

Funding Agency for Schools<14>        |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |-         |<13>2.000            

<1>Nil (self-funded body). Became wholly independent and ceased to be NDPB sponsored by Department of Further Education October 1993.               

<2>Merged with British Council December 1993. Henceforth sponsored by Foreign and Commonwealth Office.                                              

<3>Established 1988.                                                                                                                                

<4>Nil (self-funded body). Wound up March 1993.                                                                                                     

<5>Subsumed in Further Education Funding Council grant.                                                                                             

<6>Not separately available.                                                                                                                        

<7>Wound up 1991 and replaced by National Youth Agency.                                                                                             

<8>Established April 1991 incorporating National Youth Bureau and Council for Education and Training in Community Work.                             

<9>Established October 1993.                                                                                                                        

<10>Up to April 1989 polytechnics funded by local authorities. Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council established April 1989, wound up           

March 1993.                                                                                                                                         

<11>Up to April 1989 grants to universities distributed on advice of University Grants Committee. Universities Funding Council established April    

1989,                                                                                                                                               

wound up March 1993.                                                                                                                                

<12>Established April 1993.                                                                                                                         

<13>Preparatory costs.                                                                                                                              

<14>To be established April 1994.                                                                                                                   


Column 547

Home Students

Mr. Don Foster : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many full-time home students in the United Kingdom are over the age of 50 years.

Mr. Boswell : In the academic year 1992-93, there were 5,400 full- time, home-domiciled higher education students aged 51 and over in the United Kingdom.

EMPLOYMENT

Fast Food Industry (Wages)

4. Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what monitoring is undertaken by his Department of wage levels in the fast food industry.

Mr. David Hunt : Information on earnings of workers in catering, including the fast food industry, is collected as part of the new earnings survey.

Railway Engineering Industry

13. Mr. Gunnell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the jobs lost in the railway engineering industry since April 1992 ; and how many of those losses have occurred in Yorkshire and Humberside.

Miss Widdecombe : Information is not available in the form requested.

Departmental Efficiency

14. Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to improve the efficiency of his Department.

Mr. Michael Forsyth : We have embarked on a programme of market tests. Early results are good news for the taxpayer, with savings of 52 per cent. on typing services, 33 per cent. on reprographic services and 42 per cent. on security services.

Industrial Relations

15. Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on industrial relations in the United Kingdom.

Mr. David Hunt : Thanks to this Government's reforms of industrial relations and trade union law, the number of strikes is the lowest for over a century.

Health and Safety Executive (Grant Aid)

16. Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made as to the effect of the proposed cut in grant aid to the Health and Safety Executive on charges to industry.

Mr. Michael Forsyth : I refer the hon. Member to my earlier reply to the hon. Members for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Kilfoyle) and for Leeds, East (Mr. Mudie).


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