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Mr. McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will provide figures on the number of applicants wishing to enter dental school for training for each year since 1985, the number of applicants who have successfully secured a training place at dental school for each year since 1985, and the number of dental students who have qualified to practice as dentist for each year since 1985.
Mr. Boswell: The information requested for home, EC and overseas students for each year from the 1985 86 academic year for dental schools in the United Kingdom is set out as follows:
Year |Applications |Acceptances |Qualifications --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1985-86 |2,315 |894 |622 1986-87 |2,050 |893 |731 1987-88 |1,834 |906 |852 1988-89 |8,111 |867 |743 1989-90 |7,823 |853 |744 1990-91 |7,515 |826 |693 1991-92 |7,562 |864 |734 1992-93 |8,293 |869 |796 Sources: UCCA Report Table 7 (applications and acceptances) USR Vol 2 Table 3 (qualifications). Note: Figures prior to 1988-89 are based on applicants' preferred subjects. Those from 1989 onwards are based on the total number of applications.
Statistical Bulletins
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proposals she has made for reducing the number of statistical bulletins issued by her analytical services branch on the contracting out of their publications; and what charge will be made, other than postage, for any bulletins so published.
Mr. Forth: Statistical bulletins will be produced only where the information to be published is not appropriate to either a statistical press notice or a statistical volume. It is planned that there will be three regular bulletins and a small number of ad-hoc bulletins reporting the results of occasional surveys and analyses. HMSO submitted the successful bid for the publishing work and it is proposed that bulletins be priced at £3.50.
Grant-maintained Schools
Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what were the numbers on the rolls of each grant-maintained schools in Nottinghamshire when it became grant-maintained; and what are the latest numbers on the roll in each case.
Mr. Robin Squire: The information requested is set out in the table. This shows numbers on roll in the school year in which schools became grant -maintained and in January 1994, the latest data available.
Grant-maintained schools in Nottinghamshire
|Number on roll in
|January in School
|year in which GM |Number on roll in
School name |GM Start Date |start date fell |January 1994
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greenwood Dale GM School |1/4/93 |567 |560
Ravensdale Grant Maintained Middle School |1/9/92 |328 |319
The George Spencer School |1/4/93 |936 |958
Notes
The numbers on roll shown in this table are derived from the Department for Education's annual Schools Census.
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Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what were the numbers on the roll of each grant- maintained school in Derbyshire when it became grant-maintained; and what are the latest numbers on roll in each case.Column 360
Mr. Robin Squire: The information requested is set out in the table. This shows numbers on roll in the school year in which schools became grant -maintained and in January 1994, the latest data available.
Grant-maintained school in Derbyshire
|Number on roll in
|January in school
|year in which GM |Number on roll in
School name |GM Start Date |start date fell |January 1994
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Belmont Primary School |1/4/92 |354 |364
Belper Grant-maintained School |1/4/93 |1,009 |999
Borrow Wood Junior School |1/4/92 |227 |233
Chellaston Junior Grant Maintained School |1/9/93 |323 |323
Chellaston School |1/1/93 |928 |957
Fairmeadows Primary School |1/9/94 |<1>- |246
Friesland School |1/9/93 |850 |850
Heanor Gate School |1/4/93 |968 |1,040
John Port School |1/4/93 |1,660 |1,635
Lady Manners School |1/9/93 |1,440 |1,440
Linton Primary School |1/9/93 |275 |275
Murray Park Community School |1/4/93 |896 |891
Netherthorpe School |1/4/90 |571 |800
Noel-Baker Community School (GM) |1/4/93 |1,147 |1,153
Redhill Primary School |1/1/94 |183 |183
Repton Primary School |1/4/93 |188 |187
St. John Houghton RC School |1/9/94 |<1>- |438
St. Mary's Catholic High School |1/1/94 |1,104 |1,104
The Curzon CE Primary School |1/9/94 |<1>- |86
The Ecclesbourne School |1/9/90 |1,196 |1,290
The Merrill Community School |1/1/93 |744 |746
The Pingle School |1/9/93 |1,184 |1,184
West Park Community School |1/9/93 |1,396 |1,396
William Gilbert Endowed (A) Primary School |1/9/93 |222 |222
Woodlands Community School |1/9/94 |<1>- |887
Notes: The numbers on roll shown in this table are derived from the Department for Education's annual Schools
Census. <1> These six schools became grant-maintained in the current school year, for which number on roll data is
not yet available.
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Mr. McLouglin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what were the numbers on the roll of each grant-maintained school in Staffordshire when it became grant-maintained; and what are the latest numbers on the roll in each case.
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Mr. Robin Squire: The information requested is set out in the table. This shows numbers on roll in the school year in which schools became grant -maintained and in January 1994, the latest data available.
Grant-maintained schools in Staffordshire
|Number on roll in
|January in school
|year in which GM |Number on roll in
School name |GM Start Date |start date fell |January 1994
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cannock Chase High School (GM) |1/4/93 |1,021 |1,077
Cardinal Griffin RC Comprehensive |1/9/93 |849 |849
Chasetown High School |1/9/93 |869 |869
Hollinsclough CE Primary School |1/9/93 |28 |28
Rising Brook Grant-Maintained School |1/6/93 |658 |654
St. Mildred's GM CE Primary School, Whiston |1/4/93 |27 |27
St. Thomas More RC High School |1/1/93 |954 |993
The Corbett CE Primary School |1/9/94 |<1>- |63
Notes: The numbers on roll shown in this table are derived from the Department for Education's annual Schools
Census. <1> These two schools became grant-maintained in the current school year, for which number on roll data is
not yet available.
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Ethnic Minorities
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues about educational impact of changes in the balance of funding between section 11 and the single regeneration budget for the teaching of ethnic minorities.
Mr. Forth: My right hon. Friend keeps these matters regularly under review with ministerial colleagues, and is a member of the cabinet committee which will consider SRB bids.
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Pre-school Provision
Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will ensure that choice and diversity will be maintained under any expansion of pre-school provision.
Mr. Robin Squire: Parents already choose a variety of forms of pre- school education. I recognise the valuable contribution made by the private and voluntary sectors. I am determined that they should play their part in any expansion.
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School Funding
Mr. Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) when she will make a response to the second report from the Education Select Committee on the disparity in funding between primary and secondary schools --HC, 1993 94, No. 45;
(2) what assessment she has made of the reasons for the disparity of funding between primary and secondary schools;
(3) what steps she is taking to reduce disparity in funding between secondary and primary schools;
(4) what is her assessment of the roles of standard spending assessments and local management of schools leading to the present disparity of funding between primary and secondary schools;
Mr. Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proposals she has to increase the number of teachers in primary schools; and if she will increase the funds available for such schools.
Mr. Forth: The Government's formal response has been set to the Chairman of the Committee today; copies have been placed in the Library. The above matters are covered in the response.
Mr. Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps she is taking to replace the historical basis of the funding formula for schools with a formula based upon educational needs.
Mr. Robin Squire: Central Government grant in support of local authority spending on education is allocated through the education standard spending assessment, which distributes funds according to the relevant populations, adjusted to reflect factors that cause the cost of providing education to vary between authorities.
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Student Grants
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions she has had with the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals, with regard to future policy on student financial support.
Mr. Boswell: My right hon. Friend and I have had a number of meetings with the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals, at which a range of issues were discussed.
Schools
Mr. Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what consultation she proposed to undertake about the effects on primary and secondary schools of the proposed alterations to county boundaries and the creation of unitary authorities.
Mr. Robin Squire: The Local Government Commission is pursuing extensive consultations within each area for which reorganisation might be in prospect, giving full opportunity for schools and their representatives to express their views. Moreover, ministerial colleagues and I, and Department officials, are in frequent contact with chief education officers and their associations, and I have been keen to hear their views on the commission's proposals.
Public Appointments
Mr. Grocott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list the public appointments for which she is responsible (a) in the west midlands region and (b) in Shropshire, indicating in each case the duration of the appointment, the date when a new appointment is due, and the salary.
Mr. Boswell: The information requested is as follows:
|Length of |Date when next
Members |Appointment |appointment is due |Salary
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
a. West Midlands
Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) (Coventry)
Chief Executive |4 years 10 months |November 1996 |£91,107 Full-time
Chairman |No fixed term |January 1996 |£34,975 Part-time
| (expected) | (2 days per week)
12 members |3 years |July 1995 |Honorarium of
|£4000 per annum
FEFC West Midlands Regional Committee (Coventry)
12 members |3 years |November 1996 |No honorarium.
| Travelling and
| subsistence
| allowances are
| paid by the FEFC
FEFC East Midlands Regional Committee (Coventry)
11 members |3 years |September 1996 |No honorarium.
| Travelling and
| subsistence
| allowances are
| paid by the FEFC
National Council for Education and Training (NCET) (Coventry)
Chairman |Normally 3 years |September 1995 |Some expenses are
| paid for attendance
| at Council meetings
7 members |Normally 3 years |April 1995
1 member |Normally 3 years |April 1996
7 members |Normally 3 years |April 1997
b. Shropshire
My right hon. Friend is not responsible for any public appointments in Shropshire
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Parents Charter
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her answer of 17 October, Official Report, column 24 , what was the total cost of preparing, printing and distributing the parents charter to homes and schools in Hampshire.
Mr. Robin Squire: The cost of preparing, printing and distributing the parents charter to homes in Hampshire was approximately £53,000. The charter was posted to all schools in England. It is not possible to disaggregate the cost of sending copies to schools in Hampshire.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Chartermarks
Mr. Byers: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) how many schools are eligible to receive a chartermark award; how many applied for the mark this year; how many schools were awarded the chartermark on 17 October; and what the cost has been of promoting the chartermark and inviting applications from schools;
(2) how many hospitals and ambulance authorities are eligible to receive a chartermark award; how many applied for the mark this year; how many were awarded on 17 October; and what was the cost been of promoting the chartermark and inviting applications from hospitals and ambulance authorities.
Mr. Robert G. Hughes: Any public sector organisation is eligible for the chartermark subject to the guidelines set out in the annual application booklet.
Some 101 hospitals, including NHS trusts and individual units within hospitals, two ambulance services and 37 schools applied for the chartermark in 1994. Of those, 13 hospitals, 10 schools and one ambulance service won chartermarks and eight hospitals and five schools were unsuccessful but received commendations.
There is no specific budget for promoting the chartermark scheme and inviting applications from schools or hospitals and ambulance services. The overall cost of advertising the 1994 scheme has been £370,000.
Mr. Byers: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what costs were involved in the hire of the Royal Festival hall for the chartermark awards on 17 October; and what were the costs of advertising and associated publicity and the travel costs for those invited to attend.
Mr. Robert G. Hughes: The cost of hiring the Royal Festival hall for the chartermark awards on 17 October was £12,500. The cost of the advertising campaign to publicise the presentation of the awards was £320,000. There were no travel costs paid for those invited to attend.
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Lord Archer
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the President of the Board of Trade under what circumstances papers examined by his Department's inspectors and their file notes of interviews in the case of Lord Archer of Weston-super- Mare and the purchase of shares in Anglia Television may be made available to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Mr. Neil Hamilton: Information obtained by inspectors exercising powers under section 177 of the Financial Services Act 1986 could be passed to the Director of Public Prosecutions where the purpose of the disclosure is,
"with a view to the institution of or otherwise for the purpose of criminal proceedings" that is in section 180 (1) (a) of the Financial Services Act 1986.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether all the independent legal experts he consulted were agreed as to whether a prosecution should be brought in the case of Lord Archer of Weston-super-Mare and the purchase of shares in Anglia Television.
Mr. Neil Hamilton: The decision to take no further action under the insider dealing legislation against any of the parties concerned in the investigation into alleged insider dealing in the shares of Anglia Television Group plc was wholly consistent with the advice of independent counsel following their consideration of the inspectors' report and other information available to the inspectors.
Coal
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the bidders for British Coal's mining assets; which were successful; and if he will make a statement on the criteria adopted in choosing the preferred bidders.
Mr. Eggar: The names of the bidders for the five regional coal companies and the care and maintenance collieries are commercially confidential. Preferred bidders were announced on Wednesday 12 October. They are:
R J B Mining plc for Central North, Central South and North East Regional Coal Companies and Thorne and Ellington Care and Maintenance Collieries;
Celtic Energy Limited for South Wales;
Mining (Scotland) Limited for Scotland;
Coal Investment plc for Annesley Bentinck Colliery; and Tower Employee Buyout Team for Tower Colliery.
All bids were carefully considered on their merits. Our aim has been to privatise British Coal in a way which achieves the largest economically viable industry while ensuring that the taxpayer obtains value for money.
Solar Electric Cells
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment his Department has made of the development of a new design of solar electric cells by
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Professor Green of the university of New South Wales, in so far as it is applicable to British weather conditions.Mr. Ian Taylor: The new design of photovoltaic cells by Professor Green is an incremental development of current silicon PV cells. BP Solar, a major photovoltaic manufacturer in the United Kingdom, has a license to manufacture advanced PV cells based on Professor Green's earlier developments.
The DTI new and renewable energy programme is assessing PV technology for its future potential in the United Kingdom and also as an export opportunity for United Kingdom industry. This involves BP Solar and other United Kingdom manufacturers, and a continuing awareness of developments such as those by Professor Green.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Parks Police
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter from PC Robert Jackson about the respective powers of various parks police constabularies and individual police officers.
Mr. Maclean: We have no record of having received such a letter. If the hon. Member would care to send a copy, we shall reply to it as soon as we reasonably can.
Drug Prevention
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evaluation he has made of the results of the drug prevention initiative in West Glamorgan, relative to the DPI projects in England and Scotland; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth: The drugs prevention team in West Glamorgan has implemented programmes of work which has been closely monitored both locally and by the central drugs prevention unit of the Home Office. No specific evaluation relative to other teams has been conducted.
Overseas Domestic Workers
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the effects of the new screening procedures introduced in May 1991 for overseas domestic workers on the number of such workers who experience physical, psychological and sexual abuse.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: None. But we keep the general arrangements for the overseas domestic workers scheme under review.
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to include in the notice to employers of domestic servants travelling to the United Kingdom a statement that it is a criminal offence to withhold another person's passport.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: We are considering the inclusion in the leaflet for domestic servants of further advice about passports.
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were granted entry clearance at posts abroad to come in to the United Kingdom as overseas domestic workers under the 1980
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concession (a) between 1 January 1980 and 31 December 1991 and (b) since 31 August 1993.Mr. Nicholas Baker: The information requested is not available.
Mrs Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to monitor the screening procedures introduced in May 1991 for overseas domestic workers.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: We are currently reviewing those procedures in consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which is responsible for the entry clearance system abroad.
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many overseas domestic workers have initiated legal challenges against their former employers since 24 July 1990 on grounds of (a) sexual offences, (b) violent offences, (c) false imprisonment, (d) assault and battery, (e) intimidation, (f) breach of contract and (g) slavery; and how many employers in each category were found guilty.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The information requested is not available as statistics of the results of court proceedings do not distinguish the occupation or nationality of victims or defendants.
PC Rhys Trigg
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 17 October, Official Report , column 84 , what was the composition of the tribunal set up to consider the appeal of PC Rhys Trigg after his dismissal by the Police Commissioner.
Mr. Maclean: Police discipline appeals tribunals are appointed on an ad hoc basis under paragraph 3 of schedule 5 of the Police Act 1964, as substituted by section 103 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. Paragraph 3 requires that the three members comprise a barrister or solicitor, who shall be the chairman, a serving or retired inspector of constabulary or a retired chief officer and a retired officer of appropriate rank to the appellant. The chairman of the tribunal considering PC Trigg's appeal was Mr. T. M. E. Nash. The second member was Sir James Anderton CBE QPM DL. The third member was Mr. P. Astles.
Prisoners' Families
Miss Lestor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what areas the responsibilities of (a) the Probation Service and (b) the Prison Service cover in relation to the welfare of prisoners' families;
(2) how much public money is spent on the welfare of prisoners' families;
(3) what liaison there is between the Probation Service, the Prison Service and the Benefits Agency in relation to the welfare of prisoners' families.
Mr. Michael Forsyth: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
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Letter from Derek Lewis to Miss Joan Lestor, dated 21 October 1994:The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the welfare of prisoners' families.
The welfare of prisoners' families is not the direct responsibility of either Service, although both recognise the importance of prisoners' family ties. I understand that the Probation Service offers help to families when this assists the rehabilitation of the prisoner.
The Prison Service seeks to help prisoners maintain their family ties, including the establishment of a Family Ties Consultative Group, and the provision of better visiting facilities. This year funding was increased to help low-income families visit relatives in prison on a fortnightly, rather than monthly, basis.
Information about how much public money is spent on the welfare of prisoners' families is not available centrally. Prison Service spending on the assisted prison visits scheme is likely to be in the region of £3.5 million this year.
The Prison Service and the probation services liaise closely on a prisoner's release, and the prisoner's family is involved where appropriate. Probation staff are seconded to all prison establishments in England and Wales and provide an important link with probation staff in the community, who make contact with prisoners' families as appropriate.
A number of Benefits agency districts provide advice services for prisons within their areas and pre-release talks for prisoners about benefit entitlements. The Prison Service is also actively involved in a forthcoming project by the Benefits agency and the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NACRO), which is specifically directed at the benefit information needs of prisoners and their families.
DEFENCE
Gibraltar
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current level of defence expenditure in Gibraltar; and what was the comparable level of expenditure on a real and comparable expenditure basis in (a) 1980 and (b) 1984.
Mr. Soames: The level of defence expenditure in Gibraltar for the current financial year--1994 95--is approximately £59 million. Before the financial year 1991 92, financial information was not collected in a way which attributed costs to any particular location, and comparable figures are not therefore available.
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what facilities are available to the inhabitants of Gibraltar for the protection of territorial waters and of the local fishing industry; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Soames: A seaborne patrol of Gibraltar's territorial waters is regularly conducted by the Gibraltar Squadron. The Gibraltar Squadron will call upon the services of the local police should it encounter a potential or actual offence at sea being committed. The Gibraltar guard ship, normally a frigate or a destroyer, is maintained within a few days steaming of Gibraltar. Other defence assets could be deployed to Gibraltar if necessary.
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's commitment to the airport in Gibraltar with particular reference to RAF participation.
Mr. Soames: The airport remains under MOD ownership for the time being. While certain support services will be contractorised, an RAF element will
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remain to deal with the regular scheduled Hercules flights and also the occasional Nimrod or fast jet detachment.Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the provision of forces' manpower to ensure that internal security can be maintained in pursuance of the constitutional responsibilities of the Governor of Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Soames: There are two police forces in Gibraltar, the Royal Gibraltar police and the Gibraltar Service police. In assessing the future size of the garrison and arrangements for reinforcing it if necessary, we have taken full account of all potential calls on service personnel, including the possibility of supporting the police.
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is his intention to retain the two Royal Naval vessels based at Gibraltar charged with responsibilities for rescue and sea patrol.
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