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Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will name the current members of the Advisory Committee on the Acceptance of Business Appointments by Crown Servants, indicating their occupation and background and which other public and private sector board posts they hold.
Mr. Robert G. Hughes: The members of the Prime Minister's Advisory Committee on Business Appointments are:
The right hon. the Lord Carlisle of Bucklow QC - Chairman The Lord Bridges GCMG - Deputy Chairman
Sir John Blelloch KCB
Sir Denys Henderson
Sir Charles Huxtable KCB CBE
Sir Robin Ibbs KBE
The right hon. Peter Shore MP
The right hon. the Lord Thomson of Monifieth KT
Lord Carlisle, Lord Thomson and Mr. Peter Shore are senior parliamentarians and former Ministers, Lord Bridges is a retired diplomat; Sir John Blelloch is a retired senior civil servant; Sir Charles Huxtable is a retired senior Army officer; Sir Robin Ibbs is Chairman of Lloyds bank; Sir Denys Henderson is chairman of ICI and the ZENECA group.
Three members of the advisory committee hold public appointments in other advisory bodies sponsored by my Department: Sir John Blelloch is a member of the Security Commission; Lord Thomson is a member of the Political Honours Scrutiny Committee and the Standing Committee on Standards in Public Life; Mr Peter Shore is a member of the Standing Committee on Standards in Public Life.
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Details of other public and private sector board posts held are a matter for individual committee members, and are not sought as a matter of course by my Department.Mr. Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which of the events in the national week of science and technology, supported by his Department, will be dealing with the issue of animal experimentation.
Mr. Robert G. Hughes: The programme for next year's national week of science, engineering and technology will not be finalised until the new year. At present there are no events planned which deal with the issue of animal experimentation and which would be supported by my Department.
Mr. Mans: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what are the expenditure plans of his Department in the period 1995 96 to 1997 98.
Mr. David Hunt: Provision for the Office of Public Service and Science, HMSO, Central Office of Information is £1,339 million in 1995 96, £1,357 million in 1996 97 and £1,386 million in 1997 98. Planned expenditure on public service tasks--OPSS, HMSO, COI--is £54 million in 1995 96, £53 million in 1996 97 and £53 million in 1997 98.
Provision for science is £1,285 million in 1995 96, £1,304 million in 1996 97 and £1,333 million in 1997 98. As a result, the science budget, which is provision excluding EC funding to research council institutes, has been maintained in 1995 96 at its 1994 95 level in real terms, almost 2 per cent. above its level in 1993 94. I shall be announcing the allocation of the 1995 96 science budget in due course.
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) how much public money will be spent on entertaining, Christmas decorations and other festive activities this Christmas season by his Department and Government agencies answerable to his Department; and of this sum how much will be spent in Ministers' private offices and official residences;
(2) to ask the Minister without Portfolio how much public money he will spend in his ministerial capacity on entertaining, Christmas decorations and other festive activities this Christmas season; (3) to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money will be spent on entertaining, Christmas decorations and other festive activities this Christmas season by Government Whips in their offices and official residences including No. 12 Downing street.
Mr. David Hunt: I have been asked to reply. Disaggregated information of this nature is not available. Such costs as relate to Cabinet Office, Office of Public Service and Science, Central Office of Information and Her Majesty's Stationery Office are covered in running
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costs expenditure, which is published in the annual report, copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.Mr. Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) how many official Christmas cards he and his Ministers intend to send in 1994; how much these cards will cost (a) to buy, (b) to post and (c) in staff time to sign, address and place in envelopes; and if he will place in the Library a sample copy of the official Christmas card he intends to send this year;
(2) to ask the Minister without Portfolio how many official Christmas cards he intends to send in 1994 in his ministerial capacity; how much these cards will cost (a) to buy, (b) to post and (c) in staff time to sign, address and place in envelopes; and if he will place in the Library a sample copy of the official Christmas card he intends to send this year;
(3) to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many official Christmas cards the Government Whips intend to send in 1994; how much these cards will cost (a) to buy, (b) to post and (c) in staff time to sign, address and place in envelopes; and if he will place in the Members, Library a sample copy of the official Christmas card the Chief Whip intends to send this year.
Mr. David Hunt: I have been asked to reply.
I shall write to the hon. member when the number of Christmas cards sent by my office is known, and will be glad to send him one and to place one in the Library. The Minister without Portfolio and the Government Whips do not have official Christmas cards.
Mr. McAllion: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list all executive agencies, their parent department and their date of establishment.
Mr. Robert G. Hughes: The information requested is as follows:
|Launch Date -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lord Chancellor HM Land Registry<1> |2 July 1990 Public Record Office<1> |1 April 1992 Public Trust Office |1 July 1994 Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Wilton Park |1 September 1991 Chancellor of the Exchequer Central Statistical Office<1> |19 November 1991 HM Customs and Excise<2> |1 April 1991 Inland Revenue<2> |1 April 1992 Paymaster<1> |1 April 1993 Royal Mint<1> |2 April 1990 Valuation Office<1> |30 September 1991 Secretary of State for the Home Department Fire Service College |1 April 1992 Forensic Science Service |1 September 1991 HM Prison Service |1 April 1993 United Kingdom Passport Agency |2 April 1991 President of the Board of Trade Accounts Services Agency |1 October 1991 Companies House |3 October 1988 Insolvency Service |21 March 1990 Laboratory of the Government Chemist |30 October 1989 National Physical Laboratory |3 July 1990 National Weights and Measures Laboratory |18 April 1989 NEL |5 October 1990 Patent Office |1 March 1990 Radiocommunications Agency |2 April 1990 Secretary of State for Transport Coastguard |1 April 1994 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency |2 April 1990 Driving Standards Agency |2 April 1990 Highways Agency |1 April 1994 Marine Safety Agency |1 April 1994 Transport Research Laboratory |2 April 1992 Vehicle Certification Agency |2 April 1990 Vehicle Inspectorate |1 August 1988 Secretary of State for Defence Army Base Repair Organisation |1 April 1993 Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment |1 April 1991 Defence Accounts Agency |1 April 1991 Defence Analytical Services Agency |1 July 1992 Defence Animal Centre |1 June 1993 Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency |22 November 1994 Defence Operational Analysis Centre |1 July 1992 Defence Postal and Courier Services |1 July 1992 Defence Research Agency |2 April 1991 Disposal Sales Agency |1 October 1994 Duke of York's Royal Military School |1 April 1992 Hydrographic Office |6 April 1990 Logistic Information Systems Agency |21 November 1994 Maintenance Group Defence Agency |2 April 1991 Meteorological Office |2 April 1990 Military Survey |2 April 1991 Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation |1 April 1992 Queen Victoria School |1 April 1992 RAF Signals Engineering Establishment |22 November 1994 RAF Training Group Defence Agency |1 April 1994 Service Children's Schools (North West Europe) |24 April 1991 Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food ADAS |1 April 1992 Central Science Laboratory |23 April 1994 Central Veterinary Laboratory |2 April 1990 Intervention Board<1> <4> |2 April 1990 Pesticides Safety Directorate |1 April 1993 Veterinary Medicines Directorate |2 April 1990 Secretary of State for National Heritage Historic Royal Palaces Agency |1 October 1989 Royal Parks Agency |1 April 1993 Secretary of State for the Environment Building Research Establishment |2 April 1990 Ordnance Survey<1> |1 May 1990 Planning Inspectorate <5> |1 April 1992 Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre |6 July 1989 Security Facilities Executive |15 October 1993 The Buying Agency |31 October 1991 Secretary of State for Wales Cadw (Welsh Historic Monuments) |2 April 1991 Secretary of State for Social Security Social Security Benefits Agency |2 April 1991 Social Security Child Support Agency |5 April 1993 Social Security Contributions Agency |2 April 1991 Social Security Information Technology Services Agency |2 April 1990 Social Security Resettlement Agency |24 May 1989 Social Security War Pensions Agency |13 April 1994 Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Central Office of Information<1> |5 April 1990 Chessington Computer Centre |1 April 1993 Civil Service College |6 June 1989 HMSO<1> |14 December 1988 Occupational Health Service |2 April 1990 Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency |2 April 1991 Secretary of State for Scotland Historic Scotland |2 April 1991 Registers of Scotland<1> |6 April 1990 Scottish Agricultural Science Agency |1 April 1992 Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency |12 April 1991 Scottish Office Pensions Agency |1 April 1993 Scottish Prison Service |1 April 1993 Scottish Record Office<1> |1 April 1993 Student Awards Agency for Scotland |5 April 1994 Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Compensation Agency |1 April 1992 Driver and Vehicle Licensing NI |2 August 1993 Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency |1 April 1992 Northern Ireland Child Support Agency |5 April 1993 Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland |1 April 1992 Rate Collection Agency |1 April 1991 Social Security Agency (NI) |1 July 1991 Training and Employment Agency (NI) |2 April 1990 Valuation and Lands Agency |1 April 1993 Secretary of State for Education Teacher's Pensions Agency |1 April 1992 Secretary of State for Health Medical Devices Agency |27 September 1994 Medicines Control Agency |11 July 1991 NHS Estates |1 April 1991 NHS Pensions |20 November 1992 Secretary of State for Employment Employment Service |2 April 1990 Attorney General Government Property Lawyers |1 April 1993 Minister for Overseas Development Natural Resources Institute |2 April 1990 <1>Agencies that are Government Departments. <2>Government Department operating on Next Steps lines. <3>The Secretary of State for Wales is responsible for ADAS in Wales. <4>The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretaries of State for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are jointly responsible for the Intervention Board. <5>The Secretary of State for Wales is responsible for the Planning Inspectorate in Wales.
Mr. McAllion: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the chief executives of all executive agencies, their civil service grade, and their salary range; and whether they were outside appointments or appointed through open competition.
Mr. Robert G. Hughes: The information is reproduced in the table.
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|Present Chief |<1>Remuneration in |Method of Agency |Executive |Grade |1993-94 |appointment ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Accounts Services Agency |Mike Hoddinott |5 |43,974 |internal Adas |Dr. Julia Walsh |2 |80,563 |open competition, |direct entrant Army Base Repair Organisation |Brigadier Jim Drew |- |53,000 |armed forces Building Research Establishment |Roger Courtney |3 |61,529 |internal CADW |John Carr |5 |49,752 |open competition, |direct entrant Central Office of Information |Mike Devereau |3 |69,166 |internal Central Science Laboratory |Dr. Peter Stanley |3 |61,531 |open competition, |serving civil servant Central Statistical Office |Bill McLennan |1A |114,063 |open competition, |direct entrant Central Veterinary Laboratory |Dr. Tony Little |3 |62,806 |open competition, |serving civil servant Chemical Biological Defence Establishment |Dr. Graham Pearson CB |3 |59,599 |internal Chessington Computer Centre |Robert Edwards |5 |49,200 |internal Civil Service College |Dr. Stephen Hickey |3 |<5>59,533 |open competition, |serving civil servant The Coastguard Agency |Chris Harris |4 |<3>49.744 |open competition, |serving civil servant Companies House |David Durham |4 |50,000 |open competition, |direct entrant Compensation Agency |Denis Stanley |5 |<5>47,357 |open competition, |direct entrant Defence Accounts Agency |Mike Dymond |4 |55,051 |internal Defence Analytical Services Agency |Paul Altobell |4 |55,422 |internal Defence Animal Centre |Colonel Roache |- |<4>44,309 |armed forces Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency |Brigadier Richard Kirby|- |<3>55,958 |armed forces Defence Operational Analysis Centre |David Daniel |4 |<5>48,624 |internal Defence Postal and Courier Service |Brigadier Tweedie |- |<5>62,889 |armed forces |Brown Defence Research Agency |John Chisholm |2 |147,238 |open competition, |direct entrant Disposals Sales Agency |Keith Ellender |6 |<3>42,930 |internal Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency |Stephen Curtis |3 |57,142 |open competition, |serving civil servant Driver and Vehicle Licensing (NI) |Brendan Magee |5 |<4>36,379 |open competition, |serving civil servant Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency (NI) |Brian Watson |6 |40,017 |open competition, |serving civil servant Driving Standards Agency |Dr. John Ford |5 |<2>47,500 |open competition, |direct entrant Duke of York's Royal Military School |Col. Gordon Wilson |- |43,698 |armed forces Employment Service |Mike Fogden CB |3+ |67,557 |open competition, |serving civil servant Fire Service College |Nigel Finlayson |5 |<5>64,383 |internal Forensic Science Service |Dr. Janet Thompson |3 |62,946 |open competition, |serving civil servant Government Property Lawyers |Tony Osborne |3 |59,380 |internal Highways Agency |Lawrence Haynes |2 |<3>100,000 |open competition, |direct entrant Historic Royal Palaces Agency |David Beeton |3 |60,903 |open competition, |direct entrant Historic Scotland |Graeme Munro |3 |55,415 |internal HM Prison Service |Derek Lewis |2 |133,280 |open competition, |direct entrant HMSO |Dr. Paul Freeman CB |2 |68,000 |open competition, |serving civil servant Hydrographic Office |Rear Admiral Nigel |- |<2>60,747 |armed forces |Essenhigh The Insolvency Service |Peter Joyce |3 |57,847 |open competition, |serving civil servant Intervention Board |Guy Stapleton |3 |55,586 |internal Laboratory of the Government Chemist |Dr. Richard Worswick |3 |63,000 |open competition, |direct entrant HM Land Registry |John Manthorpe CB |2 |67,000 |open competition, |serving civil servant Logistics Information Systems Agency |Brigadier Allan Pollard|- |<3>55,958 |armed forces Marine Safety Agency |Robin Bradley |4 |<3>45,680 |open competition, |direct entrant Medical Devices Agency |Alan Kent |4 |<3>53,776 |open competition, |direct entrant Medicines Control Agency |Dr. Keith Jones |3 |82,698 |open competition, |direct entrant Meteorological Office |Professor Julian Hunt |2 |82,000 |open competition, |direct entrant Military Survey |Major General Mike |- |<2>60,486 |armed forces |Watson National Physical Laboratory |Dr. Peter Clapham |3 |62,645 |open competition, |serving civil servant National Weights and Measures Laboratory |Dr. Seton Bennett |5 |55,263 |open competition, |serving civil servant Natural Resources Institute |Anthony Beattie |3 |60,831 |internal Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation |Capt. Wade Graham |- |<5>45,854 |armed forces NEL |William Edgar |3 |86,000 |open competition, NHS Estates |John Locke |3 |65,620 |open competition, |direct entrant NHS Pensions Agency |Alec Cowan |5 |50,911 |open competition, |direct entrant Northern Ireland Child Support Agency |Patrick Devlin |5 |45,665 |open competition, |serving civil servant Occupational Health Service |Dr. Elizabeth McCloy |3 |<2>56,512 |open competition, |direct entrant Ordnance Survey |Professor David Rhind |3 |59,001 |open competition, |direct entrant Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland |Mike Brand |5 |48,320 |internal Patent Office |Paul Hartnack |3 |62,751 |open competition, |direct entrant Paymaster |Keith Sullens |5 |43,000 |open competition, |serving civil servant Pesticide Safety Directorate |Geoff Bruce |4 |54,929 |open competition, |serving civil servant Planning Inspectorate |Chris Shepley |3 |<5>52,839 |open competition, |direct entrant Public Record Office |Mrs. Sarah Tyacke |3 |59,550 |open competition, |direct entrant Public Trust Agency |Miss Julia Lomas |4 |<3>56,000 |open competition, |direct entrant Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre |Marcus Black |5 |47,864 |open competition, |direct entrant Queen Victoria School |Brian Raine |5 |<5>43,048 |open competition, |direct entrant Radiocommunications Agency |Jim Norton |3 |<2>69,000 |open competition, |direct entrant RAF Maintenance Group Defence Agency |Air Vice Marshal |- |<2>60,941 |armed forces | Richard Kyle MBE RAF Signals Engineering Establishment |Air Commodore Peter |- |<3>55,045 |armed forces |Ayee RAF Training Group Defence Agency |Air Vice Marshal John |- |<3>56,710 |armed forces |May Rate Collection Agency (NI) |David Gallagher |6 |38,534 |open competition, |serving civil servant Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency |Michael Geddes |3 |59,278 |open competition, |direct entrant Registers of Scotland |Alan Ramage |4 |<5>47,197 |open competition, |serving civil servant Royal Mint |Roger Holmes |3 |56,000 |open competition, |direct entrant Royal Parks |David Welch |5 |46,073 |open competition, |direct entrant Scottish Agricultural Science Agency |Dr. Robert Hay |5 |42,806 |open competition, |direct entrant Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency |Andrew MacLeod |5 |41,296 |internal Scottish Office Pensions Agency |Norman Macleod |6 |40,375 |open competition, |serving civil servant Scottish Prison Service |Edward Frizzell |3 |54,700 |internal Scottish Record Office |Patrick Cadell |5 |43,294 |open competition, Security Facilities Executive |John King |5 |47,203 |open competition, |serving civil servant Service Children's Schools (NWE) |Ian Mitchelson |4 |50,808 |open competition, |direct entrant Social Security Agency (NI) |Alec Wylie |3 |55,878 |open competition, |serving civil servant Social Security Benefits Agency |Michael Bichard |2 |83,012 |open competition, |direct entrant Social Security Child Support Agency |Miss Ann Chant |3 |<5>51,362 |internal Social Security Contributions Agency |George Bertram |3 |<5>55,659 |internal Social Security IT Services Agency |Ian Magee |3 |57,919 |open competition, |serving civil servant Social Security Resettlement Agency |Paul Winstanley |6 |<5>46,000 |internal Social Security War Pensions Agency |Peter Mathison |5 |<3>49,490 |open competition, |direct entrant Student Awards Agency for Scotland |Ken MacRae |6 |<3>44,287 |internal Teachers' Pensions Agency |Mrs. Denyse Metcalfe |5 |50,470 |open competition, |direct entrant The Buying Agency |Stephen Sage |5 |<2>43,067 |internal Training and Employment Agency (NI) |Julian Crozier |3 |60,590 |internal Transport Research Laboratory |John Wootton |3 |72,400 |open competition, |direct entrant UK Passport Agency |David Gatenby |5 |<5>53,269 |open competition, |serving civil servant Valuation and Lands Office |David Bell |3 |55,555 |open competition, |serving civil servant Valuation Office |John Langford |2 |<5>77,152 |open competition, |serving civil servant Vehicle Certification Agency |Derek Harvey |5 |45,915 |internal Vehicle Inspectorate |Ron Oliver |4 |53,854 |open competition, |serving civil servant Veterinary Medicines Directorate |Dr. Mike Rutter |4 |53,411 |open competition, |direct entrant Wilton Park Conference Centre |Richard Langhorne |5 |<2>44,000 |open competition, |direct entrant <1> The Chief Executive's actual remuneration, including bonuses, and taxable benefits, in 1993-94 as shown in the Annual Report and Accounts of the agency. <2> A new Chief Executive was appointed part way through 1993-94 and the current annual salary, excluding any bonus or other taxable benefits, for the present Chief Executive is provided. <3> The Agency was launched in 1994 and has therefore yet to produce its first annual Report and Accounts. The current annual salary, excluding any bonus or other taxable benefits, is provided. <4> The Agency was launched part way through 1993-94 and the current annual salary, excluding any bonus or other taxable benefits, is provided. <5> A new Chief Executive has been appointed and the figure provided relates to the Chief Executive in post during 1993-94.
Mr. Hardy: To ask the Secretary for Education what steps he will take to avoid the creation of budgeting difficulties in colleges of further and higher education as a consequence of changes in the allocation of support from the single regeneration budget in 1995 96.
Mr. Boswell: The budgets of further and higher education colleges are matters for the institutions themselves and for the funding councils. If the hon. Member is aware of any particular difficulty, he should raise it with them in the first instance.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of schools in (a) the primary and (b) the secondary sector spent (i) more than £1,000 and (ii) less than £500 on books in the years 1992 93 and 1993 94 and what are the projections for the financial years 1994 95 and 1995 96.
Mr. Robin Squire: Figures for expenditure on books by individual schools are not collected centrally.
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Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education from which lines of the local authority revenue outturn and revenue accounts returns the estimate of £220 million was made for local authority expenditure on the youth service which can be found in table 3 of the Department for Education and Office for Standards in Education departmental report.
Mr. Boswell: The estimate of £220 million for local authority spending on the youth service in 1993 94 was calculated by apportioning total local authority expenditure on education, as recorded on local authority revenue account returns for 1993 94, pro rata to the breakdown of spending in 1993 94 produced by the local authority associations as part of their 1993 report into education spending needs. The expenditure figures used in the calculation were taken from lines 1-11 and 77 of the RA returns. Income in respect of technical and vocational education initiative, WRFE, Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council/Universities Funding Council payments, EC grants and other grants recorded on the same forms were then netted off.
Final outturn data for 1993 94 will not become available until next year. This is likely to be different from
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the estimate shown above. The latest outturn data available is for 1992 93. Local authority Revenue Outturn forms show that net recurrent spending on the youth service in that year was £274 million. The provisional 1992 93 figure shown in the 1994 DFE/Ofsted departmental report was £232 million.Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether she will include higher and further education establishments and teacher training colleges in her audit next year of accessibility of schools.
Mr. Boswell: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be asking the Further Education Funding Council to consider whether further information on accessibility to further education sector institutions is required in the light of its statutory
responsibilities for students with disabilities. The remit letter sent to the
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Higher Education Funding Council for England on its establishment asked it to consider how access for students with special needs could be facilitated. It is for the Funding Council to decide what information it needs to collect in order to enable it to fulfil that remit and its other functions.Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will make a statement about her Department's expenditure plans for the financial years 1995 96 to 1997 98.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard: As my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in a statement today, the Department for Education and Ofsted's spending programme in 1995 96 will total £10,958 million. That total is £427 million or 4.1 per cent. higher than equivalent expenditure in 1994 95.
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<1>£ million Outturn outturn Spending plans |1993-94|1994-95|1995-96|1996-97|1997-98 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash Terms |9,810 |10,530 |10,960 |11,230 |11,240 Real Terms (1993-94 prices) |9,810 |10,320 |10,400 |10,400 |10,180 <1>Figures rounded as in the Financial Statement and Budget Report.
In a demanding public expenditure survey, the Government have had to look for greater efficiency and economy in the delivery of education, but they have maintained priority for this service within their spending plans. In particular, the Government have allowed for growth in the number of students in further education, have extended the scope of the specialist schools programme and have increased the level of support for capital expenditure on schools. Provision is made for continuing growth in the grant-maintained schools programme. As announced last year, participation in higher education has been stabilised at a level where almost one in three young people will be entering higher education. I am announcing measures to promote the private finance initiative in further and higher education; both sectors will be able, in collaboration with the private sector, to increase the planned level of capital work over the next few years. The plans announced today do not cover the expansion which the Government intend to make in provision for children under five. There will be a further statement about that in due course.
Schools
Specialist Schools Programme
The Government's technology colleges programme has been an outstanding success. It is widening choice forparents, and helping to raise standards in the key subjects of technology, science and maths. Already 50 grant- maintained and voluntary aided schools have received matching funding under the programme from the Government and from private sponsors. As envisaged in the White Paper, "Choice and Diversity", I am now extending the initiative to foreign languages. I also intend to open the programme to county and other maintained secondary schools. Our plans include £15 million, £20 million and £25 million in 1995 96, 1996 97 and 1997 98 respectively to allow for the extension of the programme.
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Capital Expenditure on SchoolsTotal central Government provision for capital expenditure on county, voluntary and grant-maintained schools is £621 million, £672 million and £661 million in 1995 96, 1996 97 and 1997 98 respectively. In the first two years, this is an increase of £14 million and £27 million respectively over the figures announced at the time of the last Budget. I also expect the private finance initiative to make an increasing contribution in the schools sector. I shall shortly announce further details of the allocations of grant to voluntary aided schools, and annual capital guidelines to local education authorities. The Funding Agency for Schools will in due course announce the allocations to grant maintained schools. GM Schools
More than 1,000 schools are now grant-maintained. The Government's expenditure plans provide for further expansion. The GM sector's rate of growth will continue to be determined by parents' decisions in ballots at individual schools; the Government will ensure that every school which becomes grant-maintained receives the necessary funding.
The great bulk of recurrent funding for GM schools is found within the totals for local authority expenditure. Central Government's recurrent expenditure on GM schools is planned to be £83 million in 1995 96. This will be increased in 1996 97 and 1997 98 in line with the increase in GM school numbers.
Further Education
The Government continue to give a high priority to further education, as the key to enhancing the competitiveness and prospects for growth of the economy. Our plans will deliver the national targets for education and training, taking the United Kingdom to the top of the international league for participation in education and training among 16-19 year olds. We have been encouraged by the success of the new FE sector in increasing its student numbers, and intend to extend its
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period of growth: with continued efficiency gains from colleges, that will continue up to and including 1997 98.The total grant for the Further Education Funding Council is planned at £3,029 million, £3,133 million and £3,128 million in 1995 96, 1996 97 and 1997 98 respectively.
The contribution towards capital expenditure within those totals is planned to be some £480 million over the next three years. In addition to maintaining planned funding levels, we are introducing new flexibility in capital and recurrent funding so as to enable colleges to make the most effective use of their resources, and to borrow against the security of Exchequer-funded as well as other assets. This should promote effective estate management and encourage the use of private sector finance, so making possible a significant acceleration in colleges' capital programmes.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer's statement of 14 September 1994 set out the Government's approach to public sector pay in the year now beginning. I shall set as a condition of my grant to the FEFC that it requires institutions in the further education sector to take account of the principles set out in the Chancellor's statement. Any failure by institutions to observe these principles may be expected to have an adverse effect on the level of grant made available to the Council in 1996 97. I shall also withhold £50 million of grant against certification by institutions in the sector that they are continuing to make flexible contracts with lecturers.
Vocational Qualifications
High quality vocational qualifications are central to our future economic development. We introduced general national vocational qualifications to meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of young people who seek a first class alternative to academic examinations or work focused national vocational qualifications. GNVQs are a great success. We must now consolidate early progress and ensure that concerns about retaining standards are addressed. We therefore plan to allocate £23 million to this area over the next three years. These additional resources will be used to ensure that all GNVQs meet the same high standards as we continue to expect of traditional academic qualifications, and to develop the part I GNVQ, a new vocational qualification of high quality designed for 14-16 year olds of all abilities, which we shall be piloting in schools from 1995. Higher Education
Student Numbers
The forecast number of students in higher education has been revised to take account of final enrolment figures for 1993 94. The plans also allow for additional EC students arising from the enlargement of the EC with effect from 1 January 1995. The net effect of these changes is that planned total student numbers are reduced by 2,000 and 7,000 in 1995 96 and 1996 97 compared with the figures underlying last year's Budget; numbers in 1995 96 will still be 2 per cent. higher than in the previous year. Within the planned totals, it should be possible for universities and colleges to expand further the number of part-time students and to keep the participation rate for young people at over 30 per cent. through to 1997 98. The Teacher Training Agency will be responsible for initial teacher training courses from the academic year 1995 96 onwards. I have asked the Higher Education Funding Council and the TTA to work together to
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continue to control the number of students in higher education over the next three years.Tuition Fees
The maximum tuition fees reimbursed through mandatory awards in 1995 96 will be the same as for 1994 95:
|£ ----------------------------------------------------- Classroom-based courses |750 Laboratory and workshop-based courses |1,600 Clinical elements of medical, dental and veterinary courses |2,800
Grant to the funding council and the Teacher Training Agency. The total grant for the HEFCE for recurrent and capital expenditure is planned at £3,613 million, £3,596 million and £3,561 million in 1995 96, 1996 97 and 1997 98 respectively. The total grant for the TTA for recurrent and capital expenditure is planned at £126 million, £174 million and £170 million in these three years; this includes funding for all the functions of the Agency, including the promotion of teaching as a career, as well as grant support for courses of initial teacher training.
The HEFCE and TTA will now have more flexibility in their planned total grant to manage their recurrent and capital allocations. As with the parallel change for the FEFC, this is intended to promote effective estate management by universities and colleges and to promote increased opportunities to borrow from the private sector to fund capital projects, in line with the Government's private finance initiative. The allowance for capital expenditure within the HEFCE grant is £350 million in 1995 96, £393 million in 1996 97 and £388 million in 1997 98. When taken together with the increased flexibility, this should enable higher education institutions to increase their capital investment as compared with previous plans. The TTA grant includes provision for estates formula and equipment funding related to the provision of courses of initial teacher training. All higher education institutions are eligible to apply to the HEFCE for capital funds for major projects.
I have set as a condition of my grant to the HEFCE and TTA that they require institutions in the higher education sector to take account of the principles set out in the Chancellor's statement on public sector pay of 14 September 1994. Any failure by institutions to observe these principles may be expected to have an adverse effect on the level of grant made available in 1996 97.
Student support
The plans allow for the level of student support through the main rates for grants and loans to be increased over the next three years in line with inflation. In 1995 96, loan and grant together will increase by 2.5 per cent. in line with the forecast change in the retail price index, exclusive of mortgage interest payments. Planned expenditure in the financial year 1995 96 is £644 million on loans and £1,102 million on maintenance grants. Access funds are being increased to some £28 million a year.
The main allowances, including dependants' allowances, will also be increased by 2.5 per cent. in 1995 96. However, I have decided to phase out the means-tested allowance payable as part of the maintenance grant to students over 26 who had previously
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been in employment. I have also decided to introduce a new rate of loan. This will apply to students who are studying in London and living away from the parental home but who could conveniently live with their parents while studying. There are already special arrangements for grant for such students.The Government decided last year to accelerate the shift from grant to loan so that by 1996 97 the main rates of grant and loan will be broadly equal. The new plans provide for the main grant rate to be reduced by about 8 per cent. in 1995 96 with a corresponding increase in the loan rates. The parental contribution scales under the awards regulations will be adjusted so that, for parents who residual income has risen at the same rate or slower than the rise in national average earnings, the assessed contribution will continue to fall in real terms.
Ofsted
Expenditure provision for the Office for Standards in Education is planned at £98 million, £116 million and £121 million in 1995 96, 1996 97 and 1997 98 respectively. This will enable Ofsted, the non- ministerial Government Department which monitors standards in schools in England, to complete the implementation of the new school inspection arrangements, which started in September 1993 for secondary schools and in September 1994 for primary and special schools.
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what is the total cost of the grants from her Department to install electronic equipment in schools to combat truancy; (2) if she will name the schools and/or local education authorities which have benefited from grants from her Department to install electronic equipment to combat truancy.
Mr. Forth: The truancy and disaffected pupils programme of the grants for education support and training--GEST--scheme includes experimentation with different methods of registration, including the appropriate use of information technology, as one of a number of activities which may be funded through grant. In the 1994 95 programme, 35 local education authorities included an IT element in their approved GEST proposals. It is not possible to identify the cost of this element separately. The 35 LEAS were:
Barking and Dagenham
Barnsley
Birmingham
Bradford
Buckinghamshire
Camden
Cheshire
Coventry
Croydon
Derbyshire
East Sussex
Hammersmith and Fulham
Hampshire
Haringey
Hounslow
Islington
Kensington and Chelsea
Column 680
KnowsleyLeeds
Lincolnshire
Liverpool
Newham
Salford
Sandwell
Sheffield
Solihull
Staffordshire
Stockport
Tameside
Wakefield
Wandsworth
Westminster
West Sussex
Wigan
Wolverhampton
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