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National Lottery
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his assessment of the total net annual change in Government tax revenues as a consequence of the introduction of the national lottery.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: The 12 per cent. duty rate was set so as to have no effect on tax revenues.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Rwanda Refugees
Miss Lestor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure humanitarian aid is effectively delivered in the refugee camps in Rwanda and Zaire.
Mr. Baldry: We keep in close touch with non-governmental organisations and the United Nations agencies working in the refugee camps in neighbouring countries and the camps for internally displaced within
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Rwanda. An ODA assessment and monitoring mission visited the region last week.Steps taken to improve effective delivery include targeted distribution of food aid to family units. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees plans a comprehensive registration exercise in early February.
Pergau Dam
Sir David Steel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what means subcontracts were allocated on the Pergau dam project; and how many British firms benefited from the allocation of subcontracts on the project.
Mr. Baldry: Sub contracts were let by the main contractor, Kerjaya Balfour Beatty Cementation. A list of the main subcontractors, vendors, plant and spares suppliers and main material suppliers was presented to the Foreign Affairs Committee in connection with its inquiry into the Pergau project, Cm 271 11, pages 80 to 85. One hundred and eighty-one British firms were involved in the project.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Corporate Manslaughter Charges
Ms Walley: To ask the Attorney-General what proposals he has to review the decision by the Crown Prosecution Service not to pursue a charge of corporate manslaughter against Fewston Transport Ltd. and H. G. Pheasey.
The Attorney-General: The evidence in relation to an incident on 6 September 1993 involving a vehicle owned by Fewston Transport Ltd. was considered by the Crown Prosecution Service at the conclusion of the police investigation and again after the inquest taking account of the evidence given to the coroner. On both occasions the Crown Prosecution Service concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute the company for manslaughter.
Herbert Graham Pheasey was a sole trader who owned a vehicle involved in an incident on 22 May 1992 as the result of which the driver, Robert Edward Marsden, was prosecuted for and convicted of causing death by reckless driving. The evidence did not justify proceedings for manslaughter against Herbert Graham Pheasey. The two cases were not in any way connected.
The CPS is not aware of any material which would justify further reconsideration of either case.
Ms Walley: To ask the Attorney-General how many corporate manslaughter charges were brought against heavy goods vehicle operators in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
The Attorney-General: The Crown Prosecution Service maintains no central records of proceedings in respect of specific offences. The information is recorded
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on individual cases files, and a definitive answer could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. It is however the recollection of senior Crown prosecution lawyers that there have been no such cases.ENVIRONMENT
Departmental Responsibilities
Ms Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many parliamentary questions he has referred to chief executives of next steps agencies in each year since 1992.
Mr. Gummer: The information is as follows:
|1992|1993|1994|1995
--------------------------------------------------------------
Building Research Establishment |4 |0 |0 |1
Planning Inspectorate |4 |1 |3 |0
The Buying Agency |4 |0 |0 |1
Ordnance Survey |4 |2 |2 |1
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre |4 |0 |0 |0
Security Facilities Executives |- |- |0 |0
Radioactive Waste
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the occasions on which Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has informed his Department in each year since 1979 of the discovery of illicitly dumped nuclear materials, giving details of locations, quantities and types of materials involved.
Mr. Atkins: Approximately 900kgs of depleted uranium was discovered at Poplars farm, Chelveston, Northamptonshire in January this year. The inspectorate is carrying out an investigation of the circumstances.
A review of the inspectorate's records, covering the period 1979 to date, reveals no other incidents of illicitly dumped radioactive materials.
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what records and maps are kept indicating (a) the radioactive inventory, (b) nature and (c) the exact location of low level radioactive wastes disposed of on authorised landfill sites; and to what extent this information is publicly available.
Mr. Atkins: Records of disposals are maintained by disposers in accordance with the conditions of authorisations granted under the provisions of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. The quantities consigned for burial at those sites currently receiving such wastes are listed in the answer I gave to the Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Ms Ruddock) on 25 January, Official Report, column 206 . Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is planning to extend the chemical release inventory, which is maintained by the inspectorate and is the subject of published reports, to include details of radioactive disposals.
The exact location of each deposit within a landfill site is not significant in determining the radiological safety of this practice and it is not usual for such records to be kept.
Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the
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Environment (1) what is the volume of low level radioactive waste disposed at (a) Milton landfill, Cambridge, (b) ICI Ltd., Cowpen Bewley Tip, Cleveland, (c) Vickers waste ponds, Walney island, Cumbria, (d) Rolls-Royce, Hilts quarry, Derbyshire, (e) Magnesium Elektron, Swinton, Manchester, (f) Cilgwyn quarry, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, (g) Braziers landfill, Hertfordshire, (h) SCM Chemicals, site tip, Humberside, (i) Clifton Marsh, Preston, Lancashire, (j) Sefton Meadows tip, Merseyside, (k) Beighton tip Sheffield, South Yorkshire, (l) Beddingham quarry, Sussex, (m) Ryton tip, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, (n) BNFL, Drigg, Cumbria, (o) BNFL Sellafield, Cumbria, and (p) Ulnes Walton in the last 12-month period for which figures are available.Mr. Atkins [holding answer 19 January 1995]: The volume of low level radioactive waste disposed at the listed sites is as follows:
Site |Volume M<3>|Period <1> ------------------------------------------------------- Milton Landfill |83 |1993 Cowpen Bewley |52 |1993-94 Vickers |less than 1|1994 Hilts Quarry |37 |1994 Magnesium Elektron |1,750 |1994 Cilgwyn Quarry |less than 1|1993 Braziers landfill |15 |1993 SCM Chemicals |0 |1994 Clifton Marsh |0 |1994 Sefton Meadows |0 |1994 Beighton Tip |20 |1994 Beddingham Quarry |4.5 |1993 Ryton Tip |0 |1994 BNFL Drigg |23,185 |1993 BNFL Sellafield |0 |1994 Ulnes Walton |0 |1994 <1> These are calendar years, other than at Cowpen Bewley where the disposal figures are for the financial year.
Docklands Light Railway
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, what is the fare box ratio of the revenue costs of operating the docklands light railway and the appropriate level of public support and total costs per passenger mile for operating that railway in the last financial year.
Sir Paul Beresford: The ratio between the revenue costs and the farebox of the docklands light railway was 4.3:1 in the last financial year. The total cost per passenger mile was 78p, of which 18p was supported by revenue and 60p was covered by public subsidy.
Kirklees Council
Mr. Riddick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will outline the spending by Kirklees council on (a) education, (b) social services and (c) highways in relation to those functions' individual standard spending assessments in 1993 94 and 1994 95.
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Mr. Robert B. Jones: The information is as follows:
Kirklees Council
£ million
1993-94
(Outturn)2
(budget estimate)
|SSA |Expenditure<1>|SSA |Expenditure<1>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Education |140.873 |142.755 |138.275 |146.614
Personal social services |38.863 |35.503 |42.814 |43.400
Highways maintenance |13.454 |12.536 |12.365 |13.048
<1> Net Revenue Expenditure to compare with SSA
Surrey County Council
Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list Surrey county council's (a) standard spending assessment and (b) actual expenditure on social services in each year since 1991 92; and what will be (i) the standard spending assessment and (ii) the budgeted expenditure for 1994 95.
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The information is as follows:
Surrey County Council
£ million
Personal Social
Services<1>
|Standard spending
|assessment |Expenditure<2>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1991-92 |71.410 |<3>58.831
1992-93 |78.371 |<3>69.467
1993-94 |82.152 |<3>72.231
1994-95 |94.880 |<4>89.086
<1> Figures reflect the transfer of responsibilities for community care
to local authorities in 1993-94 and 1994-95.
<2> Net Revenue Expenditure to compare with SSA.
<3> Outturn.
<4> Budget.
Merseyside Development Corporation
Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what considerations underlay the decision of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Croydon, Central (Sir P. Beresford), to give a detailed reply to the hon. Member for Wallasey (Ms Eagle) on 17 January, Official Report , columns 411 12 , on the subject of the Merseyside development corporation rather than to wait until his Department was able to issue a Treasury minute in response to the Committee.
Sir Paul Beresford: The question asked by the hon. Member for Wallasey referred to the position of the chairman and chief executive of the corporation. My reply addressed that issue, which was not raised in the conclusions or recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee report. It also referred to the action already taken to address shortcomings in financial management following the publication of the National Audit Office report in March 1994. Those actions are on the record and are summarised in paragraph 51 of the PAC report.
The Government's response to the PAC report will be made shortly in the normal way.
Northumberland County Council
Mr. Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the level of local government expenditure in Northumberland county council in each year since 1988.
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Mr. Robert B. Jones: The information is as follows. The figures are not adjusted for changes in local authority functions, of which the most significant were, in 1993 94, the loss of responsibility for further education and the addition of responsibility for community care.
Northumberland County Council
expenditure<1>
|£ million
------------------------------
1988-89 |<2>140.44
1989-90 |154.170
1990-91 |161.481
1991-92 |178.739
1992-93 |190.553
1993-94 |185.770
1994-95 |191.127
<1> Total expenditure 1988-89
to 1989-90. Net revenue
expenditure 1990-91 to
1994-95.
<2> Outturn expenditure
1988-89 to 1993-94; budgeted
expenditure for 1994-95.
Dioxins
Mr. Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further steps he is taking to eradicate dioxin pollution in the Bolsover and north Derbyshire area; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins: The industrial processes which have been identified as the most significant potential sources of dioxin production are now either subject to control under part I of the Environments Protection Act 1990 or are about to transfer to this control from earlier legislation. These processes are regulated either by the local authorities under the local authority air pollution control procedure or are controlled by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution using integrated pollution control. Both these regulatory regimes require the application of best available techniques not entailing excessive cost --BATNEEC--to prevent the discharge of dioxins and only where that is not practicable to minimise and render harmless the discharges. For the processes controlled by HMIP, work is already progressing well to require companies to achieve substantial reductions in discharges to all media. Where appropriate, process changes are being sought to eliminate the releases.
Reductions in the level of dioxin pollution already in the environment are being studied. Substantial reductions in the level of dioxin on plants in the Bolsover area have already been reported. It is expected that tighter emission controls on the industrial processes will allow this trend to continue. Dioxin already in the soil is subject to slow degradation by natural processes.
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Business Rates
Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the average percentage change in business rates in 1995 96 as a result of the recent revaluation of rateable values for (a) shops, (b) offices, (c) warehouses, (d) factories and (e) other premises in each region; and what is his assessment of change for all property types in each region.
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The information requested is given in the tables below which show estimated average changes in rates bills both before and after the effects of the Government's transitional arrangements are taken into account. They reflect the impact of the 1995 revaluation and also of the cessation of the previous transitional arrangements from which some ratepayers were still benefitting in 1994 95.
Estimated percentage change in rate bills: 1995-96 compared
with 1994-95
(a) Shops
|Percentage |Percentage
Region |transition |transition
-------------------------------------------------------------------
South West |+20 |+8
Rest of South East |+15 |+6
East Anglia |+22 |+8
North West |+39 |+10
Northern |+33 |+9
East Midlands |+30 |+9
West Midlands |+39 |+10
Yorkshire and Humberside |+34 |+9
Inner London |+4 |+3
Outer London |+18 |+7
All |+22 |+7
(b) Offices
|Percentage |Percentage
Region |transition |transition
-------------------------------------------------------------------
South West |+22 |+7
Rest of South East |-6 |+1
East Anglia |+19 |+8
North West |+54 |+10
Northern |+53 |+11
East Midlands |+40 |+11
West Midlands |+62 |+12
Yorkshire and Humberside |+62 |+11
Inner London |-56 |-3
Outer London |+1 |+2
All |-25 |0
(c) Warehouses
|Percentage |Percentage
Region |transition |transition
-------------------------------------------------------------------
South West |+20 |+8
Rest of South East |+8 |+5
East Anglia |+19 |+7
North West |+49 |+11
Northern |+45 |+11
East Midlands |+26 |+9
West Midlands |+54 |+12
Yorkshire and Humberside |+41 |+11
Inner London |-6 |+2
Outer London |+10 |+5
All |+22 |+7
(d) Factories
|Percentage |Percentage
Region |transition |transition
-------------------------------------------------------------------
South West |+12 |+6
Rest of South East |+1 |+3
East Anglia |+8 |+5
North West |+32 |+9
Northern |+29 |+8
East Midlands |+22 |+9
West Midlands |+39 |+10
Yorkshire and Humberside |+29 |+9
Inner London |-2 |+2
Outer London |0 |+3
All |+17 |+6
(e) Others
|Percentage |Percentage
Region |transition |transition
-------------------------------------------------------------------
South West |+29 |+7
Rest of South East |+20 |+5
East Anglia |+26 |+7
North West |+27 |+7
Northern |+22 |+6
East Midlands |+27 |+7
West Midlands |+36 |+9
Yorkshire and Humberside |+28 |+7
Inner London |+13 |+4
Outer London |+22 |+7
All |+24 |+6
(f) All properties
|Percentage |Percentage
Region |transition |transition
-------------------------------------------------------------------
South West |+22 |+7
Rest of South East |+9 |+4
East Anglia |+20 |+7
North West |+37 |+9
Northern |+30 |+8
East Midlands |+27 |+9
West Midlands |+42 |+10
Yorkshire and Humberside |+34 |+9
Inner London |-34 |-1
Outer London |+12 |+5
All |+9 |+5
Source: Inland Revenue.
South Yorkshire Navigation
Mr. Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) on how many occasions in the last 12 months freight traffic has been subject to delay on the
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South Yorkshire navigation; and for what reasons such delays were experienced;(2) what action is being taken to ensure that freight traffic can be carried on the South Yorkshire navigation without delays due to obstruction in the waterway, inoperable locks or lack of staff.
Mr. Atkins: The Sheffield and South Yorkshire navigation is in the undertaking of the British Waterways Board. These questions should be addressed to the board since they relate to management and operational matters for which the board is responsible.
Executive Search Agencies
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidelines are operated by his Department as regards the use of executive search agencies to fill vacancies within his Department and his Department's executive agencies; and in what circumstances his Department employs executive search agencies instead of relying fully on departmental resources to fill vacant posts.
Sir Paul Beresford: Executive search agencies are appointed by competitive tender in accordance with the Department's rules on the engagement of consultants. They are used to assist the mandatory process of public open competition for the occasional recruitment to singleton specialist and senior posts. The agencies provide expert knowledge of the target market sector, and handle ancillary clerical tasks such as the procurement of advertising and the processing of applications, for which it would not be cost-effective to maintain stand-by resources in the Department.
Standard Spending Assessment, Nottinghamshire
Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total standard spending assessment for Nottinghamshire county council for each year from 1992 93 to 1995 96; and, within the total, what was the standard spending assessment for (a) education, (b) social services, (c) police, (d) fire, (e) highway maintenance, (f) other services and (g) capital financing in each of these years.
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The figures requested are as follows. They have not been adjusted for changes of responsibility.
£ million
|1992-93 |1993-94 |1994-95 |<1>1995-96
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Education |383.420 |<2>342.430|343.437 |347.054
Personal
social services |93.884 |95.941 |107.583 |120.920
Police |48.595 |50.485 |52.894 |<3>-
Fire |20.482 |21.087 |21.612 |20.848
Highway
maintenance |36.575 |33.168 |33.109 |33.344
Other services |36.979 |36.095 |38.449 |41.271
Capital
financing |32.630 |32.517 |29.683 |26.893
Total SSA |652.566 |611.723 |626.766 |590.331
<1> 1995-96 figures are those in the proposed local government finance
settlement 1995-96, announced by the Secretary of State on 1 December
1994.
<2> Responsibility for most further education was transferred out of
local government from 1 April 1993.
<3> Nottinghamshire police authority receives a police SSA of £54.380
million and a total SSA of £55.365 million.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, (1) pursuant to his answer of 12 December 1994, Official Report, column 436 , when he expects to reach a conclusion in his considerations as to whether further measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions are necessary following the decision not to increase value added tax on domestic fuel to 17.5 per cent; (2) what is his estimate of the effects on the Government's ability to meet its targets agreed to at the Rio summit on the environment of the decision to retain value added tax rate for domestic fuel at 8 per cent., rather than the previously planned rate of 17.5 per cent.
Mr. Atkins: I refer the hon. Member to the answers which I gave to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish (Mr. Bennett) on 18 January 1995, Official Report , column 706 . We will conclude our work on this review as soon as possible.
EC Directives (Funding)
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultation he has had with his opposite number in the European Union concerning the implications of reduced funding for the Countryside Council for Wales on United Kingdom compliance within Wales with the habitat and species directive and other timetabled European directives.
Mr. Atkins: None: there are no such implications.
Local Government Finance, Redbridge
Mr. Gapes: To ask the Secretary of state for the Environment what were the (a) standard spending assessment and (b) single regeneration budget bids from the London borough of Redbridge for 1995 96; what was the value of the settlement given; and how much Redbridge will receive.
Mr. Curry: The revenue support grant settlement for 1995 96 will be the subject of a report to the House. Under the proposals announced by the Secretary of State on 1 December 1994, the standard spending assessment for the London borough of Redbridge would be £176.167 million. Total external support would be £134.553 million, including £87.766 million revenue support grant and £46.786 million business rate income.
No final bids were received from the London borough of Redbridge for funding from the single regeneration budget.
Planning Applications
Mr. Merchant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to take design considerations into account when deciding whether or not to call in planning applications to be decided under section 77 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
Mr. Gummer: My general approach is not to interfere with the jurisdiction of local planning authorities unless it is necessary to do so. I will therefore be very selective about calling in applications to determine myself and will,
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in general, only take this step if planning issues of more than local importance are involved. Each case must be considered on its individual merits. An application for development which raises significant architectural and urban design issues is one example of the type of case which may be of more than local importance. Other examples include cases which, in my opinion, could have wide effects beyond their immediate locality, which give rise to substantial regional or national controversy which may conflict with national policy on important matters, and those where the interests of foreign Governments may be involved.HOUSE OF COMMONS
Exhibitions
Mr. Wareing: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he has considered an application for an exhibition relating to "Liverpool: Architecture and Design" to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.
Mr. Michael J. Martin: I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Administration Committee, arrangements have been made for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from Monday 6 February to Friday 10 February 1995.
Hall Keepers Lodge
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what changes occurred regarding the vehicle used by the Hall Keepers Lodge for collection purposes until the beginning of this year, what are the present financial arrangements for outside firms to undertake the work; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael J. Martin: This is a matter for the Serjeant at Arms. I have asked him to write to my hon. Friend.
EDUCATION
Standard Spending Assessment Settlements
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment she had made of the effect of the 1995 96 standard spending assessment settlement (1) on the number of teachers employed in England; and (2) on class sizes in England.
Mr. Robin Squire: The effect of the settlement on the number of teachers and on class sizes will depend on decisions yet to be made by individual LEAs and schools, and on the cost of the teachers' pay award.
Assisted Places Scheme
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many independent sector schools have had pupils under the assisted places scheme in each financial year since 1980.
Mr. Robin Squire: The number of independent schools participating in the assisted places scheme for
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each academic year since the scheme's inception in 1981 is given in the following table:
Assisted places scheme
|Number of
|participating
Academic year |schools
------------------------------------------
1981-82 |220
1982-83 |220
1983-84 |223
1984-85 |226
1985-86 |226
1986-87 |226
1987-88 |226
1989-90 |278
1990-91 |295
1991-92 |295
1992-93 |295
1993-94 |295
The figures relate to England only
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many independent sector schools have had (a) more than 5 per cent., (b) more than 10 per cent., (c) more than 15 per cent., (d) more than 20 per cent. or (e) more than 25 per cent. of their school roll made up of pupils covered by the assisted places scheme in each financial year since the establishment of the scheme.
Mr. Robin Squire: The information requested is not available for each financial year since the establishment of the scheme and could be derived only at disproportionate cost. Information is available in respect of the academic year 1993 94; the number of schools in each category is (a) 238, (b) 166, (c) 116, (d) 75 and (e) 43. In addition there are 57 schools with less than 5 per cent. assisted pupils.
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which independent sector schools charged (a) the highest and (b) the lowest fees to assisted places scheme pupils on the financial year 1993 94.
Mr. Robin Squire: The school which charged the highest fee in academic year 1993 94 was Charterhouse, in respect of its sixth form assisted pupils. The annual fee was £9,348. Salesian college, Farnborough charged the lowest fee at £2,283 per year.
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps she has taken to reduce the costs of operating the assisted places scheme.
Mr. Robin Squire: We are committed to providing 35,000 available places in England and Wales and will continue to support this excellent scheme within the resources which can be made available for it. Assisted pupils achieve outstanding results in public examinations and the scheme is good value for money. We must, of course, manage the available resources prudently and have taken steps over the past few years to restrain fee increases for assisted pupils at participating schools.
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will make a statement about the level of parental contributions to the fees of pupils in the assisted places scheme in the next academic year.
Mr. Robin Squire: Remission of tuition fees under the assisted places scheme is dependent on the level of fees at participating schools and the amount parents can afford
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to contribute. Subject to parliamentary approval, the parental contribution scales will be adjusted upwards for the school year 1995 96 as set out in the table. Where the relevant income for the appropriate financial year does not exceed £9,572, the tuition fees will be wholly remitted.
Percentage
|Each of |Each of
|One |two |three
Part of relevant |assisted |assisted |assisted
income to which
percentage applies |pupil |pupils |pupils
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That part which exceeds £9,406
but does not exceed £10,228 |9 |6.75 |5.25
That part (if any) which exceeds
£10,228 but does not exceed
£11,063 |12 |9 |7
That part (if any) which exceeds
£11,063 but does not exceed
£12,720 |15 |11.25 |8.75
That part (if any) which exceeds
£12,720 but does not exceed
£15,271 |21 |15.75 |12.25
(over) That part (if any) which
exceeds £15,271 but does not
exceed £18,599 |24 |18 |14
That part (if any) which exceeds
£18,599 |33 |24.75 |19.25
Student Grants
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people aged 29 to 50 years and over 50 years are in receipt of (a) a student maintenance grant and (b) a mature student allowance.
Mr. Boswell: Data on the ages of students in receipt of maintenance grants or older students' allowances are not collected centrally.
Public Sector Schools
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the average amount of money which her Department spent on educating a student at a school within the public sector during the financial year 1993 94.
Mr. Boswell: Each local authority is responsible for setting its own budget and deciding its priorities between and within services, including education, from funds distributed by the Department of the Environment through the standard spending assessment system. The average spending per pupil by LEAs in England in LEA-maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special schools is estimated to be £1,972 in 1993 94.
Equivalent information on grant-maintained schools is mainly the responsibility of the Funding Agency for Schools. I have asked the FAS to reply separately to the hon. Member.
Independent Schools
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her answer of 13 January, Official Report , column 233 , how many independent schools were operating in England in each year since 1990, excluding city technology colleges.
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Mr. Robin Squire: The information available is given in the following table for January of each calendar year:
|Number of
|independent
Year |schools
------------------------------------
1990 |2,280
1991 |2,280
1992 |2,256
1993 |2,247
The figures relate to England only.
Schools, Nottinghamshire
Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the capital bid for 1995 96 from the George Spender school, Ravensdale middle school and Greenwood Dale school, Nottinghamshire; for what purpose the bids--grant maintained--were made in each case; and what capital allocation has been agreed.
Mr. Robin Squire: These matters are mainly the responsibility of the Funding Agency for Schools. I have asked the chairman of the agency to write to the hon. Member.
Executive Search Agencies
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidelines are operated by her Department as regards the use of executive search agencies to fill vacancies within her Department and her Department's executive agencies; and in what circumstances her Department employs executive search agencies instead of relying fully on departmental resources to fill vacant posts.
Mr. Boswell: An executive search agency might be used to fill a key vacancy in the Department or the Teachers' Pensions Agency, which is the only executive agency administered by this Department. The decision in each case would be based on need and value for money.
Secondary Schools
Mrs. Gorman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) local education authority maintained and (b) grant-maintained secondary schools in each local authority have fewer pupils than their standard number; and in how many the number of pupils is equal to or greater than the standard number.
Mr. Robin Squire: The information requested is not collected by the Department.
Schools, Wolverhampton
Mr. Purchase: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the cost of a state secondary place in Wolverhampton local education authority controlled schools in 1993 94; and what is the estimated cost in 1994 95.
Mr. Robin Squire: Provisional outturn figures returned by Wolverhampton LEA show net institutional spending per secondary pupil of £2,300 in 1993 94. The authority has given an estimate of its net expenditure for 1994 95 in a return published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. This amounts to an estimated cost per pupil of £2,531.
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Non-state Schools
Mr. Purchase: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of children between the ages of five and 16 years were educated in non-state schools in 1993 94; and what is her estimate of the percentage in 1994 95.
Mr. Robin Squire: In England in January 1994, 6.5 per cent. of pupils aged five to 16 were being taught in non-maintained schools. The projection for January 1995 is 6.3 per cent.
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