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Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how Transec monitors and inspects the channel tunnel system; and if he will make a statement. [14887]
Mr. Watts: Under the terms of the Channel Tunnel (Security) Order 1994, the channel tunnel security
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inspectors give instructions, offer advice and make both announced and unannounced inspections to ensure that the required security standards are, and continue to be, met. It would not be appropriate to detail their operational methods or their findings on security grounds.Pulsed Fast Neutron Analysis
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how pulsed fast neutron analysis, referred to in his Transport report 1995 facilitates screening of freight vehicles. [14883]
Mr. Watts: Pulsed fast neutron analysis can provide precise information about the composition and location of materials within freight containers. The technique can detect the presence of explosives, for example, by measuring characteristics specific to their composition.
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the amount of the contribution from the United Kingdom towards the cost of pulsed fast neutron analysis [14885]
Mr. Watts: The British and French Governments have agreed to contribute to the cost of further development work by Science Applications International Corporation on PFNA technology. The total UK contribution is £4.2 million.
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all the visits he has made since the start of the current parliamentary Session to the constituencies of other hon. Members without prior warning to these hon. Members for any purpose connected with his departmental responsibilities. [15029]
Dr. Mawhinney: I always do my best to give prior warning to hon. Members when I visit their constituencies in an official capacity.
Twyford Down Protests
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the total costs incurred to date by his Department in the legal action against Twyford Down protesters. [15118]
Mr. Watts: This is an operational matter for the Highways Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member. Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. John Denham, dated 21 March 1995:
As you know, the Minister for Railways and Roads, Mr John Watts, has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Transport, what are the total costs to date by his Department in the legal action against Twyford Down protestors. The total cost of legal fees to date in connection with action against trespassers on the M3 construction site is approximately £276,000 inclusive of VAT.
European Regional Development Fund
Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what considerations underlie the necessity for road schemes which have been given detailed approval by his Department to be subjected to the same detailed appraisal and approval following their inclusion in the Merseyside objective 1 bid; and if he will make a statement.
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Sir Paul Beresford: I have been asked to reply.
Applications for European regional development fund grant under the Merseyside objective 1 programme, including road schemes, are appraised against project selection criteria agreed by the programme monitoring committee. The purpose of these criteria, which include value for money, job creation and economic benefit, is to ensure that only those projects best able to meet the aims and objectives of the Merseyside objective 1 programme receive approval. This assessment for ERDF purposes is necessarily a separate assessment from that carried out by the Department of Transport when evaluating local authority road schemes.
In any event most of the road schemes seeking funding under the Merseyside objective 1 programme are access roads to proposed development sites which do not fall within the Department of Transport assessment.
Civil Servants
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total number of civil servants employed (a) his Department, (b) the agencies under his Department's responsibility and (c) public and other bodies under his Department's responsibility, for each year since 1979, divided into (1) full-time equivalents, (2) overtime, (3) casuals and (4) other; and whether he will also provide for each year his estimates of (A) civil service job reductions due to privatisations, (B) civil service job reductions due to contracting out, (C) civil service job reductions resulting from other transfer of responsibilities, (D) the total of all other staff undertaking work for the Department or its agencies without being categorised as civil servants, including external consultants, researchers, agencies secretarial staff and substitution and (E) total manpower expenditures, in 1994 prices. [15098]
Mr. Norris: The civil service covers the permanent staff of central Government Departments and next steps agencies. The staff of other bodies are outside the civil service.
The annual publication "Civil Service Statistics" gives details of the number of civil servants employed by my Department and its agencies, including full time equivalent staff and casuals, from 1993 onwards, and of staff leaving the civil service.
"Public Bodies", published annually since 1982, contains the staffing information for those bodies not covered by "Civil Service Statistics".
Details of running costs and civil service pay bill for my Department can be found in table 6 of my Department's annual report (CM 2806). Table 7 gives details of overtime from 1989 90 onwards. Copies of all of these publications are available in the Members's Library.
The remaining information sought could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Expenditure plans tables
Table 6 Running Costs 1989-90 to 1997-98
£ million
|1994-95
|1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93 |1993-94<6>|estimated |1995-96 |1996-97 |1997-98
|outturn |outturn |outturn |outturn |outturn |outturn |plans |plans |plans
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Department of Transport
Gross running costs<1>
Civil Service Pay
bill |185 |206 |201 |215 |201 |211 |- |- |-
Other |156 |174 |183 |222 |239 |228 |- |- |-
Total |341 |381 |384 |437 |440 |439 |429 |377 |377
Related receipts |-68 |-70 |-44 |-53 |-70 |-39 |-40 |-23 |-23
Net expenditure |247 |311 |340 |384 |370 |399 |389 |354 |354
Running Costs by control area:
Gross control area:
Driver and Vehicle
Licensing Agency |126 |143 |152 |177 |172 |174 |171 |170 |170
Highways Agency |37 |50 |54 |71 |81 |85 |88 |72 |72
Central Transport
Group |117 |125 |141 |150 |154 |160 |155 |131 |131
Total gross
controlled areas |281 |317 |347 |399 |407 |419 |414 |374 |374
Net control area:
Vehicle Certification
Agency
Gross expenditure |2 |2 |2 |2 |3 |3 |3 |3 |3
Net expenditure |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
DVOIT<3>
Gross expenditure |13 |14 |15 |16 |12 |- |- |- |-
Net expenditure |13 |14 |15 |1 |-2 |- |- |- |-
Transport Research
Laboratory<4>
Gross expenditure |17 |18 |19 |19 |19 |17 |13 |- |-
Net expenditure |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Vehicle
Inspectorate<5>
Gross expenditure |29 |30 |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Net expenditure |2 |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Office of Passenger Rail Franchising
Gross running costs |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Civil Service Pay
bill |- |- |- |- |- |2 |- |- |-
Other |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |-
Total |- |- |- |- |1 |4 |5 |4 |4
Related receipts |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Net expenditure |1 |4 |5 |4 |4 |- |- |- |-
Office of the Rail Regulator
Gross running costs |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Civil Service Pay
bill |- |3 |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Other |1 |3 |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Total |1 |6 |8 |7 |7 |- |- |- |-
Related receipts |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Net expenditure |1 |6 |8 |7 |7 |- |- |- |-
<1>The gross figures are net of any VAT refunds on contracted out services.
<2>This covers the pay costs, including employers earnings related national insurance contributions, of civil servants in running
costs, as given in Table 7 on Department staffing.
<3>DVOIT was privatised on 17 December 1993.
<4>It is planned to privatise TRL during 1995-96.
<5>The Vehicle Inspectorate became a training fund on 1 April 1991. It previously operated under net running costs control.
<6>Outturn figures for 1993-94 have been amended since the publication of the Statistical Supplement to the Financial Statement and
Budget Report 1995-96, Cm2821.
Table 7: staff numbers
|1994-95
|1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93 |1993-94<6>|estimated |1995-96 |1996-97 |1997-98
|outturn |outturn |outturn |outturn |outturn |outturn |plans |plans |plans
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Department of Transport (Gross Control Area)
Civil Service full
time
Equivalents |11,447 |11,906 |11,253 |9,896 |9,795 |9,389 |8,859 |8,737 |8,766
Overtime |177 |171 |183 |162 |103 |148 |130 |142 |125
Casuals |206 |183 |208 |319 |323 |331 |267 |267 |267
Total |11,830 |12,260 |11,644 |10,377 |10,221 |9,874 |9,256 |9,146 |9,158
Vehicle Certification Agency (Net Control Area)
Civil Service full
time
Equivalents |72 |82 |78 |72 |73 |75 |74 |71 |71
Overtime |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Casuals |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0
Total |72 |82 |78 |73 |73 |76 |74 |71 |71
Transport Research Laboratory (Net Control Area)
Civil Service full time
Equivalents |<4>- |<4>- |<4>- |659 |590 |417 |- |- |-
Overtime |<4>- |<4>- |<4>- |0 |12 |6 |- |<5>- |-
Casuals |<4>- |<4>- |<4>- |7 |5 |0 |- |- |-
Total |<4>- |<4>- |<4>- |666 |607 |423 |- |- |-
DVOIT
Civil Service full
time
Equivalents |<4>- |<4>- |<4>- |468 |227 |- |- |- |-
Overtime |<4>- |<4>- |<4>- |10 |0 |- |- |- |-
Casuals |<4>- |<4>- |<4>- |0 |3 |- |- |- |-
Total |<4>- |<4>- |<4>- |478 |230 |- |- |- |-
Driving Standards Agency<2>
Civil Service full
time
Equivalents |2,037 |2,105 |2,192 |1,898 |1,805 |1,793 |1,813 |1,786 |1,754
Vehicle Inspectorate<3>
Civil Service full
time
Equivalents |1,620 |1,691 |1,817 |1,781 |1,634 |1,589 |1,510 |1,420 |1,420
Total department of
transport |15,559 |16,138 |15,731 |15,273 |14,570 |13,755 |12,653 |12,423 |12,403
Office of Passenger Rail Franchising<6>
Civil Service full
time
Equivalents |0 |0 |0 |0 |26 |53 |54 |55 |55
Overtime |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Casuals |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Total |0 |0 |0 |0 |26 |53 |54 |55 |55
Office of the Rail Regulator<6>
Civil Service full
time
Equivalents |0 |0 |0 |0 |30 |45 |72 |85 |85
Overtime |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Casuals |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0
Totals |0 |0 |0 |0 |3 |45 |72 |85 |85
<1>DVOIT was privatised on 17 December 1993.
<2> The Driving Standards Agency is non-statutory on-Vote trading body whose current expenses are not classified as public
expenditure.
<3>The Vehicle Inspectorate became a trading on 1 April 1991.
<4>Figures for the Transport Research Laboratory and DVOIT are included within the Department of Transport (Gross Control Area) for
the years 1989-90 to 1991-92.
<5>The Transport Research Laboratory is expected to be privatised early in 1995-96.
<6>OPRAF and ORR were set up after Royal Assent to the Railway Act 1993 on 5 November 1993.
Fares, London
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the fares a resident of Hornsey and Wood Green would pay for (a) a one -mile single bus journey, (b) a three-mile single bus journey, (c) a three- mile single London Underground fare, (d) a six-mile single London Underground fare and (e) a five-mile British Rail fare giving the percentage increase or decrease for each change compared with the change in the retail price index and index of average earnings on 1 March and 1 September for each year since 1965. [14439]
Mr. Norris: I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms Walley) on 15 March 1995, Official Report , columns 559 63 .
Transport Expenditure
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of gross domestic product was spent on (a) buses, (b) trains and (c) all public transport in (i) 1993 and (ii) 1994. [14816]
Mr. Norris: Gross domestic product is a measure of output and for public transport only contains expenditure on personal, non-business travel. However, a separate exercise has estimated users expenditure on various transport modes. For 1993 94, these are as follows:
|Users' expenditure
Mode of transport |£ billion |Percentage of GDP
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Buses and coaches |3.2 |0.6
Railways<1> |2.9 |0.5
All public transport <2> |7.6 |1.4
All GDP |554.8 |100
<1>Excludes Tyne and Wear Metro.
<2>Buses, coaches, railways and taxis. The estimate for taxis excludes business
use.
Lobbying Companies (British Rail)
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department has issued to the British Rail Board relating to employment by the shadow rail franchise companies of lobbying firms in the run-up to rail privatisation. [14534]
Mr. Watts: None. The employment of lobbying firms is a matter for the British Railways Board.
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what lobbying companies are currently employed by the British Railways Board and the six shadow rail franchise companies; and what is the value and duration of these contracts. [14535]
Mr. Watts: British Rail currently retains Westminster Communications Group Limited as consultants for strategic advice on political and parliamentary issues but not for the general purpose of lobbying Parliament. Union Railways, currently a BR subsidiary, employs the Public Policy Unit in a similar capacity.
Contract duration and costs are a matter for the British Railways Board.
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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Salmon Stocks
Sir Cranley Onslow: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what access his Department has had to the findings of the Bushmills salmon research station on the impact of cormorant predation on salmon stocks. [13716]
Mrs. Browning: Ministry scientists are fully aware of the Bushmills Salmon research station studies on the impact of cormorant predation on salmon stocks. Results of these studies have been published in the international press and discussed at meetings of the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas north Atlantic salmon working group.
Fishery Contamination
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the areas around the United Kingdom where the Government have advised restrictions or prohibitions of the catch of fish or shellfish, including issuing advice against consumption.
Mr. Jack: For the protection of public health, shellfish growing areas are classified under EU legislation according to levels of microbiological contamination. There are 12 areas under the coast of England and Wales from which harvesting is currently prohibited; the Truro river is one of them.
A full classification list for England and Wales is in the Library of the House. One area in Scotland, the Eden estuary near St. Andrews, cannot be harvested. There are no prohibited areas in Northern Ireland.
Advice against consumption, where necessary, would be a matter for the Government's chief medical officer. Local Food authorities have powers under the Food Safety Act 1990 to take immediate action should any local problem be identified.
Veal Crates
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in which year he expects veal crates to be banned throughout the EC.
Mrs. Browning: An EC ban on veal crates would necessitate amendment of EC directive 91/629 laying down minimum standards for the protection of calves. It would be unrealistic to expect those member states where veal crates are currently used to agree to any change overnight, but we will be pressing for any transitional period to be kept to a minimum.
Illegal Fishing
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many Spanish vessels which were British or Spanish registered have been prosecuted in each of the last two years for illegal fishing in British waters.
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Mr. Jack: The numbers of Spanish registered fishing vessels and the UK-registered fishing vessels landing in Spain that were successfully prosecuted in the UK in 1993 and 1994 for fishing offences were:
|1993|1994
------------------------------------------
UK registered vessels |11 |10
Spanish registered vessels |4 |5
Animal Exports
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) who is responsible for enforcing the 15-hour maximum journey time for animals in transit; [14583]
(2) what assessment the Government have made of the effectiveness of enforcement of the 15-hour maximum journey time for animals in transit. [14584]
Mrs. Browning: The Welfare of Animals during Transport Order 1994 which, among other things, sets the maximum interval between the provision of food and water, is enforced by local authorities at county council level, assisted by the state veterinary service. Powers also exist in the order for the Ministry to enforce its requirements in certain cases. The welfare of animals during transport in another member state is enforced by the authorities in the country concerned, and procedures for co-operation between the Governments of member states have been established by the Community. We maintain regular contact on enforcement matters with the enforcement authorities in Britain, and with certain other members states of the EU in relation to exports.
Fishing Vessels
Mr. Gill: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what grants are available for the building, conversion or refitting of fishing vessels in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) other EC countries. [14797]
Mr. Jack: In the United Kingdom, aid for the modernisation of the fleet is currently available only under the safety grant scheme operated by my Department for certain works necessary to obtain a safety certificate under the Fishing Vessel Safety Rules 1975. I have made it clear before that there is no sense in the Government financing grants to increase fishing capacity and efficiency when we are paying large sums of money to decommission fishing vessels. The position in other member states is that they are free to operate aids for fishing vessels provided they comply with the conditions of article 92 of the treaty of Rome and the guidelines on the examination of state aids in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. Under article 93 of the treaty, the European Commission has responsibility for keeping all such aids under constant review. They compile a full list annually but it is not published because it contains information supplied by member states on a confidential basis. The UK has pressed for this restriction to be lifted. Some summary information is available in the Commission's periodic surveys of state aids in the European Community. The latest of these covers 1986 to 1990 and is available in the Library of the House. Details of individual measures are, however, published from time to time in the Official Journal of the European Communities following Commission approval, as are
Column 156
details of unauthorised aids which the Commission is examining under the procedure set out in article 93(2).Bovine Offal
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the proposals concerning the collection and disposal of specified bovine offals are being considered. [14415]
Mrs. Browning: The Government are currently considering proposals concerning the collection and disposal of specified bovine offal.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what date his Department commenced its consideration of the need to introduce a requirement for a specific dye to be used to identify specified bovine offal. [14416]
Mrs. Browning: Staining SBO has been required since regulations were introduced in 1989. Until now, the same dye has been used to stain all material unfit for human consumption, whether SBO or not. The Government began considering the need to introduce a requirement for a different dye to be used to distinguish specified bovine offal from other unfit material in the spring of 1994.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he received prior to establishing an inquiry into the need to introduce (a) a requirement for a specific dye to be used to identify specified bovine offal and (b) changes concerning the collection and disposal of specified bovine offal. [14417]
Mrs. Browning: The Government received representations from a variety of industry organisations and individuals regarding the collection and disposal of specified bovine offal prior to their considering the need (a) to require SBO to be stained with a specified dye and (b) for changes concerning their collection and disposal.
Polling and Public Survey Organisations
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the employment of polling or public survey organisations by his Department during the current and previous financial years, on the organisations employed by his Department, on the values of individual contracts for these services, on the total amounts of money spent and on the purposes of the research undertaken by these organisations. [14505]
Mr. Jack [holding answer 20 March 1995]: The Ministry employs, under contract, a number of survey organisations to undertake research into a variety of areas in pursuance of Ministry business. Before any survey organisation is used, the Department takes full account of the need for economy, efficiency and whether the organisation represents value for money.
In 1993 94, 27 organisations were employed at a total cost of £4.4 million. In 1994 1,995, 22 organisations were employed at a total cost of £3.9 million. It is not possible, for commercial reasons, to give the cost of each individual survey.
Details of the research proposals agreed by the survey control unit are published quarterly in statistical news.
Column 157
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all the visits he has made since the start of the current parliamentary Session to the constituencies of other hon. Members without prior warning to these hon. Members for any purpose connected with his departmental responsibilities. [15021]
Mr. Waldegrave: I always do my best to give prior warning to hon. Members when I visit their constituencies in an official capacity.
Correspondence
Mr. Steen: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he plans to reply to the letter of 18 February from the hon. Member for South Hams about John Sanders, a fisherman, of 91 Drew street, Brixham, south Devon; and what assessment he has made of the situation facing Mr. Sanders. [15416]
Mr. Jack: I replied to my hon. Friend's letter on 20 March.
Fertiliser Imports
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures are being taken to prevent the breaking of fertiliser import quotas. [14925]
Mr. Ian Taylor: I have been asked to reply.
Following an anti-dumping investigation by the European Commission, the Russian and Lithuanian authorities gave undertakings to restrict exports of ammonium nitrate fertiliser to the UK. It is the responsibility of the Commission to ensure compliance with these undertakings. We have asked it to take immediate action to remedy an alleged breach of the Russian undertaking.
EDUCATION
Schools (Expenditure)
14. Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidelines her Department issues to head teachers regarding school expenditure on capital projects and the maintenance of capital reserves. [13255]
Mr. Forth: It is for local education authorities to decide on the progress of capital projects at county schools. As far as expenditure within the schools' own discretion is concerned, the Department's circular on local management of schools, circular 2/94, makes it clear that they may use their budget shares for capital projects. The circular also makes it clear that such schools may carry forward savings in order to create balances which may be used for capital projects in subsequent years.
Teachers' Pay Awards
20. Mr. Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Environment concerning the funding of teachers' pay awards. [13261]
Column 158
Mr. Robin Squire: My right hon. Friend is now completing consultations on her proposal to accept the School Teachers' Review Body's recommendations on teachers' pay for 1995 96. She has held discussions with many people, including my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when she proposes to fund future teachers' pay awards.
Mr. Robin Squire: It will be for local education authorities and schools to fund future teachers' pay awards within available future funding levels.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations she has received in respect of low morale among teachers arising from Government funding of the pay award.
Mr. Robin Squire: My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations about aspects of the funding of the teachers' pay award during the course of the consultation period following her acceptance of the recommendations of the School Teachers' Review Body.
School Budgets
21. Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment she has made of the proportion of an annual school budget that is a reasonable minimum to be kept in reserve. [13262]
Mr. Robin Squire: My right hon. Friend has made no such assessment.
Exam Results
15. Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will initiate inquiries into the reasons for the variation in the levels of success in GCSE and A-level exams between (a) Southend-on-Sea, (b) the rest of the county of Essex and (c) England as a whole; and if she will make a statement. [13256]
Mr. Boswell: The Government's policies are raising achievement at national level. At school level it is for the headteacher, staff and governors to take appropriate action.
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of passes at each grade of GCSE, including ungraded, were achieved by pupils of 15 years for all GCSE subjects in 1993 94 and what was the total number of entries. [15105]
Mr. Forth: The percentages of passes at each grade of GCSE, including ungraded, achieved by 15-year-old pupils for all GCSE subject entries in England in1993 94 were as follows:-
|Percentage
---------------------------------
Grade A |3
Grade A |10
Grade B |18
Grade C |20
Grade D |18
Grade E |14
Grade F |9
Grade G |4
Ungraded |4
Total entries 4,266,900.
Column 159
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the GCSE average point score of pupils aged 15 years and over, as defined in the DFE performance tables, who (a) achieved and (b) failed to achieve at least five GCSEs at each grade of GCSE from
Column 160
grades (i) A to G and (ii) A to F, giving the numbers of each group and its percentage of the whole for all secondary schools in 1993 and 1994. [15107]Mr. Forth: The information requested is as follows:
Column 159
Average GCSE point score
1992-93
1993-94
Specified result
|Achieved|Failed |Achieved|Failed
----------------------------------------------------------------
At least 5 grade A |63.1 |30.4 |63.5 |31.6
At least 5 grade B |57.7 |26.2 |58.1 |26.7
At least 5 grade C |51.6 |20.2 |52.5 |20.6
At least 5 grade D |47.0 |14.6 |47.8 |14.6
At least 5 grade E |43.0 |9.3 |44.0 |9.0
At least 5 grade F |40.2 |5.3 |41.1 |4.6
At least 5 grade G |38.6 |3.4 |39.8 |2.8
Numbers and percentage of 15-year-old pupils
1992-93 1993-94
Achieved result Achieved result
|Number |Percentage|Number |Percentage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At least 5 grade A |43,884 |8.4 |47,690 |9.0
At least 5 grade B |113,820 |21.8 |131,358 |24.7
At least 5 grade C |215,068 |41.2 |230,636 |43.3
At least 5 grade D |298,536 |57.1 |318,827 |59.9
At least 5 grade E |368,929 |70.6 |387,155 |72.7
At least 5 grade F |416,574 |79.7 |434,987 |81.7
At least 5 grade G |440,416 |84.3 |455,704 |85.6
Total 15-year-old pupils
|522,447 |532,273
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the GCSE average point score of pupils aged 15 years and over, as defined in the DFE performance tables, who (a) achieved and (b) failed to achieve at least one GCSE at each grade of GCSE from
Column 160
grades (i) A to G and (ii) A to F, giving the numbers of each group and its percentage of the whole for all secondary schools in 1993 and 1994. [15106]Mr. Forth: The information requested is as follows:
Column 159
Average GCSE point score
1992-93
1993-94
Specified result
|Achieved|Failed |Achieved|Failed
----------------------------------------------------------------
At least 1 grade A |53.7 |24.9 |54.7 |25.8
At least 1 grade B |48.3 |18.8 |49.2 |18.9
At least 1 grade C |43.0 |11.5 |44.4 |11.8
At least 1 grade D |39.4 |5.7 |40.9 |5.6
At least 1 grade E |37.1 |1.8 |38.8 |1.8
At least 1 grade F |36.0 |0.2 |37.7 |0.2
At least 1 grade G |35.6 |0.0 |37.4 |0.0
Numbers and percentage of pupils aged 15 in each group
1992-93 1993-94
Achieved result Achieved result
|Number |Percentage|Number |Percentage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
At least 1 grade A |149,112 |28.5 |159,729 |30.0
At least 1 grade B |252,959 |48.4 |272,981 |51.3
At least 1 grade C |357,812 |68.5 |370,475 |69.6
At least 1 grade D |424,729 |81.3 |435,554 |81.8
At least 1 grade E |463,191 |88.7 |469,727 |88.2
At least 1 grade F |480,170 |91.9 |485,895 |91.3
At least 1 grade G |485,618 |93.0 |490,893 |92.3
Total 15-year-olds |522,447 |532,273
Higher Education
16. Mr. Riddick: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of young people are now entering higher education; and what was the figure 10 years ago. [13257]
Mr. Boswell: The Government's policies have led to record participation in higher education. Some 30 per cent. of young people now enter full-time higher education compared with around 14 per cent. 10 years ago.
Grant-maintained Schools
17. Mr. Jacques Arnold: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in Kent have been given grant-maintained status. [13258]
Mr. Robin Squire: There are currently 87 grant-maintained schools in Kent, the second highest total for any LEA area in England. A further five schools have applications approved or in the pipeline.
23. Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much she expects to be paid to grant-maintained schools in special purposes --VAT--grant in this financial year. [13265]
Mr. Robin Squire: This is primarily a matter for the Funding Agency for Schools. However, I understand that the agency's latest projected outturn expenditure on special purposes--VAT--grant this financial year is £16.4 million.
29. Mr. Dunn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children are currently educated in grant-maintained schools in Kent; and if she will make a statement. [13271]
Mr. Robin Squire: We estimate that over 60,000 pupils in Kent are currently being educated in grant-maintained schools--the second highest total for any LEA area in England. That is clear evidence of the extent to which Kent parents have appreciated the benefits of grant-maintained status for their children's schools.
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