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Column 660
Loan and Learn--Stockport and HighpeaksOpen and Flexible Learning for People
Flexible Learning and Market Forces
Exemplar Project--Essex TEC
Translating Industrial German
Taking Training to Local Communities
Multi-Media and Tourism
Developing Open Learning Materials
Trainers' Guide to Learning Design
Technology in Learning
Briefing Notes for Project Managers
Learning Technologies Leaflet
French Language for UK Hotels
Computer Assisted Language Learning
The Enterprise Tutor
Opening Doors to Open Learning
Literacy and Numeracy
Dyslexia in Adults
Computer Conference for Distance Learning
Open Learning and NVQs
Thinking and Learning at Work
A Manager's Guide to Teleworking
National Education and Training Targets:
Developing Skills--A Successful Future
National Training Awards:
National Training Awards/Modern Apprenticeship Entry Forms Small Firms Training Loans:
Direct mail letter to employers
Employment Service:
Job Club Members Workbook
Travel to Interview Scheme
General Job Club leaflet
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) pamphlets and (b) mailings have been issued by (i) the Funding Agency for Schools and (ii) the Grant Maintained Schools Foundation since 22 June. [33608]
Mr. Squire: There are matters for the funding agency and the Grant Maintained Schools Foundation respectively. I have asked the chairman of the funding agency to write to the hon. Member.
English Tests
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what assessment she has made of the external marking and assessment of English tests for 14 year olds; and if she will make a statement; [33607]
(2) what assessment she has made of the external marking of the key stage two English tests. [33605]
Mr. Forth: The Schools Curriculum and Assessment Authority is carrying out a thorough review of external marking for key stages 2 and 3 and will report when its review is complete. The full external marking process is not due to finish until the end of September.
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Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what has been the cost of the external marking and assessment of English tests for 14 year olds; [33606]
(2) what has been the cost of the external assessment and marking of English tests in key stage 2. [33604]
Mr. Forth: The estimated cost of the external marking process is estimated to be £19 million for this year's tests for 11 and 14 year olds. It is not possible to identify separately the costs either for each age group or for individual subjects.
Consultants
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which firms have won computer consultancy contracts from her Department and its agencies over the last five years; and what is the number of contracts per firm. [33887]
Mr. Robin Squire: The following firms have been awarded computer consultancy contracts by the Department and its agencies in each of the last five years:
Consultancy firm |Number of contracts
-------------------------------------------------------------------
1990
BIS Ltd. |3
Coopers and Lybrand |3
ICL Ltd. |3
Oracle |2
Butler Cox |1
CMG Ltd. |1
Henley Consultants |1
Hoskyns |1
Intac |1
Kinesis Computing |1
Lalcrest |1
LBMS |1
OCTS Ltd. |1
Radius |1
RML |1
SCOLL |1
Tranrate |1
Two B |1
1991
SEMA Systems |6
LBMS |4
Kinesis Computing |3
Admiral Computing |2
BIS Ltd. |2
Coopers and Lybrand |2
Duhig Berry |2
EIS Ltd. |2
Express Consultants |2
Insight Consulting |2
Oracle |2
W. S. Atkins |2
BBT Statistical Services |1
Microsoft |1
MSL Ltd. |1
NCC |1
OCTS Ltd. |1
Radius |1
Research Machines |1
ROCC Ltd. |1
SCS |1
SD Scicon |1
Software Sciences |1
Sybase |1
1992
BIS Ltd. |3
Coopers and Lybrand |2
Insight Consulting |2
Admiral Computing |1
Amtec Consulting |1
BBT Statistical Services |1
Duhig Berry |1
Express Consultants |1
Forvus Ltd. |1
Granada Computer Services |1
Hoskyns |1
Kinesis Computing |1
MFT Computer Systems |1
MSL Ltd. |1
OCTS Ltd. |1
Oracle |1
SEMA Systems |1
1993
Express Consultants |2
Uden Consulting |2
AMP Systems Ltd. |1
Arden Business Consultants |1
BIS Ltd. |1
CMG Ltd. |1
Commercell Ltd. |1
Ingres Ltd. |1
J. Holdsworth |1
Kinesis Computing |1
Kingdon Technology |1
KPMG |1
Microsoft |1
OCTS Ltd. |1
Ove Arup |1
Pilat Ltd. |1
Trackit Systems |1
W. S. Atkins |1
1994
W. S. Atkins |3
Arden Business Consultants |2
Data Sciences |2
DPS Ltd. |2
MFT Ltd. |2
Amtec Consulting |1
Aran Ltd. |1
Axios Systems |1
Coopers and Lybrand |1
ED5 Information Systems |1
Ernst and Young |1
Forvus Ltd. |1
Gloucester Computer Co. |1
Imagineering Ltd. |1
Kermon Ltd. |1
KPG Ltd. |1
MSL Ltd. |1
Microsoft |1
Ove Arup |1
Parity plc |1
PMS Communications |1
SAS Software |1
Shortlands |1
Systemstar Softools |1
University of Bath |1
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which firms of consultants employed by her Department over the last year have been paid more than £1,000 per day. [33875]
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Mr. Squire: Over the last year, instances of the Department paying more than £1,000 per day for individual representatives are restricted to the following firms:
Baring Brothers
Coopers and Lybrand
Ernst and Young
Hay Management Consultants
KPMG
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much her Department and its agencies have spent on computer consultancy in each of the last five years and what is the expected expenditure over the next five years. [33856]
Mr. Squire: The value of computer consultancy contracts awarded by the Department and its agencies in each of the last five years is as follows:
Year |Value of contracts
|£
---------------------------------------------------------
1990 |448,000
1991 |590,000
1992 |380,000
1993 |657,000
1994 |691,000
1995 |262,000
There is no projection of expenditure over the next five years.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many contracts her Department has had with consultants; and what has been the total cost in each of the last five years. [33561]
Mr. Squire: The information requested is listed in the following table.
Year |Number of contracts|Value £ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1990 |47 |974,000 1991 |84 |1,517,000 1992 |39 |1,994,000 1993 |69 |1,629,000 1994 |96 |1,800,000
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which her Department has been engaged since 1980. [33456]
Mr. Squire: Between 1980 and the end of the last financial year, the Department--when it had responsibility for science--spent some £627,000 on privatisation of the Plant Breeding Institute.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will indicate which five consultancy firms have received most contracts from her Department (a) by number contacts and (b) monetary value in the last five years for which figures are available. [33447]
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Mr. Squire: The information requested for each of the last five years is as follows:
By number of contracts
Year |Name of consultancy
|firm
------------------------------------------------------------
1990 |Coopers and Lybrand
|KPMG
|BIS Ltd.
|ICL Ltd.
|PE International
1991 |Coopers and Lybrand
|SEMA Systems
|LBMS
|PE International
|Touche Ross
1992 |Coopers and Lybrand
|KPMG
|BIS Ltd.
|Price Waterhouse
|SEMA Systems
1993 |Coopers Lybrand
|KPMG
|Touche Ross
|Price Waterhouse
|Ernst and Young
1994 |Coopers and Lybrand
|KPMG
|Data Sciences
|Ernst and Young
|W. S. Atkins
By monetary value:
Year |Name of consultancy
|firm
------------------------------------------------------------
1990 |KPMG
|BIS Ltd.
|Coopers and Lybrand
|ICL Ltd.
|Touche Ross
1991 |Coopers and Lybrand
|Touche Ross
|SEMA Systems
|LBMS
|PE International
1992 |Coopers and Lybrand
|BIS Ltd.
|KPMG
|SEMA Systems
|Price Waterhouse
1993 |Coopers and Lybrand
|KPMG
|Touche Ross
|Price Waterhouse
|Ernst and Young
1994 |Coopers and Lybrand
|KPMG
|WS Atkins
|Ernst and Young
|Data Sciences
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many contracts and for what total sum were let by her Department and agencies for which
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it is responsible to (a) Coopers and Lybrand and its subsidiaries, (b) Peat Marwick and its subsidiaries, (c) Ernst and Young and its subsidiaries, (d) Arthur Andersen and it subsidiaries, (e) Price Waterhouse and its subsidiaries, (f) Grant Thornton and its subsidiaries, (g) Stoy Hayward and its subsidiaries, (h) Grant Thornton and its subsidiaries, (g) Stoy Hayward and its subsidiaries, (h) Robson Rhodes and its subsidiaries, (i) Pannell Kerr Forster and its subsidiaries for privatisation, market testing, management advice, accounting, audit, consultancy and other services in 1993 94 and 1994 95. [33915]Mr. Squire: The number of contracts and their total sum awarded to each of the consultants and their subsidiaries during financial years 1993 94 and 1994 95 are as follows:
Consultant |Number of contracts|Total value of
|contracts
|£
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1993-94
(a) Coopers and Lybrand |9 |258,000
(b) Peat Marwick |5 |130,000
(c) Ernst and Young |0 |-
(d) Arthur Andersen |0 |-
(e) Price Waterhouse |2 |36,000
(f) Grant Thornton |0 |-
(g) Stoy Hayward |0 |-
(h) Robson Rhodes |1 |13,500
(i) Pannell Kerr Forster |0 |-
1994-95
(a) Coopers and Lybrand |4 |443,000
(b) Peat Marwick |3 |88,000
(c) Ernst and Young |1 |80,000
(d) Arthur Andersen |0 |-
(e) Price Waterhouse |0 |-
(f) Grant Thornton |0 |-
(g) Stoy Hayward |0 |-
(h) Robson Rhodes |1 |74,000
(i) Pannell Kerr Forster |0 |-
Testing Costs
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what were the estimated costs of testing at (a) key stage 1, (b) key stage 2 and (c) key stage 3 in the current year. [33802]
Mr. Forth: A comprehensive breakdown of costs by each key stage is not available. The Schools Curriculum and Assessment Authority estimates the costs of developing national tests and tasks and supporting consistency in assessment to be some £34 million in the financial year 1995 96. In addition, the Department is supporting 60 per cent. of the estimated £8 million costs of auditing the marking of the tasks and tests for key stage 1 and 60 per cent. of the estimated £15 million costs of providing supply cover for teachers administering the tasks and tests at key stage 1 and the tasks only at key stages 2 and 3.
Educational Achievements
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what research her Department has carried out into the educational achievements of young people who have left care. [33833]
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Mr. Forth: The Department has not commissioned research on the educational achievements of young people after they left local authority care. A special study of the educational difficulties and needs of young people while in care was undertaken by HM inspectorate and the social services inspectorate jointly in 1994 , whose emerging findings informed joint Department for Education-Department of Health guidance on good practice in this field. Copies of these publications may be found in the Library.
The Education of Children who are Looked After by Local Authorities (Department of Health & Ofsted, 1995)
The Education of Children being looked after by Local Authorities (DFE Circular 13/94 DH LAC (94) 11).
Dance Education (Discretionary Awards)
Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will make a statement on the future of discretionary awards for dance education. [33815]
Mr. Forth: The Government are aware of the difficulties faced by some potential students of dance in obtaining discretionary award support from their local authorities. My officials are currently considering, together with officials from the Department of National Heritage, whether anything might be done to help. No decisions have yet been taken.
Grant-maintained Schools
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many-grant maintained schools there are in each of the London borough council areas. [33486]
Mr. Robin Squire: The information requested is set out in the table.
GM schools in the London area
LEA area |Number of GM schools
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Barking and Dagenham |0
Barnet |12
Bexley |8
Brent |15
Bromley |20
Camden |2
City of London |0
Croydon |12
Ealing |9
Enfield |6
Greenwich |1
Hackney |1
Hammersmith and Fulham |1
Haringey |0
Harrow |1
Havering |4
Hillingdon |23
Hounslow |2
Islington |0
Kensington and Chelsea |3
Kingston upon Thames |5
Lambeth |14
Lewisham |1
Merton |1
Newham |1
Redbridge |1
Richmond upon Thames |0
Southwark |10
Sutton |11
Tower Hamlets |1
Waltham Forest |2
Wandsworth |8
Westminster |0
Total |175
Staff (Shareholdings)
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many staff in her Department or its agencies have (a) declared any company shareholdings they hold or (b) been advised to dispose of shareholdings in the last five years, indicating the companies concerned. [33418]
Mr. Squire: In the last five years, no member of staff has declared any company shareholdings. Staff are required to declare where they could be involved in a decision which could affect the value of shareholdings, such as through the award of a contract.
Teacher-pupil Ratio, Devon
Mr. Allason: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the teacher to pupil ratio in Devon in 1989 90 and latest year for which figures are available. [33491]
Mr. Robin Squire: The information is shown in the table.
Pupil: Teacher ratios in maintained
primary and secondary
schools in Devon local education
authority area in 1990 and 1994
|Primary |Secondary
----------------------------------------
1989 |22.3 |16.1
1994 |22.9 |16.4
Departmental Staff (Coventry)
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list separately, by each office of her Department, the numbers and grades of casuals, fixed appointments and vacancies in the Coventry travel-to-work area. [33778]
Mr. Robin Squire: In the Coventry travel-to-work area, there are four casual administrative officers. Two are based at Bankfield House unemployment benefit office, one at Park court jobcentre and one at Tile Hill jobcentre, all in Coventry.
There are no fixed appointments or vacancies in the Coventry travel-to-work area.
School Governors
Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations she has received on the impact on school governor training of the introduction of school effectiveness grants.
Mr. Robin Squire: The Department has had formal and informal discussions with a range of organisations about the school effectiveness activity within the grants for education support and training programme. The
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activity gives school governing bodies discretion to decide, in co-operation with the head teacher and school staff, how to spend the funds allocated to them in order to promote their school's effectiveness. That includes deciding what part of the funds to spend on governor training and support, so the impact of the activity will vary depending on the decisions taken by individual schools.Nursery Vouchers
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimates have been made for (a) the administrative cost and (b) the total cost of providing nursery vouchers to the parents of all four-year-olds.
Mr. Robin Squire: The total cost of the voucher scheme for four-year -olds which my right hon. Friend has just announced is estimated at £730 million for full implementation in England. Administrative costs will be determined by the tendering process used to select a contractor to administer the scheme, but are expected to be up to 1.5 per cent. of the total cost of the scheme.
Sex Education
Miss Lestor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what monitoring arrangements her Department has in place to record the number of children being withdrawn from sex education in secondary schools.
Mr. Forth: The new statutory requirements for sex education, under the Education Act 1993, including the statutory parental right to withdraw their children, came into force on 1 September 1994. The Office for Standards in Education, as part of its regular programmes of inspections, will be monitoring schools' implementation of the full range of new arrangements.
Standard Spending Assessment
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if she will list the components of the standard spending assessment which account for differences in the standard spending assessment between London and Cheshire, other than the area cost adjustment; and if she will make a statement on the reasons for this
differentiation; [33056]
(2) if she will list the components of the standard spending assessment which account for differences in the standard spending assessment between Manchester and Cheshire, other than the area cost adjustment; and if she will make a statement on the reasons for this differentiation; [33055]
(3) if she will list the average standard spending assessment per pupil in (a) London, (b) Manchester and (c) Cheshire, broken down into (i) total, (ii) additional educational needs and (iii) area cost adjustment. [33009]
Mr. Robin Squire: Within the education standard spending assessment methodology, there are three cost adjustments, apart from the area cost adjustment, which reflect variations between authorities in the cost of providing a standard level of service: (i) additional educational needs; (ii) sparsity; and (iii) free school meals.
The table sets out how much of the overall education SSA per pupil for London, Manchester and Cheshire is
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attributable to the allowance for additional educational needs and the area cost adjustment. The figures are based on the primary sub-block of education SSAs but similar differentials apply to the secondary sub-block.
Education SSA per 5-10 year-old
LEA
|Attributable|Attributable
|Overall SSA |to AEN |to ACA
|£ |£ |£
-----------------------------------------------------------------
London |2,451 |510 |378
Manchester |2,258 |673 |0
Cheshire |1,817 |253 |0
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what plans she has to reassess the calculation of the standard spending assessment for pupils in secondary and primary schools; [33012]
(2) what plans she has to exclude pupils in independent schools from the calculation of the population receiving secondary and primary education, as part of the standard spending
assessment; [33010]
(3) if she will list the percentage of pupils in (a) state schools and (b) independent schools in (i) London (ii) Oxfordshire and (iii) Cheshire. [33011]
Mr. Squire: We are consulting the local authority associations about the possibility of excluding from that part of the education standard spending assessment methodology that relates to resident population pupils in independent schools. All representations will be carefully considered before we decide whether changes should be made.
The table sets out the number of pupils in state schools and the number of children in independent schools as a percentage of resident population aged five to 18. A residual proportion of authorities' population is in neither state nor independent schools.
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