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BBC Transmitters

Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make it a condition of the acquisition of the BBC transmitters that the company awarded the licence shall have an obligation to (a) acquire the ownership, (b) maintain and (c) fully finance the running of community-owned booster masts throughout Britain. [7733]

Mr. Sproat: The BBC is handling the arrangements for the sale of its transmission services. At present, the responsibility for the ownership, maintenance and funding of community-owned booster masts in Britain lies with the communities themselves. We have no plans to impose on the purchaser of BBC transmission services new obligations in respect of community-owned booster masts.

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Delegated Legislation

Mr. Hutton: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many of the powers to make statutory instruments exercisable by the Secretary of State under primary legislation enacted since 1979 are subject to (a) the negative and (b) the affirmative resolution procedure. [9592]

Mr. Sproat: The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Televised Sport

Mr. Grocott: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) which television organisations are giving evidence to the Government in connection with the possible protection for the terrestrial television channels of the major sporting events; [8708]

(2) on what date the Government begin their consideration of the coverage of major sporting events on terrestrial television; [8709]

(3) when she expects the Government's consideration of protection of major sporting events for the terrestrial television channels to be completed; [8707]

(4) if she will list the people who are currently considering the issue of how to protect the major sporting events for the terrestrial television channels. [8706]

Mr. Sproat: The Government's position is that sporting bodies should in general be free to sell their broadcasting rights in the interests of their sport. We have received a number of representations, and are aware of public debate on this issue; and we are keeping our policy under close review.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Numeracy and Literacy Centres

Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what consultations she has had with local education authorities concerning her proposal to establish numeracy and literacy centres; what will be the basis of selection for those attending; and if attendence will be voluntary or optional or obligatory additional to existing teaching duties or on secondment for an existing appointment. [8459]

Mr. Robin Squire: Departmental officials consulted the local authority associations on the nature of the scheme and have offered all local education authorities the opportunity to attend a discussion on 16 January to inform the production of their bids.

Details of the operation of the scheme and the criteria for selection of LEAs are included in the letter which was sent to all chief education officers on 5 January. I will write to the hon. Member enclosing a copy of this letter, and will place copies of the letter in the Libraries of both Houses.

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Barnsley and Doncaster Training and

Enterprise Council

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment she has made of the impact of the Budget on Barnsley and Doncaster TEC; and if she will make a statement. [8456]

Mr. Paice: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment wrote to all training and enterprise council chairmen in England on 28 November regarding the effects of the budget announcement on TECs. Officials from the Government office for Yorkshire and Humberside have had preliminary meetings with all TECs in the region. Detailed discussions with Barnsley and Doncaster TEC will begin later this month.

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment she has made of the accuracy of the published information on the value of Barnsley and Doncaster TEC's contract with the Employment Department in the financial year 1994-95; and if she will make a statement. [8430]

Mr. Paice: Information on the Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council's budget for 1994-95 was published on 22 November 1994, Official Report, column 102, in a written answer to the hon. Member for Rother Valley (Mr. Barron) and the TEC's annual report for 1994-95 indicates income and expenditure relating to a range of activities, including those for which the Department contracts with the TEC. The accuracy of the written answer was checked by my officials, and the financial information in the TEC's annual report is extracted from the annual statutory report and accounts which are subject to external audit.

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what negotiations have taken place between her Department and Barnsley and Doncaster TEC to make provision for employment for the over-45 year age group; and if she will make a statement. [8431]

Mr. Paice: Negotiations between the Department and Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council cover a number of matters, including training for work which is open to eligible unemployed adults up to the age of 63. Clients in the over 45 age group also have access to a range of Employment Service programmes through the local jobcentres.

Youth Training Scheme (Walthamstow)

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many eligible young people in Walthamstow are currently unable to obtain a place on a youth training scheme. [8975]

Mr. Paice: There are no young people in Walthamstow for whom the youth training guarantee has not been met.

Nursery Voucher Scheme

Ms Estelle Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate she has made of the number of new nursery places likely to be created in the nursery voucher pilot scheme areas as a result of the voucher scheme. [9058]

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Mr. Robin Squire: The number of additional places created through the nursery voucher scheme will depend on the response of providers to parental demand. I am confident that providers of all types, either alone or in partnership with each other, will satisfy parental demand over time.

Ms Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate she has made of the number of Office for Standards in Education inspections of nursery providers that will be carried out in the nursery voucher pilot areas during phase 1; what these inspections will cost; and what extra resources will be made available to Ofsted to accommodate increased inspection. [8719]

Mr. Squire: Setting aside maintained schools which are already subject to regular inspection by Ofsted, initial planning estimates indicate that for the first phase of the scheme some 600 inspections of voucher redeeming establishments will be required. The precise number will depend upon the number of providers who take part in the scheme.

A total of £5 million has been set aside for the inspection and administration during the first phase, the greater proportion of which will be spent on the recruitment and training of inspectors in preparation for the second phase.

Post-GCSE Pupils

Dame Elaine Kellett-Bowman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what statistics are maintained (a) nationally and (b) regionally providing details of the movement of pupils in the two years following GCSE. [8540]

Mr. Paice: Statistics are collected by careers services on the first destinations of all 16-year-olds following the completion of their compulsory education. The local area statistics are aggregated to provide regional and national figures. The findings are normally published early the following year and the report on the destinations of the 1995 year group is expected shortly. In recent years the report has been published by the Association of County Councils with the support of the UK heads of careers services and the Department.

Additionally, since 1985 the Department has funded the youth cohort study. This is a postal questionnaire survey of approximately 20,000 young people in their first year after the end of compulsory schooling. The sample is representative of young people of the given age group in England and Wales.

Further questionnaires are sent to the same young people in each of the following two years, so providing information on their progress at 16-17, 17-18, 18-19 years of age.

The YCS provides detailed information on the school experience, current activity, education, qualifications, employment and training of young people, together with a small amount of contextual socio-demographic background data. The study was designed to provide a national picture and reports normally concentrate on national figures.

16 Jan 1996 : Column: 514

Dame Elaine Kellett-Bowman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will collect statistics on the movement of pupils in the two years following GCSE. [8541]

Mr. Paice: The Department plans to extend the requirement on careers services so that they also collect information on the first destinations of 17 and 18-year-old school leavers. In future years this requirement may be further extended to include the corresponding further education college leavers and provide a fuller picture.

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