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Education, South London
Mr. David Shaw:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many (1) church-aided and (2) non-denominational secondary schools which are located within 15 miles of Southwark are (a) grant-maintained and (b) maintained by local authorities. [11937]
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Mrs. Gillan:
The information requested is shown in the following table:
| Denominational(18) | Non-denominational | |
|---|---|---|
| LEA maintained schools | 68 | 210 |
| Grant-maintained schools | 50 | 63 |
(18) Includes Church of England, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Methodist and other religious denominations.
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will institute a public inquiry into the quality of secondary education provision in the London boroughs of Islington, Southwark and Lambeth. [11938]
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will hold discussions with the Lambeth and Southwark education committee chairmen on whether their education policies are meeting the needs of local parents. [11939]
Mr. Robin Squire: I have had no request for such a meeting nor is there any current intention of Ministers to seek one.
Employment Service (Safety of Staff)
Mr. McAllion: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what has been the number of attacks on Employment Service office staff in each of the last five years; what assessment she has made as to the causes of such attacks; and if she will make a statement; [11933]
- (2) what account she takes of representations by staff when considering the provision of safety measures in jobcentres; [11934]
(3) what plans she has to allow additional safety measures to be provided at jobcentres at the request of staff; and what funding she will make available for this purpose. [11935]
Mr. Forth: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Mike Fogden to Mr. John McAllion, dated 29 January 1996:
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The Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked me to reply to your questions concerning attacks on Employment Service (ES) staff.
All attacks against my people are taken very seriously and we investigate them thoroughly. Fortunately, few of these attacks result in physical injury. The incidence of attacks need to be placed in the context of the some two million contacts we have with the public every week. Seen in that light the likelihood of someone in the Employment Service being attacked is, I am pleased to say, low. That does not diminish our determination to ensure that it is as low as possible and we continue to work to that end. Every incident is studied to assess causes and see if any changes are needed to the existing countermeasures. These studies show that there are very different factors for each incident, but typical countermeasures will
include upgrading the security arrangements, better training in customer handling, introducing more effective and efficient working procedures and improving the layout of the office to provide better traffic flow and more accessible escape routes for my people.
The figures of actual assaults on my people in each of the last five years are:-
1991: 152
1992: 203
1993: 258
1994: 268
1995: 234
A systematic risk assessment, by competent Risk Assessors, to identify and recommend measures to reduce incidents to the minimum practical level has been made of all our Jobcentres in preparation for the introduction of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Trade Union Health and Safety representatives were fully consulted as part of the risk assessment process. Their views were fully taken into account by risk assessors.
Safety and security measures will receive priority funding and I anticipate no difficulties in implementing the agreed recommendations of Risk Assessors.
I hope this is helpful.
Jobseekers (Project Work Scheme)
Mr. Ian McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her oral statement of 16 January, Official Report, column 610, if she will place in the Library a copy of all correspondence and other data evaluated by her Department relating to the decision to pilot the project work scheme in the Hull and Medway travel-to-work areas. [12156]
Mr. Forth [holding answer 26 January 1996]: The information requested is either data about the labour market, which is publicly available, or pre-existing documents. It would not be appropriate specifically to provide this information in the form requested. However, it may be helpful if I explain the way in which the choice of pilot areas was made. Hull and Medway and Maidstone were two of a number of travel-to-work areas of the right size to mount a manageable pilot at a reasonable cost, while still producing a sample large enough for proper evaluation. They were also relatively self-contained, which minimised the potential for distortion, and they represented two different sorts of labour market. The respective rates of unemployment and very long-term unemployment in the two travel-to-work areas is shown in the following table, compared with the national averages.
| Pilot area | Unemployment rate | VLTU(19) as percentage of total unemployed | VLTU(20) as percentage of total workforce |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per cent. | |||
| Medway and Maidstone | 8.2 | 13.7 | 1.1 |
| Hull | 9.9 | 18.8 | 1.9 |
| National average | 8.0 | 21.6 | 1.7 |
(19) Very long-term unemployed, i.e., over 2 years.
(20) Seasonally adjusted, and provisional.
Equal Opportunities Commission
Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made
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of the effects on the workings of the Sex Discrimination Acts and Equal Pay Act 1970 of the reduction in funding for the Equal Opportunities Commission. [12398]
Mrs. Gillan:
I expect that the Equal Opportunities Commission will continue to use its resources efficiently and effectively to carry out its statutory duties.
Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to restore funding to the Equal Opportunities Commission. [12396]
Mrs. Gillan:
We consider annually the funding requirements of the Equal Opportunities Commission, alongside other calls on public expenditure.
Mr. Hain:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how much in (a) ecus and (b) pounds by standard region and in total the United Kingdom received under the European Leonardo programme and its predecessor schemes over the last available five-year period; [11649]
Mr. Forth:
The main predecessors of the Leonardo programme were the Comett, Force and Petra programmes. The following tables relate to funding received in the United Kingdom as a whole under these programmes; regional allocations are not available. No financial details of funds received within the Leonardo programme in 1995, its first year of operation, have yet been published by the European Commission.
(2) how much in (a) ecus and (b) pounds by standard region and in total is allocated to the United Kingdom from the European Leonardo programme under the current financial perspectives. [11648]
| Year | Comett | Force | Petra |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990(21) | -- | -- | -- |
| 1991 | 3,048 | (22)1,055 | |
| 1992 | 6,411 | 7,380 | 2,796 |
| 1993 | 3,871 | 3,866 | |
| 1994 | 3,677 | Not available | 3,274 |
(21) Figures not available for 1990.
(22) Excludes placement/exchange activity.
| Year | Comett | Force | Petra |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990(23) | -- | -- | -- |
| 1991 | 2,582 | (24)894 | |
| 1992 | 5,432 | 6,252 | 2,369 |
| 1993 | 3,280 | 3,275 | |
| 1994 | 3,115 | Not available | 2,774 |
(23) Figures not available for 1990.
(24) Excludes placement/exchange activity.
Mr. Hain:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how much in (a) ecus and (b) pounds by standard region and in total the
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United Kingdom received from the European Socrates programme and its predecessor schemes over the last available five years. [11652]
Mr. Forth:
The main predecessors of the Socrates programme were the Erasmus and Lingua programmes. The following table relates to funding allocated to the United Kingdom as a whole under these programmes; regional allocations are not available. No financial details of grants awarded under the Socrates programme in 1995, its first year of operation, have yet been published by the European Commission.
(2) how much in (a) ecus and (b) pounds by standard region and in total is allocated to the United Kingdom from the European Socrates programme under the current financial perspectives. [11653]
(25) Includes LINGUA Action II.
(26) At 1 ECU = £0.8472.
(27) LINGUA Actions I, III, IV and VB only.
(28) LINGUA Actions I, III, IV and V only.
n/a not available.
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Mr. Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much in (a) Ecus and (b) pound sterling by standard region and in total the United Kingdom received under the European social fund over the last available five years. [11660]
Mr. Forth:
Information by standard region is not available except at disproportionate cost. The following table shows the amounts of European social fund as allocated to the United Kingdom in the years 1991-95.
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| 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mecu | £ million | Mecu | £ million | Mecu | £ million | Mecu | £ million | Mecu | £ million | Mecu | £ million | |
| Objective 1 | ||||||||||||
| Northern Ireland | 75 | 53 | 80 | 59 | 78 | 61 | 49 | 40 | 50 | 42 | 332 | 255 |
| Merseyside(29) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 46 | 39 | 50 | 42 | 96 | 81 |
| Highlands and Islands(29) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 8 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 17 | 14 |
| Total | 75 | 53 | 80 | 59 | 78 | 61 | 103 | 86 | 109 | 91 | 445 | 350 |
| Objective 2 | ||||||||||||
| North-East England | 25 | 17 | 29 | 21 | 27 | 21 | 24 | 20 | 26 | 21 | 131 | 100 |
| East England(30) | 24 | 17 | 28 | 20 | 26 | 21 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 78 | 58 |
| East Midlands(29) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 11 |
| West Midlands | 19 | 13 | 22 | 16 | 20 | 16 | 30 | 25 | 31 | 26 | 122 | 96 |
| North West England | 51 | 36 | 60 | 44 | 56 | 44 | 31 | 26 | 33 | 27 | 231 | 177 |
| West Cumbria | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 10 |
| West Scotland | 18 | 13 | 21 | 16 | 20 | 16 | 20 | 17 | 21 | 17 | 100 | 79 |
| East Scotland | 6 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 36 | 29 |
| South Wales | 14 | 10 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 16 | 13 | 78 | 59 |
| North East Wales(30) | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 6 | 5 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside(29) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 25 | 21 | 26 | 22 | 51 | 43 |
| East London and Lea Valley(29) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 10 |
| Thanet(29) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Plymouth | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Total | 162 | 113 | 189 | 138 | 177 | 139 | 170 | 144 | 179 | 149 | 877 | 683 |
| Objectives 3 and 4 Total(31) | 314 | 262 | 371 | 309 | 548 | 457 | 421 | 351 | 554 | 462 | 2,208 | 1,841 |
| Objective 5b | ||||||||||||
| South West England | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 17 | 14 |
| Rural Wales | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 17 | 14 |
| Highland and Islands(30) | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 8 | 7 |
| Dumfries and Galloway(29) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| The Marches(29) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Northern Uplands(29) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| Lincolnshire(29) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| East Anglia | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Borders of Scotland(29) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Central Scotland/Tayside(29) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Grampian(29) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Total | 12 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 17 | 15 | 21 | 19 | 62 | 55 |
| Grand total | 563 | 437 | 646 | 512 | 809 | 663 | 711 | 596 | 863 | 721 | 3,592 | 2,929 |
(29) These programmes commenced in 1994.
(30) These programme areas were redefined from 1994.
(31) Objectives 3 and 4 are national programmes not divided regionally. 1991-93 figures cover both objectives which were amalgamated into Objective 3 from 1994 onwards.
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