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Women (Promotion)
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures his Department has implemented during the last 12 months to encourage the
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promotion of women into senior positions with his Department and its executive agencies; and what progress his Department has made in encouraging the promotion of women over the last five years. [31534]
Mr. Boswell: The Ministry has in place a programme of action for women and is a member of Opportunity 2000. Each of MAFF's executive agencies also either has a programme in place or will be implementing one shortly. Promotion is entirely on merit. While there have been limited opportunities for promotion for all staff over the last 12 months in both the Ministry and its agencies, more women are entering the senior grades and progress over the last five years has been steady.
| Grade | 1990 | 1995 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | 8 | 11 |
| 6 | 10 | 22 |
| 7 | 113 | 226 |
| SEO | 119.5 | 187 |
| Total | 251.5 | 448 |
Farming (Jobs)
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the number of jobs in the farming industry in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement. [32333]
Mr. Boswell: Statistics on the number of people working on agricultural holdings are collected by the annual agricultural census. The results from 1982 are published in "The Digest of Agricultural Census Statistics" and figures prior to 1982 are available in "Agricultural Statistics United Kingdom".
Civil Servants (Duties Abroad)
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much his Department spent during the financial years 1994-95 and 1995-96 on sending civil servants accompanying Ministers from his Department on official duties abroad. [32415]
Mr. Boswell: In the financial year 1995-96 the Ministry spent a total of £47,911 on officials accompany Ministers on official duties abroad.
In the financial year 1994-95, Ministry records indicate that from 23 November 1994, a total of £22,250 was spent on officials accompanying Ministers on official duties abroad.
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
School Funding
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the average level of delegation of potential schools budgets by local education authorities; and which local education
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authorities and what percentage delegate more of their potential school budgets than they are required to under current legislation. [31836]
Mr. Robin Squire: The average level of potential schools budget, PSB, delegated by local education authorities in 1996-97 is 90.5 per cent. This percentage is derived from the financial budget statements published by LEAs in England under section 42 of the Education Reform Act 1988, and relates to expenditure on schools covered by their schemes for the local management of schools, LMS. All LEAs from whom statements have been received have planned to exceed the required delegation level--85 per cent. of PSB--in the current financial year. I understand that this is also true of the two LEAs--Redcar and Cleveland and York--from whom statements are still awaited.
Training and Enterprise Councils
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will place a copy of the training and enterprise council operating agreement for 1996-97 in the Library. [32580]
Mr. Paice: Copies of the training and enterprise council operating agreement 1996-97 and the TEC licence and annual funding agreement 1996-97 are held in the Library.
Grant-maintained Schools
Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will publish lists comparing the most recent general certificate of secondary education results of grant-maintained schools in England and Wales with the results of the same schools in the years before they went grant maintained. [32088]
Mr. Robin Squire: The data are contained in a number of lists, copies of which have been placed in the Library. The lists give details of the GCSE results for grant-maintained schools in England for 1994-95 with their results for the most recent year before they became grant maintained. No previous results for schools that were grant maintained in 1992 are available since 1992 was the first year of the school performance tables. The information on grant-maintained schools in Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Learning Vouchers
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what consultations she has had with (a) the Headmasters Conference, (b) the Conference of Head Mistresses, (c) the Professional Association of Teachers, (d) university departments of education and (e) education committees of the county councils associations or associations of municipal authorities concerning the use of vouchers for years 12 and 13 in secondary schools. [32449]
Mr. Paice: None. The Government have no plans to introduce vouchers for years 12 and 13 in secondary schools. We have announced our intention to consult on the introduction from 1997 of a system of learning credits. These will set out for all 16 to 19-year-olds their entitlement to the education and training they choose.
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Barred Teachers
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what cross-checking is carried out of names recorded on list 99 against those on the Department of Health's consultancy index. [32591]
Mr. Robin Squire: The Department of Health consultancy index includes details of people on the Department's list 99. The Department of Health receives an up to date copy of list 99 each year, and is notified of changes as names are added or removed throughout the year.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many applications there have been to check names against list 99 in each of the last five years; [32597]
- (2) how many names have been on the Department for Education and Employment list 99 in each of the last five years; [32596]
(3) how many names have been removed from list 99 in each of the last five years. [32592]
Mr. Squire: Statistics about the number of checks made against list 99 are not collected centrally. The majority of checks are carried out by local education authorities and establishments of further education which hold copies of the list.
| Period | Number added | Number removed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 April 1991 to 31 March 1992 | 57 | 4 |
| 1 April 1992 to 31 March 1993 | 49 | 5 |
| 1 April 1993 to 31 March 1994 | 54 | 5 |
| 1 April 1994 to 31 March 1995 | 98 | 10 |
| 1 April 1995 to 31 March 1996 | 85 | 5 |
School Uniforms
Mr. Rathbone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will investigate the decision by East Sussex education authority to stop grants for schoolchildrens' uniforms; and if she will take steps to ensure that children from poorer families are not penalised. [32646]
Mrs. Gillan: I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible and place a copy of the letter in the Library.
Computers (Millennium)
Mr. Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment has been made of the cost effects of the millennium date change on the computer systems operated by her Department. [32681]
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Mr. Robin Squire: The Department is currently assessing the impact of the millennium date change on its computer systems. The assessment will be completed towards the end of this year. Only then will it be possible to estimate the cost of dealing with the problem.
Nursery Voucher Scheme
Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has for assessing the working and effects of phase 1 of the nursery education voucher scheme. [33151]
Mr. Robin Squire: The nursery education voucher scheme will be assessed in three stages. First, the operational aspects of the scheme will be evaluated, drawing on data on the issue and redemption of vouchers provided by the voucher agent and on surveys of parents and providers. Initial results will be placed in the Library as they become available, with an overall assessment in the autumn. The first inspection reports will also be published in the autumn, and the Office for Standards in Education proposes to publish an overview report of early findings around January 1997.
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