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Judicial Reviews

Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many, and in respect of which judicial review application, his Department has been deemed to have acted illegally since May 1993.[7313]

Mr. Howard [holding answer 4 December 1996]: Since May 1993, the Home Office has been involved in several thousand judicial review applications. It has been successful in over 90 per cent. of them. The detailed information requested is not readily available.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Vocational Qualifications

Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she will publish a Government position paper on higher level vocational qualifications; and if she will make a statement. [8633]

Mr. Paice: A document which sets out the Government's current position on this matter is being published today. Copies are being placed in the Library. The document "Higher Level Vocational Qualifications--A Government Position Paper" invites those who have an interest in higher level vocational qualifications, in particular professional bodies and higher education institutions, to engage with the Department for Education and Employment, the National Council for Vocational Qualifications (NCVQ) and the Scottish Vocational Education Council (SCOTVEC) to bring all vocational qualifications into the national qualifications framework.

Education and Training (Teenagers)

Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to improve education and training for 14 to 19-year-olds.[8634]

Mrs. Gillian Shephard: I have today published a White Paper, "Learning to Compete: education and training for 14-19 year olds" (SO Cm 3486).

"Learning to Compete" builds on the Government's achievements over the past decade in increasing choice, participation and attainment by young people in education and training in England. It sets out the Government's

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vision for first-class education and training for the next century, based on the entitlement of all young people to learning, on the need for employability, and on the value of effective partnerships at national, regional and local level. It is designed to renew our drive towards the national targets for education and training, helping young people to play their part in a successful society, and Britain to strengthen its international competitiveness.

The White Paper draws on extensive and invaluable consultations over the past year, in particular on the conclusions of Sir Ron Dearing's review of 16 to 19 qualifications. It proposes a wide-ranging programme of action for the Government and their key partners to improve young people's learning further, and to ensure their successful transition to employment and further learning throughout life. In particular, the White Paper:

introduces from September 1997 a new learning credits entitlement for all young people aged 14 to 21 to career planning and learning opportunities up to level 3. This will improve young people's participation and attainment and encourage them to value their learning more. The Government have also published today a consultation document, "A Passport to Learning", on the detailed implementation of learning credits;
enhances the breadth and rigour of the qualifications framework at key stage 4 and beyond, in particular by making part 1 GNVQs available from September 1998 to all schools who wish to provide them, strengthening GCE A-levels, GNVQs and NVQs, and promoting key skills throughout education and training;
acts to make education for 14 to 19-year-olds more relevant to the world of work, by supporting innovative approaches to vocational study by 14 to 16-year-olds, introducing a new national record of achievement and encouraging more effective use of labour market information in making choices at 16;
introduces a relaunch strategy--a new start for young people--to bring disaffected 14 to 19 year-olds back into learning with partnership projects at local level;
introduces from September 1997 national traineeships to help 16 to 19-year-olds reach NVQ level 2 and acquire key skills with employers, taking forward the successful approach of modern apprenticeships;
develops common principles to underpin the effective internal and external quality assurance of all 16 to 19 learning, including the introduction of an external inspection regime for work-based training providers and more consistent measures of performance;
takes forward the application of common principles to the funding of learning in schools, colleges and work-based training, supporting good recruitment practice and effective teaching and training and rewarding successful achievement, in order to enhance choice, cost-effectiveness and fair competition; and
introduces new funding arrangements from 1997-88 for training for young people, which are consistent with these principles and designed to reduce bureaucracy for training and enterprise councils and their providers.

This programme of action demonstrates the enhanced capacity of my Department to make coherent policy in this key area. It will be supported by the expenditure plans for my Department set out in the Budget. The Government will work closely with their key partners and with providers to take it forward successfully.

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Copies of the White Paper and the learning credits consultation document have been placed in the Library.

GCSE Scores

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list for each year since 1991, for all English secondary schools, on the same basis as her Department's annual school performance tables, the average GCSE point scores, in five percentile groups ranked by their 15-year-olds achievements. [6406]

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Mrs. Gillan [holding answer 28 November 1996]: The following list for 1996 shows the average GCSE point scores, in 5 per centile groups, ranked by their 15-year-old pupils' achievements. The figures are based on the school performance tables published in November and exclude data from the published schools that had fewer than 10 pupils aged 15. The averages quoted are simple averages, based on the sums of the percentages divided by the number of schools involved. Data for earlier years have been provided on a slightly different basis from those given in the reply to the hon. Member's questions of 7 November and 19 December 1995, Official Report, columns 960 and 1034 respectively.

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School performance tables 1996 Percentage of 15-year-olds achieving

5 percentile group	Average point score(1)	5 A* to C (per cent.)	5 A* to G (per cent.)	1 A* to G (per cent.)	Number schools
1	60.8	98.8	99.4	99.6	218
2	55.8	93.6	97.1	98.1	219
3	50.1	83.5	92.2	95.1	218
4	45.0	70.3	93.5	95.9	219
5	42.8	62.1	93.8	96.3	218
6	41.5	57.2	93.7	96.5	219
7	40.0	53.3	93.6	96.6	218
8	38.5	49.5	92.4	96.2	219
9	36.9	46.3	91.2	95.8	218
10	35.6	42.9	90.6	95.3	219
11	34.1	39.7	89.1	94.5	218
12	32.3	36.1	86.3	93.3	218
13	30.6	32.6	85.5	92.6	219
14	29.1	28.9	84.0	92.0	218
15	27.2	25.0	81.4	90.6	219
16	24.9	21.0	77.4	88.1	218
17	22.3	16.0	73.4	86.1	219
18	14.9	6.5	52.6	76.8	218
19	1.3	0.0	0.0	27.1	219
20	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	218

(1) The average point score has been calculated by using A*=8, A=7, B=6, C=5, D=4, E=3, F=2 and G=1.

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Grant-maintained Schools

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many and what proportion of consultees who responded to the section on extending the freedom of grant-maintained schools in the White Paper, "Self-Government for Schools" were in favour of the proposed extensions. [6925]

Mr. Forth [holding answer 28 November 1996]: We received 637 responses to the White Paper "Self-Government for Schools". More than three quarters were from LEAs and LEA-maintained schools. Less than 2 per cent. were from GM bodies and GM schools. The table gives the information requested.

Proposal	Number of responses commenting on the relevant proposal	Number and percentage in favour
To remove the requirement for GM schools to publish statutory proposals to:
(a) open or close a nursery	176	7 (4)
(b) open or close a sixth form	195	6 (3)
(c) add or remove boarding provision	152	5 (3)
(d) expand their capacity by up to 50 per cent.	188	5 (3)

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Education Expenditure

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will publish a breakdown of (a) the £830 million available for education in 1997-98, according to the statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, (b) the £875 million quoted in the departmental press release and (c) the £633 million available for local education authorities, showing how the above figures are intended to be spent. [7470]

Mr. Robin Squire: The £875 million is the increase in provision for schools, colleges and universities between 1996-97, after adjusting for in-year changes, and 1997-98. Of this, £830 million relates to schools. The £633 million is the increase in local authority education standard spending--total education standard spending assessments plus recurrent specific grants to local authorities related to education--as announced by

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my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment in his statement to the House on the local authority financial settlement on 27 November 1996.

The breakdown of the £875 million increase is shown in the table:

Increase in:	£ million
Education standard spending assessments(2)	591
New money for the nursery voucher scheme	129
Assisted places scheme	22
GEST	22
GM recurrent	15
OFSTED	13
Schools capital(3)	9
Specialist schools(4)	7
Other smaller items(5)	22
Sub total--schools	830
Further and higher education institutions	45
Total	875

(2) After adjustments for changes in function and funding, in particular the national introduction of the nursery voucher scheme

(3) After allowing for contribution to LA challenge

(4) Includes an increase in capital provision of £3 million

(5) Including additional resources for ethnic minorities (section 11 grant), teacher training, changes to key stage 2/3 tests, the music and ballet scheme and literacy and numeracy centres.

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when, by what mechanism and to which local authorities the £50 million in capital allowances announced in the Budget statement will be distributed. [7471]

Mrs. Gillan: I expect to make an announcement about the distribution of credit approvals to local education authorities and of grant to governors of voluntary-aided schools for 1997-98, including amounts over and above the previously announced baselines, later this month. A copy of the Department's letter setting out the basis on which these distributions will be made has been placed in the Library. Further support is also available through the specialist schools programme. The distribution of grant to the governors of grant-maintained schools is a matter for the Funding Agency for Schools.

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