---

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Capital Spending Projects (Schools)

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate she has made of the value of the capital spending projects in schools which have taken advantage of the private finance initiative. [11340]

Mrs. Gillan: My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Local Government announced on 8 October 1996 that the Government would make available additional revenue support for £50 million of PFI investment in the local education authority schools sector between then and 31 March 1998. A good number of LEAs are very keen to reap the benefits of PFI partnerships with the private sector, and the are developing projects covering a wide range of asset-based services for schools. Provision is also available for grant maintained and voluntary-aided school PFI projects.

Clinical and Academic Medicine (Pay Parity)

Miss Emma Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what factors underlay her decision to end pay parity between clinical and academic medicine. [11771]

Mr. Forth: My right hon. Friend has taken no such decision. Indeed, she announced at the time of the Budget statement that a new condition of grant would be placed on the Higher Education Funding Council for England from 1997-98 requiring the council to enable universities and colleges to meet any additional costs for medical schools arising from any pay increase awarded by the Government to NHS clinicians.

Teachers (Early Retirement)

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what advice she has issued to the Funding Agency for Schools in respect of the proposed changes to the early retirement provisions in the teachers's superannuation arrangements. [12072]

Mrs. Gillan: The Funding Agency for Schools has received a copy of the Department's consultation letter of 22 October on this matter. Advice on these changes was also set out in the annual grant letter to the agency, setting out the planned funding for the grant-maintained sector in 1997-98 and beyond. A copy of that letter was placed in the Library on 28 November 1996.

22 Jan 1997 : Column: 624

Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list those who have responded to her consultation document on the proposed changes in the teachers pension fund. [11959]

Mrs. Gillan: My right hon. Friend has so far received written representations from 33 consultees in respect of the proposed changes to early retirement provisions for teachers. They are listed in the table.

List of consultees who have submitted written representations to the Secretary of State in respect of proposed changes to the TSS
Association of Colleges
Association for College Management
Association of GM and Aided Schools
Association of Headteachers of GM Schools
Association of Teachers and Lecturers
Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals
Free Church Federal Council--Education Committee
Further Education Funding Council
Girls Public Day School Trust
GM Schools Advisory Committee
Governing Bodies of Girls' Schools Association
Governing Bodies' Association
Headmasters' Conference
Higher Education Funding Council for England
Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools
Independent Schools Association
Independent Schools Bursars' Association
Independent Schools Joint Council
National Association of Head Teachers
National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers
National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education
National Governors Council
National Union of Teachers
Professional Association of Teachers
Secondary Heads Association
Sixth Form Colleges Employers' Forum
Society of Education Officers
Teacher Training Agency
Teachers' Superannuation Working Party
Universities and Colleges Employers Association
Welsh Local Government Association
Welsh Office
Workers' Educational Association

Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate she has made of the number of teachers in Devon who have taken early retirement; and what percentage did so on the grounds of ill health, in each of the past five years. [12009]

Mrs. Gillan: The following table shows the information for teachers taking early retirement from the maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special sector in Devon.

22 Jan 1997 : Column: 625

Financial year	Number of early retirements(8)	Percentage retiring on ill-health grounds
1991-92	167	47
1992-93	196	42
1993-94	243	40
1994-95	216	54
1995-96 (provisional)	300	34

(8) Excludes those last recorded as in sixth form colleges.

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what guidance the Funding Agency for Schools has issued to head teachers of grant-maintained schools in respect of premature retirements in 1997-98 and beyond; [12073]

(2) what estimate has been made of the resources available to the Funding Agency for Schools to fund the cost of premature retirements following changes to the regulations. [12074]

Mrs. Gillan: The Funding Agency for Schools will offer assistance towards the cost of premature retirement in GM schools in 1997-98 and beyond on a case by case basis, according to criteria set by the agency, from within the total allocation set aside for special purpose grants. It is for the Agency to determine what advice and financial assistance is made available to GM schools in respect of premature retirements having regard to the proposed changes in the regulations. I have asked the chairman of the Funding Agency for Schools to write to the hon. Member with this information.

Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will place copies of the responses to her consultation document on teachers pension fund in the Library. [11960]

Mrs. Gillan: I will place copies of the responses from consultees to our proposals for the reform of early retirement arrangements for the teachers' superannuation scheme in the Library, except for any where the consultee has asked for the response to remain confidential.

Mr. Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the total number of teachers who have retired before the age of 60 years for reasons of health or disability during the last four years. [11850]

Mrs. Gillan: The numbers of teachers who have retired on grounds of ill health before the age 60 in each of the last four years is given in the table.

Year	Number of retirees
1992-93	4,900
1993-94	5,730
1994-95	6,303
1995-96	5,980

Local Education Authorities (Finance)

Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the capital allocations for 1997-98 to each local education authority (a) in cash terms and (b) at 1995-96 prices together with the average allocation at 1995-96 prices for the five years between 1992-93 and 1996-97 for each authority. [11958]

22 Jan 1997 : Column: 626

Mrs. Gillan: The table lists each local education authority's 1997-98 annual capital guideline in cash terms and at 1995-96 prices. It also lists, at 1995-96 prices, the average capital allocation--annual capital guideline plus any supplementary credit approvals--for each LEA for the period 1993-94 to 1996-97. Comparable data for 1992-93 can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

We expect to issue further supplementary credit approvals in 1996-97, and to issue supplementary credit approvals totalling about £66 million--or £63 million at 1995-96 prices--in 1997-98. The table does not include allocations under capital challenge.

LOCAL EDUCATION AUTHORITIES CAPITAL ALLOCATIONS (Annual capital guidelines and supplementary credit approvals)Real terms' = 1995-96 prices All figures in £000

LEA	1997-98 ACG	1997-98 ACG in real terms	Average real terms allocation 1993-94 to 1996-97
Avon	--	--	6,425
Barking	1,021	977	2,028
Barnet	901	862	2,838
Barnsley	1,153	1,103	2,622
Bath and North-east Somerset	1,221	1,168	388
Bedfordshire	2,247	2,149	2,313
Berkshire	1,634	1,563	3,605
Bexley	3,545	3,391	1,914
Birmingham	1,061	1,015	8,762
Bolton	1,422	1,360	802
Bournemouth	1,470	1,406	--
Bradford	3,981	3,808	6,650
Brent	54	52	595
Brighton and Hove	3,004	2,873	--
Bristol	174	166	794
Bromley	1,035	990	1,979
Bukinghamshire	4,235	4,051	9,455
Bury	55	53	702
Calderdale	88	84	1,836
Cambridgeshire	6,985	6,681	7,721
Camden	36	34	541
Cheshire	4,833	4,623	8,680
City	0	0	3
Cleveland	--	--	5,567
Cornwall	6,372	6,095	4,015
Coventry	5,486	5,247	2,277
Croydon	308	295	1,454
Cumbria	3,484	3,332	6,137
Darlington	53	51	--
Derby	832	796	--
Derbyshire	2,110	2,018	7,962
Devon	10,958	10,481	11,425
Doncaster	790	756	5,258
Dorset	1,637	1,566	4,736
Dudley	691	661	1,270
Durham	7,670	7,336	4,271
Ealing	3,528	3,374	2,832
East Riding of Yorkshire	385	368	108
East Sussex	11,763	11,251	14,665
Enfield	7,550	7,221	3,973
Essex	8,563	8,190	11,035
Gateshead	1,884	1,802	2,785
Gloucestershire	7,823	7,483	10,550
Greenwich	1,376	1,316	791
Hackney	771	737	1,079
Hammersmith	125	120	481
Hampshire	9,306	8,901	16,154
Haringey	3,960	3,788	2,464
Harrow	1,097	1,049	2,912
Hartlepool	5	5	10
Havering	61	58	507
Hereford and Worcester	2,845	2,721	4,707
Hertfordshire	9,986	9,551	4,000
Hillingdon	2,038	1,949	2,072
Hounslow	3,095	2,960	3,005
Humberside	--	--	5,599
Isle of Wight	2,604	2,491	3,458
Isles of Scilly	49	47	54
Islington	72	69	384
Kensington	84	80	633
Kent	19,937	19,069	19,973
Kingston upon Hull	96	92	40
Kingston upon Thames	3,009	2,878	660
Kirklees	1,554	1,486	2,988
Knowsley	1,447	1,384	1,180
Lambeth	651	623	829
Lancashire	5,225	4,998	9,509
Leeds	7,046	6,739	4,353
Leicester	162	155	--
Leicestershire	1,563	1,495	5,710
Lewisham	813	778	1,510
Lincolnshire	5,949	5,690	9,585
Liverpool	4,947	4,741	3,866
Luton	845	808	--
Manchester	5,944	5,685	11,990
Merton	47	45	658
Middlesbrough	616	589	251
Milton Keynes	2,724	2,605	--
Newcastle	407	389	2,970
Newham	2,892	2,766	2,036
Norfolk	2,301	2,201	4,050
North-east Lincolnshire	474	453	58
North Lincolnshire	319	305	40
North Somerset	3,207	3,067	599
North Tyneside	1,116	1,067	3,360
North Yorkshire	3,789	3,624	4,708
Northamptonshire	6,693	6,402	5,022
Northumberland	1,325	1,267	2,513
Nottinghamshire	3,074	2,940	2,741
Oldham	1,630	1,559	2,126
Oxfordshire	5,167	4,942	5,852
Poole	1,067	1,021	--
Portsmouth	2,275	2,176	--
Redbridge	7,688	7,353	4,787
Redcar and Cleveland	169	162	285
Richmond	129	123	225
Rochdale	910	870	739
Rotherham	1,547	1,480	1,252
Rutland	4	4	--
Salford	4,462	4,268	4,129
Sandwell	2,481	2,373	1,648
Sefton	70	67	1,640
Sheffield	4,676	4,473	4,674
Shropshire	3,891	3,722	6,758
Solihull	2,425	2,319	2,172
Somerset	2,028	1,940	3,423
South Gloucestershire	4,414	4,222	599
South Tyneside	571	546	874
Southampton	512	490	--
Southwark	1,789	1,711	1,088
St. Helen's	526	503	1,257
Staffordshire	4,368	4,178	3,355
Stockport	737	705	860
Stockton on Tees	165	158	158
Stoke	196	187	--
Suffolk	4,610	4,409	7,576
Sunderland	4,658	4,455	3,806
Surrey	9,114	8,717	9,693
Sutton	3,484	3,332	2,201
Tameside	2,117	2,025	2,603
Thamesdown	1,054	1,008	--
Tower Hamlets	3,085	2,951	10,755
Trafford	4,096	3,918	1,404
Wakefield	4,037	3,861	10,567
Walsall	557	533	666
Waltham Forest	1,161	1,110	2,447
Wandsworth	50	48	2,103
Warwickshire	970	928	8,654
West Sussex	5,893	5,637	3,587
Westminster	608	582	373
Wigan	1,685	1,612	1,911
Wiltshire	4,311	4,123	3,130
Wirral	1,468	1,404	2,057
Wolverhampton	685	655	1,927
York	476	455	185

22 Jan 1997 : Column: 628

Mr. Rooker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list for each local education authority (a) its percentage of the national school population and (b) the percentage of extra resources from the increase in the latest standard spending assessment allocated to it. [11942]

Mr. Robin Squire: The following table sets out the percentage for each authority of the national total of pupils underlying the provisional education standard spending assessment calculations for 1997-98 and the provisional percentage for each authority of the £592 million increase in the national total of education standard spending assessments, net of specific grants. The further additional resources available through the specific grant programmes are not included in this analysis, as they are not necessarily allocated on the basis of pupil numbers.

Some care must be taken in drawing conclusions from this table. Each authority's share of the extra resources will reflect the year on year change in its pupil numbers and therefore may not be proportionate to its share of the national total of pupil numbers. Variations in the shares of the extra resources are also affected in particular by year-on-year changes in the proportion of children in each authority who are entitled to free school meals.

LEA	SSA increase	Pupil numbers
City of London	0.0	0.0
Camden	0.5	0.3
Greenwich	0.2	0.5
Hackney	0.7	0.3
Hammersmith and Fulham	0.3	0.2
Islington	0.4	0.3
Kensington and Chelsea	0.1	0.1
Lambeth	0.0	0.3
Lewisham	0.7	0.4
Southwark	0.3	0.4
Tower Hamlets	1.0	0.5
Wandsworth	0.5	0.4
Westminster	0.3	0.2
Barking and Dagenham	0.8	0.4
Barnet	0.9	0.6
Bexley	0.8	0.5
Brent	0.6	0.5
Bromley	1.2	0.6
Croydon	0.9	0.6
Ealing	0.7	0.5
Enfield	1.1	0.6
Haringey	0.9	0.4
Harrow	0.2	0.4
Havering	0.4	0.5
Hillingdon	0.7	0.5
Hounslow	0.6	0.5
Kingston upon Thames	0.3	0.3
Merton	0.4	0.3
Newham	1.3	0.6
Redbridge	0.9	0.5
Richmond upon Thames	0.4	0.3
Sutton	0.5	0.4
Waltham Forest	0.4	0.4
Birmingham	1.6	2.3
Coventry	0.6	0.7
Dudley	0.5	0.6
Sandwell	0.7	0.7
Solihull	0.8	0.5
Walsall	0.7	0.6
Wolverhampton	0.3	0.5
Knowsley	0.7	0.4
Liverpool	1.3	1.1
St. Helens	0.5	0.4
Sefton	0.6	0.6
Wirral	0.3	0.7
Bolton	0.7	0.6
Bury	0.4	0.4
Manchester	-0.1	0.9
Oldham	0.6	0.5
Rochdale	0.6	0.5
Salford	0.5	0.5
Stockport	0.5	0.6
Tameside	0.8	0.5
Trafford	0.7	0.5
Wigan	0.5	0.7
Barnsley	0.4	0.5
Doncaster	0.6	0.7
Rotherham	0.5	0.6
Sheffield	0.7	1.0
Bradford	1.0	1.2
Calderdale	0.4	0.5
Kirklees	1.1	0.8
Leeds	1.8	1.5
Wakefield	0.7	0.7
Gateshead	0.2	0.4
Newcastle upon Tyne	0.3	0.5
North Tyneside	0.3	0.4
South Tyneside	0.5	0.3
Sunderland	0.5	0.7
Isles of Scilly	0.0	0.0
Bath and North-east Somerset	0.2	0.3
Bristol	0.4	0.7
North Somerset	0.4	0.4
South Gloucestershire	0.6	0.5
Hartlepool	0.2	0.2
Middlesbrough	0.2	0.3
Redcar and Cleveland	0.1	0.3
Stockton on Tees	0.4	0.4
Kingston upon Hull	0.4	0.6
East Riding of Yorkshire	0.7	0.6
North-east Lincolnshire	0.3	0.4
North Lincolnshire	0.3	0.3
North Yorkshire	1.2	1.1
York	0.2	0.3
Bedfordshire	0.9	0.8
Luton	0.3	0.4
Buckinghamshire	0.7	1.0
Milton Keynes	0.5	0.5
Derbyshire	1.4	1.5
Derby	0.7	0.5
Dorset	0.7	0.7
Poole	0.3	0.3
Bournemouth	0.3	0.3
Durham	0.4	1.1
Darlington	0.2	0.2
East Sussex	1.2	0.9
Brighton and Hove	0.4	0.4
Hampshire	2.1	2.3
Portsmouth	0.1	0.3
Southampton	0.3	0.4
Leicestershire	1.2	1.3
Leicester	0.0	0.6
Rutland	0.0	0.1
Staffordshire	1.7	1.8
Stoke on Trent	0.5	0.5
Wiltshire	0.9	0.8
Thamesdown	0.4	0.4
Berkshire	1.4	1.6
Cambridgeshire	0.8	1.4
Cheshire	2.1	2.1
Cornwall	1.1	1.0
Cumbria	0.9	1.0
Devon	2.2	2.1
Essex	2.9	3.2
Gloucestershire	1.3	1.1
Hereford and Worcester	1.0	1.4
Hertfordshire	2.0	2.2
Isle of Wight Council	0.4	0.3
Kent	3.4	3.3
Lancashire	3.1	3.0
Lincolnshire	1.4	1.3
Norfolk	1.2	1.5
Northamptonshire	1.3	1.3
Northumberland	0.8	0.7
Nottinghamshire	1.8	2.1
Oxfordshire	1.1	1.1
Shropshire	0.9	0.9
Somerset	0.7	0.9
Suffolk	1.5	1.3
Surrey	2.3	1.8
Warwickshire	0.7	1.0
West Sussex	1.0	1.4
	100.0	100.0

22 Jan 1997 : Column: 630

---