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Territorial Army

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total cost per year to his Department of each member of (a) the Territorial Army and (b) the volunteer reserves. [12389]

Mr. Soames: The information requested is as follows:

	£
Territorial Army(2)	2,728
Royal Naval Reserve	2,145
Royal Marines Reserve	1,911
Royal Auxiliary Air Force and RAF Volunteer Reserve(3)	3,481

(2) Excludes regular and civilian staff at reserve units and non-regular permanent staff.

(3) Figures relate to those personnel who could be called-out to fill an operational role; they do not include RAF volunteer reserve (Civilian Component), RAF volunteer reserve (Training) or RAF volunteer reserve (university air squadron).

The figures include pay, earnings-related national insurance contributions, bounty and training expenses allowance at 1996-97 prices. Figures for equipment development, fuel, ammunition, accommodation and utilities, food and transport attributable to the reserves could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

National Vocational Qualifications

Mr. Bryan Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of the employed work force is qualified to NVQ level 4 or above in each English region and in Wales. [11250]

23 Jan 1997 : Column: 693

Mr. Paice: The percentage of the employed work force who were qualified to at least NVQ level 4 or equivalent in each Government office region and Wales is shown in the table:

	Percentage
England	24
South East	25
London	33
Eastern	23
South West	22
West Midlands	21
East Midlands	20
Yorkshire and the Humber	21
North West	23
Merseyside	23
North East	20
Wales	23

Source:

Labour Force Survey, Autumn 1995.

Mr. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of young people up to age 19 years have achieved level 2 qualifications in each Government office region. [11240]

Mr. Paice: The percentage of young people aged 19 to 21 who were qualified to at least NVQ level 2 or equivalent in each Government office region and Wales is shown in the table:

	Percentage
England	67
South East	69
London	71
Eastern	69
South West	69
West Midlands	57
East Midlands	69
Yorkshire and the Humber	62
North West	69
Merseyside	70
North East	63
Wales	62

Source:

Labour Force Survey, Autumn 1995.

Mr. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of young people up to age 21 years have achieved level 3 qualifications in each Government office region. [11234]

Mr. Paice: The percentage of young people aged 21 to 23 who were qualified to at least NVQ level 3 or equivalent in each Government office region and Wales is shown in the table:

	Percentage
England	44
South East	43
London	50
Eastern	41
South West	45
West Midlands	42
East Midlands	46
Yorkshire and the Humber	41
North West	44
Merseyside	46
North East	42
Wales	44

Source:

Labour Force Survey, Autumn 1995.

23 Jan 1997 : Column: 694

Mr. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of the employed work force is qualified to NVQ level 3 or equivalent in each English region and in Wales. [11251]

Mr. Paice: The percentage of the employed work force who were qualified to at least NVQ level 3 or equivalent in each Government office region and Wales is shown in the table:

	Percentage
England	40
South East	42
London	48
Eastern	40
South West	40
West Midlands	36
East Midlands	37
Yorkshire and the Humber	38
North West	40
Merseyside	39
North East	39
Wales	39

Source:

Labour force Survey, Autumn 1995.

Menorah Foundation

Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she expects to make a decision on the application by Menorah Foundation to become a grant-maintained school. [12127]

Mr. Robin Squire: A decision on application will be made as soon as possible.

Torah Temimah

Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she received an application by Torah Teminah to become a grant-maintained school; and when she expects to determine the application. [12128]

Mr. Robin Squire: The governors of Torah Temimah independent primary school, Brent, published proposals for grant-maintained status on 1 August 1996. The proposals were received in the Department shortly afterwards. They are currently under consideration and we expect to reach a decision soon.

Education Funding (Kirklees)

Mrs. Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the Government-allocated funding, per pupil, of school children in the Kirklees council area for each year from

23 Jan 1997 : Column: 695

1990-91 to 1997-98 for (a) under five-year-olds, (b) five to 11-year-olds and (c) 11 to 16-year-olds; and if she will make a statement. [11962]

Mr. Robin Squire: The table sets out the education standard spending assessment per pupil in Kirklees for each year from 1990-91 to 1997-98 for (a) under-five-year-olds (b) five to 10-year-olds and (c) 11 to 16-year-olds.

Education SSAs do not determine the level of school spending or the balance of funding between nursery, primary and secondary education. It is up to local authorities to decide how much they spend on schools and other services within the resources at their disposal.

Kirklees's education SSAs per pupil 1990-91 to 1997-98

	Under five years	Five to 10 years	11 to 16 years
	£	£	£
1990-91	223	1,527	2,171
1991-92	263	1,746	2,533
1992-93	284	1,853	2,710
1993-94	290	1,914	2,779
1994-95	281	1,912	2,675
1995-96	285	1,900	2,539
1996-97	304	1,971	2,637
1997-98(4)	(5)139	2,066	2,721

(4) 1997-98 figures are provisional.

(5) This figure is lower than in previous years because of the SSA deduction for the nursery voucher scheme.

Mrs. Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on the funding of primary education in the Kirklees area. [11965]

Mr. Squire: Kirklees's provisional standard spending assessment (SSA) per primary school pupil in 1997-98 is £2,066. That is a year on year increase of £94 per pupil, or 4.8 per cent.

Education SSAs do not, however, determine how much local authorities must spend on education. It is up to local education authorities under local management of schools to determine how much to spend on education within the resources at their disposal, including the allocation between primary and secondary schools.

Teachers (Early Retirement)

Mrs. Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many teachers in Kirklees have retired before the age of 60 years for reasons of health and disability during each of the past six years; how many returned subsequently to supply teaching; and what was the extra cost of these early retirements. [11963]

Mrs. Gillan: Teachers from the maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special sector in Kirklees LEA, who took retirement on the grounds of ill health from 1990-91 to 1995-96, are shown in the table:

Financial year	Number of early retirements due to ill health(6)
1990-91	38
1991-92	30
1992-93	45
1993-94	63
1994-95	50
1995-96 (prov.)	43

(6) Excludes those last recorded in sixth form colleges. May include a small number retiring at age 60 or over.

The number of teachers returning to supply teaching is not known. The extra cost of early retirements in Kirklees could only be calculated at disproportionate cost.

23 Jan 1997 : Column: 696

Class Sizes

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many pupils in secondary schools in England were in classes of 40 pupils or more in each of the six most recent years for which figures are available; [12107]

(2) how many pupils in primary schools in England were in classes of 40 pupils or more in each of the six most recent years for which figures are available. [12108]

Mr. Robin Squire: The number of pupils in single teacher classes of 40 or more pupils in maintained primary and secondary ¹ schools in England, is, at January each year

	Primary schools	Secondary schools
1991	15,851	1,694
1992	18,366	1,374
1993	17,358	2,826
1994	14,057	881
1995	17,918	1,634
1996	19,875	1,016

(7) Excludes sixth form colleges.

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