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Biomass Projects
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to (a) encourage development work in biomass projects and (b) increase the level of their support from the non-fossil fuel obligation. [15374]
Mr. Page
[holding answer 11 February 1997]: The Government consider that biomass is one of the most promising renewables and has the prospect to contribute to UK energy supplies. In order to secure the electricity generating capacity required by the fourth non-fossil fuel obligation order, NFFO4, announced on 6 February 1997, seven biomass projects with an aggregate capacity of 67.4 MW are expected to be contracted. The value of these contracts is almost twice that of the three biomass projects with an aggregate capacity of 19.1 MW contracted under the third NFFO order, NFFO3, which was made in 1994. The Department of Trade and Industry spent about £2 million in 1995-96 on development work in biomass with matching funding from industry, and the programme is set to continue.
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Sir Irvine Patnick:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the value of exports form the Yorkshire and Humberside region for each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [15484]
Mr. Page:
This information is not officially collated on a regional basis and is therefore unavailable.
Data Collection (Postcodes)
Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what use her Department and its agencies make of postcode areas for the collection of data and in formulas for the distribution of grants and awards; and when such usages were last reviewed. [14803]
Mr. Robin Squire: Postcodes are used in the collection and analysis of some DfEE statistics. Grants and awards are distributed mainly at local education authority or local authority level, or to specified organisations. In view of the wide-ranging nature of the DfEE's activities, it would not be possible to provide a full analysis of the use of postcodes without incurring disproportionate costs.
Modern Apprenticeship Scheme
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is her latest estimate for (a) the annual apprenticeship scheme, (b) the number of young people on the scheme and (c) the number of employers in the scheme; and if he will list the outcome figures for those who have completed an apprenticeship. [15088]
Mr. Paice: In December 1996, there were around 60,000 young people participating in modern apprenticeships in England. The cost of modern apprenticeships is included within the overall budget for youth programmes in 1996-97 of £763.5 million. The number of participating employers is not available; neither is information on the outcomes of those completing a modern apprenticeship, as the number who have so far completed their training is small.
Education Standard Spending Assessments
Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list, in real terms, the change of total education standard spending assessments in England for each financial year since 1997-88, indicating also significant structural changes affecting totals. [15093]
Mr. Robin Squire:
The following table shows the real-terms change of total education standard spending assessments in England for each financial year since SSAs were introduced in 1990-91. The notes set out the principal changes in local education authorities' financial responsibilities. When allowance is made for these changes, SSAs have increased over this period by 15.6 per cent. in real terms.
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| SSA in cash terms £ million | SSA in real terms £ million (1997-98 prices) | Change in real terms £ million | Changes in function | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-91 | 14,752.5 | 18,362.9 | ||
| 1991-92 | 17,137.0 | 20,046.9 | 1,684.0 | |
| 1992-93 | 18,352.7 | 20,601.0 | 554.1 | |
| 1993-94 | 16,530.7 | 18,034.1 | -2,566.9 | 1 |
| 1994-95 | 16,826.0 | 18,037.1 | 3.0 | 2 |
| 1995-96 | 17,024.1 | 17,798.7 | -238.4 | |
| 1996-97 | 17,764.2 | 18,119.5 | 320.8 | 3 |
| 1997-98 | 17,840.2 | 17,840.2 | -279.3 | 3 |
1. Transfer of further education responsibilities from April 1993.
2. Transfer of responsibility for careers guidance and inspection from April 1994.
3. SSAs reduced to reflect phase 1 of the nursery voucher scheme in 1996-97 and phase 2 in 1997-98.
Schools (Essex)
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils in Essex attend (i) grant-maintained schools, (ii) voluntary-aided schools and (iii) local authority schools. [15418]
Mr. Robin Squire: The latest available information is shown in the following table:
| Grant- maintained | Voluntary aided | Other LEA maintained | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | 16.7 | 10.9 | 72.4 |
| Secondary | 70.8 | 2.4 | 26.8 |
(18) Includes part-time pupils in primary schools.
(19) Schools operating as grant-maintained on the schools' census day January 1996.
Internet
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the number of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools which have access to the Internet in each local education authority area; and if she will make a statement. [15274]
Mr. Robin Squire: This information is not held centrally.
Mr. Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to provide Internet access to all primary and secondary schools; and if she will make a statement. [15273]
Mr. Squire: Government support for the purchase of IT systems, software and networking--including Internet connections--by schools is provided through the school effectiveness grant under the DfEE's programme of grants for education support and training.
The Government are also supporting the evaluation of the educational potential of emerging technologies and models of implementation through their piloting programme, the Education Department's superhighways initiative. Several of these projects pilot the use of the Internet, including Internet services designed specifically
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for schools. The results of the pilot projects will be made available later this year along with guidance for schools on purchasing and good practice in the use of new technologies.
Mr. Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) to what percentage of the education standard spending assessment the labour area cost adjustment is applied; and on what basis this percentage is calculated; [15336]
Mr. Robin Squire:
In calculating the area cost adjustment for education, all the employment groups relevant to the local authority labour market for education are taken into account--not just teachers--since the area cost adjustment seeks to reflect non-teaching as well as teaching costs.
As far as teaching costs are concerned, there is evidence that teachers' salaries, including London weighting payments, do not on their own represent the full additional costs of providing a standard level of service in London and the south-east, since they do not reflect lower levels of experience, higher vacancy and turnover rates, or non-salary payments.
In order to take account of these factors, the area cost adjustment is based on income levels in the general labour market of occupational groups relevant to the local authority labour force. The area cost adjustment for education redistributes some 3 per cent. of the total of education standard spending assessments to authorities in London and the south-east.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps she is taking to ensure that the extension of nursery education to all four-year-olds does not lead to a reduction in places currently available to three-year-olds. [15271]
Mr. Robin Squire:
The funding for the nursery education voucher scheme is specifically designed to leave untouched the funding for three-year-olds. Local authorities can continue to spend on such places as they judge appropriate.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many medical students have begun courses since 1990 in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) England and (c) the west midlands. [15176]
Mr. Forth:
The available information, which covers full-time entrants to first degree courses only, is as follows:
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(2) what factors she took into account in her decision to include all salaries in the determination of area cost adjustment for education standard spending assessment.[15338]
| Year of entry | United Kingdom(21) | England(22) | West Midlands(21) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-91 | 4,679 | 3,526 | n/a |
| 1991-92 | 4,733 | 3,568 | 227 |
| 1992-93 | 4,883 | 3,677 | 244 |
| 1993-94 | 4,957 | 3,744 | 227 |
| 1994-95(18) | 5,924 | 4,215 | 242 |
| 1995-96(18) | 6,496 | 4,581 | 250 |
Notes:
n/a = not available.
(20) Based on students who were in their first year of study.
(21) Location of institution rather than domicile of student.
(22) Figures collected on a new basis and are not directly comparable with earlier years' figures.
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for education and Employment how many medical students have graduated since 1990 in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) England and (c) the west midlands. [15177]
Mr. Forth: The available information is as follows:
| Year of graduation | United Kingdom(23) | England(23) | West Midlands(23) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 4,388 | 3,298 | 210 |
| 1991 | 4,395 | 3,207 | 217 |
| 1992 | 4,519 | 3,327 | 211 |
| 1993 | 4,572 | 3,361 | 218 |
| 1994 | 4,567 | 3,430 | 203 |
| 1995(24) | 5,654 | 4,199 | 211 |
| 1996(24) | 5,631 | 4,443 | 226 |
(23) Location of institution rather than domicile of student.
(24) Figures collected on a new basis and are not directly comparable with earlier years' figures.
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