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Commercial Lobbyists
Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) on what dates since 1 May (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have attended meetings with organisations representing (i) commercial and (ii) non-commercial interests organised by commercial lobbying firms; and if he will introduce a register of such meetings; [8104]
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Dr. Howells:
As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister explained in response to my hon. Friend the Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn), Official Report, 2 June 1997, column 99, Ministers and officials in the Department receive deputations from many groups who are concerned to press their own interests or those of their clients, which Ministers and officials take due care to consider within the wider public interest and Government policy. As it is not practicable to distinguish particular groups as lobbyists, the Department cannot keep a register of such meetings.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what plans he has to stop the sale of playing fields; and if he will make a statement;[8000]
(3) what plans he has to review current guidelines on the provision of school playing field facilities; and if he will make a statement. [8002]
Mr. Byers:
We intend to make sure that those playing fields which schools and their local communities need are not sold in future. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Education and Employment and for Culture, Media and Sport are discussing this as a matter of urgency. We are looking at a wide range of options to ensure that all school pupils will have access to proper sports facilities.
The Education (School Premises) Regulations 1996 set out statutory minimum areas of grassed playing field, or equivalent sports facilities, for all state schools with pupils aged 8 years or older.
My Department has published guidance on the size of school grounds in Building Bulletin 82 "Area Guidelines for Schools".
A new Building Bulletin, "School Grounds--a guide to good practice", which is in preparation now for publication this Autumn, will include detailed, practical advice on playing fields.
Mrs. Gorman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if there will be any increase in staffing levels at the Employment Service to implement (i) The New Deal and (ii) The Gateway. [8203]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
Responsibility for the subject of the questions has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
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Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mrs. Teresa Gorman, dated 17 July 1997:
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to introduce flexible contracts for teachers of physical education; and if he will make a statement. [8003]
Mr. Byers:
It is for school governing bodies to negotiate contracts of employment with teachers of physical education. My right hon. Friend has no plans to change the statutory conditions of employment of those teachers.
Mr. Luff:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he is taking to apply his policy of fair funding of education to the county of Hereford and Worcester. [7826]
Mr. Byers:
We are reviewing the education SSA methodology on which the distribution of revenue support grant to local education authorities will be based in 1998-99. Consultative meetings between central and local government representatives are taking place over the summer leading up to the compilation of a report on options for possible SSA changes in the autumn.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what additional amount would need to be spent (a) by each local education authority and (b) in total if the rate at which grants for education support and training are payable changed from 60 per cent. to 50 per cent. without change in his Department's planned expenditure for 1998-99; and if he will make a statement. [8886]
Mr. Byers
[holding answer 15 July 1997]: Plans for 1998-99 GEST programme and its funding have yet to be finalised. The following table shows the increase in each LEA's contribution for the 1997-98 programme if grants currently paid at 60 per cent. were paid at 50 per cent. and the DfEE's contribution remained the same.
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(2) on what dates since 1 May (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have met commercial lobbyists to discuss matters relating to the business of his Department; and if he will introduce a register of such meetings. [8103]
(2) if he will make a statement on current guidelines and standards relating to school playing fields; [8001]
The Secretary of State has asked me to respond to your question about staffing levels in the Employment Service as a result of implementing the New Deal. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency. This reply refers to the New Deal including the "Gateway" process for young people which we see as an integral part of the New Deal programme rather than as a separate entity.
For the New Deal to operate successfully it is clear that there will need to be additional staff in Jobcentres to support each of the elements and options of the programme. We are in the process of assessing how these activities will be delivered together with their associated staffing requirements. The net impact on staffing in Jobcentres will need to take into account other factors such as changing levels of unemployment.
I hope this is helpful.
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Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the level in constant prices of education spending per school pupil
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in (a) England and (b) each English LEA for (i) 1997-98, (ii) 1998-99 and (iii) 1999-00 assuming that all of the additional funding allocated to education in the Budget is spent on education. [8584]
Mr. Byers
[holding answer 15 July 1997]: For 1997-98, net Education Standard Spending (ESS) for England equates to £2,382 per pupil. In 1998-99, at constant prices, this will rise to £2,499. Allocations for each LEA in the form of Standard Spending Assessments for 1988-89 will be made in the Autumn. Figures for 1999-00 will be determined nearer the time. ESS is not prescriptive: LEAs are free to spend more or less, in the light of their own view of priorities.
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