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EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Policy Reviews
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for each departmental policy review presently in progress or scheduled, (a) a description of the purpose of the review and (b) its expected date of completion. [10190]
Dr. Howells: The Department is undertaking two departmental policy reviews. Details for each are as follows:
First, a review of the Equal Opportunities Commission is being undertaken during 1997-98. The aim is to review the functions of the EOC, the effectiveness with which they have been carried out and the likely need in the future for these functions. The review will consider the case for the continued existence of the EOC and how its functions can be best fulfilled. It will also consider the powers, constitutional status, membership and terms of reference of the EOC. The review will have regard to the Government's equal opportunities policies and to the duties of the commission as laid down in statute.
The Outcome of the review will be reported by 11 September 1997.
Secondly, a review of the Employment Service performance targets is being undertaken to ensure that the nature and level of targets set enable the ES to deliver to Ministers' priorities and have the maximum positive impact on the labour market while maintaining a high level of customer contact.
The review will report to Ministers by December of this year and will give details of the development of targets for 1998-99 and beyond.
Mr. Stinchcombe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will determine the reference to him by the Sir Christopher Hatton school, Wellingborough, under section 432(3) of the Education Act 1996. [10381]
Mr. Byers:
The Secretary of state has today determined that Sir Christopher Hatton school should admit all of the children concerned.
Caroline Flint:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the National Disability Council will report on its activities during the 1996-97 financial year. [10345]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
I am pleased to announce that the Secretary of State has today laid the National Disability Council's second annual report before Parliament.
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The NDC has reported on its activities from April 1996 to March 1997 and set out what it hopes to achieve during 1997-98. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to the meeting between the hon. Member for Leicester, East and the Under-Secretary of State for Employment on 30 June, if he will make a statement on what action he has taken with regard to the case of Mr. Roy. [9563]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
As my hon. Friend is aware, the Department's overseas labour service has already issued a work permit for Mr. Roy to work in the UK as a chef. Mr. Roy also requires an entry visa which, I understand, has been refused. Visas are the responsibility of the migration and visa department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and I understand that that Department is currently looking into its decision in this case.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many work permits were issued for (a) Indian food and (b) Chinese food chefs in 1996. [9885]
Mr. Howarth:
The specific information requested is not available. However, about 200 work permits were issued to chefs in 1996.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many persons are employed on work permit issues in his Department. [9886]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
The Department's overseas labour service, which deals with work permit issues, has 120 staff.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many and what percentage of employees in his private office are (a) of Asian origin and (b) of Afro-Caribbean origin. [8961]
Dr. Howells:
The number of staff of Asian origin in private office is fewer than six and is therefore not shown, in accordance with the Department's agreed code of conduct on the use of ethnic monitoring data.
The number of staff of Afro-Caribbean origin in the private office is seven. The percentage of staff of Afro-Caribbean origin in private office is 14 per cent. of those who have chosen to state their ethnic origin, 11 per cent. of the total number of staff.
Mr. Opik:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the audit of Youth Service provision will be completed; and if he will make a statement. [9478]
Dr. Howells:
The Department is consulting currently about the form and content of the audit of youth service provision. We intend to write to local authorities in the
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late autumn when the responses have been fully considered. Authorities will be given about three months to respond.
Mr. Opik:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to increase the number of student governors in further education in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [9135]
Dr. Howells
[holding answer 18 July 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 15 July, Official Report, column 122. Matters concerning further education institutions in Wales are for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Mrs. Gordon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is his Department's assessment of the advantages of (a) including the number of pupils on the roll in September of year 11 in the performance tables for GCSE results and (b) including only those pupils who take GCSE exams. [9011]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The 1997 secondary school performance tables will be based on the achievements of all pupils of the relevant age on roll at the time of the schools census in January. The tables will not therefore be influenced by different school policies on the entry of pupils for GCSE examinations, but will allow comparisons to be made on the basis of the achievements of all pupils by the end of compulsory schooling. Schools are, however, already able to provide for publication the GCSE achievements of all pupils in year 11, regardless of age, and value added measures will soon help give a fuller picture of school performance.
Mrs. Gordon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will ensure that when a school permanently excludes a pupil that place is made available to an excluded pupil from another school. [9085]
Ms Estelle Morris:
Where a school has spare places they must be offered to any suitable applicants, regardless of their disciplinary record.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make it his policy, when considering interim early years development plans submitted to him, not to approve plans which do not include provision for the reduction in numbers of four-year-olds currently in reception classes; and if he will make a statement. [8494]
Mr. Byers:
The Secretary of State approved 79 interim early years development plans on 11 July, all of which include proposals for raising standards. This is an encouraging response to the Government's early years policy. We are grateful to local authorities for all their hard work on the plans, particularly given the tight timetable.
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Mr. Fitzpatrick:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will be taking into account factors relating to economic and social deprivation when assessing the improvement in performance that schools need to make in order to be eligible for a share of the £1.3 billion set aside for capital funding to deal with their disrepair; and how these factors will be weighted in the analysis. [9010]
Mr. Byers:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 17 July, Official Report, column 308.
Ms Perham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how often since its establishment his Department has been responsible for employment advertisements which contained age restrictions upon those who could apply. [9509]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
For jobs within the Department and the Employment Service, no age restrictions apply with the exception of places on the modern apprenticeship scheme where age limits reflect the requirements of the national program.
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