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Schools (Parental Choice)
32. Mrs. Ann Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is his policy on parental choice in schools. [8629]
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Mr. Byers:
We want as many parents as possible to be able to send their children to their preferred school. But we recognise that where one school is more popular than another some parents will be disappointed. The White Paper "Excellence in Schools" explains that schools will work in partnership with each other and with the local education authority to develop helpful and timely information for parents and common timetables for applications.
33. Mr. Pond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many small businesses have been recognised as investors in people. [8630]
Dr. Howells:
On 1 June, 2,849 in the UK organisations with fewer than 50 employees were recognised as investors in people.
34. Mr. Jack:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on his Department's policy in respect of the current network of rural schools. [8632]
Mr. Byers:
Our policies are designed to raise standards in all schools, wherever they are situated, and we are currently consulting about the best means to do this. All proposals for changes to rural schools that come to the Department for decision will be considered on their individual merits, taking into account all the consequences of the proposals. We recognised the important role played by rural schools and will want to adopt policies which reflect this.
Ms Kelly:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the (a) benefits and (b) costs of merging TECs and chambers of commerce. [9683]
Dr. Howells:
In June 1995, this Department commissioned Pieda plc to evaluate the impact of mergers between training and enterprise councils and chambers of commerce. Pieda reported its findings to the Department earlier this year. It concluded that the merged organisations the study looked at
The report will be published on 11 August and a copy put in the House of Commons Library.
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proposals he has for agreeing a protocol on the employment of ex-offenders with the main employer organisations and the trade unions. [10256]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
Employers are encouraged to consider all applicants on their merits, including ex-offenders; those released from prison have early access
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to appropriate DfEE programmes. We have no proposals for a protocol with employers organisations and trade unions; nor have we received any.
Mr. Beggs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will review the need of veterinary science students for supplementary maintenance grant in respect of additional weeks spent on work experience as part of their training during the summer vacation period; and if he will make a statement. [9774]
Dr. Howells:
The National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education has been considering possible future arrangements for student support--including supplementary maintenance grants--and is due to report shortly. The Government will set out their proposals in the light of the committee's recommendations.
Mr. John Cryer:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what has been the average yearly pay rise for principals of further education colleges in Greater London since 1993; [9167]
Dr. Howells:
This information is not held centrally. As from incorporation on 1 April 1993, further education corporations assumed responsibility for their own finance and organisation, including the appointment, dismissal, redundancy and conditions of service generally of their staff.
Mr. Lepper:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list his main proposals for raising standards in schools. [8631]
Mr. Byers:
The White Paper "Excellence in schools", published on Monday 7 July, sets out in detail the Government's proposals for raising standards in schools and summarises what we aim to achieve over the lifetime of this Parliament. Copies have been sent to all Members of Parliament and are also available in the Library.
Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what role local education authorities will have in supporting schools to raise standards. [8612]
Mr. Byers:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend gave earlier to my hon. Friends the Members for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Helen Jackson) and for Wyre Forest (Mr. Lock).
Mr. Davidson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will be consulting on the establishment of a general teaching council. [11047]
Mr. Byers:
A consultation document has been published today, setting out options for the role and composition of a general teaching council. We envisage the council having a key role to play in promoting high
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standards of teaching, and in raising the status and morale of the teaching profession. We are seeking views by October from teachers and a wide range of other interested parties. A copy of the consultation document has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Davidson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to revise the Education (Fees and Awards) Regulations 1994. [11048]
Dr. Howells:
Revised Education (Fees and Awards) Regulations will be laid before Parliament to add a requirement of being settled in the United Kingdom under the immigration laws to the existing conditions of residence in Great Britain, the United Kingdom and islands, the United Kingdom, England and Wales and England for the purpose of student fee classifications by institutions and the rules of candidate eligibility for certain awards and studentship which may be adopted by education authorities and other specified bodies. These changes and others are described fully in a policy briefing sheet issued today by the Department for Education and Employment, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many civil servants there are on each pay band in his Department. [8963]
Dr. Howells:
The number of civil servants by grade level in the Department of Education and Employment at 1 June 1997 was:
"appear to be well on the way to creating a much stronger and more influential business led organisation in the areas concerned."
The study did not identify any major disbenefits of merger.(2) what has been the average yearly pay rise for lecturers in further education since 1993 in Greater London. [9168]
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Administration Assistant | 546 |
| Administration Officer | 1,119 |
| Executive Officer | 1,074 |
| Higher Executive Officer | 937 |
| Senior Executive Officer | 374 |
| Grade 7 | 424 |
| Grade 6 | 41 |
| Senior Civil Service | 106 |
Special Educational Needs
Mr. Gunnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what proposals he has to reduce the running costs of the special educational needs tribunal; [10019]
- (2) what plans he has to introduce changes to the special educational needs appeals process; [10020]
(3) if he will reduce the number of appeals administered by the special educational needs tribunal. [10021]
Ms Estelle Morris:
We will consult widely on the special educational needs appeals process, as part of an extensive consultation on SEN, through a Green Paper to be published in September. As part of that, we shall be looking to improve arrangements for conciliation between parents and local education authorities, so that fewer appeals need to come to the tribunal. That should in due course reduce pressure on tribunal running costs.
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Mr. Gunnell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if he will estimate the average cost of a special educational needs tribunal hearing, including indirect costs borne by his Department; and if he will estimate the average cost of processing an appeal sent to the special educational needs tribunal; [10017]
Ms Morris:
The budget for the tribunal is held by the DfEE, but the Department has no involvement in special educational needs tribunal hearings. For the 1995-96 financial year, the SEN tribunal president has estimated that the average cost to the tribunal of a hearing is about £820 and the average cost of processing an appeal, including hearing costs, is about £730. The discrepancy is due mainly to something approaching 50 per cent. of appeals being withdrawn before reaching a hearing. It is not possible to offer meaningful averages for the cost of processing appeals in the 1994-95 financial year.
The Department has no information about the cost to LEAs of SEN appeals processed by local education authorities in 1993-94.
Mr. Gunnell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many appeals to the special educational needs tribunal were heard during the latest year for which figures are available; and in how many of these appeals there were parents or other witnesses representing the child for whom the appeal was being held; [10024]
Ms Morris:
Between September 1995 and August 1996, the special educational needs tribunal conducted 903 hearings, 111 of which were preliminary hearings at which parties to the appeal were not normally present. Parents were present at the remaining 792 hearings. In the same period, parents' appeals were upheld, either in full or in part, in 620 cases. The tribunal does not collect data on the number of witnesses who attend hearings.
Mr. Gunnell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many appeals to the special educational needs tribunal (a) followed a rejected appeal to the local education authority responsible for the education of the child concerned and (b) took the place of an appeal to the relevant local authority in the last year for which data are available. [10022]
Ms Morris:
The special educational needs tribunal came into existence on 1 September 1994 when it replaced local education authorities as the body responsible for hearing SEN appeals. Appeals after that date came direct to the tribunal. We have no information about whether any appeals heard by the tribunal had been conducted by LEAs prior to that date.
Mr. Gunnell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what were the total expenses paid for the latest year for which figures are available for hearings of the special educational needs tribunal (a) for
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members of the appeals panel and (b) for parents and other witnesses of those children whose appeals are being held. [10023]
Ms Morris:
Members of the tribunal were paid £425,000 in the 1995-96 financial year to cover fees and expenses. In the same period, parents were paid £3,000 and parents' witness, £13,000.
(2) if he will estimate the average cost of processing parental appeals concerning special educational needs statements for (a) local education authorities in 1993-94 and (b) the special educational needs tribunal in 1994-95. [10018]
(2) in respect of how many cases of appeals to the special educational needs tribunal the wishes of the parents were upheld; and in how many of these cases witnesses were present for the appellant. [10025]
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