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Crown Copyright
Mr. Todd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has evaluated the responses to his consultation on "Crown Copyright in the Information Age"; and if he will make a statement. [43520]
Dr. David Clark:
The responses have been evaluated. As I mentioned in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for City of Durham (Mr. Steinberg), on 20 May 1998, Official Report, column 374, plans are being formulated for the future administration of Crown copyright which take the responses into account. I shall inform the House in due course of the way forward.
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 624
Mr. Ian Bruce:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many Ministers have published their e-mail addresses; and how many are now equipped with electronic red boxes. [43523]
Dr. David Clark:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin), on 10 November 1997, Official Report, column 441, regarding Ministers' e-mail addresses.
The electronic red box is still at the prototype stage of development. During this early stage, only the Minister for Science, Energy and Industry and I are experimenting with these prototypes.
New Deal (Young People)
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for each of the pilot areas for the New Deal for 18 to 24 year olds, how many of those eligible failed to join any of the four available categories. [43369]
Mr. Andrew Smith: Statistical information on the progress of those joining the New Deal in the Pathfinder areas to 31 March is available in the Library. The bulk of those commencing the New Deal during the period were still in the New Deal Gateway, the period of up to 4 months help before New Deal participants start on New Deal options.
Teachers' Pay
Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations he has received from individual teachers regarding the staging of their pay award. [44373]
Mr. Byers: The Department has received 89 letters from members of the general public about staging the pay award.
GCSE/GNVQ Scores
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the national average GCSE point score of (a) male, (b) female and (c) all 15 year old pupils (i) in total and (ii) in maintained schools including special schools in 1997; and if he will indicate the numbers of pupils in each category. [44952]
Dr. Howells
[holding answer 9 June 1998]: The information requested in respect of national average GCSE point scores is shown in the table.
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 623
| Maintained schools(10) | All schools | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average GCSE point score | Number of pupils | Average GCSE point score | Number of pupils | |
| Male | 32.5 | 273,136 | 33.5 | 299,509 |
| Female | 37.3 | 264,526 | 38.3 | 287,257 |
| All 15 year old pupils | 34.9 | 537,662 | 35.8 | 586,766 |
(10) Including special schools
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 625
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what were the average GCSE/GNVQ point scores in 1997 of (a) male, (b) female and (c) all 15 year old pupils in maintained schools including special schools with 15 year old pupils assigning GNVQ grades points on the basis that at intermediate level a distinction equals 7.5 points, a merit equals 6 points and a pass equals 5 points, and at foundation level a distinction equals 4 points, a merit equals 3 points, and a pass equals 1.5 points. [44954]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 9 June 1998]: The information requested in respect of average GCSE/GNVQ point scores in maintained schools is:
| Average GCSE/GNVQ point score | |
|---|---|
| Male | 32.5 |
| Female | 37.4 |
| All 15 year old pupils | 34.9 |
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the national average GCSE/GNVQ point score of (a) male, (b) female and (c) all 15 year old pupils in 1997, assigning GNVQ grades points on the basis that at intermediate level a distinction equals 7.5 points, a merit equals 6 points, and a pass equals 5 points, and at foundation level a distinction equals 4 points, a merit equals 3 points, and a pass equals 1.5 points. [44953]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 9 June 1998]: The information requested in respect of national average GCSE/GNVQ point scores in all schools is:
| Average GCSE/GNVQ point score | |
|---|---|
| Male | 33.5 |
| Female | 38.4 |
| All 15 year old pupils | 35.9 |
Music Funding
Mr. Prior: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the local education authorities which have reduced funding for music in schools in 1998-99. [44481]
Mr. Byers: This information is not collected centrally.
Mr. Prior: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on future funding of music in schools. [44486]
Mr. Byers:
Music teaching which forms part of the National Curriculum will continue, as now, to be funded through schools' delegated budget shares. So far as instrumental music tuition is concerned, the Government's recently published consultation paper 'Fair Funding: Improving Delegation to Schools' set out a proposal to fund LEA provision for such tuition through the Standards Fund. A decision on this will be announced at the same time as decisions on the new Devolved Funding system.
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 626
Mr. Prior:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many schools have been notified to his Department as being subject to proposals for closure since 1 May 1997; and if he will indicate their size. [44490]
Mr. Byers:
Statutory proposals for the closure of 167 mainstream schools have been published since 1 May 1997. This figure includes 17 nursery schools. Of the closure proposals, 101 involved the amalgamation of schools to form new schools. The numbers of pupils on the rolls of the schools proposed for closure ranged from 1 to 980.
Mr. Prior:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance his Department has issued to local education authorities on the future of rural village schools. [44485]
Mr. Byers:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Selby (Mr. Grogan) on 26 February 1998, Official Report, column 364.
Our announcement of 28 February 1998, made it clear that all proposals to close rural schools would be called in for decision by the Secretary of State and that there would be a presumption against the approval of proposals to close such schools.
Mr. Prior:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many primary schools with fewer than 40 pupils there are in (a) England and (b) Norfolk. [44644]
Mr. Byers:
As at January 1997, there were 364 maintained primary schools with less than 40 full-time pupils in England. The equivalent figure for Norfolk Local Education Authority area was 34 schools.
Mr. Burns:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children at (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in the West Chelmsford constituency were excluded from school in each of the past five years. [44415]
Ms Estelle Morris:
Information on the number of pupils permanently excluded from schools in the West Chelmsford constituency is shown in the table. Information on permanent exclusions was not collected prior to 1994-95. The Department does not currently collect information on fixed period exclusions:
| Type of school | 1994-95 | 1995-96 |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | 2 | 3 |
| Secondary | 4 | 8 |
| Special | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 6 | 11 |
Exclusions data for 1996-97 are currently being collated and will be published later this year.
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 627
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the future position of grant-maintained schools. [44922]
Mr. Byers:
Subject to the School Standards and Framework Bill gaining Royal Assent, a new framework for the organisation of schools will be established on 1 September 1999. All existing types of school, including grant-maintained (GM) schools, will be replaced by five new categories: community, foundation, voluntary, community special and foundation special. Schools will be allocated to the category which most closely reflects their current characteristics. However, GM schools will be able to choose an alternative category at the outset if they wish. Under the new framework, GM schools will be able to retain many of their present characteristics, for
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 628
example in terms of employment of staff and ownership of premises. But all categories of school will operate within a framework based on fair funding, fair admissions and partnership between schools and LEAs.
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