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Schools Adjudicator

Jacqui Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will announce the appointment of the lead adjudicator for school organisation and admissions issues. [68602]

Mr. Blunkett: I have appointed Sir Peter Newsam as the lead adjudicator. He has wide-ranging experience for this post, gained from his time as Education Officer to the Inner London Education Authority, Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality, and the Director of the Institute of Education. Further appointments of adjudicators will be made in February.

Statutory Notices

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the outcome of statutory notices that have been waiting for more than five months from the date of each statutory notice for determination by him; and if he will (a) list the reasons for the delay in each case and (b) estimate when each determination will be made. [67927]

Ms Estelle Morris: The following list shows proposals published over five months ago and still under consideration. Reasons for delay are also shown. Since all aspects of proposals need to be carefully considered it is not possible to give a precise date for when individual decisions will be made, but most of the proposals on the list below are likely to be decided in February or early March.

Date of publication	LEA	Proposal	Reason for delay
19 August 1998	Gloucestershire	Blue Coat CE GM Primary--transfer to new site	Planning permission only recently given
16 August 1998	Bromley	Significant enlargement of Hayes Primary School	School seeking modifications to original proposals
14 August 1998	Brighton and Hove	Reorganisation of a number of schools	Additional information sought from LEA. Decision deferred to allow objectors to put their concerns direct to Ministers.
30 July 1998	Newbury	Turnpike GM School and Shaw House School amalgamation into new county secondary school	Late statement of case--received 20 October
30 July 1998	Brent	Establish new Jewish Primary School	Considering Ofsted advice
20 July 1998	Staffordshire	The Faber Primary Change of status from VC to VA	Delayed submission to Department
17 July 1998	Solihull	Significant enlargement of St. George and St. Theresa RC School	Awaiting HMI comments
16 July 1998	Derby City	Boulton Junior School and Boulton Infant School--amalgamation into new county primary school	Exploration of points of uncertainty with LEA
16 July 1998	Luton	Chantry Infant and Junior Schools amalgamation	DfEE not notified of proposals until 21 October
16 July 1998	Brent	Remove SEN Unit from Mitchell Brooke Primary School and add SEN Unit Oakington Manor School	Advice from Ofsted and A&B need to be discussed with LEA
8 July 1998	Croydon	Castle Hill Primary School addition of SEN unit	Late supply of information by LEA
3 July 1998	East Sussex	Claverham Community College addition of sixth form	Decision deferred pending outcome of ACG round and further consideration of funding issues
18 June 1998	Westminster	Addition of nursery Hampden Gurney CE Primary School	Late statement of Case received January 1999
15 June 1998	Portsmouth	Establish new school	Ministers favourably disposed but awaiting confirmation that proposal can be funded through a cost effective PFI scheme
12 June 1998	Leeds	New Jewish Secondary School	Site problems
10 June 1998	Buckinghamshire	Change of age range from 5-8 to 5-12 and site transfer of St. Mary's CE (VC) First School	LEA consultation process being investigated
10 June 1998	Derbyshire	Addition of sixth form to St. John Houghton RC GM school	A late meeting (early November) with the head of the school to discuss FAS view of the proposals
4 June 1998	Manchester	Closure of Woodhouse Park School, Oldwood School and Poundswick School and establishment of a new school	Late submission of statements of case. Last required submitted on 16 December.
20 May 1998	Barking and Dagenham	Addition of nursery at St. Vincent's RC Primary School	Late statement of Case received December. Ofsted comments awaited.
24 April 1998	Warwickshire	St. Thomas More RC High School addition of sixth form	Timescale of related PFI project
7 April 1998	North Somerset	Broadoak School--removal of sixth form	Technical and Legal issues on transfer of resources from local authority finance
1 April 1998	Hillingdon	Establish VA Sikh primary school--Guru Nanak Sikh	Minded to approve decision 22 December
31 March 1998	Swindon	Linden Infant and Junior Schools. Proposed amalgamation to form new school	Delays to related special school proposals
12 March 1998	Hackney	Establish a new Jewish Secondary School	Late statement of case not received until 7 July. Ofsted advice required.
4 March 1998	Haringey	Bound's Green Infant's School--significant enlargement	Awaiting LEA confirmation of funding arrangements
4 March 1998	Haringey	Bound's Green Junior School--significant enlargement	Awaiting LEA confirmation of funding arrangements
26 February 1998	Hackney	Our Lady's Convent School--significant enlargement	Consideration of need for school enlargement and cash limit for project
5 February 1998	Merton	Addition of SEN unit at Bushey Middle School	Issues concerning appropriate age range for SEN unit and link with possible Borough wide school reorganisation
5 February 1998	Wandsworth	Addition of nursery at All Saints CE School	Late statement of case received December. Ofsted comments awaited.
30 January 1998	Ealing	Addition of sixth form to Walford High School	Final decision will follow upon meeting between Ministers and delegation. Meeting to be arranged.
30 January 1998	East Sussex	Addition of sixth form at Filsham Valley	Decision deferred pending outcome of ACG round and further consideration of funding issues
29 January 1998	Haringey	Establish a new school Alexandra Park School	Lengthy correspondence about PPP issues
12 December 1997	Devon	Axe Valley School and Community College addition of sixth form	Availability of finance
23 October 1997	Lancashire (pre 1 April 1998)	Addition of nursery at St. Stephen's CE Infant School	Awaiting audit of early years provision
16 October 1997	Sunderland	Change of age range to add nursery to Benedict Bishop CE Primary School	The need to resolve capital issues
1 October 1997	Enfield	New secondary school to be established in World's End Lane	Favourably disposed decision given on 15 May 1998. Decision required once PFI contract signed.
10 July 1997	Westminster	Addition of nursery unit at St. Peter's CE VA Primary School	Promoters awaiting planning permission
25 June 1997	Newham	Addition of a nursery at St. Edward's RC Primary School and transfer to a new site	Early Land ownership issues and recent correspondence with LEA about need for expanded school

28 Jan 1999 : Column: 411

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