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Tuition Fees

37. Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the savings in public funding in the current financial year from the introduction of tuition fees. [68911]

Mr. Mudie: Far from leading to savings in public funding, the introduction of private contributions to tuition fees has generated additional income for higher education institutions in England in 1998-99 of an expected £130 million, which will be retained by the institutions concerned.

Health Hazards (Pupils)

Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what research his Department has carried out or evaluated to assess the health hazards for pupils required to carry heavy bags of books to and from school, and between lessons; and if he will make a statement. [70190]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Department has not carried out or evaluated any research to assess the health hazards for pupils required to carry heavy bags of books to and from school and between lessons.

New Deal

Mr. Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what money was spent on producing and distributing, "The New Deal: From Policy to Practice, Ideas in Action". [70550]

Mr. Andrew Smith: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Foster to Mr. Damian Green, dated 11 February 1999:

As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked Leigh Lewis to reply direct to your question about the money spent on producing and distributing, The New Deal: Policy to Practice, Ideas in Action. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to Mr. Lewis as Chief Executive of the Agency. I am replying in his absence.

The document was produced as a result of requests from New Deal partnerships who were keen to learn how others have tackled New Deal issues. This document was distributed and has been well

11 Feb 1999 : Column: 335

received by all Employment Service Local, District and Regional offices, Government Offices, strategic partners, local authorities, MPs and a wide variety of external partners.

The cost of the design and printing of 10,000 copies of The New Deal: From Policy to Practice, Ideas in Action was just over £15,000. The final invoicing for distribution has not yet been received, however, it is estimated to be almost £4,300.

I hope this is helpful.

Secondary Schools

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is his Department's policy on the introduction of five-term years in secondary schools; and if he will make a statement. [68888]

Ms Estelle Morris: Decisions about the number, length and dates of schools' terms and holidays are taken at local level, not by central Government. A five-term year can be introduced within the present legal framework.

Absenteeism and Truancy

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to increase the responsibilities of education welfare officers in respect of absenteeism and truancy. [68910]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Education Welfare Officers have a long history of working closely with schools and families to promote regular attendance. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State recently issued for consultation new draft guidance, "Social Inclusion: Pupil Support", which includes a section specifically concerned with the role of Education Welfare Officers; we look forward to responses to that.

Further Education Colleges

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the average budget allocated to continuing professional development in further education colleges (a) in cash terms and (b) as a percentage of the total budget in each of the last three years. [69044]

Mr. Mudie: Currently there are no national data available on expenditure for staff development in FE college. Inspection reports published by the Further Education Funding Council Inspectorate since 1993 have quoted the allocations made to staff development activities as ranging from 0.15 per cent. to over 2 per cent. of institutions' income.

The Government are investing £150 million in the FE Standards Fund over the next two years and one of the priorities for expenditure under this is training for principals and continuing professional development for lecturers.

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many staff in further education colleges were employed on senior lecturer grades in each of the last five years; [69046]

(2) how many further education colleges have not provided a pay increase to (a) teaching and (b) support staff in each of the last three years. [69045]

Mr. Mudie: The information requested is not collected centrally.

11 Feb 1999 : Column: 336

Nursery Education

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the targets his Department has set for each local authority for nursery provision for three year olds. [70643]

Ms Hodge: The following table shows the proposed targets for 1999-2000 for additional, free early education places for three-year-olds in all sectors which have been set for the 50 Local Education Authority areas with greatest social need. Some £40 million is available to support these places; additional funding will be distributed across all authorities in 2000-01.

Local education authority	Target additional places	Funding available for places and training £
Barking and Dagenham	262	224,945
Barnsley	885	712,766
Birmingham	6,059	4,851,595
Blackburn with Darwen	887	707,823
Blackpool	1,058	832,995
Bolton	748	616,411
Bradford	1,220	1,022,797
Brent	1,017	820,534
Camden	831	663,410
Coventry	1,384	1,110,803
Doncaster	782	644,683
Ealing	410	358,855
Gateshead	625	508,343
Greenwich	821	668,891
Hackney	1,444	1,152,735
Halton	713	567,477
Hammersmith and Fulham	744	597,570
Haringey	704	578,683
Hartlepool	0	16,506
Islington	1,043	834,601
Kingston upon Hull	460	392,309
Knowsley	65	79,435
Lambeth	1,646	1,315,337
Leeds	1,247	1,061,853
Leicester	1,412	1,139,121
Lewisham	1,566	1,247,350
Liverpool	1,853	1,508,063
Manchester	1,386	1,147,048
Middlesbrough	7	32,055
Newcastle upon Tyne	1,210	972,403
Newham	1,618	1,296,875
Nottingham	1,016	830,671
Oldham	1,086	872,358
Redcar and Cleveland	14	36,083
Rochdale	1,042	836,897
Rotherham	1,305	1,040,590
Salford	311	274,151
Sandwell	466	408,489
Sheffield	2,565	2,047,148
South Tyneside	73	77,763
Southwark	958	782,493
St. Helens	725	582,617
Stockton-on-Tees	11	39,095
Stoke-on-Trent	614	509,289
Sunderland	850	698,369
Tower Hamlets	275	247,113
Walsall	102	121,956
Waltham Forest	1,562	1,240,493
Wandsworth	1,601	1,276,377
Wolverhampton	100	115,937

11 Feb 1999 : Column: 337

Child Care

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if he will list by local authority from information supplied in early years development and childcare plans submitted to his Department, how many additional 0-2 years childcare places there will be overall, and, of these, how many will be (a) full-time, (b) part-time, (c) fully funded from the National Childcare Strategy and (d) dependent on other sources of funding; and if he will make a statement; [70667]

(2) if he will list by local authority, from information supplied in early years development and childcare plans submitted to his Department, how many additional before and after school places may be expected overall, and, of these, how many will be (a) fully subsidised from central Government funds, (b) partly subsidised from central Government funds and (c) unsubsidised. [70668]

Ms Hodge: This information is not yet to hand. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as information is available and will place a copy of the letter in the Library.

Rainsford School, Chelmsford

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what applications he has received from the Governors of Rainsford School, Chelmsford, to sell part of their school playing fields. [70359]

Ms Estelle Morris: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has not received any application from the governing body of Rainsford School to sell part of its playing fields. The governing body is aware that it must obtain my right hon. Friend's consent before it can sell any land, including school playing fields.

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