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Linux Computer Operating System
Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the Linux computer operating system and its potential for reducing the costs of school computer systems. [70178]
Mr. Charles Clarke [holding answer 11 February 1999]: The Government are aware of this system which, with other relevant products available for educational use, is being kept under review by the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency. Their recent publication, "Connecting Schools, Networking People", offered guidance to schools on good practice in the purchasing and deployment of advanced technologies. It will be updated in future to ensure that it remains relevant to schools.
School Playing Fields
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what opportunities are available for objectors to plans to sell school playing fields to make known to him their opposition to a sale prior to a decision being taken. [70360]
Ms Estelle Morris
[holding answer 11 February 1999]: The Department has recently consulted widely on the criteria against which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will consider applications for his consent to sell, or change the use, of school playing fields.
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Although it is for applicants to decide the details of any local consultation, they should bear in mind that it was local concerns that prompted legislation to protect school playing fields. Draft procedures published on 1 October 1998 set out my right hon. Friend's expectation that applicants should consult locally and inform him of the responses they receive. The Department expects that local consultation should include the direct views of parents of pupils attending the school, as well as any other school which uses the field for school purposes. A minimum consultation period of 8 term-time weeks is recommended to allow sufficient opportunity for objections to be made known.
Mr. Burns:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the procedures that schools have to pursue before selling school playing fields under the regulations governing such sales. [70361]
Ms Estelle Morris
[holding answer 11 February 1999]: I assume in the light of the hon. Member's previous questions that this question concerns the sale of playing fields by school governing bodies that own their playing fields, as is generally the case for grant- maintained schools, rather than the sale of school playing fields by local authorities.
The governing body of a grant-maintained school must obtain the written consent of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State before selling any land, including
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buildings and playing fields. Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act, which came into force on 1 October 1998, requires the governing bodies of other maintained schools of obtain the consent of my right hon. Friend before selling, or changing the use of, any school playing field that they own. The procedures to be followed are set out in the Department's consultation document. These include completion of an application form and local consultation.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State examines any application to dispose of school playing fields carefully, bearing in mind the provision of playing field space at the school and any shortage of playing fields at other local schools. It is necessary to ensure that following a disposal, there would be sufficient playing field area to meet the requirements of the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999, and also that there is sufficient land retained to accommodate the possibility of reasonable future expansion of the school.
Where land has transferred to a grant-maintained school from a local authority, my right hon. Friend has power under section 298(2) of the Education Act 1996 to direct that all or part of such land should be returned to the local education authority, or its successor. The return of such land is subject to the payment to the grant-maintained school of whatever consideration, if any, is considered appropriate. Alternatively, my right hon. Friend may direct that some or all of the proceeds of sale should be paid to the local education authority. Each application is considered on its merits.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the percentage of female engineering graduates with (a) first degrees and (b) second degrees who gain employment related to their field of study. [70701]
Mr. Mudie:
In 1996-97, the total number of women graduating from UK higher education institutions with first degrees in engineering was 2,206. Of those who stayed in the UK after graduation, 34 per cent. went into employment in occupations related to their field of study.
In the same year, 650 women completed post-graduate degrees in engineering. Of those who stayed in the UK after graduation, 39 per cent. went into employment in occupations related to their field of study.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what resources for access funds will be made available for engineering students in further and higher education in England in 1998-99. [70702]
Mr. Mudie:
In the current academic year (1998-99) £9 million was allocated to general Further Education Access Funds and £44 million to general Higher Education Access Funds. We have allocated a further £2.8 million this year for fee remission for further and higher education students on part-time courses who have lost their job since beginning their course. The criteria for issue of funds are general and take no account of course subject.
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Dan Norris:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the impact on standards of literacy in infant, junior and primary schools of the literacy hour. [71067]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The Literacy Hour began in infant, junior and primary schools in September 1998. The vast majority of teachers are teaching the daily hour, which has had a considerable impact on teaching methods and organisation of lessons. Evaluations of the pilot National Literacy Project, published in December 1998 by OFSTED and the NFER, confirm that the Literacy Hour is based on teaching methods that will raise standards. Children who started some way below the national average in their reading scores made 8 to 12 months progress above what would normally be expected, in less than two years.
Dan Norris:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many young unemployed people aged 18 to 25 years within each local enterprise company area in Wansdyke have entered the New Deal Gateway. [71071]
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 Dan Norris, dated 12 February 1999:
Dan Norris:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many pupils aged five to 16 years are being educated in schools in the (a) Bath and North East Somerset and (b) South Gloucestershire Council area which have benefited directly from capital building projects under the Government's New Deal for Schools programme; [71074]
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Ms Estelle Morris:
The information requested is shown in the following table:
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 New Deal for 18-24 year old participants in Wansdyke. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to Mr. Lewis as Chief Executive of the Agency. I am replying in his absence.
I should say straightaway that it is not possible to give data broken down by local Training and Enterprise Council areas as data is collected by Employment Service Unit of Delivery areas.
The latest Government Statistical Service figures to the end of November 1998 and Provisional Management Information to the end of December 1998 shows that, 634 young people have entered the New Deal for 18-24 year olds in the North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset Unit of Delivery which covers Wansdyke falls under.
I hope this is helpful.
(2) how many schools in the (a) Bath and North East Somerset and (b) South Gloucestershire Council area have benefited directly from capital building projects under the Government's New Deal for Schools programme. [71073]
| Number of Schools which have benefited under New Deal for Schools | Estimated number of pupils aged 5-16 years (104) attending schools which have benefited under the New Deal for Schools | |
|---|---|---|
| Bath and North East Somerset | 85 | 21,357 |
| South Gloucestershire | 12 | 4,019 |
(104) The number of compulsory school age children as at January 1998 aged 4 to 15 as at 31 August 1997
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