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BBC On-line
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is the estimated expenditure on BBC on-line over the next three years. [76163]
Janet Anderson: Total expenditure on BBC on-line to date is as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| Date | |
| 1997-98 | 18.7 |
| 1998-99 | 23.1 |
| 1999-2000 | 23.4 (forecast) |
Levels of expenditure in years after 1999-2000 have not yet been determined.
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Gardens (Funding)
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support (a) his Department and (b) the National Lottery give to gardens. [76162]
Mr. Alan Howarth: My Department does not directly fund gardens. However, English Heritage (EH) can offer grants under its Historic Parks and Gardens Grant Scheme and in recent years it has offered an average of £200,000 per year to garden projects. In the past three years it has assisted 20 sites. Grants are, however, restricted to outstanding historic gardens which are graded I and II* on EH's Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. EH is also currently considering a new integrated grant scheme for gardens, buildings and monuments.
The Heritage Lottery Fund, National Lottery Charities Board and UK Arts Councils have to date contributed over £84 million to over 223 projects which create, restore or enhance gardens.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 12 March that £125 million of Lottery money will be made available through the New Opportunities Fund, under its Green Spaces and Sustainable Communities Initiative, to help urban and rural communities across the UK to understand, improve and care for their natural and living environment and improve the overall quality of their surroundings. Gardens may well benefit from this new initiative.
Information Superhighway
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many schools have to date been linked to the information superhighway and at what cost; and when he estimates that all schools will have been linked to the information superhighway and at what total cost. [74760]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Department published last year the results of a survey of ICT provision in schools which indicated that 17 per cent. of primary schools and 83 per cent. of secondary schools were connected to the Internet by March 1998. This is in comparison to the previous year's survey (published in 1997), which indicated that 5 per cent. of primary schools and 47 per cent. of secondary schools were connected to the Internet at that time. Subsequent annual surveys will indicate the change in growth of schools with such connections, although the latest estimates from British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) are that approximately 30 per cent. of primary schools, 90 per cent. of secondary schools and 45 per cent. of special schools in England currently have some form of Internet access. The Government are committed to ensuring that all schools are connected to the Internet by 2002.
The Government are supporting expenditure of over £700 million during the period 1998-2002 on the National Grid for Learning Standards Fund. This is enabling schools to connect to the information superhighway and equip themselves with the networking infrastructure and information and communications technology to make
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best use of it. It is not possible to break down this figure into the precise amount that schools spend on use of the Internet.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on his policy on the development of an Opportunity for Youth strand to the European Communities budget. [76277]
Mr. Mudie:
The European Commission has proposed an action programme for youth from the year 2000 that includes support for young people undertaking projects to develop their initiative and enterprise. The Government are participating positively in negotiations with other Member States on the content of the new programme.
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many pupils in Oxfordshire at (a) primary school, (b) Key Stage 1, (c) Key Stage 2 and (d) secondary schools were in classes of 31 or more pupils taught by one teacher in (i) January 1997, (ii) January 1998 and (iii) January 1999. [76761]
Ms Estelle Morris
[holding answer 15 March 1999]: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 19 November 1998, Official Report, column 776, and my subsequent letter of 24 February 1999, copies of which have been placed in the Library.
Information on Class Sizes (Provisional) in Maintained Primary Schools in England: January 1999 will be published in April.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans the Government have to implement the curriculum recommendations of the Panel for Education for Sustainable Development. [76967]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
We have asked the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to take the Panel's recommendations into account in their review of the National Curriculum. This will inform the forthcoming consultation about changes to the National Curriculum from September 2000.
Mr. Kaufman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he intends to reply to the letters to him dated 14 October 1998, 7 January and 11 February 1999 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. W. Jackson. [76940]
Mr. Mudie:
A reply to Mr. Jackson's letter will be issued today, 16 March 1999.
Dr. Stoate:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he is taking to reduce the rate of suicide among young men by introducing education in schools to help children recognise the symptoms of depression and sources of help. [76578]
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Mr. Charles Clarke:
The Department for Education and Employment, together with the Department of Health, announced the Healthy Schools Initiative in May 1998. This will support personal, social and health education in schools and address the issue of emotional health and well being. As part of the initiative we have established the Wired for Health website, providing health information initially for teachers, and later for pupils and students. The site provides a link between the Young Minds Website and the Royal College of Psychiatrists fact sheets on child and adolescent mental health. We will be expanding the information relating to mental health on the website in due course.
The Government regard children with emotion and behavioural difficulties and mental health problems as having special educational needs. Preventing the development of these problems is a key element of our policy. The recently published Action Programme, "Meeting Special Educational Needs" flagged as priorities measures targeted at young children to prevent them developing problems, and to strengthen provision for older children. Such activities were eligible for support under the 1999-2000 Standards Fund, and approximately 20 Local Education Authorities are to be supported to undertake pilot projects in this field.
Dr. Kumar:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what action he has taken since the research project commissioned in 1993 by his Department and the Department of Health into under- identification of autistic children; [76400]
(3) if he will institute a public inquiry into the educational services provided for children with autistic spectrum disorder in the United Kingdom; [76403]
(4) what steps the Government have taken to implement the recommendations of the Health Committee's report on health services for children and young people in the community and school (HC 314 of session 1996-97) in respect of education services for children with autistic spectrum disorder. [76440]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
Under Part IV Chapter 1 of the Education Act 1996, local education authorities are required to identify and assess children with special educational needs who may require provision beyond that which can normally be met from within the resources of local schools, and to arrange suitable provision where necessary. This includes children with autistic spectrum disorders.
The final report of the research project commissioned in 1993 by the Departments for Education and Employment and Health, "A Descriptive and Comparative Study of Current Interventions for Children with Autism"
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(Jones, Meldrum, Newson; University of Nottingham, June 1995) found under-identification of children with autism and a shortfall in specialist provision.
(2) what statutory provisions require a local education authority in England and Wales to provide a relevant education service for an individual child with autistic spectrum disorder; and if he will make a statement; [76401]
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