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Excluded Pupils
25. Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many pupils were excluded from school last year; and if he will make a statement. [88991]
Mr. Charles Clarke: In 1997-98 12,300 pupils were permanently excluded from maintained schools. This is good news because permanent exclusions have fallen by 3 per cent. (from 12,700 in 1996-97), the first decrease since the Department began collecting information in 1994-95.
Pupil Funding
26. Mr. Todd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he is taking to increase the equality of funding between pupils in different parts of England. [88992]
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Ms Estelle Morris:
Over the next three years we will be reviewing the methodology for calculating Education Standard Spending Assessments to improve the fairness of the current formula and to try to find long-term solutions to the problems we inherited.
28. Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what additional resources will be made available to increase pay levels for lecturers in further and higher education institutions. [88994]
Mr. Mudie:
We have made available an extra £776 million for higher education this financial year and next and an extra £725 million for further education over the same period. It is for the employers in their respective sectors to determine how much of these increases to devote to pay.
29. Mr. Allan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the provision of nursery places in Sheffield. [88995]
Ms Hodge:
Sheffield's Early Years Development and Childcare Plan for 1999-2000 sets out how a free early education place is being made available for every four-year-old child whose parents want it. My Department gave full approval to Sheffield's Plan in March. Sheffield was one of 57 authorities allocated funding for creating new nursery places for three-year-olds in 1999/2000. We are still considering each Local Education Authority's plan for increasing early education places for three-year-olds.
31. Mr. Healey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he is taking to improve the functioning of the New Deal Gateway. [88997]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
As part of the continuous improvement of New Deal we are currently in the final stages of planning for trailblazer products which will develop and test a number of different approaches in making achievement more intensive for young people in the Gateway. These are due to be launched later this summer. Additional measures are also being introduced across the country this month to make the fourth month of Gateway more effective in managing the transition of individuals between the Gateway and jobs or New Deal options.
The New Deal carries with it obligations for young people to make use of the support offered. That is why we recently announced our intention to strengthen the sanctions against young people who fail to co-operate in moving from Gateway to suitable options.
33. Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the progress of the environmental task force option within the new deal for young people. [88999]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
The latest Government Statistical Service figures to the end of April 1999 show that 14,200 young people had started on the New Deal Environment
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Task Force. This Option offers young people a range of practical skills, work experience and an opportunity to study towards a recognised qualification normally up to S/NVQ level 2 or equivalent. I am increasingly impressed by the progress of this option and the range of projects it has available.
36. Ms Dari Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many employers have signed up to the New Deal to date. [89002]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
Almost 52,000 employers have signed New Deal agreements so far.
37. Mr. Sawford:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he expects to announce the results of the review of school transport. [89003]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The School Travel Advisory Group, formed to look at all aspects of school travel and transport, will be making recommendations to Ministers in the autumn.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the average A-level results for each subject, for each local education authority area, broken down by (i) schools and (ii) sixth form colleges in 1998. [88584]
Mr. Mudie:
A table giving details of the average GCE A-level results for the twelve most popular subjects, for each local education authority area, broken down by (i) schools and (ii) sixth form colleges in 1998 will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Sawford:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will publish the criteria used to determine what sums are awarded to each individual higher education establishment in the form of research grants. [88831]
Mr. Mudie:
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has set out its criteria for allocating research funds in a guide "Funding higher education in England: How the HEFCE allocates its funds", a copy of which has been placed in the Library.
The Research Councils award competitive grants to researchers in higher education using peer review to assess proposals. The current criteria employed by each of the Research Councils have been placed in the Library.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by his Special Advisers for all Labour Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these. [89980]
Mr. Mudie
[holding answer 6 July 1999]: Special Advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers. Schedule 1,
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Part 1 of the Model Contract sets out the role and duties of Special Advisers. As well as research for Ministers and reviewing papers, contributing to policy planning with the Department and preparing policy papers, speechwriting and liaison with outside interest groups, their role explicitly includes liaising with the Party and helping to brief Party MPs. Records are not held of when such briefings are given. Similar arrangements have applied under successive Governments.
Mr. Blizzard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he is taking to ensure that school performance tables reflect the achievements of children of all abilities. [89342]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The achievements of all pupils in GCSEs, GNVQs, other vocational qualifications and National Curriculum assessments are included in school performance tables, regardless of their abilities. We continue to look for ways of reporting the achievements of pupils who are unable to meet the minimum standards of the GCSE and equivalent qualifications by the end of their compulsory schooling, in consultation with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. We introduced a point score in the secondary tables in 1998 to reflect achievements across the full ability range more closely.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many meetings of the JCC he has attended. [89276]
Mr. Mudie:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 5 July 1999, Official Report, column 362.
Mr. Woolas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will estimate the cost of providing each further education student with an individual learning account credited with an amount equivalent to the cost of undergraduate tuition fees. [89359]
Mr. Mudie:
The national framework for individual learning accounts is being developed. Currently we are targeting people aged 18 years and over who are in employment or about to return to work. At this stage, we are not planning to offer individual learning accounts to full-time further education students. We are planning to pilot different approaches to some aspects of further education funding through individual learning accounts during 1999 and 2000.
Mr. Etherington:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the guidance issued since 1992 to local education authorities regarding the provision of, and funds for, safe play surfaces for (a) nursery schools and units, (b) infant and junior schools and (c) secondary schools. [89964]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The Department's guidance for schools on play surfaces is contained within its 1997 Building Bulletin 85, "School Grounds: A Guide to Good Practice". Before then, the Department referred inquirers
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to the National Playing Field Association's publication, "Play Safety Guidelines", and continues to do so. The Department has not issued guidance to local education authorities on funding for safe play surfaces.
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