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A-level History
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what estimate he has made of change in the proportion of A-level history students choosing to study (a) pre-1066 and (b) medieval English history in the last 20 years; [91555]
- (2) what recent research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the teaching of (i) pre-1066, (ii) medieval and (iii) post-1485 English history; [91556]
(3) what plans he has to ensure that A-level history students have the opportunity to study pre-1066 English history; [91557]
(4) what representations he has received concerning the place of pre-1066 English history in the A-level history syllabus; [91558]
(5) what representations he has made to A-level examination boards concerning the A-level history syllabus. [91559]
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Mr. Mudie: Information about the proportion of A-level history students choosing to study pre-1066 and medieval English history is not collected centrally. The Department has commissioned no recent research into the teaching of English history. To date we have received one representation on the availability of pre-1066 English history at A-level, as well as early day motion 829 tabled on 15 July. In the light of the concerns expressed, we have asked the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, which is responsible for regulating and approving all A-level specifications offered by the awarding bodies in England, to investigate this matter urgently.
Local Education Authorities
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will take steps to ensure that local education authorities which have been severely criticised in Ofsted reports do not offer generous early retirement packages to their chief education officers. [91790]
Ms Estelle Morris: The issue of early retirement is a matter for individual local authorities in the light of relevant employment and education law. We expect them to take decisions with the aim of securing value for money for the whole education budget and high quality education for their pupils.
Teachers
Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of teachers in maintained (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in England and Wales were aged (i) under 30, (ii) 31-40, (iii) 41-50 and (iv) over 50 years in each of the years from 1996 to 1999. [91942]
Ms Estelle Morris: Full-time qualified teachers in the maintained sector in England and Wales, 1996 and 1997 1 , by phase and age are as follows:
| 31 March 1996 | 31 March 1997 (5) | |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery and Primary | ||
| Under 31 | 20.9 | 22.0 |
| 31-40 | 20.2 | 20.0 |
| 41-50 | 43.1 | 42.9 |
| Over 50 | 15.7 | 15.2 |
| All ages | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Secondary | ||
| Under 31 | 16.8 | 17.9 |
| 31-40 | 25.3 | 24.3 |
| 41-50 | 43.3 | 43.4 |
| Over 50 | 14.6 | 14.5 |
| All ages | 100.0 | 100.0 |
(4) Data on teachers by age are not yet available for 1998 and 1999.
(5) 1997 data are provisional.
British Teachers (EU Schools)
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if British nationals employed through the European Union to teach in European schools are entitled to receive promotion and responsibility allowances on their national scale; and if he will make a statement. [91796]
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Mr. Charles Clarke:
The overall salary level for teachers employed by the DfEE and assigned to posts in the European Schools is determined by the European Schools Board of Governors and set out in its document "Regulations for Members of the Seconded Staff of the European Schools". The DfEE fully meets its statutory obligations in respect of promotion and responsibility allowances paid with national salary.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many attacks on school teachers at schools in Greater London by (a) pupils and (b) parents, were reported in each of the last five years. [92007]
Ms Estelle Morris:
This information is not available centrally.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what research he has commissioned on the impact of staff recruitment and retention in sixth form colleges of the salary differentials between the further education and secondary school sectors; [91818]
Mr. Mudie:
While we have not commissioned specific research, we meet regularly to discuss recruitment and retention issues with representatives of staff and employers in sixth form colleges and further education colleges generally. The Government have injected £725 million of new funds into further education over this year and next and we also welcome the Further Education Funding Council's proposals to increase the funding for full time 16-19-year-old students.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what monitoring his Department undertakes of the flows of teaching staff between sixth form colleges and secondary schools; and if he will publish the available data for each of the last five years. [91819]
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Mr. Mudie:
The Local Government Management Board undertakes an annual survey of teacher recruitment and retention on behalf of the Sixth Form Colleges' Employers Forum. Ministers meet regularly with representatives of the Employers Forum to discuss these, and other issues.
(2) what assessment he has made of the likely impact on staff recruitment and retention in sixth form colleges of the current proposals to reform the salary structure in primary and secondary schools. [91815]
| Year | Leavers to schools | Recruitment from schools |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 35 | 93 |
| 1994 | 55 | 82 |
| 1995 | 40 | 91 |
| 1996 | 58 | 86 |
| 1997 | 85 | 35 |
SOCIAL SECURITY
Benefit Recipients
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Perth (Ms Cunningham) of 1 July 1999, Official Report, column 244, if he will list the current numbers of recipients of each benefit listed broken down to show the number of recipients per head of the adult population in each region and nation for each of the last three years. [90940]
Angela Eagle: The information has been placed in the Library.
Housing Benefit
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the numbers of recipients of housing benefit in the form of (a) single room rent, (b) full local reference rent and (c) partial local reference rent in each London borough in each year since they were introduced. [91782]
Angela Eagle: The information is in the table.
The table provides the number of recipients who were being paid under the Local Reference Rent and Single Room Rent Schemes. The first column includes those recipients who received 50 per cent. top-up above the Local Reference Rent.
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Notes:
1. Figures given are for recipients of housing benefit
2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest ten
3. The data will contain estimations for non-responding authorities
Source:
Management Information System Quarterly Caseload counts taken on the last working day of the month in August 1996 and 1997, and on the second Thursday of the month in August 1998
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21 Jul 1999 : Column: 543
Mr. Love:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what research he has commissioned on the impact of the single room rent provision on housing benefit; what were the findings of that research which has been completed; and if he will make a statement. [91778]
Angela Eagle:
In June 1997, this Department and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions jointly commissioned the London Research Centre to carry out a study on the impact of the rent restriction rules introduced in 1996--the Local Reference Rent and the Single Room Rent. The study also focused on exceptional hardship payments and pre-tenancy determinations. The findings have been published by DETR in the report entitled "Housing Benefit and the Private Rented Sector", a copy of which was placed in the Library.
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