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Departmental Estate
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will publish a list of assets sold by his Department and their value, by item, in each year since 1991-92; and if he will estimate the value of sales planned for (a) 1999-2000 and (b) 2000-01. [95645]
Mr. Wills [holding answer 8 November 1999]: The publication of a list of assets sold by the Department and their value, by item in each year since 1991-92 cannot be supplied except at a disproportionate cost to the Department. We can however supply details of total value of asset by type from 1991-92 to 1996-97 and the latter part of 1998-99 (see Table 1). Details for 1997-98 and 1998-99 up to December 1998 were given in the reply by my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, East (Mr. Mudie) on 23 February 1999, Official Report, columns 278-81.
The estimate of the value of sales planned for 1999-2000 and 2000-01 is shown in Table 2. Tables 1 and 2 set out the information for the Department and exclude non departmental public bodies and local education authorities.
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Notes:
1. Asset details for 1997-98 published on 23 February 1999, Official Report, columns 278-81.
2. Asset details for 1998-99 (April to December 1998) published on 23 February 1999, Official Report, columns 278-81.
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Mr. Alan Williams:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the dates and venues of visits made to Remploy factories by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary. [96766]
Ms Hodge:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment visited the Barking Remploy factory on 26 March 1999 and the Southampton Remploy factory on 10 May 1999. When she was at Southampton the Minister also met Remploy Interwork employees at their placements. In addition she has visited the Newco factory in Central London which provides supported employment for disabled people. She also receives regular feedback from senior Employment Service officials on their factory visits.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is his policy on teaching five-year-olds about homosexual practices. [97101]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The Government do not believe such lessons are appropriate for five-year-olds.
Mr. Edward Davey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what analysis his Department has undertaken of the impact of decisions by the Teacher Training Agency to withdraw funding from teacher training institutions on the number of primary and secondary school teachers completing initial teacher training courses; and if he will make a statement. [97269]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The Teacher Training Agency (TTA) withdraws accreditation from teacher training institutions whose quality is judged by Ofsted to be unsatisfactory. Where this happens, the training places and funding are withdrawn and reallocated to high quality providers. Therefore, there should be no reduction in the number of trainees in the system as a whole, and no impact on overall numbers of primary and secondary teachers completing initial teacher training courses. The work of the TTA in improving the quality of initial teacher training is crucial to the Government's standards agenda.
Mr. Todd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answers of 16 April 1999, Official Report, column 381, and 1 July 1999, Official Report, column 245, on primary school pupils, if he will list the money spent per primary age pupil (a) from local education authorities, (b) from central Government and (c) in total in (i) 1996-97, (ii) 1997-98 and (iii) 1998-99 for each local education authority ranked in descending order of total spend. [97646]
Ms Estelle Morris:
In my reply to my hon. Friend's earlier questions to which he refers I explained that information for 1998-99 in the form in which it was requested was not yet available, and the situation is still unchanged. I will write to my hon. Friend when the figures he requests are available, and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library.
9 Nov 1999 : Column: 526
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what appeal procedures will be available to teachers who are dissatisfied with their assessment under performance-related pay. [97937]
Ms Estelle Morris:
Under the proposed arrangements for the new performance threshold, heads would assess teachers against the threshold standards. Accredited external assessors would work with heads to ensure national consistency. There will be no appeals against individual threshold decisions, but unsuccessful teachers will be able to re-apply each year.
It is envisaged that headteachers would be responsible for reviewing the outcomes of teachers' annual performance reviews, and that where governing bodies make decisions about discretionary pay awards to teachers, these would be informed by the outcome of performance reviews. The governing body would continue to have statutory responsibility for pay decisions and it is envisaged that appeals will continue to be dealt with under schools' grievance procedures.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which measures of classroom teachers' performance in assessment for performance- related pay do not relate to attainment by pupils. [97930]
Ms Estelle Morris:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is currently consulting on the detail of the new performance review arrangements, including the agreeing of objectives for classroom teachers. We are proposing that teacher objectives should cover pupil progress and ways of improving teachers' professional practice, including professional development. Objectives would be internal, individual and agreed with teach leaders to reflect the particular circumstances of each school. Where governing bodies make decisions about discretionary pay awards to teachers, these would be informed by the outcome of performance reviews.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is his estimate of the annual cost of administering performance-related pay. [97936]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The draft Performance Management Framework builds on existing good practice in schools, reinforcing current monitoring and evaluation work, and giving headteachers and line managers the tools to manage their staff effectively. Once implemented, the new arrangements will be an integral part of the management of schools. Headteachers, in common with teachers and governors, will be supported through training and guidance in all elements of the operation of the new arrangements. £20 million will be available to schools via the Standards Fund Performance Management and Threshold Training Grant to support their individual training needs. The Government are also considering arrangements for other aspects of ensuring quality such as advisers to governing bodies on heads' review and assessors for the proposed performance threshold.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is his most recent estimate of the number of teachers who will pass through the threshold assessment for performance- related pay. [97935]
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Ms Estelle Morris:
It is for teachers to decide whether to apply for the performance threshold. 250,000 teachers will be eligible to apply to cross the threshold at its inception next year. An additional 20,000 teachers are expected to become eligible to apply in each subsequent year. We have no set expectations of the numbers but we have made it clear that there is no quota. Over time we expect a majority of teachers to cross the threshold.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to make additional funding available to (a) local education authorities and (b) individual schools with an above average number of teachers achieving threshold success following the implementation of performance-related pay. [97931]
Ms Estelle Morris:
We will establish a Special Grant to target resources for the performance threshold separate from schools' delegated budgets. All teachers assessed as meeting the national threshold standards will gain an immediate salary increase and access to an upper pay spine. Schools will be able to draw extra funds from the Special Grant via their local education authority for each teacher promoted through the threshold to the upper pay spine.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the effect on education spending of introducing performance-related pay over (a) the next three years, (b) the next five years and (c) the next ten years. [97934]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The Government have announced an extra £1 billion to meet the costs of implementing the Green Paper proposals between 2000-01 and 2001-02. Future levels of funding are a matter for decision thereafter.
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