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Ministerial Meetings
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times Ministers in his Department met members and officials on the United States Government between 2 May 1997 and 1 January 1998; on what dates and at which locations; and which (a) Ministers and (b) US counterparts and officials attended each meeting. [103181]
Dr. Moonie [pursuant to the reply, 10 January 2000, c. 86W]: I regret that one detail contained in the response was inaccurate. The appointment held by the hon. Joe Reeder, who was met by the Minister for Defence Procurement in the UK on 1 July 1998, should have read, the Under Secretary of the Army and not Secretary of the Navy, as stated.
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
New Deal
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if it is the policy of the Government to continue the New Deal beyond 2002; and if he will make a statement. [107794]
7 Feb 2000 : Column: 34W
Ms Jowell:
The different New Deal programmes we have put in place are all helping people move from welfare to work. Almost 180,000 young people have moved into work from the New Deal for young unemployed people; nearly 30,000 have found work from the New Deal for people aged 25+, and more than 28,000 people have found work from the New Deal for lone parents. We are also offering help through the New Deal for disabled people, New Deal for partners and New Deal for 50+.
The precise shape of this government's welfare to work programme for the new Parliament will be settled as part of the spending review 2000.
Mr. Hilary Benn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the local education authorities inspected by Ofsted during the autumn term 1999. [109011]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The Local Education Authorities inspected by Ofsted and the Audit Commission during the autumn term 1999 were as follows:
Barnet
Bristol
Derbyshire
Doncaster
Greenwich
Halton
Hertfordshire
Lancashire
Leeds
Lewisham
Oxfordshire
Plymouth
Rotherham
Salford
Sheffield
Solihull
Southwark
Walsall
Worcestershire
Leeds LEA
Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of responses to the survey of schools undertaken in connection with the Ofsted inspection of Leeds Local Education Authority rated the Local Education Authority's strategy and services as satisfactory or better. [109010]
Ms Estelle Morris: This is a matter for Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools, Chris Woodhead. I have asked him to write to my hon. Friend and to place a copy of his letter in the Libraries.
Social Exclusion Unit
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the implementation of the Social Exclusion Unit report on truancy and school exclusion. [108515]
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Ms Estelle Morris:
Our latest assessment is set out in the First Annual Report of the Ministerial Task Force on Truancy and School Exclusion, a copy of which I am sending to my hon. Friend.
Dr. Harris:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 10 January 2000, Official Report, column 39W, on departmental research contracts, if he will place in the Library a copy of standard research contracts used by his Department (a) between May 1997 and October 1998 and (b) after October 1998. [107104]
Mr. Wicks:
A copy of the standard research contracts used by the Department (a) between May 1997 and October 1998 and (b) after October 1998 shall be placed in the Library by 17 February 2000.
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of 19-year-olds had at least one level two qualification or equivalent at each autumn quarter in each of the last three years. [108357]
Mr. Wicks:
The proportion of 19 to 21-year-olds in England with at least one level two qualification or equivalent, as measured by the Labour Force Survey, was 72.3 per cent. in 1997, 73.9 per cent. in 1998 and 74.9 per cent. in 1999.
Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will publish a detailed
7 Feb 2000 : Column: 36W
analysis of the anticipated net administration savings arising from the restructuring proposals of Learning to Succeed, Cm. 4392. [107644]
Mr. Wicks:
The new arrangements for learning and skills will cut through the present duplication and bureaucracy and will secure savings of at least £50 million a year across post 16 learning, which will be invested in improving the quality of learning. The savings come from two main sources. Nearly £15 million will be saved because Government Offices for the regions will no longer need to contract with 72 TECs. The remainder will come partly from operating through fewer local branches--47 instead of 72, and partly from operating through more efficient systems, with less negotiation and contracting.
Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will announce the names of the chairperson and members of the Learning and Skills Council. [107643]
Mr. Wicks:
In the Learning and Skills Council Prospectus, we published the timetable for appointments to the Learning and Skills Council. However, we are currently reviewing the timetable and I will write to the hon. Member with further details shortly.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the (a) total number and (b) percentage share of (x) applicants and (y) successful applicants to (i) Oxford and (ii) Cambridge universities from (1) private schools, (2) state comprehensive schools, (3) sixth form colleges, (4) state grammar schools and (5) general further education colleges in each of the last five years. [106982]
Mr. Wicks:
The information is given in the tables.
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| Year of entry | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | ||||||
| Number | Percentage(10) | Number | Percentage(10) | Number | Percentage(10) | Number | Percentage(10) | Number | Percentage(10) | |
| Applicants | ||||||||||
| Independent | 3,399 | 39 | 3,501 | 42 | 3,393 | 42 | 3,361 | 42 | 3,416 | 42 |
| Comprehensive | 2,108 | 24 | 1,973 | 24 | 1,963 | 24 | 1,945 | 24 | 1,967 | 24 |
| Sixth Form College | 808 | 9 | 677 | 8 | 747 | 9 | 747 | 9 | 714 | 9 |
| Grammar | 1,000 | 12 | 924 | 11 | 921 | 11 | 925 | 12 | 1,004 | 12 |
| FE college | 645 | 7 | 593 | 7 | 515 | 6 | 502 | 6 | 454 | 6 |
| Other(11) | 649 | 8 | 598 | 7 | 498 | 6 | 526 | 7 | 532 | 7 |
| Total | 8,609 | 100 | 8,266 | 100 | 8,037 | 100 | 8,006 | 100 | 8,087 | 100 |
| Accepted applicants | ||||||||||
| Independent | 1,424 | 50 | 1,494 | 51 | 1,500 | 51 | 1,477 | 49 | 1,431 | 48 |
| Comprehensive | 613 | 22 | 617 | 21 | 613 | 21 | 684 | 22 | 647 | 22 |
| Sixth Form College | 226 | 8 | 201 | 7 | 219 | 7 | 275 | 9 | 253 | 9 |
| Grammar | 344 | 12 | 391 | 13 | 384 | 13 | 364 | 2 | 396 | 13 |
| FE college | 122 | 4 | 116 | 4 | 104 | 4 | 94 | 3 | 102 | 3 |
| Other(11) | 119 | 4 | 129 | 4 | 122 | 4 | 150 | 5 | 135 | 5 |
| Total | 2,848 | 100 | 2,948 | 100 | 2,942 | 100 | 3,044 | 100 | 2,964 | 100 |
7 Feb 2000 : Column: 37W
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