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Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Systems
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance he gives to local education authorities on the use on their estates in air conditioning and refrigeration systems of substances which contribute to global warming. [109332]
Jacqui Smith: The Department gives advice in Building Bulletin 83, "Schools Environmental Assessment Method (SEAM)". This recommends specifying materials which are CFC and HCFC free, and do not use CFCs or HCFCs in their manufacture, for refrigerants in refrigerators, freezers and air conditioning systems.
Unemployment
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of all those unemployed in (a) rural and (b) urban areas were classified as long-term unemployed (i) at the latest date for which figures are available and (ii) 10 years previously. [109752]
Ms Jowell: In England, in December 1999, 18.4 per cent. of claimant unemployed people in rural areas and 25.1 per cent. of claimant unemployed people in urban areas had been claiming for more than a year. The figures for December 1989 are 17.8 per cent. and 26.7 per cent. respectively.
Minimum Nutritional Standards
Mr. Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the education authorities that (a) voluntarily adhere and (b) do not adhere to the Minimum Nutritional Standards. [109763]
Jacqui Smith: Regulations to be laid before Parliament in due course, setting out compulsory nutritional standards for school lunches in England, will begin to take effect from September 2000. In the meantime, local education authorities and schools are free to set their own local specification and guidelines.
Milk (Schools)
Mr. Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the education authorities that provide milk to school children (a) free and (b) at cost. [109762]
Jacqui Smith:
All education authorities decide for themselves whether or not to provide any milk for school children. Where they do so, they must, by law, provide milk free to children whose parents receive the specified
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benefits. Authorities must charge for all other milk they provide. We do not collect statistical information on which education authorities provide free or at cost milk.
Mr. Rooney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the subsidy to Remploy (a) in cash terms and (b) at December 1999 prices, in each year since 1980. [109597]
Ms Hodge
[holding answer 14 February 2000]: This table shows the Government's subsidy to Remploy, in both cash and real terms, since 1980.
| £ million | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Cash | December 1999 prices |
| 1980-81 | 42.123 | 101.605 |
| 1981-82 | 45.684 | 98.724 |
| 1982-83 | 49.100 | 99.127 |
| 1983-84 | 51.903 | 100.868 |
| 1984-85 | 56.570 | 103.849 |
| 1985-86 | 59.290 | 102.814 |
| 1986-87 | 57.144 | 95.859 |
| 1987-88 | 57.996 | 93.716 |
| 1988-89 | 62.714 | 95.570 |
| 1989-90 | 67.013 | 94.747 |
| 1990-91 | 72.167 | 93.026 |
| 1991-92 | 75.346 | 92.557 |
| 1992-93 | 83.995 | 100.210 |
| 1993-94 | 89.199 | 104.613 |
| 1994-95 | 92.081 | 105.169 |
| 1995-96 | 94.161 | 104.106 |
| 1996-97 | 94.161 | 101.667 |
| 1997-98 | 94.161 | 98.402 |
| 1998-99 | 94.161 | 95.89 |
| 1999-2000 | 95.661 | 95.661 |
Bullying
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on tackling bullying in schools. [109925]
Jacqui Smith: We attach a high priority to helping schools prevent and combat bullying in whatever form--be it racial, or as a result of a child's appearance, behaviour or special educational needs, or related to sexual orientation. We want all schools to treat bullying seriously and deal with it promptly and firmly whenever and wherever it occurs. Since September 1999, schools have been required by law to have an anti-bullying policy. Ofsted's Framework for Inspection requires inspecting teams to evaluate the measures taken by the school to prevent and eliminate bullying.
We will be launching a further anti-bullying initiative shortly. This will comprise a public information film to raise awareness of the problem; a video for schools on tackling bullying aimed at young people, on the theme 'Don't Suffer in Silence'; and a revised and updated anti-bullying pack for schools on the same theme setting out, among other things, strategies for combating bullying including racist bullying.
Education SSA (Shropshire)
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for each year
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from 1992 to date, the standard spending assessment increase in education allocated to Shropshire County Council; and if he will make a statement. [110129]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The data requested are given in the table. These figures have not been adjusted for any changes in local authority function over the years and are not directly comparable due to the effects of local government reorganisation.
| Year | SSA total | Cash change £ million | Percentage change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-91 | 128.2 | -- | -- |
| 1991-92 | 145.5 | 17.3 | 13.5 |
| 1992-93 | 154.0 | 8.5 | 5.9 |
| 1993-94(2) | 134.0 | -- | -- |
| 1994-95 | 135.5 | 1.5 | 1.1 |
| 1995-96 | 137.1 | 1.6 | 1.2 |
| 1996-97 | 145.3 | 8.2 | 6.0 |
| 1997-98(3) | 146.9 | 1.6 | 1.1 |
| 1998-99(4) | 95.4 | -- | -- |
| 1999-2000 | 100.8 | 5.4 | 5.7 |
| 2000-01 | 105.4 | 4.6 | 4.5 |
(2) From 1993-94 Education Spending Assessment figures are affected by the Creation of the Further Education Funding Council and the subsequent reduction in post-16 funding
(3) In 1997-98 £527 million was removed from Education Standard Spending for the Nursery Voucher Scheme
(4) In 1998-99 Shropshire was affected by Local Government Reorganisation
Assisted Places Scheme (Shropshire)
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for each year the cost of the assisted places scheme in Shropshire; and if he will make a statement. [110132]
Ms Estelle Morris: The cost to the Exchequer of the assisted places scheme at the seven participating schools in the area of the present Shropshire local education authority in the current academic year 1999-2000 is estimated to be £535,600. Information relating to previous years is not readily available and, in any case, would not be directly comparable in view of the boundary changes brought about by the recent local government re-organisation. The assisted places scheme is being phased out and no new assisted places are now available.
Kinloss School, Worcestershire
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the timescale for the publication of the Social Services Inspectorate report into Kinloss School in Worcestershire. [110304]
Jacqui Smith: On 3 February 2000 my Department authorised the Worcestershire County Inspectorate to release copies of the report. Copies will be sent to all local authorities that have placed children in the school and to those people, often parents of present or former pupils, who have contacted the Department or the Inspectorate about the report. I understand that the Inspectorate is finalising its distribution arrangements, and expects copies to issue around one week from now.
My Department has also given the school notice of withdrawal of its approval under section 347 of the Education Act 1996. This means that the school has until
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June 2000 to remedy the failings identified in the report, or it will lose its approval. The school has submitted its plans for addressing these issues, and we will arrange for inspection at the appropriate time.
Mr. Doug Henderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will set aside the passporting test and review his decision to reduce the education element in Government grant made available to Newcastle City Council. [110185]
Ms Estelle Morris:
It is vitally important that the increased funding we have made available reaches education. We will therefore continue to urge local authorities to passport the increase in education standard spending assessment to education budgets. My right hon. Friend will take decisions on the release of the £50 million special grant to support school budgets in due course.
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