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Teachers' Pay
26. Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on consultation with teachers' representative organisations about changes in their pay arrangements. [119650]
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Ms Estelle Morris: Since the publication of the Green Paper, Teachers: meeting the challenge of change (Cm 4164), in December 1998, we have consulted extensively with teacher representatives about the proposed changes to teachers' pay structure. On 2 May, we published a draft of the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document 2000 for consultation with statutory consultees including teacher unions.
Classroom Assistants
27. Mr. David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what his assessment is of the effect of the single status agreement on classroom assistants. [119651]
Ms Estelle Morris: The Government take the view that schools and Local Education Authorities are best placed to decide on matters concerning the pay and conditions of local authority staff. The new Single Status Agreement was agreed nationally by local authority employers and staff unions under the auspices of the Local Government Management Board, but its implementation is being determined at local level.
Disruptive Pupils
28. Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to assist schools in dealing with disruptive pupils. [119652]
Ms Estelle Morris: We are providing more than £500 million over three years, backed up by new guidance on 'Social Inclusion: Pupil Support', to help schools tackle pupils' behavioural problems. From this September we are expanding the Excellence in Cities initiative to 21 additional local education authorities. This will include the provision of additional Learning Mentors and Learning Support Units to help schools better manage disruptive pupils.
In addition, on 27 April my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced £28 million to establish 360 LSUs outside Excellence in Cities areas; £8 million to establish 60 pilot LSUs to serve about 200 primary schools in existing EiC areas; a new £2 million innovation fund with the voluntary sector and employers to provide innovative programmes for excluded pupils and pupils at risk of exclusion; and a new £9 million pupil allowance scheme for secondary schools in EiC areas which accept difficult pupils outside the normal admissions round.
Early Years Child Care
29. Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what progress has been made in approving the plans submitted by the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships. [119653]
Ms Hodge: All 150 Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships for 2000-01 have now been assessed: 147 have been given full approval; one conditional approval; and three deferred approval.
Sure Start
30. Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on progress in implementing the Sure Start programme. [119654]
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Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
Of the 60 Sure Start trailblazer programmes that were announced in January 1999, 57 have now received approval and are starting to help young children and their families. The remaining three will follow shortly. In November 1999 we launched the second wave of Sure Start by inviting a further 69 areas to start work to develop local programmes. All of these are now working on drawing up their final plans. This brings the number of Sure Start programmes so far announced to 129.
Head Teachers' Pay
Mrs. Gorman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what recent representations he has received on head teachers' pay. [R] [119629]
Ms Estelle Morris: We are engaged in a regular dialogue with representatives of employers and headteachers. The pay arrangements are based on recommendations made by the independent School Teachers' Review Body. We are committed to consulting all key stakeholders before any changes are made. The Government propose to make up to £70 million available over the two years 2000-01 and 2000-02 to support performance-pay awards for heads, as well as for deputies and Advanced Skills Teachers.
Class Sizes
Mr. Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on class sizes in primary schools since May 1997. [119639]
Ms Estelle Morris: The size of primary classes has gone down in each of the past two years after rising steadily throughout the previous 10 years. In January
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1998, the average size of primary classes was 27.7. In January 1999, the figure was 27.5, and in January 2000 it was 27.1. The figure in January 1988 was 25.4.
Age Discrimination
Ms Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps have been taken to publicise the Code on age diversity and to combat age discrimination in employment. [119640]
Ms Hodge: The Code of Practice on Age Diversity in Employment is at the heart of our campaign to tackle age discrimination. The Code was developed with the help of key partners, who are promoting it to their members.
Initial advertising concentrated on personnel professionals and managers. The campaign I launched in February to promote the Code to a wider audience uses billboard posters, national and regional press and commercial radio. Further activities and events will continue until the end of the year.
Early Years Education
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many places are provided by private sector providers in each local education authority as part of their agreed Early Years Childcare and Education Development Partnerships to provide all four- year-olds with an early years education place. [119196]
Ms Hodge [holding answer 14 April 2000]: The following table shows the overall numbers of places for four-year-olds in the private, voluntary and independent sectors by local education authority area from autumn 1998 to spring 2000. Figures are not collected separately on private sector places.
The figures show variations between the school terms reflecting the differing admission arrangements to maintained schools operating in each local education authority area.
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