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Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what recent research he has commissioned on the performance of the upper quartile of 15-year-old pupils in (a) comprehensive schools and (b) selective schools; and if he will make a statement. [123503]
Ms Estelle Morris [holding answer 24 May 2000]: The Secretary of State has not commissioned any recent research on this topic. Analytical Services have calculated the comparative performance of 15-year-old pupils in (a) comprehensive schools and (b) selective schools and the statement reflects the comparative performance of the two groups.
The first group (a) included the top 25 per cent. (or quartile) of 15-year-old pupils in comprehensive schools--based on their total GCSE/GNVQ point score (in order not to include and exclude some pupils with the same point score, the actual percentage of pupils included was 24.5 per cent.). Their results were:
Percentage/ average point score | |
---|---|
Percentage achieving 5+ grades A*-C at GCSE/GNVQ | 100 |
Percentage achieving 1+ grades A*-G at GCSE/GNVQ | 100 |
Average point score per 15-year-old pupil | 60.9 |
The second group (b) included all 15-year-olds in selective schools. Their results were:
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Percentage/ average point score | |
---|---|
Percentage achieving 5+ grades A*-C at GCSE/GNVQ | 96.4 |
Percentage achieving 1+ grades A*-G at GCSE/GNVQ | 99.6 |
Average point score per 15-year-old pupil | 60.7 |
Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what was the average amount paid per day to Ofsted inspectors, and what was the average profit made by organisations carrying out inspections in (a) secondary and (b) primary schools, in the last year for which figures are available; [123787]
Ms Estelle Morris: These are matters for HM 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 Library.
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what studies he has carried out of the incidence of autistic conditions among the school population; and what guidance he has issued to local education authorities in connection with these conditions. [123162]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 24 May 2000]: Figures are not collected on the incidence of particular types of special educational need. Provisions in the Education Act 1981, now consolidated into the Education Act 1996, require schools to submit information on numbers of pupils with special educational needs. In accordance with the recommendation of the Warnock Committee, there is no requirement for them to record the nature of the disability or learning difficulty and we have no current intention to require them to do so.
Guidance on meeting children's special educational needs is contained in the "Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs". The Department has established an Autism Working Group which is investigating examples of good practice and will be publishing practical advice on early identification and making provision for children with autism. In its advice the Group will be taking account of the work of the special educational needs regional co-ordination projects, one of which, in the West Midlands, has been concentrating on provision for children with autism.
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will break down by subject the instructors in service in maintained schools in England in January, as referred to in Statistical First
25 May 2000 : Column: 608W
Release 13/2000; and how many of these instructors have the same basic maths and English qualifications as qualified teachers. [123589]
Ms Estelle Morris: Information is not available centrally on instructors' basic qualifications or subject taught.
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the maximum and minimum costs to teachers' pension funds of the European Court of Justice's ruling on pensions for part-timers. [123262]
Mr. Rooker: I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to my written answer on 23 May 2000, Official Report, column 484W.
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by rank the number of officers within the Royal Ulster Constabulary Mobile Support Unit based at Mahon Road, Portadown. [119712]
Mr. Ingram: There are two Mobile Support Units based at Mahon Road, Portadown. In 1997, the establishment of each MSU was:
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in effecting the transfer of responsibility for traveller accommodation to the Housing Executive. [123061]
Mr. George Howarth: Responsibility for providing housing for those travellers who wish to move into settled accommodation already rests with the Housing Executive and many traveller families have been provided with homes in existing Housing Executive estates. In addition, work to provide three pilot group housing schemes, specifically tailored for extended traveller family groups, is due to commence in the current financial year.
It is proposed to transfer responsibility for serviced sites from District Councils to the Housing Executive and provision for this will be included in future legislation.
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland further to the undertakings given in the 6 May letter jointly signed by the Prime Minister and the Irish Taoiseach, (a) what measures are being taken to facilitate the reintegration of prisoners into the community, (b) what related issues are being addressed and (c) what body has been tasked with responsibility for implementation of each measure. [123058]
25 May 2000 : Column: 609W
Mr. Ingram: The Government are committed to meeting their obligations under the Good Friday Agreement. Government policy is that prisoners should be given every assistance to enable them to play a full and active role in society, and that they should have full, though not preferential, access to the range of social support generally available to members of the public.
The Government are conscious that the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998 has resulted in the release over a relatively short period of significant numbers of long-term prisoners, many of whom will not have been able to prepare for release in the normal way. In order to meet its overall aims within these special circumstances, the Government set up a co-ordinating group to ensure that released prisoners had proper access to support services, and that services themselves were aware of and geared to cope with the likely patterns of release. Potential difficulties in both immediate and longer-term provision for prisoners have been addressed in a manner consistent with ensuring that there is no differential in provision between ex-prisoners and the general public.
Many wider reintegration issues would involve changes to current practices or laws. The Government are reluctant to make changes to existing legislation without the support of the Assembly, given the particular sensitivity of reintegration and the fact that many of the matters of concern are the responsibility of the devolved administration.
I have had meetings with Assembly party representatives to discuss reintegration issues prior to devolution. The Government are committed to working co-operatively with the devolved administration on these issues.
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what body has been tasked with drawing up a two-year implementation plan for the Irish language TV and film production pilot announced to start by April 2001. [123059]
Mr. George Howarth: The Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure is currently considering with other Departments how to give effect to the undertaking to begin an Irish language, television and film pilot by April 2001.
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who was the duty governor in charge of HMP Maze on 27 December 1997. [123231]
Mr. Ingram: On security grounds, I am not prepared to name the governor in question.
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