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EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Pupil Expenditure (Greater London)

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much money was spent per pupil attending (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in the Greater London area in each of the last three years. [124750]

Ms Estelle Morris: The following table sets out spending per pupil in both primary and secondary schools in the Greater London area, from 1996-97 to 1998-99 (provisional), the last three financial years for which figures are available. The figures are based on Net Institutional Expenditure.

£

	Pre-primary and primary	Secondary
1996-97	2,050	2,760
1997-98	2,080	2,810
1998-99(1)	2,220	2,900

⁽¹⁾ Provisional

The following table sets out the resources being made available in Greater London for primary and secondary schools, as part of the drive to raise standards. These figures are not comparable with the Net Institutional figures set out above. The special and specific grants total include the money for schools announced in the Budget on 21 March.

£

	Cash		Real terms 2000-01 prices(1)
	Primary	Secondary	Primary	Secondary
	Standard spending assessment per pupil
1997-98	2,570	3,350	2,780	3,620
1998-99	2,720	3,510	2,850	3,690
1999-2000	2,870	3,650	2,930	3,730
2000-01	2,980	3,800	2,980	3,800
	Special and specific grants per pupil
1997-98	30	30	40	30
1998-99	40	40	40	40
1999-2000	150	130	160	130
2000-01	300	260	300	260

⁽¹⁾ Calculated using Treasury GDP deflators published 29 June 2000

PFI Contracts (Schools)

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the estimated rate of return on capital is to the contractors under the PFI contracts for schools. [131350]

Jacqui Smith: The Department is not a signatory to any school PFI contracts and therefore does not have full information about the commercial details of these deals. However, our monitoring of deals signed recently suggests that contractors are likely to receive a return on capital of some 8-9 per cent. from PFI schemes in schools.

Performance-related Pay

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 16 March 2000, Official Report, column 295W, when he expects to have figures for the total cost of administering the performance-related pay scheme. [131675]

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Ms Estelle Morris: It is not possible to say when the total cost will be known.

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many representations he received in support of his plans requiring teachers to participate in the assessment of other members of the teaching staff in their schools. [131698]

Ms Estelle Morris: Representations expressing support were received from the National Association of Head Teachers, the National Employers' Organisation for Schoolteachers and the Secondary Heads' Association.

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the average time currently spent in training (a) a primary school head teacher and (b) a secondary head teacher in the administration of performance-related pay; and what has been the cost of such training. [131714]

Ms Estelle Morris: In England, primary and secondary headteachers were invited to attend a one day threshold assessment training event in March or April. They were also invited to attend a further half day follow-up training event in June. The costs associated with the training events form part of the contracts the Department has with outside companies and are, therefore, commercial in confidence.

In Wales, each headteacher was offered one day's training and the vast majority have attended. The cost of this training in Wales, which was completed on 11 July, is not yet known.

We do not have details about any additional training such headteachers may have undertaken.

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what role he requires (a) deputy heads and (b) teachers to play in the assessment of other members of a school's teaching staff for the purpose of performance-related pay in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools. [131716]

Ms Estelle Morris: The Secretary of State's original intention was that a headteacher could request input from their teamleaders or other senior members of staff who had a more direct overview of a teachers' work to assist in assessing threshold applications. This applied in both primary and secondary schools. Following the outcome of the judicial review brought by the NUT the threshold assessments have been put on hold and there is now no contractual duty for such staff to assist the headteacher in assessments.

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he expects teachers other than departmental managers to assist heads in carrying out assessments for performance-related pay. [131796]

Ms Estelle Morris: The Secretary of State's original intention was that a headteacher could request input from their teamleaders or other senior members of staff to assist in assessing threshold applications. The Guidance that accompanied the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document made clear that this should only reasonably apply to teachers with managerial responsibilities who have an overview of the relevant aspects of the work of the teachers concerned. Following the outcome of the judicial review brought by the NUT the threshold

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assessments have been put on hold and there is now no contractual duty for such staff to assist the headteacher in assessments.

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the effect of the decision of Mr. Justice Jackson on 14 July on the formula for payments from his Department to local authorities in respect of threshold payments as set out in paragraphs 3 to 15 of Annex A of Special Grant report 61; what modifications he plans to make to the timescale for payments set out in those paragraphs; and whether he intends to proceed on the basis of Special Grant report 66 for making payments. [131797]

Ms Estelle Morris: The Government remain committed to the introduction of a threshold for teachers, providing an additional £2,001, backdated to September 2000, for all teachers who demonstrate the characteristics of effective teaching.

The need to refer the standards for assessing teachers against the threshold to the School Teachers Review Body, following Mr. Justice Jacksons' judgment will have the effect of delaying teachers assessments and so payments to successful teachers. As a consequence, we will not seek parliamentary approval for Special Grant Report 66 which will be replaced with a revised report in autumn setting out a new timetable for payments to local authorities.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the total cost is to the Government of the performance-related pay threshold payments; what proportion this is of the £1 billion set aside for the increase in teachers' pay; and if he will make a statement. [132075]

Ms Estelle Morris: The Government have undertaken to fund each full-time equivalent teacher passing the threshold at an annual rate of £2,357. This comprises the threshold uplift of £2,001 increased by 17.8 per cent. for pension and national insurance contributions. The total cost of the threshold will depend on the number of teachers who pass the assessment, as will the proportion this represents of the £1 billion available until March 2002.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the cost of paying assessors to visit schools for the performance-related pay threshold payments; and if he will make a statement. [132076]

Ms Estelle Morris: DfEE has contracted Cambridge Education Associates (CEA) to manage the appointment, deployment and quality assurance of external assessors in England. The cost associated with this contract are commercial in confidence. Assessors in Wales will be managed by consortiums of Welsh local education authorities. The cost of the Department's contracts with the Welsh consortia has not yet been finalised.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much money has been set aside as travel expenses for assessors to visit schools in connection with the performance-related threshold payments; and if he will make a statement. [132077]

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Ms Estelle Morris: There is no separate fund set aside for travel expenses for assessors.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the costs were of writing, printing, and distributing the printed materials associated with the performance-related pay threshold; and if he will make a statement. [132078]

Ms Estelle Morris: It is not possible to provide this information as many of the materials were produced and distributed under commercial contract.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment in relation to the performance- related pay threshold payments for teachers, how much headteachers' training has cost the Government; and if he will make a statement. [132079]

Ms Estelle Morris: The costs associated with the training events form part of the contracts the Department has with outside companies and are, therefore, commercial in confidence.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much has been spent on recruiting and training the assessors for the threshold application forms in connection with performance-related pay for teachers; and if he will make a statement. [132080]

Ms Estelle Morris: The costs associated with the recruitment and training of external Assessors form part of the contracts the Department has with outside companies and are, therefore, commercial in confidence.

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