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Dance and Drama Awards
Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the dance and drama awards for students on further education courses. [101314]
Mr. Wicks: Over 830 of the most talented students have been successful at auditions and are now benefiting from the awards while they train at some of the country's leading dance and drama schools. The latest information suggests that the awards have already succeeded in attracting unprecedented numbers of students from families with among the lowest levels of family income. Over 20 per cent. of students are from families with incomes of less than £10,000 per annum.
The awards provide substantial help with tuition fees and a contribution towards living costs. However, we have recently announced that from next September the level of award paid to students on further education courses and living away from home will increase from a maximum of £2,025 to £4,025. Within these amounts the provision for students' living costs rises from £1,000 to £3,000 per annum (£2,550 outside London). The sums will be targeted in order to provide increased resources to students in greatest need. We have also raised the
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assessment threshold so that all students with residual family incomes below £17,369 will get the appropriate maximum funding available.
Pending the introduction of the new rates next year, additional funding of up to £2,000 per student will be paid to students. This will be over and above their current funding for fees and living costs and will be allocated relative to their assessed needs. We plan to make the first additional payments in December.
Mr. Sawford:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he expects to announce the results of the review of school transport. [100328]
Jacqui Smith:
The School Travel Advisory Group is looking into all aspects of school transport. We expect the Group to publish its report early in the new year.
Mr. Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to review the salary scales for university staff; and if he will make a statement. [100710]
Mr. Wicks:
The pay and conditions of staff in higher education are a matter for the employers not the Government. The Bett Report into higher education pay and conditions, published in June, made a number of recommendations for restructuring the sector's terms and conditions. It will be for the higher education employers to consider how these recommendations can be implemented.
Sir Sydney Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment in each of the last five years, what have been the total number of pupils attending state primary and secondary schools in the Borough of Barnet; what proportion of them have been out-of- borough; and what were the numbers of full-time equivalent teachers. [100218]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The information available is shown in the following table.
| Maintained primary schools | Maintained secondary schools | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headcount of pupils | Full-time equivalent number of teachers | Headcount of pupils | Full-time equivalent number of teachers | |
| 1999 | 26,441 | 1,179.3 | 20,437 | 1,339.8 |
| 1998 | 26,177 | 1,172.7 | 20,106 | 1,322.7 |
| 1997 | 25,981 | 1,167.3 | 19,783 | 1,336.0 |
| 1996 | 24,809 | 1,136.4 | 19,437 | 1,312.2 |
| 1995 | 24,443 | 1,107.0 | 19,158 | 1,290.0 |
Hendon-Barnet College Merge
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will announce his decision on the proposed merger of Hendon and Barnet Colleges. [100852]
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Mr. Wicks:
No proposal has been received at this stage by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many (a) applications and (b) successful applications from each region have been made in respect of the Independent/State School Partnership Grant Scheme (1999-2000). [100331]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The information requested is shown in the following table.
| Region | Total number of applications (16) | Number of successful applications | Percentage of successful applications (17) |
|---|---|---|---|
| North East | 12 | 2 | 17 |
| North West and Merseyside | 36 | 6 | 17 |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 17 | 5 | 29 |
| East Midlands | 13 | 3 | 23 |
| West Midlands | 41 | 7 | 17 |
| East of England | 31 | 9 | 29 |
| London | 31 | 9 | 29 |
| South East | 44 | 8 | 18 |
| South West | 39 | 7 | 18 |
| England | 264 | 56 | 21 |
(16) Applications were for one or two year grants, commencing in 1999-2000.
(17) Successful applications as a percentage of total applications in the region.
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to extend the Independent/State School Partnership Scheme beyond 2001. [100330]
Ms Estelle Morris: Independent evaluation of the first year of the scheme was recently carried out by Leeds University School of Education. Their report reinforces our belief that partnerships are contributing to raising standards and increasing educational opportunities for the pupils and staff involved. We therefore intend to encourage independent and maintained schools to work in partnership beyond 2001.
WALES
Consultants
9. Mr. Rowe: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money the Welsh Office spent on consultants in (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98 and (c) 1998-99; and how much is planned to be spent by the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales during this current financial year. [98885]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The following figures detail Welsh Office expenditure on consultants in the relevant financial years, running from 1 April to the following 31 March.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 739,363 |
| 1997-98 | 1,311,459 |
| 1998-99 | 1,836,194 |
I do not expect to incur any expenditure on consultants in the current financial year.
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NHS Finance
10. Mr. Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he next plans to meet the First Secretary of the National Assembly to discuss the financing of the NHS in Wales. [98886]
Mr. Hanson: My right hon. Friend and I are in constant dialogue with the First Secretary and Assembly Secretaries about all important issues affecting Wales, including the funding of the NHS.
Beef on the Bone
11. Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Agriculture Secretary about the ban on the sale of beef on the bone. [98888]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I am in regular contact with my colleagues in the National Assembly and we discuss a range of issues including all matters relating to agriculture in Wales.
16. Mr. Ian Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had about the lifting of the beef-on-the-bone ban in Wales. [98893]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I have discussed this issue with a number of individuals and organisations.
17. Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has held with the First Minister of the National Assembly concerning the ban on beef on the bone. [98894]
Mr. Hanson: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply my right hon. Friend gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan).
21. Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his discussions with MAFF on the beef-on-the-bone ban. [98898]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I am in regular contact with my colleagues in the National Assembly for Wales and Whitehall and we discuss a range of topics including matters relating to agriculture in Wales.
Civil Service Numbers
12. Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many civil servants his Department employs currently; and if he will make a statement on trends relating to civil service numbers (a) since May 1997 and (b) projected over the next three years. [98889]
Mr. Paul Murphy: My Department currently employs 35 civil servants, with a further five vacancies. Questions relating to overall civil service numbers should be directed to my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office.
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