House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 18 Dec 2000 (pt 6)

HMS Invincible

Mr. DuncanSmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which helicopter squadron (a) is allocated to HMS Invincible and (b) will be allocated to her in 2001. [143037]

Mr. Spellar [holding answer 15 December 2000]: No anti-submarine warfare (ASW) squadron is being specifically allocated to HMS Invincible in 2001. A Carrier Air Group including a ASW helicopter component will always be available for the Fleet Flagship Aircraft Carrier if required. HMS Invincible will continue in this role until April 2001, when she hands over to HMS Illustrious. 820 Naval Air Squadron will provide the ASW component in 2001.

RAF-Luftwaffe Tornado Squadron

Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in the establishment of a joint RAF-Luftwaffe Tornado Squadron. [143027]

Mr. Spellar [holding answer 15 December 2000]: There are no plans to form a joint RAF-Luftwaffe Tornado squadron.

Theft (Faslane)

Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what investigations are taking place into alleged thefts at Faslane naval base; and if he will make a statement. [143049]

Dr. Moonie [holding answer 15 December 2000]: The Ministry of Defence Police currently has 74 cases of alleged theft at Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde under investigation. It would not be appropriate for me to comment further regarding on-going police investigations.

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EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Dyslexia

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what improvements he (a) has made and (b) intends to make for meeting the special educational needs of dyslexic pupils. [141958]

Jacqui Smith: We are committed as a Government to helping all children with special educational needs (SEN) to develop their full potential. We are taking a number of steps to raise the awareness of dyslexia and help teachers to improve the identification and assessment of children who have or may have dyslexia, including through baseline assessment, which--although this is not its primary purpose--can be a useful first screen to help teachers identify where a child has learning needs which may require further, more specialist investigation and assessment. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority is now consulting on our proposals for revising statutory baseline assessment, including our proposal that the 90 current baseline assessment schemes be replaced by a single national scheme, which should help to improve the identification of learning needs. Any national scheme will incorporate the features of local schemes that have been most successful in identifying possible SEN. Training for teachers to support the new scheme would focus on how to use it to identify learning needs needing further investigation and how to devise strategy to help children progress.

The National Literacy Strategy has raised standards for all children, including those with dyslexia, and we have started to build on this success by introducing pilot projects in September in 17 LEAs involving over 200 schools to transform standards in English and mathematics for 11 to 14-year-olds. We will implement this nationally in 2001.

We are also taking work forward in partnership with some of the voluntary organisations that support children with dyslexia, including the British Dyslexia Association and the Dyslexia Institute. This includes the Department, together with the National Lottery Charities Board and WH Smith, funding a two year "Spell It" (Study Programme to Evaluate Literacy Learning through Individualised Tuition) research project run by the Dyslexia Institute to evaluate the effects of structured programmes of intervention, targeted at seven year old pupils who are experiencing specific difficulties in learning to read, write and spell. Two key aspects of the project are to develop activities that parents can do at home and to share the knowledge and skills of specialist teachers more widely.

Following a seminar convened by the DfEE in July 1999 to bring together bodies with an interest and expertise in the field of teaching children with dyslexia, the Pathways Group was formed consisting of representatives from the DfEE and key partners in the field of dyslexia. The Group has been engaged in producing a leaflet designed to help teachers interested in pursuing further training on specific learning difficulties to access relevant training. It is envisaged that the leaflet will direct these teachers towards more detailed course information which will be available via the Department's Inclusion website.

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Children with dyslexia, along with all children with SEN, will also benefit from more general measures we are taking to support children with SEN. These include: the Special Educational Needs and Disability Bill, announced in the Queen's Speech in 6 December; the revision of the SEN Code of Practice; and the Standards Fund, through which we are spending £82 million in 2001-02 to improve support for children with special educational needs, which represents a 50 per cent. increase from the £55 million this year.

Statutory Scrutiny

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many (i) further education trusts, (ii) foundation schools and (iii) city technology colleges were in existence on 1 April; and if they are (a) statutorily required to publish annual reports, (b) statutorily required to publish annual accounts,

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(c) subject to the jurisdiction of the parliamentary or local government ombudsman, (d) subject to audit by the National Audit Office, (e) subject to audit by the Audit Commission, (f) statutorily required to admit the public to committee meetings, (g) statutorily required to hold public meetings, (h) statutorily required to publish the agendas of meetings, (i) statutorily required to publish the minutes of meetings, (j) statutorily required to publish the papers or documents for meetings, (k) statutorily required to keep and make publicly available a register of members' interests, (l) statutorily required to consult and report to local authorities in their areas on their plans and policies and (m) statutorily subject to scrutiny by local authorities in their areas of operation. [142398]

Mr. Wicks: On 1 April 2000 there were (a) 425 colleges in the FE sector, (b) 858 foundation schools and 19 foundation special schools and (c) 14 City Technology Colleges and one City College for the Technology of Arts.

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Question FE sector Foundation schools City Technology Colleges

A Statutorily required to publish annual reports? FE sector do not have to publish an annual report just examination results. Yes 14 of the 15 CTCs are limited companies and as such are required to prepare and publish an annual report. The remaining CTC has no legal status, an annual report is prepared but not published.

B Statutorily required to publish annual accounts? Yes. Requirement of instrument of government. Yes 14 of the 15 CTCs are limited companies and as such are required to prepare and publish their annual accounts. The remaining CTC has no legal status, an annual account is prepared but not published.

C Subject to the jurisdiction of the parliamentary or local government ombudsman? No. The funding councils are subject to the parliamentary ombudsman. Complaints about individual colleges can be made to either the funding council or the Secretary of State. Yes No, the commissioner would only be able to test whether CTCs were in his jurisdiction if a complaint were made to him.

D Subject to audit by the National Audit Office? No, but the NAO have the right to inspect accounts (section 53 of the FHE Act 1992). Yes No, the NAO have inspection rights but do not audit.

E Subject to audit by the National Audit Office? No Yes No

F Statutory requirement to admit the public to committee meetings? No. It is up to the governing body to decide who can attend a governing body or committee meeting. Members of the public do not have a statutory right to attend such meetings. No. It is up to the governing body to decide who can attend a governing body or committee meeting. Members of the public do not have a statutory right to attend such meetings. No

G Statutory requirement to hold public meetings? No Yes, at least one a year. No, but they are required to hold an Annual Governors meeting with parents.

H Statutory requirement to publish the agendas of meetings? Yes. (Instrument of Government) Yes No

I Statutory requirement to publish the minutes of meetings? Yes. (Instrument of Government) Yes No

J Statutory requirement to publish the papers or documents for meetings? Yes. (Instrument of Government) Yes No

K Make publicly available a register of members' interests? Yes. (Instrument of Government) Yes No, but most CTCs have or are in the process of preparing registers of interests.

L Statutory requirement to consult and report to local authorities in their areas on their plans and policies? No. FE colleges are self governing bodies. Yes No

M Statutorily subject to scrutiny to local authorities in their areas of operation? No. FE colleges are self governing bodies. Yes No

	Question	FE sector	Foundation schools	City Technology Colleges
A	Statutorily required to publish annual reports?	FE sector do not have to publish an annual report just examination results.	Yes	14 of the 15 CTCs are limited companies and as such are required to prepare and publish an annual report. The remaining CTC has no legal status, an annual report is prepared but not published.

B	Statutorily required to publish annual accounts?	Yes. Requirement of instrument of government.	Yes	14 of the 15 CTCs are limited companies and as such are required to prepare and publish their annual accounts. The remaining CTC has no legal status, an annual account is prepared but not published.

C	Subject to the jurisdiction of the parliamentary or local government ombudsman?	No. The funding councils are subject to the parliamentary ombudsman. Complaints about individual colleges can be made to either the funding council or the Secretary of State.	Yes	No, the commissioner would only be able to test whether CTCs were in his jurisdiction if a complaint were made to him.

D	Subject to audit by the National Audit Office?	No, but the NAO have the right to inspect accounts (section 53 of the FHE Act 1992).	Yes	No, the NAO have inspection rights but do not audit.

E	Subject to audit by the National Audit Office?	No	Yes	No

F	Statutory requirement to admit the public to committee meetings?	No. It is up to the governing body to decide who can attend a governing body or committee meeting. Members of the public do not have a statutory right to attend such meetings.	No. It is up to the governing body to decide who can attend a governing body or committee meeting. Members of the public do not have a statutory right to attend such meetings.	No

G	Statutory requirement to hold public meetings?	No	Yes, at least one a year.	No, but they are required to hold an Annual Governors meeting with parents.

H	Statutory requirement to publish the agendas of meetings?	Yes. (Instrument of Government)	Yes	No

I	Statutory requirement to publish the minutes of meetings?	Yes. (Instrument of Government)	Yes	No
J	Statutory requirement to publish the papers or documents for meetings?	Yes. (Instrument of Government)	Yes	No

K	Make publicly available a register of members' interests?	Yes. (Instrument of Government)	Yes	No, but most CTCs have or are in the process of preparing registers of interests.

L	Statutory requirement to consult and report to local authorities in their areas on their plans and policies?	No. FE colleges are self governing bodies.	Yes	No

M	Statutorily subject to scrutiny to local authorities in their areas of operation?	No. FE colleges are self governing bodies.	Yes	No

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