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Departmental Publications

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the cost has been to date of producing and distributing circulars, guidance and information from his Department to (a) local education authorities, (b) schools and (c) individual teachers, since May 1997. [142286]

Mr. Wills [holding answer 12 December 2000]: The Department produces a large number of publications, including those targeting schools, local education authorities (LEAs) and individual teachers. We do not centrally hold the details of the costs of producing and distributing materials to individual target audiences, and the information requested is available only at disproportionate cost.

Most publicity material for these audiences is funded from within:

the schools communication budget (mostly circulars and guidance on school management);

the advertising and publicity budget (including White and Green papers, policy documents and, from 1999-2000, the magazine for teachers); and

a number of budgets to support individual programmes (including the literacy and numeracy strategies).

Spend against the schools communications budget was:

	£
1997-1998	(17)--
1998-1999	6,217,248
1999-2000	5,843,500
2000-2001	3,538,471

⁽¹⁷⁾ Not Available

Note:

These figures include material sent to schools and material only available on request. They cover production, distribution, storage and requests for additional copies.

Within the advertising and publicity budget spend on material for these audiences was:

	£
1997-1998	3,374,729
1998-1999	5,898,351
1999-2000	3,843,000
2000-2001(18)	835,313

⁽¹⁸⁾ To end of November 2000

Note:

These figures include production and distribution

8 Jan 2001 : Column: 394W

The spend on information supporting the literacy and numeracy strategies was:

	£
1997-1998	800,000
1998-1999	1,793,152
1999-2000	6,183,749
2000-2001(19)	4,274,946

⁽¹⁹⁾ To end of November 2000

Note:

These figures cover production and distribution

Education Expenditure

Mr. Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what total Government expenditure was in 1996-97, and what the forecast is for 2000-01, on (a) pre-school provision, (b) schools, (c) further education and (d) higher education. [142401]

Mr. Blunkett: Total expenditure by my Department on (a) pre-school provision (b) schools (c) further education and (d) higher education for the years 1996-97 and the forecast expenditure for 2000-01 are set out in the following table.

Million

	Expenditure 1996-97	Forecast expenditure 2000-01
Pre-school provision(20)	1,613	2,104
Schools(21)	16,858	20,904
Further education(22)	3,131	3,493
Higher Education(23)	6,050	6,940

⁽²⁰⁾ The forecast expenditure figures for each of these sectors are based on the current Departmental Report adjusted to include subsequent changes

⁽²¹⁾ Figures for schools are for current and capital expenditure. For 2000-01 the pre-school and school figures are early estimates based on applying an uplift of 5 per cent. to the estimated expenditure by central and local government for 1999-2000 in cash terms with the addition of expenditure on the school standards special grant announced in the Budget 2000. Outturn expenditure may vary.

⁽²²⁾ Expenditure figures for further education exclude assumed additional employer contributions, administration, recurrent funding to support college rationalisation, the Ethnic Minority Student Achievement Grant and student support. The total for 2000-01 includes a net £31 million extra after transferring £4 million into student support, agreed after the publication of the current Departmental Report.

⁽²³⁾ Higher Education figures include Student Loans, Mandatory Awards and fees and Teachers' Training.

8 Jan 2001 : Column: 395W

Consultation (Young People)

Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to consult young people about the impact upon them of Government policies; and if he will make a statement. [142831]

Mr. Boateng: The Government believe it is important that young people should be consulted and involved in the development of policies and services relevant to them. The new children and young people's unit has in place plans to identify good practice at national and local level in the involvement of young people and will ensure that effective strategies are in place to encourage this to happen.

One example is where the Connexions have identified involving young people as a critical, priority area as they develop and implement the full service. The Connexions pilots are already showing evidence that this is being applied successfully. For example, in selecting people who will act as personal advisers, several pilots have consulted young people about the characteristics and competences that they would want to see and have displayed by individuals. Two pilots in particular, Coventry and Warwick and Oldham, extended this by individuals having young people contribute to the selection process. Potential candidates made a presentation to the young people and/or they sat in on the actual interviews.

Several pilots have involved young people in the design of Connexions one-stop shop facilities (eg South Central (Hampshire), Coventry and Warwick and Oldham), including the selection of colour schemes and layouts. Several have also involved young people in designing publicity and communications materials.

I will be working with my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary with responsibility for lifelong learning, who is responsible for Connexions, to ensure that we build on this success.

School Transport

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the cost of the school transport scheme was in Doncaster borough in 1999-2000. [143141]

Jacqui Smith: The school transport expenditure figures for 1999-2000 are not available yet. In 1998-99, the Doncaster local education authority spent £1,570,000 on home to school transport.

8 Jan 2001 : Column: 396W

North Somerset Local Education Authority

Mr. Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many temporary teachers were employed in the North Somerset local education authority schools in each year since 1979. [142945]

Ms Estelle Morris: Information on teacher numbers in the North Somerset local education authority prior to 1997 is not available, due to the fact that this particular authority was formed as part of the local government reorganisation of 1 April 1996. The number of short-term supply teachers on contracts of under one month employed in maintained schools in the North Somerset local authority for the whole day, on the third Thursday in January each year since the authority was created, is as follows:

Year	Number
1997	30
1998	80
1999	120
2000	90

Note:

All numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10

The number of regular teachers in maintained schools increased by 6,900 between January 1998 and January 2000.

A DfEE survey of maintained secondary schools in England in the first week of September 2000 indicated that there were about 1,000 secondary teacher vacancies.

There was a growth of 2,000 in the number of people training to be teachers between 1999-2000 and 2000-01, the first such increase since 1992-93.

Mr. Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many teachers were employed in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in the North Somerset local education authority in each year since 1979. [142946]

Ms Estelle Morris: Information on teacher numbers in the North Somerset local education authority prior to 1997 is not available, due to the fact that this particular authority was formed as part of the local government reorganisation of 1 April 1996. The full-time equivalent of teachers (including short-term supply) employed in North Somerset local authority on the third Thursday in January each year since the authority was created is as follows:

	1997	1998	1999	2000
Nursery/primary	660	670	690	660
Secondary	780	740	740	730
Total	1,440	1,410	1,430	1,390

Note:

All numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10

The number of regular teachers in maintained schools increased by 6,900 between January 1998 and January 2000.

A DfEE survey of maintained secondary schools in England in the first week of September 2000 indicated that there were about 1,000 secondary teacher vacancies.

8 Jan 2001 : Column: 397W

There was a growth of 2,000 in the number of people training to be teachers between 1999-2000 and 2000-01, the first such increase since 1992-93.

Mr. Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the average class size in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in the North Somerset local education authority in each year since 1979. [142947]

Ms Estelle Morris: Information on class sizes in the North Somerset local education authority prior to 1997 is not available, due to the fact that this particular authority was formed as part of the local government reorganisation of 1 April 1996. The available information is shown in the following table.

Average class sizes⁽²⁴⁾ in maintained primary and secondary schools in North Somerset LEA⁽²⁵⁾

January each year	Maintained primary	Maintained secondary
2000	28.3	22.2
1999	28.5	21.7
1998	28.4	21.7
1997	27.8	20.4

⁽²⁴⁾ Classes taught by one teachers

⁽²⁵⁾ North Somerset LEA was formed in April 1996 as part of the local government re-organisation

January 2000 saw a fall in the size of the average junior class in England; and a continuing fall in the size of the average primary class, after rising for a decade. The size of the average secondary class nationally, at 22, is still five below the average primary class. Secondary headteachers are receiving an average of £50,000 this year in direct grant to spend as they choose. If this were spent on recruiting teachers, the average secondary class size could be reduced by up to 0.8.We have secured early delivery of our infant class size pledge for the vast majority of infants, including in the North Somerset local education authority. In the authority in September this year, over 97 per cent. of infants were in classes of 30 or fewer pupils.

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