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Teacher Training

Mr. St. Aubyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of those who started a teacher training course completed that course within the original timetable in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [155650]

Ms Estelle Morris: Information about the number of people who complete a teacher training course within the original timetable is not collected centrally.

Special Schools

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which local education authorities are currently reviewing their provision of special schools. [155677]

Jacqui Smith: A number of LEAs are currently reviewing their special needs provision. The prime aim of these reorganisations is to enhance and improve existing provision for all pupils with special educational needs. Many of these reviews will cover provision for children in mainstream schools, special units attached to mainstream schools and special schools. The overall population of pupils in special schools fell from 1.3 per cent. in 1991 to 1.2 per cent. in 1995 but has remained constant in the past six years with roughly 97,000 pupils. We do not envisage that this will change dramatically. The Department is aware that the following LEAs are currently reviewing their special school provision:


New Deal (Romsey)

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much New Deal money has been received by Romsey constituents. [155860]

Ms Jowell [holding answer 28 March 2001]: It is not possible to provide resource information for New Deals by constituency, as the Employment Service systems are not set up to allocate or monitor resources at constituency level. However, the total resource allocation for all New Deals in 2000-01 for the London and south-east region, which includes Romsey, was £134 million.

Training

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will define (a) the future role of the Employment Service in providing work-based training for adults and (b) its relationship with the Learning and Skills Council. [155864]

29 Mar 2001 : Column: 761W

Ms Jowell [holding answer 28 March 2001]: From April work-based learning for adults, which is a programme designed to help unemployed people into work by equipping them with appropriate skills, becomes the responsibility of the Employment Service (ES). This transfer of responsibility will help achieve greater integration with the rest of the Welfare-to-Work agenda, and particularly the New Deal. The role of the ES will include contracting for, monitoring and evaluating the programme.

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) will become fully operational from 2 April 2001. It will be responsible for planning, funding and improving the quality of all post-16 learning up to university level, focusing particularly on providing the skills needed in the labour market. The LSC and the Employment Service will work together at national and local levels to plan provision for unemployed people to get the skills and qualifications they need to find and stay in work. The ES and LSC will share a common approach on such issues as the quality framework and inspection which will help reduce the burdens on training providers.

More information is available in a number of publications issued to date about the role of the LSC, including the "Learning to Succeed" White Paper, the Learning and Skills Council Prospectus and the LSC Remit Letter. All of these are available via DfEE's website: www.dfee.gov.uk/post16.

Departmental Policies (Newbury)

Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Newbury constituency, the effects on Newbury and west Berkshire of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154571]

Mr. Wills [holding answer 20 March 2001]: Outlined are details of the effects of a range of the Department's policies on the Newbury constituency and west Berkshire LEA.

Beacon Schools

There are three Beacon schools in west Berkshire:

TypeStart
John RankinInfant1 September 2000
Stockcross CEJunior and Infant1 September 2000
Downs SchoolFoundation Secondary1 September 2000

Specialist Schools

There are six Specialist Schools in west Berkshire:

SchoolSpecialismStart-September
TrinityArts2001
DenefieldTechnology1994
KennetTechnology2000
Park HouseSports1998
Theale Green CommunityArts1997
WillinkLanguage1996


29 Mar 2001 : Column: 762W

Infant class sizes--west Berkshire

£
RevenueCapital
1998-9900
1999-2000196,000984,226
2000-01513,215165,376
2001-02464,4190

The September 2000 figure shows that there are now only 31 (0.8 per cent.) pupils remaining in infant class sizes of 31 or more. The figure in January 1997 was 672 (16.4 per cent.).

Performance Indicators

Key Stage 2 results--pupils achieving level 4 and above

Percentage
2000199919981997
English
LEA797672n/a
England75716563
Maths
LEA767463n/a
England72695962
Science
LEA878577n/a
England85786969

GCSE/GNVQ results

Percentage
2000199919981997
5+A*-C
LEA average56.056.854.5n/a
England average49.247.946.345.1
5+A*-G
LEA average93.895.094.8n/a
England average88.988.587.586.4
No passes
LEA average3.83.43.0n/a
England average5.66.06.67.7

A/AS level, Advanced GNVQ

Percentage
2000199919981997
Average points for 2 or more A/AS levels:
LEA average17.817.616.3n/a
England average18.518.217.817.3
A/AS average per entry:
LEA average5.45.65.3n/a
England average5.55.55.45.3
Average points score GNVQ:
LEA average11.010.09.5n/a
England average10.19.99.6n/a

Pre-1998, west Berkshire was not a separate LEA, it was part of Berkshire LEA along with Bracknell Forest, Windsor and Maidenhead, Reading, Slough and Wokingham. Funding per pupil

In west Berkshire LEA, funding per pupil has increased by £340 in real terms between 1997-98 and 2000-01.

Capital Funding

£000
2001-022000-011999-20001998-991997-98
ACG102,6511,6415361,673
SCA--1,6572,2125231
NDS--2,031588626761
VA Grant220613727990
Seed--126------
PPP----------
Formula Capital--1,199------
NGFL--558260307--
Science LABS132132------
SSLU2326------
Access at 85 per cent.2323------
Security39565547181
Class size--766189----
Outside toilets------89--
Energy efficiency------34--
Assistance with AMP----25----
Nursery provision----------

29 Mar 2001 : Column: 763W

29 Mar 2001 : Column: 763W

Further Education

Student numbers at all FEFC funded institutions where home postcode is in the local authority district of Newbury.

1996-97 to 1999-2000

16-18 Adult
Full-time Part-timeFull-timePart-time
FEFC funded
1996-978723514144,940
1997-987904373335,554
1998-997273643455,140
1999-20007523823306,259
Non-FEFC funded
1996-974821093506
1997-985421657410
1998-994016665415
1999-2000482951253,943

Modern Apprenticeships

Since 2 May 1997, we know of 802 starts on Modern Apprenticeships in the Newbury and west Berkshire constituency (as at 31 December 2000). Broken down by financial year these are as follows:

Financial yearFoundation Modern Apprenticeships(29)Advanced Modern Apprenticeships(30)Total
1997-980131131
1998-9927104131
1999-2000156115271
2000-01(31)148121269
Total331471807

(29) Foundation Modern Apprenticeships, formerly known as National Traineeships, were introduced nationally in September 1997.

(30) Advanced Modern Apprenticeships , formerly known as Modern Apprenticeships, were introduced nationally in September 1995

(31) To date

Notes:

1. The Trainee Database System (TDS), from which these data are taken, is less complete than Management Information supplied to the Department by Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) (around 95 per cent.)

2. In addition, the postcode information on the TDS, from which parliamentary constituency data are compiled, are 95 per cent. complete.

3. TEC Management Information does not provide information at parliamentary constituency level.

Source:

WBTYP trainee database


29 Mar 2001 : Column: 764W

New Deal for Young People

In the Newbury constituency, 172 young people have joined the New Deal to end December 2000. 93 have found jobs, 74 of which are sustained.

Labour Market Statistics

The working age employment rate in west Berkshire in autumn 2000 was 83.8 per cent., above the UK rate of 74.7 per cent. The rate in autumn 1997 was 79.9 per cent.

The claimant unemployment rate has fallen from 1.8 per cent. in February 1997 to 0.7 per cent. in February 2001 in the Newbury constituency.


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