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Specialist Schools
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list each school that has been granted specialist college status in the years (a) 1999–2000 and (b) 2000–01 and list for each the sources of sponsorship to meet the sponsorship criteria. [7688]
Mr. Timms: Detailed information on the sources of sponsorship can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Sources of sponsorship may be categorised as follows:
- (a) large national organisations (companies and company or other charitable foundations) usually donating through the Technology Colleges Trust;
- (b) local businesses from large to very small, usually donating direct to the school;
- (c) school foundation funds;
- (d) donations from individuals;
- (e) parent teacher association fundraising;
- (f) public-private partnership arrangements;
- (g) profits from formally constituted school trading companies.
School Closures
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools in rural areas have been closed each year since 1991. [8577]
Mr. Timms: The Department does not have reliable data on a year-by-year basis on the number of rural schools closed between 1991 and 1997. We estimate that in the period 1983 to the beginning of 1998 around 450 rural primary schools closed. Since we introduced our current policy, with a presumption against the closure of rural schools, in February 1998, the number of rural schools approved for closure has been as follows.
- 1997: 4
18 Oct 2001 : Column: 1294W
- 1999: 2
- 2000: 2
- 2001: 3.
Education Costs (Recovery)
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what powers exist to recover the cost of education provided at public expense to those ineligible to receive such education; [7952]
- (2) how much was recovered, in the last year for which information is available, of the cost of education provided at public expense to those ineligible to receive such education; and how much is estimated to remain uncollected. [7953]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 16 October 2001]: All school children living in Britain are eligible to receive education free of charge provided by local education authorities. This Government have already extended free nursery education for four-year-olds and will do so for every three-year-old, whose parents want it, by 2004. For higher education, the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2001 determine the eligibility of students to receive financial support and the circumstances in which such costs can be recovered from ineligible students. Information on costs recovered from higher education students who are found to be ineligible are unobtainable, as these repayments are not differentiated from other forms of repayments from eligible students.
Nursery Places
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children aged three years obtained nursery places in the years (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000 and (e) 2001. [7717]
Mr. Timms: The following table shows the number of three-year-olds in early education places in England from 1997 to 2001 based on the position at January each year.
It is the Government's stated intention that every three-year-old in England, whose parents want one, will have a free nursery education place by September 2004.
Final figures information for 2001 will be published in the Statistical Bulletin "Provision for Children Under Five years of age in January 2001" at the end of November.
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | (15)2001 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private, voluntary and independent providers(16) | |||||
| Number of three-year-olds | (17)— | (17)— | (17)— | 294,700 | 312,300 |
| of which: | |||||
| Number of funded places(18) | (17)— | (17)— | (17)— | 39,500 | 123,000 |
| Maintained schools(19) | |||||
| Number of three-year olds | 217,000 | 224,600 | 228,200 | 232,200 | 229,100 |
(12) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year
(13) Rounded to the nearest hundred
(14) Any child attending more than one provider may have been counted twice
(15) Provisional
(16) Includes Independent schools
(17) Information was not collected for Providers other than Independent schools
(18) Children aged three with providers who claim Nursery Education Grant. Figures include independent schools
(19) Includes maintained nursery, primary and special schools. Places are all funded
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Temporary Classrooms (Upminster)
Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many temporary classrooms have been in use in Upminster in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [6628]
Mr. Timms: We do not have information on Upminster's temporary buildings at this localised level of detail. Essex local education authority may be able to provide this information.
In connection with the Department's arrangements for appraising asset management plans, we are planning to publish later this year analyses of authorities' premises information for benchmarking purposes. These should include information on temporary accommodation in Essex local education authority, although not on a year- by-year basis.
SCOTLAND
Prestwick Air Traffic Control Centre
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment she has made of the economic impact of the postponement of the construction of the Prestwick air traffic control centre (a) locally and (b) on Scotland. [7422]
Mrs. Liddell: The Scotland Office is closely monitoring the situation regarding the new centre. As the decision by NATS to review the phasing of the Scottish centre was taken only recently, detailed impacts, if any, of the decision are not yet known.
All parties involved in this project remain committed to investing in the new Scottish centre at Prestwick. This project will deliver significant benefits both for Ayrshire and Scotland as a whole through construction work and highly skilled operational staff.
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what meetings she (a) has had and (b) has planned to discuss the postponement of the construction of the Prestwick air traffic control centre. [7419]
Mrs. Liddell: The Scotland Office is in regular contact with the relevant parties in relation to the Prestwick air traffic control centre. The events of 11 September have had an effect on air movements, which has given rise to a review of the phasing of NATS capital investment plan. As a result, the new centre will have a later operational date than originally planned. All parties involved remain committed to investment in the new Scottish centre at Prestwick and to complete this important project.
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations she has received from National Air Traffic Control about the postponement of the construction of the Prestwick air traffic control centre. [7420]
Mrs. Liddell: I receive representations on a wide variety of issues concerning reserved matters in Scotland. The Scotland Office, both at ministerial and official level, is in close contact with all the relevant parties concerning the future of the new Scottish centre at Prestwick.
18 Oct 2001 : Column: 1296W
Boundary Commission
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the timetable for (a) publication and (b) implementation of Boundary Commission proposals for Scotland. [6498]
Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 16 October 2001]: The Boundary Commission for Scotland is required, by the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986, to submit its report to me between December 2002 and December 2006.
As soon as may be after the Commission has submitted its report, I am required under section 3(5) of the 1986 Act to lay the report before Parliament, together with the draft of an Order in Council for giving effect, with or without modifications, to the recommendations in the report.
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