---

Ofsted

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the findings of the recent Ofsted inspection into Gloucestershire local education authority. [29260]

Mr. Timms: My officials have discussed the report with the council's lead members and officers. I am assured that the authority recognises the weaknesses identified by Ofsted, and will be addressing the recommendations in the year ahead. I await the authority's post-Ofsted action plan, which will set out the action proposed.

Teacher Shortages

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent assessment she has made of teacher shortages in Gloucestershire; what steps she is taking to improve the situation; and if she will make a statement. [29261]

22 Jan 2002 : Column 826W

Mr. Timms: Information on the number of teacher vacancies in local education authorities is collected once a year in January as part of the annual census of teachers and vacancies. In January 2001, the vacancy rate for Gloucestershire was 0.3 per cent. compared with 1.4 per cent. nationally. This amounts to a total of 14 vacancies across the maintained sector. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State set out our longer term proposals for teachers and teaching in a pamphlet, "Professionalism and Trust", published in November 2001.

Grammar and Spelling Tests

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her policy is on grammar and spelling tests in (a) primary and (b) secondary education. [29302]

Mr. Timms: In order to make sense of what they read children need a clear awareness of grammar for both literal and inferential understanding, both of which are assessed in the reading tests at each key stage. At Key Stage 1 and 2 spelling is assessed by a separate test. At Key Stage 1 the outcome of the test is reported separately, while at Key Stage 2 it contributes to an overall level for writing. At Key Stage 3 spelling is an integral part of the judgment leading to an overall level for writing. Grammar is assessed within the context of pupils' writing at all key stages. Criteria for grammar that allow teachers and markers to make judgments about pupils' performance are integral to the mark schemes.

Parliamentary Questions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many answers to parliamentary questions have not been answered by her Department under exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information in each year since 1994. [29414]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information available is shown in the table.

Year	Number
1996–97	3
1997–98	1
1998–99	4
1999–2000	2

Prior to 1996 the information was not collected.

Community Learning

Mr. Luff : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what is the spending per head of population on adult and community learning in (a) Worcestershire and (b) the West Midlands; what is the average spending per head in (i) the shire counties and (ii) England; and if she will make a statement. [26404]

Mr. Healey: The following is the average spend on adult education per adult (aged 19 and over):

Worcestershire: £0.36
West Midlands*: £2.78
County Councils: £3.80
England: £4.42

22 Jan 2002 : Column 827W

*For the West Midlands Region. Figures calculated on the basis of the population 18-65. (Source: Audit Commission figures for 1999–2000.)

These figures reflect decisions taken by individual local authorities on the nature and scale of adult and community learning (ACL) in their area. Since 1999–2000 all areas including Worcestershire have benefited from significant increases in funding. In 2002–03 we will be providing a record £167 million for ACL in England, a 9 per cent. increase in recurrent funding for adult education on 2001–02. Since April 2001 responsibility for adult and community learning has rested with the Learning and Skills Council. One of the objectives behind this change in responsibilities is over time to reduce inequalities in opportunities between areas.

22 Jan 2002 : Column 828W

Schools Spending

Ms Buck : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what has been the total spending on schools in each London borough in each of the last 10 years. [28177]

Mr. Timms: The information requested is contained in the table. Expenditure in running these authorities was affected by schools becoming grant-maintained during the early part of this period, and by the return of grant-maintained schools to LEA-maintained status in 1999–2000.

Net institutional expenditure⁽⁴⁷⁾£ million

London authorities		All sectors
LEA name	LEA no.	1990–91	1991–92	1992–93	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000
City of London	201	0.457	0.616	0.711	0.733	0.761	0.808	0.830	0.797	0.855	0.949
Camden	202	45.457	52.452	53.300	51.394	50.328	53.280	56.664	57.310	58.500	72.210
Greenwich	203	78.867	78.255	85.843	83.782	87.994	90.972	93.758	87.796	96.735	109.433
Hackney	204	55.790	62.233	63.317	57.181	66.951	64.959	66.288	68.743	70.663	81.482
Hammersmith and Fulham	205	37.264	38.810	41.915	43.281	43.294	42.879	44.203	45.983	47.374	55.246
Islington	206	45.795	61.737	75.272	68.639	55.063	61.704	61.675	65.165	65.323	67.182
Kensington and Chelsea	207	23.424	27.869	25.236	25.239	24.699	27.099	26.479	27.881	28.807	34.967
Lambeth	208	57.424	65.382	68.624	69.624	63.629	60.189	56.362	64.542	63.565	92.356
Lewisham	209	65.517	68.233	65.033	72.597	74.904	80.350	80.578	90.030	93.794	107.164
Southwark	210	64.814	65.988	66.224	59.549	61.919	68.458	70.382	73.393	80.902	105.177
Tower Hamlets	211	69.583	79.720	84.052	96.829	95.239	99.152	104.346	102.995	110.154	125.519
Wandsworth	212	65.671	73.924	67.513	54.490	55.076	54.506	49.255	50.343	53.413	90.383
Westminster	213	34.185	52.072	44.889	45.636	45.608	46.574	49.295	49.686	53.011	54.171
Barking and Dagenham	301	42.632	45.810	50.196	51.444	55.179	58.364	61.674	62.652	69.252	74.408
Barnet	302	69.253	79.162	90.885	83.599	66.345	68.799	73.678	74.283	78.312	126.585
Bexley	303	51.545	56.351	57.978	59.756	56.434	58.330	61.781	64.175	70.925	86.209
Brent	304	59.098	64.424	67.128	51.972	45.151	45.152	47.351	51.575	55.738	105.460
Bromley	305	61.423	59.857	53.196	50.180	51.215	47.047	42.582	43.776	48.168	108.076
Croydon	306	69.349	78.298	83.105	78.762	68.111	76.522	79.009	79.640	84.937	118.172
Ealing	307	76.826	79.802	70.017	68.895	69.944	71.799	74.338	75.745	81.036	108.799
Enfield	308	66.894	78.218	83.569	79.795	74.649	77.335	84.951	87.727	94.540	119.979
Haringey	309	56.588	61.198	66.749	75.059	77.838	82.195	87.263	88.067	91.712	96.460
Harrow	310	47.399	52.058	58.719	57.319	62.193	64.302	67.205	66.538	69.757	75.762
Havering	311	56.957	62.829	69.007	61.451	64.297	65.078	66.123	67.812	70.998	86.336
Hillingdon	312	57.856	54.832	50.422	42.060	38.617	40.609	42.035	41.072	42.528	98.818
Hounslow	313	56.593	62.483	71.891	70.047	72.494	73.523	77.119	77.458	83.255	94.208
Kingston upon Thames	314	30.942	34.493	37.406	31.503	31.903	31.841	32.422	31.560	33.985	48.316
Merton	315	39.133	42.586	48.938	46.024	48.242	46.783	48.604	49.516	51.652	59.060
Newham	316	67.077	74.398	82.244	81.463	87.535	90.663	102.744	102.969	106.445	119.340
Redbridge	317	52.732	60.647	68.704	72.055	74.107	77.169	81.436	83.533	90.317	103.514
Richmond upon Thames	318	28.811	32.416	36.249	37.091	39.573	40.818	41.977	43.524	44.938	46.781
Sutton	319	37.152	38.980	36.405	32.337	36.787	37.090	39.089	40.433	44.144	67.998
Waltham Forest	320	65.673	67.816	67.467	68.529	65.281	74.027	73.812	76.509	80.809	97.962

⁽⁴⁷⁾ Total funding on schools is given by Net Institutional Expenditure which covers all school-based recurrent spending, including teaching and non-teaching staff salaries, school premises costs, equipment and supplies, and unspent balances held by schools at the year end. It excludes spending on special schools, central administration and support services such as transport and school meals as well as capital expenditure.

NIE includes school balances for most years. However, balance information was not available for some previous years, and in some cases for special schools. Therefore, NIE figures across the series may not be strictly comparable.

Expenditure data for 1990–01 to 1998–99 inclusive are taken from RO1 returns; data for 1999–2000 taken from local authorities' S52 outturn statements.

---