Previous Section Index Home Page


School Funding (York)

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how much funding has been allocated to the City of York Council for repairs to school buildings in each year since it became a unitary authority, including funding delegated direct to schools; [46769]

John Healey: We do not hold information in the form requested. Much capital support for school buildings is allocated to Local Education Authorities and schools on a formulaic basis. Records of how it is utilised for specific projects are held locally. However, the table sets out the capital allocations made to date to York Local Education Authority (LEA) and its schools from 1996–97 to 2003–04.

Allocations to York Local Education Authority by the department for education and skills for school accommodation 1996–97 to 2003–04
£000

Financial yearNew deals for schools 1–4 allocations(42)Other capital allocationsGrand total
1996–97n/a800800
1997–981801,0831,263
1998–996917751,466
1999–20001,6262,5444,170
2000–012,0654,7226,787
2001–02n/a4,1354,135
2002–03(43)n/a7,7637,763
2003–04(43)n/a4,7594,759

(42) This covers allocations made under the original New Deal for Schools programme, which utilised resources raised from the Windfall Tax in order to address the backlog of repairs.

(43) Includes allocations made as of 31 March 2002, including £3 million allocated in 2002–03 from the Targeted Capital Fund.


Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the percentage change in real terms was in education SSA in the City of York in each year since it became a unitary authority, including funding delegated direct to schools. [46768]

Mr. Timms: York became a unitary authority in 1996–97. Its Education SSA in real and cash terms is as follows.

10 Apr 2002 : Column 193W

York's SSA increases

Real terms Cash terms
YearTotal SSA (£ million)Annual increase (Percentage)Total SSA (£ million)Annual increase (Percentage)
1996–9758,30n/a52.79n/a
1997–9855.91-4.1152.18-1.16
1998–9959.496.4057.089.38
1999.0061.393.1960.325.68
2000–0163.443.3563.445.17
2001–0264.281.3265.893.85
2002–0366.253.0769.605.64
1996–977.9513.6316.8131.84

(44) Change since

Notes

1. Figures reflect all sub-blocks of the Education SSA. The Private and Voluntary Institutions' element of the SSA that replaced Nursery Education Grant funding is not included in the figures for 2001–02 and 2002–03.

2. In 1997–98 £527 million was taken out of the SSA to fund the nursery voucher scheme.

3. Real terms figures are calculated using GDP deflators published by the Treasury on 20 December 2001

4. 2002–03 figures are gross of the Learning and Skills Council allocation.


Class Sizes

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what the average class size is in Lincolnshire secondary schools; and what the figure was in 1997; [48161]

John Healey: The information requested is shown in the table

Average size of one teacher classes in maintained primary and secondary schools in Lincolnshire and England
January each year

Primary Secondary
1997200119972001
England27.526.721.722.0
Lincolnshire26.926.620.221.4

Source:

Annual Schools' Census


Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average class size in primary schools in each LEA area in Lancashire was in each year since 1997. [48600]

Mr. Timms: The information requested is shown in the table:

Maintained primary schools in Lancashire
Average class size(45) Position in January each year

19971998199920002001
Lancashire(46)28.828.9n/an/an/a
Lancashire(47)n/an/a28.227.727.3
Blackburn with Darwenn/an/a29.028.828.1
Blackpooln/an/a30.029.428.3
England27.527.727.427.126.7

(45) One teacher classes

(46) Before local government reorganisation

(47) After local government reorganisation

n/a = not applicable

Source:

Annual Schools' Census


10 Apr 2002 : Column 194W

Private Finance Initiative

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills of the applications for provisional support for schools PPP projects in 2003–04, (a) how many failed and (b) what the total value was of the applications that were turned down. [47983]

John Healey: 33 applications in this bidding round were unsuccessful, with a combined value of approximately £1.936 billion. 21 projects have been selected for provisional support, with a combined value of £939 million.

Standard-setting Bodies

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will name the organisations recognised by her Department as standard setting bodies and under section 36 of the Education Act 1997 specified as appropriate bodies to receive financial assistance from levy income collected from persons who award vocational qualifications; and whether national training organisations will lose such status in consequence of withdrawal of their overall recognition by the Department. [47660]

John Healey: Until 31 March 2002 all national training organisations and a few other bodies were recognised as standards setting bodies. From 1 April all NTOs ceased to have the formal recognition of the Department. The withdrawal of recognition applies also to their status as standards setting bodies.

No bodies were specified under Section 36 of the Education Act 1997. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) acting jointly with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) administers a fund for the development of national occupations standards based on a certification fee charged on NVQs and SVQs. A remit letter from the Department instructs QCA as to which bodies may receive financial assistance.

Future arrangements are being considered in the light of the recent report by the Independent Review of National Occupational Standards, chaired by John Hillier, the establishment of the Sector Skills Development Agency from 1 April 2002, and the new stronger sector councils we are putting in place. In the short term we will ensure there are suitable arrangements in place so that essential national occupational standards work can continue.

Individual Learning Accounts

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what EU money supported the ILA scheme; and how it was distributed. [48268]

John Healey: The Individual Learning Account programme was not supported by European Union money. In England, the programme was funded centrally by the Department and by £127.5 million of existing TEC resources.

Underspend

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) capital and (b) revenue underspend in her Department is expected to be in the financial year 2001–02. [47810]

10 Apr 2002 : Column 195W

Estelle Morris: Estimated outturn figures for 2001–02 will be published in the Budget Report on 17 April. For 2001–02 the initial Departmental Expenditure Limit appears in the Departmental Report (Cm 5102), published March 2001, and subsequently changed following the Winter Supplementary Estimate (Cm 5335), published November 2001, and the Spring Supplementary Estimate, (Cm 5385) published in February 2002.


Next Section Index Home Page