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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 10 April 2003
PRIME MINISTER
Iraq
David Winnick: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to provide medical facilities for civilians, including children, who have lost limbs during the conflict, when Iraq is fully liberated; and if he will make a statement. [108545]
The Prime Minister: We are supporting the International Committee of the Red Cross in its efforts to keep health systems functioning during the conflict.
The provision of a comprehensive health system for the people of Iraq will be a priority for the post-conflict international rehabilitation effort. We will play a significant role in this process working alongside the UN, international financial institutions and non-governmental organisations.
EDUCATION AND SKILLS
Higher Education White Paper
14. Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what representations he has received from Wales regarding the White Paper on higher education. [108255]
Margaret Hodge: My right hon. Friend and I meet from time to time, as do our officials, with the Welsh Assembly Government to discuss the HE White Paper proposals. Paragraph 7.52. of the White Paper 'The Future of Higher Education' identifies the need for further discussions with the devolved Administrations to consider the impact of our proposals for student and institutional funding on flows of students between UK countries.
We have had seven comments from Wales on the White Paper.
Children's Centres
15. Ross Cranston: When he expects the first Children's Centres to be established. [108256]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: We expect the first children's centres to be announced in June 2003. These early designations will be existing settings that already meet the core offer for children's centres now. Local authorities will submit their strategic plans for rolling out children's centres by 15 October and we expect further announcements to follow throughout the Autumn.
School Staffing Costs (Essex)
16. Bob Spink : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what recent representations he has received on staffing costs in Essex schools. [108257]
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Smaller Schools
17. James Purnell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, What research his Department has conducted on the effect of smaller sized schools on (a) standards and (b) behaviour, with particular reference to under-achieving students. [108258]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: My Department has not conducted any research on the effects of smaller sized schools on standards or on behaviour.
However a statistical bulletin we published in June 2002, on pupil progress by secondary school type, found that pupils in schools with year group cohorts of under 100 pupils made less progress than those in larger cohorts.
Adult Skills
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what new steps he is taking to improve the adult skills base of the UK workforce. [108259]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Last month we published an interim report on the Skills Strategy, setting out progress we have made in developing the strategy.
In June we will be publishing the Skills Strategy and Delivery Plan, which will set out how we will address the skill needs of the country, with a particular focus on raising the skills of the workforce, including those adults with low skill levels.
National Grid for Learning
Mr. Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding from the National Grid for Learning has been granted to the Stoke-on-Trent local education authority in each year since 1999–2000. [107979]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Stoke-on-Trent LEA has been allocated the following funding through the National Grid for Learning Standards Fund Grant since 1999–2000:
| Total Grant | |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 1,000,000 |
| 2000–01 | 1,000,000 |
| 2001–02 | 1,356,063 |
| 2002–03 | 1,685,167 |
| 2003–04 | 1,624,151 |
Since 2000–01 funding has been allocated by formula. All figures include LEA match funding.
Sick Leave
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many days on average were lost per teacher due to sickness in (a) 2001 and (b) 2002 in (i) England and (ii) Buckinghamshire; [107099]
- (2) how many teachers working in Buckinghamshire took early retirement under (a) premature and (b) ill-health retirement arrangements in 2001–02; [107100]
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(3) how many teacher vacancies there were in Buckinghamshire in (a) January 2002 and (b) January 2003. [107159]
Mr. Miliband: Table 1 provides the average number of days lost per teacher through sickness absence 1 for full-time and part-time teachers in the maintained schools sector.
- 1 Sickness absence on working days, whether paid absence or not, of teachers with permanent contracts or contracts of more than a month, including teachers without QTS. The number of days taken as sick leave includes all periods of sick leave.
| 2000 | 20011 | |
|---|---|---|
| Buckinghamshire | 5 | 4 |
| England | 5 | 6 |
(1) This is the most recent data available.
Source:
Annual 618G Survey of Teachers in Service
Table 2 provides numbers of premature and ill-health retirements from the maintained schools sector in Buckinghamshire 2001–02.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Retirements | |
| Premature | 40 |
| Age | 20 |
| Ill-Health | 10 |
| All Retirements | 80 |
Notes:
1. Rounded to nearest 10.
2. Data are provisional.
Source:
Pensioner Statistical System (PENSTATS).
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Table 3 provides the number of full-time teacher vacancies in maintained schools in Buckinghamshire.
| January | Teachers(2) | Vacancies(3) | Vacancy rate(4) (percentage) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 3,360 | 59 | 1.8 |
| 2002(5) | 3,380 | 53 | 1.6 |
(2) Full-time qualified regular teachers in the maintained schools sector.
(3) Advertised vacancies for full-time permanent appointments (or appointments of at least one term's duration) in maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special schools. Includes vacancies being filled on a temporary basis.
(4) Vacancies as a percentage of full-time qualified teachers in post.
(5) 2002 is the most recent data available.
Note:
Teacher numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
DfES annual 618G survey
Specialist Schools
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the performance of specialist schools. [107641]
Mr. Miliband: In 2002, specialist schools' 5+ A*-C GCSE/GNVQ performance was on average 6 percentage points higher than the equivalent performance in maintained, mainstream non-specialist schools (54.9 per cent. vs 48.9 per cent.).
Research carried out by Professor David Jesson (University of York) shows that the performance of each cohort of specialist schools and City Technology Colleges (from 1994 to 2001) has improved more than schools that were non-specialist at the time, with the exception of the 1996 and 1997 cohorts (see following table). This research excluded grammar schools, which, however, form a very similar percentage of both specialist schools and non-specialist schools.
| 1994 (%) | 1995 (%) | 1996 (%) | 1997 (%) | 1998 (%) | 1999 (%) | 2000 (%) | 2001 (%) | 2002 (%) | Gain versus base year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 1994 (50 schools) | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 65 | +25 |
| All other comprehensives and moderns (2,948 schools) | est. 36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 48 | +12 |
| Class of 1995 (41 schools) | — | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 59 | +15 |
| All other comprehensives and moderns (2,907 schools) | — | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 48 | +11 |
| Class of 1996 (62 schools) | — | — | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | 59 | +9 |
| All other comprehensives and moderns (2,845 schools) | — | — | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | 48 | +10 |
| Class of 1997 (72 schools) | — | — | — | 49 | — | — | — | — | 57 | +8 |
| All other comprehensives and moderns (2,773 schools) | — | — | — | 39 | — | — | — | — | 48 | +9 |
| Class of 1998 (82 schools) | — | — | — | — | 45 | — | — | — | 53 | +8 |
| All other comprehensive and moderns (2,691 schools) | — | — | — | — | 42 | — | — | — | 47 | +5 |
| Class of 1999 (76 schools) | — | — | — | — | — | 47 | — | — | 52 | +5 |
| All other comprehensive and moderns (2,615 schools) | — | — | — | — | — | 44 | — | — | 47 | +3 |
| Class of 2000 (127 schools) | — | — | — | — | — | — | 47 | — | 52 | +5 |
| All other comprehensive and moderns (2,488 schools) | — | — | — | — | — | — | 44 | — | 47 | +3 |
| Class of 2001 (146 schools) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 46 | 49 | +3 |
| All other comprehensives and moderns (2,342 schools) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 45 | 47 | +2 |
| All 656 non-selective schools designated by September 2001 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 54 | — |
| All non-specialist comprehensives and moderns (2,342) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 47 | — |
Notes:
1. Examination figures are taken from DfES national performance data and Ofsted PANDA Annex.
2. The results include those of the 15 City Technology Colleges.
3. The results exclude grammar schools and special schools.
Source:
"Educational outcomes and value added by specialist schools—2002 analysis" Professor David Jesson, April 2003.
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Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the examination performance of specialist schools compared with other schools. [108246]
Mr. Miliband: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Heeley.
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