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30 Mar 2004 : Column 1383W—continued
Local Authority Revenue (Tyne and Wear)
Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) level of external debt and
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(b) annual cost of servicing that debt was in each local authority in Tyne and Wear in each of the last seven years. [164416]
Mr. Raynsford: The information is as follows.
(a) The level of external debt in each local authority in Tyne and Wear in each of the last seven years are tabled as follows. Figures for 1998 and 1999 are not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| 1997 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gateshead | 267 | 336 | 313 | 316 | 313 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 450 | 447 | 460 | 463 | 461 |
| North Tyneside | 170 | 205 | 225 | 227 | 212 |
| South Tyneside(29) | 313 | 203 | 196 | 177 | 175 |
| Sunderland | 198 | 220 | 229 | 173 | 143 |
(29) Public Works Loan Board debt previously held by former Tyne and Wear county council has been excluded from these figures.
Sources:
ODPM monthly and quarterly borrowing returns.
Public Works Loan Board.
It should be noted that authorities with high levels of debt are generally those, which have undertaken capital investment, and that long-term borrowing to finance capital expenditure is currently regulated through the issue of credit approvals and, from 1 April 2004, will be subject to the Prudential System.
(b) Figures for external interest payments in each local authority in Tyne and Wear in each of the last seven years are tabled as follows:
| 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | 2003–04(30) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gateshead | 23 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 22 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 40 | 40 | 40 | 39 | 38 | 40 | 39 |
| North Tyneside | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
| South Tyneside | n/a | n/a | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
| Sunderland | 16 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 9 |
n/a = Not available.
(30) Budgeted figures.
Sources:
1997–98 to 2002–03 ODPM Revenue Summary Returns.
2003–04 ODPM Budget Estimate Returns.
Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what percentage of (a) council tax and (b) council house rents was collected in North Tyneside in each of the last five years. [164417]
Mr. Raynsford: The information requested is tabled as follows:
| Financial year | Percentage of council tax collected in-year(31) | Percentage of council house rents collected(32) |
|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 91.7 | 99.3 |
| 1999–2000 | 93.8 | 98.4 |
| 2000–01 | 94.0 | 96.2 |
| 2001–02 | 95.2 | 96.8 |
| 2002–03 | 95.9 | 96.9 |
(31) As reported on QRC4 forms. Council tax collection continues after the end of the financial year to which amounts relate and so the final percentage collected is higher than the figures shown, which exclude amounts for earlier years.
(32) Data collected by the Audit Commission as Audit Commission or Best Value Performance Indicators.
Playing Fields (Taunton)
Mr. Flook: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many planning applications on playing fields have been approved in Taunton since 1997 that resulted in a lower provision of playing field space. [164556]
Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister only collates information on planning applications on playing fields where applications are referred first to the Secretary of State under the Town and Country Planning (Playing Fields)(England) Direction 1998 because of an outstanding objection from Sport England. One referral
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has been made from Taunton Deane Borough Council since the Direction came into effect. Sport England subsequently withdrew its objection because no playing pitches were affected by the proposal. Detailed information on all planning applications for playing fields is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
EDUCATION AND SKILLS
Boarding Schools
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) boarding schools and (b) boarding facilities within independent schools have closed since the National Care Standards Commission began its inspections. [164253]
Mr. Miliband: My right hon. Friend receives advice about welfare provision in independent boarding schools from the National Care Standards Commission, for the purposes of ensuring that the regulatory requirements relating to safeguarding and promoting welfare are met. Since April 2002, when the Commission began its inspections, none has resulted in enforcement action to close a school.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which agencies have statutory authority to inspect or audit boarding schools. [164262]
Mr. Miliband: My right hon. Friend receives advice from the following agencies and authorities for the purposes of ensuring that boarding schools reach and maintain satisfactory standards of education, health, safety and welfare:
- Ofsted
- The Independent Schools Inspectorate, in the case of independent schools belonging to the Independent Schools Council
- The National Care Standards Commission
- Fire Authorities.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many boarding schools have been examined by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in each of the last six financial years; and how many were identified as having a significant defect. [164301]
Mr. Miliband: Independent Schools which belong to an association affiliated to the Independent Schools Council (ISC), have, since 1 January 1999, been subject to inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) under arrangements agreed between the Government and the ISC. These inspections provide advice to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on whether member schools meet the regulatory requirements which all independent schools must satisfy.
The number of boarding schools inspected by the ISI between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 2003 is given in the table.
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| Number of boarding schools inspected by ISI | |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 38 |
| 2000 | 65 |
| 2001 | 94 |
| 2002 | 89 |
| 2003 | 87 |
None of the inspections by ISI resulted in enforcement action to remove schools from the Register of Independent Schools, as any weaknesses identified by the inspections were addressed.
Adult Learning
Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) disabled adults benefiting from adult learning initiatives and (b) adults with learning difficulties engaged in adult learning education courses there were in each year since 1997. [163735]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Unfortunately, we do not have reliable information about the number of disabled people participating in particular Government learning initiativesHowever, we have measured the participation of disabled people in adult learning in general (including: Government funded learning, job-related training, and self-taught learning) using the National Adult Learning Survey 2002 (NALS).
Overall, 76 per cent. of adults in England (aged 16 to 69 and outside continuous full-time education) had participated in at least one learning activity over the previous three years. Participation in learning was lower among people with a disability (64 per cent.) than those without a disability (81 per cent.).
We do not currently record participation in LEA-funded Adult Education for people with learning difficulties.
However, around 61 per cent. of adults with learning difficulties had participated in at least one learning activity over the previous three years (Source: English Local Labour Force Survey 2001). This compares to 76 per cent. for the general population as described above.
Adult Literacy/Numeracy
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what public funding has been spent on adult (a) literacy and (b) numeracy in Crosby in each of the last five years. [160395]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The estimated total spend on Skills For Life (the Government's strategy for literacy, language and numeracy needs of all post-16 learners from pre-entry level up to and including level 2) and on Key Skills (essential skills of communication, application of number and information technology), from April 2001 to July 2003, in the Greater Merseyside Learning and Skills Council (LSC) area is set out in the table:
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| Basic skills | Key skills | |
|---|---|---|
| April to July 2001(33) | 3,803 | 1,094 |
| August 2001 to July 2002 | 6,575 | 1,564 |
| August 2002 to July 2003 | 10,677 | 1,755 |
(33) The figures for April to July 2001 include costs incurred from August 2000 on learning aims continuing into April 2001.
From the information available to the LSC it has not been feasible to obtain estimates at constituency level or separate figures by subject without incurring disproportionate cost. Likewise it has not been feasible to obtain comparable figures for periods before April 2001 when the Skills for Life strategy was launched and the LSC was formed, but information shows it was considerably less than at present.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what public funding has been spent on adult (a) literacy and (b) numeracy in Buckingham in each of the last five years. [161320]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The estimated total spend on "Skills For Life" (the Government's strategy for the literacy, language and numeracy needs of all post-16 learners (from pre-entry level up to and including level 2) and on Key Skills (essential skills of communication, application of number and information technology), from April 2001 to July 2003, in the Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Learning and Skills Council (LSC) area is set out in the table:
| Basic skills | Key skills | |
|---|---|---|
| April 2001 to July 2001(34) | 2,445 | 674 |
| August 2001 to July 2002 | 4,134 | 909 |
| August 2002 to July 2003 | 6,028 | 1,197 |
(34) The figures for April to July 2001 include costs incurred from August 2000 on learning aims continuing into April 2001.
From the information available to the LSC it has not been feasible to obtain estimates at constituency level or separate figures by subject without incurring disproportionate cost. Likewise it has not been feasible to obtain comparable figures for periods before April 2001 when the "Skills For Life" strategy was launched and the LSC was formed, but information shows it was considerably less than at present.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding has been spent on adult (a) literacy and (b) numeracy in Chorley in each of the last five years. [161450]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The estimated total spend on "Skills For Life" (the Government's strategy for the literacy, language and numeracy needs of all post-16 learners (from pre-entry level up to and including level 2) and on Key Skills (essential skills of communication, application of number and information technology), from April 2001 to July 2003, in the Lancashire Learning and Skills Council (LSC) area is set out in the following table.
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| Basic skills | Key skills | |
|---|---|---|
| April 2001 to July 2001(35) | 3,370 | 1,270 |
| August 2001 to July 2002 | 6,577 | 1,857 |
| August 2002 to July 2003 | 7,815 | 1,948 |
(35) The figures for April to July 2001 include costs incurred from August 2000 on learning aims continuing into April 2001.
From the information available to the LSC it has not been feasible to obtain estimates at constituency level or separate figures by subject without incurring disproportionate cost. Likewise it has not been feasible to obtain comparable figures for periods before April 2001 when the "Skills For Life" strategy was launched and the LSC was formed, but information shows it was considerably less than at present.
Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what public funding has been spent on adult (a) literacy and (b) numeracy in (i) the Burton constituency and (ii) Staffordshire in each of the last seven years. [161845]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The estimated total spend on "Skills For Life" (the Government's strategy for the literacy, language and numeracy needs of all post-16 learners (from pre-entry level up to and including level 2) and on Key Skills (essential skills of communication, application of number and information technology), from April 2001 to July 2003, in the Staffordshire Learning and Skills Council area is set out in the table:
| Basic skills | Key skills | |
|---|---|---|
| April 2001 to July 2001(36) | 2,341 | 786 |
| August 2001 to July 2002 | 3,123 | 1,006 |
| August 2002 to July 2003 | 4,899 | 2,063 |
(36) The figures for April to July 2001 include costs incurred from August 2000 on learning aims continuing into April 2001.
From the information available to the LSC it has not been feasible to obtain estimates at constituency level or separate figures by subject without incurring disproportionate cost. Likewise it has not been feasible to obtain comparable figures for periods before April 2001 when the "Skills For Life" strategy was launched and the LSC was formed, but information shows it was considerably less than at present.
Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding was spent on adult literacy and numeracy in North Tyneside local education authority in each of the last seven years. [164381]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The estimated total spend on "Skills For Life" (the Government's strategy for the literacy, language and numeracy needs of all post-16 learners (from pre-entry level up to and including level 2) and on Key Skills (essential skills of communication, application of number and information technology), from April 2001 to July 2003, in the Tyne and Wear Learning and Skills Council area is set out in the following table:
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| Basic skills | Key skills | |
|---|---|---|
| April 2001 to July 2001(37) | 4,570 | 783 |
| August 2001 to July 2002 | 9,535 | 1,237 |
| August 2002 to July 2003 | 14,032 | 883 |
(37) The figures for April to July 2001 include costs incurred from August 2000 on learning aims continuing into April 2001.
From the information available to the LSC it has not been feasible to obtain estimates at constituency level or separate figures by subject without incurring disproportionate cost. Likewise it has not been feasible to obtain comparable figures for periods before April 2001 when the Skills for Life strategy was launched and the LSC was formed, but information shows it was considerably less than at present.
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