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31 Mar 2004 : Column 1534W—continued
Primary School Age
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in Gloucestershire were of primary school age on the latest date for which figures are available. [164111]
Mr. Miliband [holding answer 29 March 2004]: The mid-2002 population estimate 1 for children aged 5 to 11 in Gloucestershire is 49,300 2 . The estimate 1 for those aged 1 to 4 is 25,800 3 .
- 1 These estimates will not match the age groups in primary and nursery schools exactly.
- 2 The figure for children aged 5 to 11 includes some children aged 5 who were not of compulsory school age at the start of the summer term, and some children aged 11 with birthdays in July and August who have completed their primary schooling.
- 3 Annual population estimates at LEA level are not published in more detail than the 1 to 4 age group.
Qualifications
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of pupils in (a) Blackpool and (b) Lancashire local education authorities left school with no qualifications in each year since 1997. [164553]
Mr. Miliband: Information on pupils leaving school is not available, however, the percentage of 15 year old pupils that failed to achieve a pass at GCSE or GNVQ are detailed in the following table:
| Academic Year | Blackpool(32) | Lancashire |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 6.9 | 5.1 |
| 1999 | 7.3 | 4.6 |
| 2000 | 6.3 | 4.3 |
| 2001 | 6.7 | 4.2 |
| 2002 | 4.9 | 4.0 |
| 2003 | 6.0 | 4.6 |
(31) Pupils are aged 15 at the start of the academic year i.e. 31 August.
(32) Due to local government reorganisation figures are not available for Blackpool for 1997.
Remodelling Change Programme
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of whether the Government is on target to meet the commitments identified in paragraph 15 on page 4, Appendix 1 on page 28 and in the table on page 29 in, Raising standards
31 Mar 2004 : Column 1535W
and tackling workload: a national agreement, for schools' Remodelling Change Programme; and if he will make a statement. [164458]
Mr. Miliband: The Government is committed to sustaining school workforce reforms. The manifesto commitment to 10,000 extra teachers during the life of the Parliament has already been exceeded; and there were 36,000 more support staff in post in January 2003, compared with January 2001. In October 2003, the Secretary of State announced a package of measures that will restore stability to the school funding system, including the introduction of a 4 per cent. minimum per pupil guarantee for schools.
In addition, the National Remodelling Team, working with the Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group and a network of dedicated LEA advisers, has developed advice and support for schools in managing the reforms effectively, including through the provision of training for support staff. Many schools are also currently involved in a tailored change management process.
Salisbury College
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement about (a) the funding situation and (b) staffing prospects at Salisbury College. [163674]
Alan Johnson: The Department allocates funds to the Learning and Skills Council for the provision of education and training in the post-16 learning and skills sector. The Department does not provide a specific budget to the LSC for individual colleges. It is for the Learning and Skills Council to determine for itself the right level of investment in institutions from the funds allocated to it for learning participation. Mark Haysom, the council's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member providing details of the funding situation of Salisbury College. A copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
Colleges are independent corporations and, as such, employment issues are an internal matter for the college.
School Nurses
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school nurses there are, broken down by education authority. [164814]
Mr. Miliband: The following table gives the number of full-time equivalent number of matrons, nurses and other medical staff in maintained primary, secondary and special schools in England broken down by local education authority at January 2003, the latest information available.
Source:
Annual Schools' Census.
31 Mar 2004 : Column 1538W
Schools (Absenteeism)
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many fixed penalty notices have been issued in relation to condoned absenteeism of pupils; and if he will make a statement. [164463]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: This measure only commenced on 27 February 2004. Information about the number of penalty notices issued for truancy is not available at present.
Teachers Pension Scheme
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many female teachers were making a contribution of 6 per cent. to the teachers' pension scheme between 1972 and 1988; and if he will make a statement. [164465]
Mr. Miliband: The table shows the number of female teachers who were in pensionable employment in the Teachers' Pension Scheme (England and Wales) in each of the years between 1972 and 1988 inclusive.
| Female teachers | |
|---|---|
| 1972 | 263,000 |
| 1973 | 290,000 |
| 1974 | 300,000 |
| 1975 | 316,000 |
| 1976 | 331,000 |
| 1977 | 331,000 |
| 1978 | 335,000 |
| 1979 | 346,000 |
| 1980 | 351,000 |
| 1981 | 351,000 |
| 1982 | 344,000 |
| 1983 | 344,000 |
| 1984 | 342,000 |
| 1985 | 343,000 |
| 1986 | 347,000 |
| 1987 | 364,000 |
| 1988 | 356,000 |
Source:
Database of Teachers' Records
All members of the Teachers' Pension Scheme (IPS) pay the same main scheme contribution of 6 per cent. The TPS has options for individual scheme members to pay, on a voluntary basis, a higher contribution in order to purchase additional benefits within the scheme.
31 Mar 2004 : Column 1539W
The TPS is a group scheme where the cost of scheme benefits is shared between employers and employees, with the greater part being met by employers. All TPS employers pay the same contribution rate which is currently 13.5 per cent. Between 1972 and 1988, the scheme has provided automatic family benefits for married male teachers and female teachers with a financially dependent husband. In 1988, the scheme was extended to provide automatic family benefits cover for all married teachers.
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