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15 Jun 2004 : Column 911W—continued

Circus Performers

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) whether there is a skills shortage in the North West Region for (a) clowns, (b) tightrope walkers, (c) jugglers, (d) stilts performers, (e) unicyclists and (f) other circus performers; [177132]

(2) what his assessment is of the need to train people in circus skills in the North West Region. [177133]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) have the remit for assessing skills needs in their sector. The Creative and Cultural Industries SSC (CCISSC), which is in development, will cover circus performers. The SSC is currently reviewing the need for Creative Apprenticeships within the sector and as part of this review the needs of the circus industry will be assessed.

Regionally, the NW Development Agency, working in partnership with stakeholders in the region, has the lead responsibility for developing and taking forward the economic strategy for the North West. The strategy has a strong sectoral focus concentrating on those sectors of importance and potential importance to the North West economy. Tourism is one of the priority sectors in the North West.

While touring circuses bring pleasure to many, in determining the region's tourism priorities no assessment has been made of the contribution they make to the North West economy and there are no plans to do so.

Education Funding

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost per pupil of education in (a) primary school, (b) secondary school and (c) sixth form in Greater London was in each of the last seven years, broken down by borough. [176831]

Mr. Miliband [holding answer 7 June 2004]: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much, at today's prices, was spent on average per (a) secondary and (b) primary school in each of the last 15 years; and what the planned spending is in each of the next four years. [172933]

Mr. Miliband [holding answer 13 May 2004]: The available information is contained within the following tables.
 
15 Jun 2004 : Column 912W
 

Decisions on the allocation of resources in future years between each of the different sectors of education will be taken and announced later in the year.
Average spend per (a) secondary and (b) primary school in each of the last 15 years

Primary schools
	Net current expenditure (£000)	Number of primary schools	Average spend per primary school (£000)
1987–88	6,664,667	19,319	345
1988–99	6,435,677	19,232	335
1989–90	—	—	—
1990–91	—	—	—
1991–92	—	—	—
1992–93	—	—	—
1993–94	—	—	—
1994–95	—	—	—
1995–96	—	—	—
1996–97	—	—	—
1997–98	—	—	—
1998–99	—	—	—
1999–2000	10,248,425	18,158	564
2000–01	11,014,589	18,069	610
2001–02	11,804,357	17,985	656

Pre-primary and primary schools

	Net current expenditure (£000)	Number of primary schools	Average spend pre-primary and primary school (£000)
1987–88	—	—	—
1988–99	—	—	—
1989–90	7,237,762	19,728	367
1990–91	8,081,461	19,615	412
1991–92	7,812,948	19,488	401
1992–93	9,077,080	19,391	468
1993–94	9,184,320	19,237	477
1994–95	9,372,113	19,104	491
1995–96	9,350,748	19,029	491
1996–97	9,319,716	18,938	492
1997–98	9,192,745	18,847	488
1998–99	9,706,290	18,756	518
1999–2000	10,637,498	18,674	570
2000–01	11,567,295	18,577	623
2001–02	12,540,414	18,481	679

Secondary schools

	Net current expenditure (£000)	Number of secondary schools	Average spend per secondary school (£000)
1987–88	8,540,156	4,153	2,056
1988–99	8,496,111	4,035	2,106
1989–90	8,419,497	3,976	2,118
1990–91	8,990,987	3,897	2,307
1991–92	8,293,519	3,847	2,156
1992–93	8,908,650	3,773	2,361
1993–94	7,846,904	3,629	2,162
1994–95	7,636,242	3,614	2,113
1995–96	7,445,108	3,594	2,072
1996–97	7,341,423	3,569	2,057
1997–98	7,259,360	3,567	2,035
1998–99	7,426,109	3,560	2,086
1999–2000	9,668,610	3,550	2,724
2000–01	10,442,651	3,481	3,000
2001–02	11,441,503	3,457	3,310

Notes:
1. The financial data are taken from local education authorities' Section 52 Outturn Statements submitted to the DfES from 1999–2000 onwards and the ODPM's RO1 statement previously. 1999–2000 figures reflect the return of GM schools to local authority maintenance. Financial data is in £000's. Figures are adjusted to 2002–03 prices using the March 2004 GDP deflators.
2. In 1987–88 and 1988–89 pre-primary expenditure was not collected on R01. From 1989–90 onwards expenditure was not distinguished between pre-primary and primary sectors until the inception of the Section 52 outturn statements in 1999–2000. Pre-primary expenditure does not match the number of pre-primary schools because it also includes expenditure on nurseries in the private sector, which are not included in the school count.
3. Net Current Expenditure (NCE) includes expenditure within schools and also that incurred centrally by the LEA. Between 1987–88 and 1992–93 NCE after recharges was not recorded on RO1. In these years Net Recurrent Expenditure is used and consequently figures in those years may not be strictly comparable with future years.
4. Spending in 1997–98 reflects the transfer of monies from local government to central Government for the nursery vouchers scheme. These were returned to local government in 1998–99.
5. The number of schools is taken from the Annual Schools Census. Middle schools are included as deemed secondary.




 
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Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding was spent on education in Crosby in each year from 1992 to 1997. [177863]

Mr. Miliband: The information requested is submitted to the Department according to local education authority areas rather than constituency level and as such the figures provided are for Sefton LEA:
Net current expenditure

	£
1992–93	127,566
1993–94	120,072
1994–95	121,425
1995–96	127,284
1996–97	129,224
1997–98	129,018

Notes:
1. The financial data are taken from Sefton LEA's RO1 statement submitted to ODPM.
2. In 1992–93 net current expenditure after recharges was not collected on RO1. In this year net recurrent expenditure is used and consequently figures for this year may not be strictly comparable with those for future years.
3. Net current expenditure (NCE) includes expenditure within schools and also that incurred centrally by the LEA.

Education Services (Essex)

Mr. Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teaching assistants were
 
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employed in state schools in (a) the County of Essex in each year from 1980 to 1997 and (b) the County of Essex and the unitary authorities of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock in each year from 1998 to 2003. [173324]

Mr. Miliband: The information is shown in the following tables. The first table shows the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) teaching assistants ¹ in maintained schools in Essex LEA in each January between 1992 and 1998. Information is only available from 1992 when teaching assistants data were first collected. The second table shows the number of FTE teaching assistants in Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock LEAs after local government re-organisation in April 1998, in each January between 1999 and 2003.

It is expected that information on the number of teaching assistants by LEA for 2004 will be available in the near future. A table will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

¹ Includes teaching assistants, special needs support staff and support staff for minority ethnic pupils.

	Essex	Southend-on-Sea	Thurrock	Total
1992	620	—	—	—
1993	670	—	—	—
1994	900	—	—	—
1995	1,270	—	—	—
1996	1,430	—	—	—
1997	1,700	—	—	—
1998	1,830	—	—	—
1999	1,610	220	200	2,030
2000	1,740	280	290	2,310
2001	2,070	350	330	2,750
2002	3,110	460	430	4,000
2003	3,450	560	530	4,540

Source:
Annual School Census

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