---

 
28 Oct 2004 : Column 1557
 

House of Commons

Thursday 28 October 2004

The House met at half-past Eleven o'clock

PRAYERS

[Mr. Speaker in the Chair]

ROYAL ASSENT

Mr. Speaker: I have to notify the House, in accordance with the Royal Assent Act 1967, that Her Majesty has signified her Royal Assent to the following Acts:

Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Act 2004

Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004

Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004

Medway Council Act 2004

University of Wales, Cardiff Act 2004

Oral Answers to Questions

DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION AND SKILLS

The Secretary of State was asked—

Educational Standards

1. Mr. Colin Challen (Morley and Rothwell) (Lab): What progress has been made in raising educational standards at each key stage; and if he will make a statement. [194091]

The Secretary of State for Education and Skills (Mr. Charles Clarke): Since 1997, we have seen significant improvements at each key stage. Over this period, the percentage of pupils reaching the expected level for their age in mathematics, for example, has increased by 6 percentage points at key stage 1, 12 percentage points at key stage 2 and 13 percentage points at key stage 3. The percentage of 15-year-olds getting five or more GCSEs or equivalent at grades A* to C has increased by 8.3 percentage points, with some of the biggest improvements in the most deprived areas.

Mr. Challen: I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for his answer. In anticipation of that answer, I did a little homework on cause and effect. I discovered that, in the Leeds education authority area, funding per pupil has increased by 37 per cent. since 1997 and that there are 913 more teaching assistants and 1,356 more support staff than there were seven years ago. It does not take a great—

Mr. Speaker: Order. Will the hon. Gentleman send these discoveries in writing to the Minister?
 
28 Oct 2004 : Column 1558
 

Mr. Clarke: I congratulate my hon. Friend on the outstandingly high quality of his homework, which sums up why there has been such great improvement and investment, and such substantial reform, which mean better education for the people of this country.

Mr. David Rendel (Newbury) (LD): A vital stage in raising standards at key stage 4 will be the recommendations of the Tomlinson report. In a letter to the Financial Times on 20 October, the Secretary of State said:

"The status quo is not an option . . . we should have a constructive debate about the way forward, not dismiss a substantive set of reforms out of hand."

Yet on 19 October, the Prime Minister seems to have done just that in a speech to the CBI, when he insisted that

"GCSEs and A-levels will stay".

Which position are the Government now taking on the Tomlinson report—that of the Secretary of State or that of the Prime Minister?

Mr. Clarke: With respect, the hon. Gentleman simply has not been up with the debate. My remarks about the status quo not being an option were made in this House in a statement, to which his hon. Friend the Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Mr. Willis) responded. Both what we say—that Tomlinson is the right way forward—and the fact that any diploma structure would include proper recognition for A-levels and GCSEs are right. That is the core issue that we debated at length when I made the statement. Where the hon. Gentleman is right is that Tomlinson will enable standards to be driven up and take the situation forward in a very positive way. I am delighted that we will publish a White Paper early in the new year to set out exactly how we intend to implement it.

Mr. Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton) (Con): Does the Secretary of State agree with Professor Adrian Smith that multiplication tables should be taught in our primary schools? If he does, what is his estimate of the proportion of primary schools that teach multiplication tables in a way that ensures that our children learn them by heart?

Mr. Clarke: First, as the hon. Gentleman knows, I have accepted the reports and proposals of Professor Adrian Smith. Indeed, I appointed him to his role precisely because of the quality of his advice. Secondly, I believe that multiplication tables are very widely taught in primary schools. I do not have a figure to hand, but I can say that in the primary school that I most recently visited, in Yorkshire, multiplication tables for children were on a whiteboard that morning—and that was a random case. I simply do not accept the hypothesis behind the question that there is some lack of attention given to basic arithmetical methods in schools. In fact, I think that the very reverse is the case.

Mr. Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op): Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is most important to reassure parents, teachers and students that standards are rising? Will he flag up the information
 
28 Oct 2004 : Column 1559
 
that the Education and Skills Committee received from the permanent secretary of Norway's education department when it visited Norway 10 days ago? The permanent secretary said, "We would like to learn how the UK is succeeding in raising standards so dramatically. We spend much more per head on our children without such good results."

Mr. Clarke: My hon. Friend is correct, and I am glad to say that such examples are not confined to Scandinavia. Last week, a delegation from the Education Minister to the German Lander asked the same question; Germany had a great national debate, almost a crisis, after its relatively poor performance in PISA—the programme for international student assessment—a couple of years ago. Yesterday, I received an invitation from the new Spanish Education Minister for my Department and me to attend a seminar in Madrid to discuss raising education standards in Spain. We are doing well by any international comparison.

Schools (Colchester)

2. Bob Russell (Colchester) (LD): If he will visit Colchester to meet the heads of schools with a high proportion of children from military families. [194093]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Skills (Mr. Ivan Lewis): My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State listened carefully to the views expressed by schools when he visited Colchester last year. The Department will work closely with the National Association of State Schools for Service Children, and we are currently looking at ways in which we can help to encourage the sharing of experience and good practice to support schools with service children.

Bob Russell: That answer will not do, because 16 months ago the Secretary of State, in a high-profile visit to Colchester, met head teachers and governors of the six schools that attract a large proportion of children from military families and led them to believe, in the words of the headline in the Colchester Evening Gazette, "You will get more money". The Secretary of State should make a return visit to explain what has happened over the past 16 months and why the promises that he gave on what was a Labour party stump visit have not been delivered.

Mr. Lewis: May I first say to the hon. Gentleman that every visit that my right hon. Friend makes is high profile? The issue is important and it should not be used for petty political point scoring. We should be concerned about three elements: first, that children of service families have access to high-quality education; secondly, that their parents can be guaranteed that that will be the case; and thirdly, that schools that deal with a disproportionately high number of children from service families should receive the support that they need to cope with the inevitable turbulence. Consequently, we will work with the newly reformed National Association of State Schools for Service Children and examine tangible and practical measures to support schools and families in those circumstances. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will make a constructive contribution to that process.
 
28 Oct 2004 : Column 1560
 

Healthy Eating

4. Mr. David Amess (Southend, West) (Con): What plans his Department has to promote healthy eating in schools; and if he will make a statement. [194095]

5. Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington) (LD): What progress has been made on improving healthy eating in schools. [194096]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Skills (Mr. Stephen Twigg): In September this year, we published the "Healthy Living Blueprint", which includes important measures to promote healthy eating in schools.

Mr. Amess: Although I am delighted that the Health Committee report on obesity has triggered a national and international debate on the subject, action is now needed. Does the Minister agree that the amount of fat and sugar in what we eat and drink is a critical factor in obesity? If so, will he take action on the important issue of vending machines in our schools and address what is sold from those machines and when such snacks are available to our children?

Mr. Twigg: I agree that we must reduce fat, sugar and salt consumption. We are re-examining the standards for secondary schools and primary schools with respect to both vending machines, which is the point that he has raised, and school meals served at lunchtime.

Tom Brake: On vending machines, the Minister will be aware that Mars and Coca-Cola cannot be advertised in vending machines in Scotland. Does the Minister plan to introduce a similar ban here?

Mr. Twigg: I understand that those companies volunteered to make that arrangement, and that they will do the same here. We want to ensure that healthy options are available through vending machines. Excellent examples exist of schools providing fruit juices, cereal bars and other such options in their vending machines, and some evidence suggests that children prefer to take those options, where they are affordable.

Linda Perham (Ilford, North) (Lab): I know that my hon. Friend is aware of the campaign by Ilford Jewish primary school to extend the free fruit initiative to key stage 2—a petition has been sent to Downing street and the school has started its own orchard. Is he considering extending the scheme to key stage 2, which is the object of the campaign run by children and staff?

Mr. Twigg: I am aware of that campaign by Ilford Jewish primary school and of my hon. Friend's strong and consistent support for it. The Department of Health has been promoting the fresh fruit scheme, which has made a real difference at key stage 1. We would encourage schools to consider using their resources further to extend the fresh fruit scheme as part of their own healthy eating schemes. We do not have any national plans to fund the fresh fruit scheme beyond key stage 1.
 
28 Oct 2004 : Column 1561
 

Ms Gisela Stuart (Birmingham, Edgbaston) (Lab): I invite my hon. Friend to visit Four Dwellings school to watch primary school children eating carrots and tomatoes at break and thus see genuine progress. As he makes further progress, will he please not ignore the relationship between healthy eating and physical exercise? Not only calorific intake but how children use up the calories is important. We therefore need a combination of healthy eating and exercise.

Mr. Twigg: Nothing would give me more pleasure than joining my hon. Friend in her constituency to watch children eating their carrots. Indeed, we have redefined carrot as a fruit under the fresh fruit scheme. She is right that healthy eating is only one component of healthy schools. Clearly, the massive investment in improvements to physical education and sport is vital, too.

Adam Price (East Carmarthen and Dinefwr) (PC): Government procurement rules mean that schools often have to award food contracts that are based on price. What steps could be introduced to make it easier for schools and local authorities to source more food from local and organic producers? [Interruption.]

Mr. Twigg: My hon. Friends are making puns on the hon. Gentleman's surname. I do not take part in that. We are considering procurement through the healthy living blueprint. It is striking that some schools are managing even with limited budgets to source organic produce locally. We want to ensure that that best practice is shared as widely as possible.

Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak) (Lab): Will my hon. Friend explain why the Government are not considering extending the successful free fruit scheme? Will he also consider the possibility of free milk in schools for younger children?

Mr. Twigg: I agree that the scheme is successful. Of course, it has only just gone nationwide and we want to monitor its impact. To be frank, the scheme carries a cost. The Department of Health has come up with the money and we are grateful for that, but we must consider our spending priorities for schools. The focus is on ensuring that as much money as possible goes into school budgets so that it can be spent effectively. The same thinking applies to school milk. Many schools provide it, and although we welcome that we do not want to impose it as a requirement on every school when there are other pressures on school budgets.

Charles Hendry (Wealden) (Con): Has the Minister read the evidence that when healthy, good-quality food is provided in school, more students opt for school meals? Has he seen the evidence of the link between good healthy food and good behaviour? Does he understand why secondary school students feel that they are being treated as second-class citizens when twice as much money is spent on food for prisoners as on food for students? Does he understand the Soil Association's criticism of the Department yesterday that rightly highlighted the shocking loss of mineral content in school meals? Students get only 80 per cent. of their iron intake and 68 per cent. of their zinc intake from
 
28 Oct 2004 : Column 1562
 
them. That could lead to long-term problems. The Department talks of an evaluation exercise, setting up an expert steering group and more monitoring. Does the Minister understand that less talk and more action is needed?

Mr. Twigg: Action is precisely what we are taking. We introduced basic nutritional standards, which did not exist before 1997. Some of the examples that the Soil Association gave yesterday do not fulfil our current standards, which we are now revising. We have got the experts in to examine the matter and we shall have new standards for secondary schools from next year. We accept that standards are not as high as they should be in many secondary schools. We will work with the Soil Association and others to ensure that we have the best standards in every school.

Helen Jones (Warrington, North) (Lab): Although there are many excellent school catering staff, does my hon. Friend agree that many staff were deskilled when nutritional standards for school meals were abolished? What are his plans for improving the training of school meals staff? Evidence in my constituency shows that having good, well-trained cooks who are prepared to cook from scratch radically improves the quality of school meals.

Mr. Twigg: My hon. Friend is right. I pay tribute to her for her excellent work in raising the matter in the House and beyond. One of our commitments in the blueprint is to improve the training for catering staff in schools so that we can attain the enhanced quality for which she rightly asks.

---