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EDUCATION AND SKILLS

A2-levels

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many entrants graded A and B at A2 level in (a) mathematics, (b) chemistry and (c) physics were from (i) independent, (ii) grammar and (iii) maintained schools in (A) 2003 and (B) 2004; and what percentage of each cohort this was in each case. [221217]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: The information requested on the number of 16–18 year old students achieving As or Bs in mathematics, chemistry and physics by school type is given in the following table:

	2003			2004
	Independent	Grammar	Comprehensive	Independent	Grammar	Comprehensive
Number achieving A/B in chemistry	5,688	2,666	5,211	6,030	2,872	5,475
As a percentage of:
Chemistry candidates	73.1	62.8	42.7	73.7	65.2	43.7
Total candidates	16.0	14.0	5.0	16.6	14.7	5.1
Number achieving A/B in physics	4,179	2,079	4,278	4,095	2,040	3,936
As a percentage of:
Physics candidates	68.0	58.8	38.3	67.7	61.7	38.5
Total candidates	11.8	10.9	4.1	11.3	10.4	3.7
Number achieving A/B in mathematics	8,054	3,725	8,608	8,527	3,979	9,084
As a percentage of:
Mathematics candidates	76.6	67.6	48.9	78.3	69.7	50.2
Total candidates	22.7	19.6	8.3	23.5	20.3	8.5

 
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Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many entrants graded A and B at A2 level in (a) French, (b) German and (c) Spanish were from (i)independent, (ii) grammar and (iii) maintained schools in (A) 2003 and (B) 2004; and what percentage of
 
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eachcohort this was in each case. [221219]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: The information requested on the number of 16–18 year old students achieving As or Bs in French, German and Spanish by school type is given in the following table.

	2003			2004
	Independent	Grammar	Comprehensive	Independent	Grammar	Comprehensive
Number achieving A/B in French	3,060	1,043	2,127	2,989	1,075	2,145
As a percentage of:	73.7	63.2	46.3	74.9	67.6	47.9
French candidates
Total candidates	8.6	5.5	2.0	8.2	5.5	2.0
Number achieving A/B in German	1,285	474	1,054	1,181	527	950
As a percentage of:
German candidates	77.2	56.8	43.8	77.6	64.4	43.7
Total candidates	3.6	2.5	1.0	3.3	2.7	0.9
Number achieving A/B in Spanish	1,369	241	602	1,388	330	640
As a percentage of:
Spanish candidates	78.1	55.9	47.2	78.2	65.0	48.4
Total candidates	3.9	1.3	0.6	3.8	1.7	0.6

Capital Funding

Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what capital funding has been made available to (a) Dartford primary and secondary schools and (b) schools in the Kent local education authority area in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement on the Government's capital funding plans for Kent schools in the next five to 10 years. [221101]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: The table sets out the total capital resources allocated to Kent local education authority and schools in area in each of the last five years. Information on how capital funding was made to primary and secondary schools in the Dartford area in this period is not held centrally. Decisions on how resources should be invested in schools are taken by the local education authority in accordance with locally prepared asset management plans.

Government's capital funding plans for Kent schools in the next five to 10 years will depend on the outcome of future spending reviews. Kent LEA is in wave three of the Building Schools for the Future programme, with an estimated commencement date of 2007–08.

	Allocation (£000)
2000–01	63,044
2001–02	48,222
2002–03	72,951
2003–04	92,848
2004–05	181,101

Correspondence

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she expects to reply to the letters from the constituent of the hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, Richard Carter, dated 29 January and earlier. [220882]

Derek Twigg [holding answer 9 March 2005]: A full response was sent yesterday to my hon. Friend's constituent.

Regional Bodies

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what regional (a) bodies, (b) institutions, (c) taskforces, (d) panels, (e) offices and (f) organisations the Government have established since May 1997 which are the responsibility of her Department. [219913]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Since May 1997 the Government have established the following regional bodies which are the responsibility of the Department for Education and Skills:

Nine Sure Start/Children's Fund Regional Teams introduced into existing Government Offices to support, monitor and challenge local authorities and their partners to deliver the Sure Start agenda, in particular the 10-Year Childcare Strategy; and nine Standards Unit Regional Directors co-located within the Learning and Skills Development Agency. They work in collaboration with partner organisations and colleagues to ensure that the work of the Standards Unit supports all learning organisations to overcome barriers to effective teaching and learning and raise standards, develop their workforce and achieve excellence and improve success for all post 16 year old learners.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which (a) non-departmental public bodies and (b) executive agencies within the
 
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remit of her Department have regional offices based on the Government Offices for the Regions' regional structure; and when the regional offices were established in each case. [219920]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: On 7 January 2004 the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) announced a new regional management structure to help drive forward its work in the regions and develop relationships at a regional level. This has allowed for a more streamlined and effective management structure that avoids additional bureaucracy, and delivers the LSC's agenda with fewer staff overall. Except in London, each LSC Regional Director also has responsibility for a specific local LSC within their region, and the region itself maps on to the same geographical areas as those covered by the relevant Government Office for the Region.

Replacement Secondary Schools

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the time that local education authorities and promoters will need to plan and implement proposals for replacement secondary schools resulting from the proposal in the Education Bill to include replacement secondary schools in the secondary school competition arrangements; and what assessment she has made of whether there will be an increase in pressures on staff, parents and pupils subject to the competition procedures while undergoing school reorganisation. [220890]

Derek Twigg: Competitions for replacement secondary schools will take place only where the local authority decides that statutory proposals for a new secondary school are necessary. The time scale will therefore be the same as for any other reorganisation, with the addition of four months for prospective promoters to prepare their bids. We would expect the local authority to take this into account in planning future reorganisations and discussing them with schools.

Since competitions will take place only where proposals for new schools would be required in any case, there should be no increased pressure on staff, parents and pupils. The competition requirement, and increased time for preparation of possible alternative options and provision for people to comment on those proposals, will together give greater opportunities for staff, pupils and parents to have a say about the type of school that they believe will best meet local needs.

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