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19 Oct 2005 : Column 1046W—continued
Harlington Upper School
Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the effects on students at Harlington Upper School in Bedfordshire during recent examinations, on building works under a private finance initiative project. [17637]
Jacqui Smith: It is most regrettable if any disturbances are suffered by pupils during their public examinations. Officials have spoken to the local authority about this matter and the local authority has given its apologies for the disturbances suffered by the pupils concerned. The local authority envisaged that the measures put in place prior to the examination period would prevent any disturbance and acted to stop the noise as soon as problems were encountered. I am happy to confirm that all the details of the disturbances were reported to the examination boards so that due consideration could be given to the individual pupils involved.
Home Economics
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools have facilities for the practical teaching of food preparation. [17950]
Jacqui Smith: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Central Government capital support for investment in schools has increased from under £700 million in 1996–97 to £5.5 billion this year and will rise further to £6.3 billion by 2007–08. Progress is being made year-by-year in improving the quality of the school building stock.
Learning and Skills Council
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the availability of college-certificated courses of changes in Learning and Skills Council funding allocations in (a) 2005–06 and (b) 2006–07. [19084]
Bill Rammell:
We have been clear about our priorities for public funding of a place in school, college or an apprenticeship for all young people, and a focus on adults without a solid foundation of employability skills. Prioritising public funding and ensuring adults can gain a Skills for Life or first full Level 2 qualification inevitably means less public funding being available for lower priority or non-qualification bearing provision.
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However, we see no reason to close courses which people value but a new balance of responsibilities between Government, employers and learners is central to delivering our Skills Strategy.
This requires a fundamental shift in expectations and practice about who pays for what. We will continue to provide fee concessions for learners on low incomes to access FE but we also expect adult learners, who can afford to do so, to make a contribution to the costs of their learning. Finding a new balance of responsibilities between Government, employers and learners is crucial.
In addition we have safe guarded funding for non-vocational learning, delivered mainly through local authority adult education services. In 2004/05 we provided over £207 million to the LSC in support of this learning. This has risen to £210 million in 2005/06.
Post-16 Education
Mr. Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the cost of raising per capita funding for 16 to 18-year-olds in further education colleges to the level of funding for 16 to 18-year-olds in schools. [19341]
Bill Rammell: Research conducted by the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) found the funding gap between school sixth forms and further education colleges to be in the region of 13 per cent. LSDA's report suggested complete closure of the gap would cost around £200 million. It also noted that the means of closing the gap should not be a large general increase in FE funding rates, but policy changes aimed at putting FE colleges and school sixth forms on a more equal footing. In light of this we are exploring the scope for addressing technical anomalies between school sixth form and further education systems and will be announcing decisions on the way forward shortly.
Recycling
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps her Department takes to ensure that furniture no longer required following school refurbishments is recycled or reused. [18203]
Jacqui Smith: We do not currently give any detailed guidance on this specific issue. However, as part of our forthcoming publication on sustainable schools we are consulting on new approaches to waste management. Re-cycling of products are mentioned in the section entitled 'our expectations'. This consultation will take place in January 2006.
School Meals
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the provision of dining facilities in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools. [17767]
Jacqui Smith:
The Department holds data on the condition and suitability of school buildings, supplied by authorities as part of Asset Management Planning. This includes a 'kitchen/dining' category.
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As part of the Department's Healthy Food in Schools initiative, we intend to commission a detailed survey of dining and kitchen facilities, which will form part of research for a forthcoming guide on school meals.
Central Government capital support for investment in schools has increased from under £700 million in 1996–97 to £5.5 billion this year and will rise further to £6.3 billion by 2007–08. The BSF programme has committed £2 billion a year to remodel or rebuild every secondary school in England. The Primary capital programme of £150 million in 2008–09 and £500 million in 2009–10 will support a programme to renew at least half of all primary schools over the next 15 years. This will be an opportunity for any shortcomings in dining facilities to be addressed. Progress is being made year-by-year in improving the quality of the school building stock.
Special Measures
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many secondary schools in special measures are designated for replacement by city academies. [17706]
Jacqui Smith: There are currently 21 secondary schools in special measures which are being actively considered for replacement by academies.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools have been in special measures for more than one year. [17707]
Jacqui Smith: Currently there are 68 primary schools and 52 secondary schools which have been in special measures for longer than 12 months. There are also five PRUs, two middle and 13 special schools which have been in special measures for more than 12 months.
Teacher Dismissals
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers were dismissed for having sexual relations with pupils in London in each year since 1997. [16019]
Jacqui Smith: The information cannot be provided in the format requested.
Twenty-First Century Science Examination
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the use of the OCR GCSE examination Twenty-First Century Science in secondary schools. [17898]
Jacqui Smith: The Twenty First Century suite of science GCSEs is being piloted in 79 centres, including community, foundation, voluntary aided and independent schools and one adult education college. Early indications from the pilot are that it has had a very positive effect. The new programme of study for science at Key Stage 4 will be introduced in schools in September 2006.
University Applications
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many students have applied through UCAS for university places in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; [17817]
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(2) how many students (a) successfully obtained and (b) failed to obtain a university place through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service clearing system in each of the last five years; [17818]
(3) how many students have opted to defer entry to university in each of the last five years. [17819]
Bill Rammell: The latest available information for the last five completed application cycles is shown in the following table.
Note:
Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5, so components may not sum to totals.
Source:
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
Final figures for the 2005/06 academic year will not become available until January 2006. However, the latest information from UCAS, based on the position at 26 September for each of the last three years, is shown in the following table:
n/a = not available
(23)Figures for deferrals are based on the position as at 14 September.
Note:
Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5, so components may not sum to totals.
Source:
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
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