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Education: 11 year olds
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
- By what measure "nearly half of 11 year olds in England and Wales fail to reach expected standards in English and Maths" (to quote from the Labour Party manifesto); on what data that measure is based and by what means it may be derived therefrom; whether it is by that measure that progress towards the achievement of the manifesto target that "within a
- decade every child leaves primary school with a reading age of at least 11 may be judged; and whether that measure and target apply also to Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Baroness Blackstone: In the 1996 national curriculum tests, 42 per cent. and 46 per cent. of 11 year olds did not meet Level 4--the expected level for their age--in English and mathematics respectively. The target announced by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment was that by the year 2002, 75 per cent. of 11 year olds in these tests in mathematics and 80 per cent. in English will reach Level 4. Separate task forces in literacy and numeracy have been established to boost standards in primary schools. The targets apply to England and Wales.
Vocational Qualifications: Skills Audit
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
- By what measure "nearly two thirds of the British workforce lack vocational qualifications" (to quote the Labour Party manifesto); on what data that measure is based and by what means it may be derived therefrom; whether it is by that measure that progress towards the achievement of the manifesto pledge that "We will promote adult learning both at work and in the critical sector of further education" may be judged; and whether that measure and pledge apply also to Northern Ireland.
Baroness Blackstone: The skills audit, published in 1996, showed that in 1994 24 per cent. of the workforce had vocational qualifications at Level 2 and above, with a further 6 per cent. having served a trade apprenticeship. We hope and expect that measures to promote lifelong learning will increase the proportion of those with qualifications in all parts of the United Kingdom.
Schools: Standards
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
- By what measure the achievement of the objective "all parents should be offered real choice through good quality schools, each with its own strengths and individual ethos" (to quote from the Labour Party manifesto) may be assessed; on what data that measure will be based; and by what means it may be derived therefrom; and
How they hope to procure the achievement of the objective "all parents should be offered real choice through good quality schools, each with its own strengths and individual ethos" (to quote from the Labour Party manifesto) in rural areas.
Baroness Blackstone: We will set out our plans for raising standards in all schools in a White Paper to be published before the end of summer term.
Education: Results Data
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have, in the last five years, undertaken any complete comparisons of the GCSE results obtained by individual students with the A-level results which those students subsequently achieved; and if so, whether the data on which those comparisons were based will be made available (subject to suitable safeguards) to independent researchers who so request.
Baroness Blackstone: Several documents have been published in recent years which undertake comparisons of the GCSE results obtained by individual students with the GCE A/AS results they subsequently achieve. A list of publications is given below: GCSE and GCE A/AS level performance of candidates attempting 2 or more GCE A/AS levels--1992-93--DFE Statistical Bulletin 9/94 GCSE and GCE A/AS level performance of candidates attempting 2 or more GCE A/AS levels--1993-94-DFE Statistical Bulletin 4/95 GCSE to GCE A/AS Value Added--Briefing for Schools and Colleges--June 1995 Technical Annex to GCSE to GCE Value Added--Briefing for Schools and Colleges--June 1995 GCSE and GCE A/AS level performance of candidates attempting 2 or more GCE A/AS levels in 1994-95--DfEE Statistical Bulletin 2/96 GCSE and GCE A/AS level performance of candidates attempting 2 or more GCE A/AS levels--1995-96--DfEE Statistical Bulletin 1/97
The data on which these comparisons were based are available to independent researchers in line with the policy of making data available for research purposes, subject to confidentiality being safeguarded. This practice is consistent with the Government Statistical Service code of practice for handling data obtained from statistical inquiries.
Comprehensive Schools: Data
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their estimate of the proportion of children in comprehensive schools who are subject to "setting", and on what data that estimate is based.
Baroness Blackstone: The information requested is not collected centrally by the Department for Education and Employment. However, the following information has been provided by Ofsted. Between September 1995 and April 1996 Ofsted inspectors inspected 88,000 lessons in comprehensive schools under Section 9 of the Education (Schools) Act 1992. Forty-six per cent. of these had either only upper ability, middle ability or lower ability pupils and 54 per cent. were mixed ability lessons.
Education: Performance Targets
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
- By what measure the achievement of the objective "Our task is to raise the standards of every school" (to quote from the Labour Party manifesto) may be assessed; on what data that measure will be based; and by what means it may be derived therefrom.
Baroness Blackstone: The Government have set very clear targets for raising standards of literacy and numeracy for every child by the age of 11. The targets are measurable against achievement in national curriculum assessments. Each school will set its own targets for performance at each key stage. The Government also intend to publish a White Paper in the near future which will have as its main objective the raising of standards in every school.
Forestry: Ministerial Responsibility
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they intend that, following any devolution of powers to a Scottish assembly, responsibility for forestry in England should be transferred from the Scottish Office to another Ministry; and if so, why they do not make such a transfer now.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Scottish Office (Lord Sewel): The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has responsibility for forestry in England, the Secretary of State for Scotland has responsibility for forestry in Scotland, and the Secretary of State for Wales has responsibility for forestry in Wales. For matters affecting forestry in Great Britain as a whole, all three Ministers have equal responsibility, but the Secretary of State for Scotland takes the lead.
Wildlife Monitoring: Scotland
Lord Mackie of Benshie asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will supply a breakdown of how the £20 million spent annually on the monitoring of wildlife in Scotland is allocated, giving particular detail to expenditure in rural areas; and what monitoring is planned for the future.
Lord Sewel: It is difficult to identify expenditure specifically on wildlife monitoring. The £20 million figure was an estimate of the annual expenditure in Scotland on all environmental monitoring by Her Majesty's Government and their main agencies. I shall write to the noble Lord to clarify the position, and on the question of future plans, as soon as possible.
Historic Scotland: Performance Targets
Lord Carmichael of Kelvingrove asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will publish the key performance targets set for Historic Scotland for 1997-98.
Lord Sewel: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has set Historic Scotland the following key performance targets for 1997-98:
| Target | |
| Protecting Scotland's Built Heritage | |
| No. of monuments scheduled | 380 |
| No. of listed building resurvey units | 178 |
| No. of weeks in which 80 per cent. of | |
| scheduled monument consent cases resolved | 12 |
| Percentage of listed building consent cases | |
| resolved within 28 days | 97 per cent. |
| No. of historic building repair projects newly | |
| assisted by grant | 145 |
| Total value of grant-assisted repairs in | |
| progress | £34m |
| Programme of conservation of monuments in | |
| care [*] | meet programme |
| Promoting and Presenting the Built Heritage | |
| HS market share compared to major paid | |
| heritage attractions in Scotland [*] | 47 per cent. |
| Percentage of satisfied visitors (based on | |
| surveys) | 95 per cent. |
| Average spend per visitor | £1.12 |
| Agency management | |
| Percentage efficiency gains/savings on all | |
| non-grant expenditure | 1.5 per cent. |
| Net Exchequer funding of running costs [*] | £12.0m |
[*] for details see Historic Scotland Corporate Plan to be published in July.
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