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Education Bill
Baroness Blatch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 25 March (WA 25), whether it will be possible under proposals set out in Clause 2 of the Education Bill for a school to be exempt from teaching one or more compulsory subjects such as English, mathematics, science, religious education and citizenship if, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, to do so would lead to higher educational standards in that school.[HL3784]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): Clause 1 means that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State would only be permitted to approve proposals if she considers that they would contribute to the raising of standards. In assessing whether proposals would raise standards, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State would consider their impact on standards of achievement in the basics and on the breadth of provision available. The Government have made clear their view that they would not in general regard a proposal to suspend the requirement to teach a compulsory subject as standards-raising unless appropriate arrangements are in place to secure high standards in the basics and a broad and balanced curriculum. It follows that only in such circumstances would my right honourable friend
the Secretary of State have the power to grant the order, but that if these conditions were met, the legislation would allow an order to be granted.
Baroness Blatch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- If under Clause 2 of the Education Bill a school were to produce proposals to raise standards by exemption from an obligation to provide children:
(a) with special educational needs
(b) who are behaviourally disordered in the classroom
the Secretary of State could approve such proposals; and, if not, where in the Bill are measures to protect such children.[HL3785]
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Clause 1 of the Education Bill means that the Secretary of State would only be permitted to approve proposals if she considered that they would contribute to the raising of standards. In assessing whether proposals would raise standards, the Secretary of State would be required to consider their impact on all children, including those who have special educational needs or behavioural disorders.
The Government have made it clear that if a proposal came forward to reduce the quality of provision for a group of children, they would not regard it to be standards raising. They therefore could not approve the proposal in these circumstances. Furthermore, the Government have made it clear that it would not approve proposals that unfairly discriminated against any group of children, whatever their wider impact.
Baroness Blatch asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The performance tables for secondary schools already provide for pupils who take their GCSEs early.
The Green Paper, 14–19: extending opportunities, raising standards, contains a number of proposals, including proposals for increased collaboration between educational institutions and for greater flexibility, which may impact on the way performance tables for secondary schools are compiled in future. The Green Paper recognises this and invites views on how these issues might be addressed. Once we have taken views, we shall consider in detail what changes,
Baroness Blatch asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: As the Green Paper 14-19: extending opportunities, raising standards makes clear, we will use the 14-19 pathfinders to test a variety of models of collaborative working in different circumstances, including in rural areas, to secure greater choice of curriculum pathways for 14-19 year-olds. The pathfinders will provide evidence of the financial implications of delivering the 14-19 strategy: they will try out in particular different approaches to funding students who are spending significant amounts of time in an institution other than their parent institution. In addition, we will look at existing good practice in delivering 14-19, for example the Tamar Valley Consortium which featured as a case study in the Green Paper.
Rebo
Lord Fearn asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Blackstone): From 1999 to date the Millennium Commission has not awarded grant under its programmes to the National Trust. In addition to its Millennium Awards for individuals and Millennium Festival programme for community events, the commission held only two relatively minor application rounds for capital projects between 1999 and the present and these were specifically aimed at projects which reflected the aspirations and achievements of ethnic minority communities.
The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded grant to the National Trust as follows:
Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Blackstone: I am very pleased to announce that the convention has today been published as Command Paper 5500 and laid together with an Explanatory Memorandum. We hope to achieve our aim of acceding to the convention by July.
Rebo
Lord Brougham and Vaux asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): The Government were elected on an election commitment to provide for a free vote and then to enable Parliament to resolve the issue of hunting. There is an equally explicit manifesto commitment not to place restrictions on the sports of angling and shooting.
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Whitty: Following a meeting of stakeholders chaired by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State, the Government published an action plan on 28 March the aim of which is to reduce the risk of exotic disease entering the country and then threatening the health of susceptible livestock. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
The plan covers a number of areas which are being developed to different timetables. This involves interchange and co-operation across government and with external interests, but no formal working party has been established.
What impact they envisage government proposals for secondary schools will have on performance tables for pupils aged 16 if:
(a) many pupils take GCSEs early;
(b) many pupils, under Chapters 1 and 2 of the Education Bill, are exempt from taking a variety of curriculum subjects; and
(c) many pupils, from the age of 14, are educated in innovative ways at a variety of settings, for example, places of work, further education colleges, schools, and tertiary colleges.[HL3788]Who will meet the logistical costs, particularly within rural areas, of pupils moving between school, college and places of work, for education under the government proposals for pupils between the ages of 14-19.[HL3828]
What help, financial or otherwise, they have given to the National Trust in the years 1999, 2000, 2001 and to date, through (a) Heritage Lottery funding and (b) Millennium Lottery funding. [HL3811]
Financial Year Total awarded No. of projects
1999–2000 £5,816,900 8
2000–2001 £199,650 5
2001–2002 £66,541,500 8
When they will accede to the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the means of prohibiting and preventing the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property. [HL4067]
What is their position on recreational activities in which animals, birds or fish are killed.[HL3683]
Further to the debate on the livestock industry on 17 April (HL Deb, cols. 944–984), what is the timetable for the working party established by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to look into the illegal import of meat into the United Kingdom; and when their findings will be published.[HL3898]
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