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Column 375
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 16 July 1990
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
National Curriculum
Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table listing every document relating to the national curriculum published by his Department, whether on its own behalf or for others, the National Curriculum Council and the School Examinations and Assessment Council, since May 1987, with date and title of publication, its length in pages, and the numbers of copies printed, in every case.
Mr. MacGregor : It will take some time to prepare this, given that other organisations are involved. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as I am in a position to do so, and will place a copy of my letter in the Library.
Single-sex Schools
Mr. Gorst : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will indicate how many local authorities provide single-sex schooling at secondary level.
Mr. Alan Howarth : In January 1989, of the 97 local education authorities in England, 66 had maintained, single-sex secondary schools.
Mr. Gorst : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has on the trend in the number of parents choosing to send their children to single-sex secondary schools in the public sector.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The information is not available centrally.
Mr. Gorst : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to ensure that local authorities provide sufficient single-sex schooling at secondary level to meet all parental preferences.
Mr. Alan Howarth : There are no plans of this nature, since it is not Government practice to impose particular organisational patterns for schools upon local authorities. My right hon. Friend always takes account of parental preference when considering proposals for change.
Science
Mrs. Peacock : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action is being taken to encourage girls and women to study science subjects.
Mrs. Rumbold : The national curriculum introduced into schools last September will ensure that all pupils will study a balanced science course from early years right up to GCSE level. Girls will not be able to drop physics and chemistry at age 14.
Introducing structured scientific study in primary schools will have a positive effect on the traditionally narrow view many girls and women have of school science.
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The Government are helping to sponsor the Engineering Council's "Women in Science and Engineering" project aimed at persuading girls and women of both the possibility and attractions of careers in science and engineering.Ministerial Speeches
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much it has cost to send secondary head teachers copies of his recent speeches.
Mrs. Rumbold : The cost of printing and distributing to secondary schools copies of the Secretary of State's two most recent speeches was £10,430.
Correspondence
Mr. Kaufman : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to reply to the letter sent on 11 June by the Reverend John L. Clegg of 77 Errwood road, Levenshulme, Manchester, to the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden (Mrs. Rumbold).
Mr. Alan Howarth : A reply was sent to the Reverend Clegg on 10 July.
University Lecturers (Pay)
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when his Department will ratify the pay settlement for university lecturers agreed between the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals and the Association of University Teachers.
Mr. Jackson : A decision will be taken on this proposed settlement as soon as possible.
Schools (Local Management)
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is now in a position to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Birkenhead dated 22 February about the local management of schools in Wirral.
Mrs. Rumbold : No. In my reply of 19 March to the hon. Member's letter of 22 February I promised to write again when the statutory approval of Wirral local education authority's scheme for the local management of schools had been completed ; at present, we are in consultation with the authority over proposed modifications to its scheme submission.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Rover
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Attorney-General what consideration he has given to the implications for any future advice which he will give to Government Departments of the ruling of the European Commission in respect of the British Aerospace purchase of Rover.
The Attorney-General : The legal implications of a decision of the European Commission are always carefully considered.
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Immigration
Mr. Darling : To ask the Attorney-General if he will provide a table of the number of appeals to the immigration appeal tribunal allowed and dismissed in 1989 and the first quarter of 1990.
The Attorney-General : The information requested is set out in the table :