| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
10 Oct 2005 : Column 253W—continued
Education (Appointments/Funding)
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the appointments of principals over the past five years, broken down by (a) sector, (b) school type, (c) Education and Library Board and (d) date. [11343]
Angela E. Smith: Full details of principals appointed over the past five years could be supplied only at disproportionate cost. However, a summary is provided in the following table of the 424 principals appointed over the past five years, broken down by (a) sector, (b) school type and (c) Education Library Board.
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding he allocated to each of the Education and Library Boards for (a) 2005–06 and (b) the three previous financial years; and what the projected or actual overspend or underspend is in each. [14502]
Angela E. Smith: The following table shows the funding (recurrent and capital) allocated to each of the Education and Library Boards by the three funding Departments, Department of Education (DE), Department of Culture Arts and Leisure (DCAL) and Department of Employment and Learning (DEL) in (a) 2005–06 and (b) in the three previous financial years, i.e. 2002–03 to 2004–05.
| BELB | NEELB | SEELB | SELB | WELB | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recurrent | 210.3 | 269.3 | 244.7 | 278.1 | 233.8 | 1,236.2 |
| Capital | 14.1 | 18.0 | 20.6 | 19.5 | 18.0 | 90.2 |
| Total | 224.4 | 287.3 | 265.3 | 297.6 | 251.8 | 1,326.4 |
(75)In 2005–06 some £75 million recurrent (mainly earmarked) funding has still to be allocated, along with the Boards' share of the £12.5 million funding package announced on 20 June 2005. Arrangements for the distribution of this £12.5 million are currently under consideration.
10 Oct 2005 : Column 254W
Cumulative sums unspent at 31 March 2005 are as follows. Figure are passed on provisional outturn in 2004–05:
| BELB | NEELB | SEELB | SELB | WELB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recurrent | — | 4.7 | — | 6.9 | 8.4 |
| Capital | 3.4 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 0.5 |
Cumulative recurrent overspend at 31 March 2005 based on unaudited 2004–05 accounts is as follows:
| BELB | SEELB |
|---|---|
| 10.7 | 20.5 |
Education Expenditure
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent per head per child in the (a) primary and (b) secondary education sector in Northern Ireland in (i) 2004, (ii) 2000 and (iii)1995. [16336]
Angela E. Smith: The information cannot be provided in the format requested as expenditure on schools by all Funding Authorities is recorded on a financial year basis as opposed to a calendar year basis. However, the following financial year information is available:
| Primary per capita | Post primary per capita | |
|---|---|---|
| 1994–95 | 1,470 | 2,312 |
| 1999–2000 | 1,989 | 2,866 |
| 2003–04 | 2,664 | 3,731 |
Notes:
1.The information is based on Funding Authorities published Outturn Statements and comprises funding directly allocated to schools through formula funding arrangements and funding directly attributable to schools (e.g. funding spent on rates; teaching and non-teaching redundancies, etc). It does not include expenditure on central services provided by the Education and Library Boards on such areas as home to school transport, school meals and, curriculum advisory support services. Expenditure on those areas cannot be readily apportioned between the primary and post-primary Sectors.
2.The figures for the primary sector include both the pupils numbers and costs of pupils in nursery classes as expenditure for these pupils cannot be separately identified.
3.The figures for the post primary sector include both the pupils numbers and costs of pupils in preparatory departments as expenditure for these pupils cannot be separately identified.
10 Oct 2005 : Column 255W
Educational Psychologists
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many educational psychologists were employed in the (a) Southern and (b) South Eastern Education and Library Boards in (i) 2004 (ii)2000 and (iii) 1995. [16139]
Angela E. Smith: The information is as follows:
Southern Education and Library Board (SELB)
The following are the number of Educational Psychologists employed by the SELB in the years indicated:
| Full-time equivalent | |
|---|---|
| 1995 | Not available |
| 2000 | 22.75 |
| 2004 | 29.31 |
South Eastern Education and Library Board (SEELB)
The following are the number of Educational Psychologists employed by the SEELB in the years indicated:
| Full-time equivalent | |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 15.66 |
| 2000 | 21 |
| 2004 | 22.8 |
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average waiting time for an assessment to be undertaken by an educational psychologists in the (a) Southern and (b) South Eastern Education and Library Board of a child in the primary sector was in 2004–05. [16140]
Angela E. Smith: The information is as follows:
(a) Southern Education and Library Board
In 2004–05 the average response time in the primary sector for returning psychological advice, in connection with the statutory assessment process, was within six weeks.
(b) South Eastern Education and Library Board
In 2004–05 the average response time in the primary sector for returning psychological advice, in connection with the statutory assessment process, was four weeks.
Electricity Charges
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has held with Northern Ireland Electricity regarding the level of electricity charges in Northern Ireland. [16337]
10 Oct 2005 : Column 256W
Angela E. Smith: The level of electricity charges in Northern Ireland is primarily a matter for the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation and Northern Ireland Electricity.
I plan to meet with representatives of Northern Ireland Electricity in the near future.
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the recent assessment published by the Electricity Regulator in Northern Ireland of the price of electricity in Northern Ireland compared to the rest of the UK. [16138]
Angela E. Smith: I concur with the conclusion that the excess generation costs inherited from privatisation are the main reason for the higher electricity prices paid by consumers in Northern Ireland compared to their counterparts in the remainder of the United Kingdom.
I also accept that the excess generation costs are likely to be of the order stated. However, the average cost per household is probably overstated given the proportion of the excess costs borne by other non-household consumers.
The Government are pursuing a number of options to reduce electricity costs.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |