HC Deb 16 April 1986 vol 95 cc871-2
20. Mr. Galley

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken to advance knowledge and experience of computers in schools.

Mr. Pattie

My Department, through a number of support schemes, has provided over £17 million of financial support to schools to promote the use of computers and related activity. Most recently we have made available f1.5 million, enough to supply each secondary and middle school in the country with a modem. Further support for computer software is being provided in the next two financial years and we continue to keep the situation under review.

Mr. Galley

I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for that reply—for both replies—and heartily congratulate the Department on the vigorous way in which it is fostering knowledge of computers in our schools. Can he say what level of support is given to schools in the Calderdale area of West Yorkshire?

Mr. Pattie

My hon. Friend will be pleased to know that in Calderdale all secondary schools have received microcomputers under the micros in schools scheme. In addition, 101 out of 105 eligible primary schools have received computers under the primary schools scheme, and each secondary and middle school in Calderdale will receive a modem under that scheme, a total of 24. Support has also been given to Calderdale schools to purchase software under the software support scheme.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

Will not the choice of computers for schools be limited by the fact that Amstrad is now taking over Sinclair? Is the Minister aware that that will give one-man control over 75 per cent. of the personal computer market in the United Kingdom? Should not that matter have been referred by the Director General of Fair Trading to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission?

Mr. Pattie

The question is about the supply of computers to schools. The Government are interested in ensuring that the best products, particularly British-produced products, get into British schools. That is what we are doing.

Mr. Key

Welcome as the computer programme is in our schools, does my hon. Friend agree that the purpose of having computers in schools is not to understand computers, but to understand the subjects that are being studied by means of those computers, and that the real problem lies in the software?

Mr. Pattie

That is precisely why we have put quite a lot of effort into improving the software programmes and into the training of teachers.