HC Deb 08 November 1988 vol 140 cc161-2
6. Mr. Andrew Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the latest information available on proposed sites for city technology colleges.

Mr. Kenneth Baker

The CTC programme continues to make excellent progress. Over £30 million—an un-precedented sum—has already been pledged by industry. Much more will be raised.

Mr. Mitchell

Does my right hon. Friend accept that his CTC initiative is widely welcomed by parents, who see it as an excellent chance for spreading choice and opportunity in education? Will he ensure that the areas that have not yet benefited from the CTC programme will be considered seriously as a means of equipping today's children with the skills that they will need in tomorrow's labour market?

Mr. Baker

The CTC programme is a great success. Kingshurst CTC opened in September and Nottingham and Teesside CTCs will open next year. Only today, plans for a CTC in Bradford have been announced. Further announcements will be made shortly.

Mr. Flannery

Despite the lyrical account of CTCs by the Secretary of State, is it not true that they have run into great difficulties? They are not popular and the amount of money coming from private industry is so insufficient that the Government have to fall back on taxpayers' funds. Why does the Secretary of State not admit that, instead of selectively choosing people for the CTC's, giving them special financial favours and taking money away from the

Mr. Baker

The hon. Gentleman lives in another world. When I visited the Kingshurst CTC on Friday there was a board on the door showing the names of the 64 companies that have supported it. The hon. Gentleman said that the CTCs are not popular. There was over-subscription for places at Kingshurst CTC by 2:1. Now, Nottingham and Teesside CTCs are leafleting their areas and I am sure that there will be substantial over-subscription by the parents in those areas.

Mr. Dunn

Will my right hon. Friend accept that the CTC initiative should be encouraged to the maximum extent? Will he confirm that local education authorities are entitled to set up similar institutions if they so wish and should be encouraged to do so?

Mr. Baker

I thank my hon. Friend for the help that he gave in fashioning the policies for the CTCs. He is right. If local authorities co-operate—more local authorities are now beginning to do so—it eases the process of establishing CTCs. CTCs will be popular and successful schools.

Mr. Fatchett

Does the Secretary of State recall his words when he launched the CTC initiative? He said that the majority of the money would come from private sector initiative. Will he now tell us how much private sector money is involved in the Bradford CTC? Is it the case that, like all the other CTCs that the Secretary of State has announced, the majority of the money is to come from the taxpayer, not from Dixons and the private sector? Is the Minister reluctant to give that figure because it will show how cheap it is for the chairman of a company such as Dixons to buy a knighthood from the Government?

Mr. Baker

I say to the hon. Gentleman that that is a most malicious and unfair allegation. Perhaps he would like to repeat it outside the House, where the person whom he slanders could no doubt take appropriate action. The hon. Gentleman asked about raising funds. We asked sponsors to provide £1 million, which is the initial amount. More than £1 million has been provided for Bradford. In the case of Kingshurst, the £1 million has grown to £2 million and Kingshurst is now searching for £3 million. That is what happens. Once the CTCs are established, more companies support them. It is about time that the Opposition stopped attacking CTCs and recognised that they will be successful and popular.

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