HC Deb 28 February 1989 vol 148 cc147-9
7. Mr. John Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress he has made on his plans for city technology colleges; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Kenneth Baker

The CTC programme is making excellent progress. Kingshurst opened last year, Nottingham and Teesside will open in September, with Bradford, Gateshead and the London school for performing arts and technology due to open in 1990. Further announcements will be made soon.

Mr. Hughes

As the CTCs have failed to attract public support, and as the Secretary of State has been finding it increasingly difficult to raise private donations, what percentage of the capital cost of future CTCs will be met by the taxpayer and what proportion does he expect to get from private donations?

Mr. Baker

I reject entirely the premise of the hon. Gentleman's question. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Sir John Egan, chairman of Jaguar, proposed a CTC for Coventry—the hon. Gentleman's city—at a meeting with the chief education officer and the vice-chairman of the education group. The Labour majority on the education committee decided not to go ahead with the proposal and, unhappily for Coventry, that would appear to be the end of the matter. It is particularly regrettable when one bears in mind the fact that Coventry is the 16th highest spender in the country but only 61st in terms of the examination results of its school leavers.

Mr. Tredinnick

On behalf of my constituents, I thank my right hon. Friend for his decision to visit John Cleveland college and Barwell primary school in my constituency on Friday. Given his plans to look at CTCs, and bearing in mind the 25 per cent. increase in land prices in Leicestershire last year, will he also consider the county council's capital allocation? If that were increased, it would allow for the refurbishment of Barwell primary school.

Mr. Baker

My hon. Friend's question goes a little wider than the original question. However, I can say that Leicestershire's allocation of £6.8 million for 1989–90 represents 53 per cent. of its planned expenditure, compared with an average of 34 per cent. for all authorities. Leicestershire has therefore done considerably better than the average. It is up to the authorities there to decide how to spend their allocation—whether on land purchase or on other capital work.

Mr. Madden

Why is the Secretary of State so enthusiastic about parents having ballots to enable schools to opt out of the state education system, but so implacably opposed to the parents of children who may go to a CTC having ballots to decide whether or not they want, as in Bradford, £7 million or £8 million of taxpayers' money to be spent on the establishment of a school when the city's existing schools are crying out for expenditure on renovation and repairs?

Mr. Baker

I will make a forecast to the hon. Gentleman, who represents part of the city of Bradford, that when that school opens next year it will probably prove to be one of the most popular in Bradford and that many of his constituents will want to send their children to it.

Mr. Thurnham

Will my right hon. Friend remind industry that its support is very welcome, not only for city technology colleges but also for schools which opt out? Is he aware of the great jubilation in Bolton this morning at his decision about St. James' school despite the pernicious obstruction by the local council?

Mr. Baker

Again that goes rather wide of the question. Let me remind the House, however, that I decided this morning that St James's Church of England school should become grant maintained, and I consider that it will be a successful and viable school.

Mr. Fatchett

When the Secretary of State told the Conservative party conference in October 1986 that he would establish 20 CTCs by the end of the decade was that a serious target, and can he now explain why he has failed?

Mr. Baker

I assure the hon. Gentleman—because I know that he wants to see the programme succeed—that we shall have more than 20 CTCs. [HON. MEMBERS: "When?"] As soon as authorities, especially Labour authorities, co-operate in the provision of sites. Only when the Conservatives gained control of Bradford city council was it possible to start a CTC in Bradford.