HC Deb 02 May 1989 vol 152 cc13-4
11. Mr. Gill

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what performance indicators are available to him in measuring the effectiveness of Her Majesty's inspectorate.

Mr. Kenneth Baker

The performance of Her Majesty's inspectors may be judged by the timely and effective advice they provide to me and my Department on policy matters; by the number, range and quality of their reports and publications, and their inspections; and by the extent to which I am kept appropriately informed about educational standards and trends.

Mr. Gill

Does my right hon. Friend consider that the retention of the core of Her Majesty's inspectors will be necessary once the full effects of the Education Reform Act 1988 translate themselves into the beneficial results which will derive from society's greater involvement and interest in education, particularly in the light of the answer given earlier this afternoon affecting the teacher appraisal schemes?

Mr. Baker

I am sure that parents will be taking a much greater interest in the performance of schools and their children as a cumulative effect of the result of our reforms. I am certain that there will be a continuing and important need for Her Majesty's inspectors to visit schools. They have increased their number of inspections. During the past 10 years, since we have been in office, the number of inspectors has risen from 430 to 490.

Mr. Madden

Will the Secretary of State arrange for inspectors to consider safety in schools? Will he despatch an inspector immediately to a first school in my constituency where all the electric switches are made of metal and where the electric plugs are sparking? That presents a real danger to the nursery and primary school children and the staff at the school. Will the Secretary of State also send an inspector to the Bradford Conservative-controlled education authority and ask why it is refusing to do anything about those dangers at a time when it has put £5 million into balances and has cut the education budget by millions?

Mr. Baker

There have been substantial increases in capital expenditure in Bradford over the past few years, and that is what that money should have been spent on.