HC Deb 28 October 1999 vol 336 cc1083-4
5. Dr. Brian Iddon (Bolton, South-East)

What assessment he has made of the impact of the national year of reading. [94253]

The Secretary of State for Education and Employment (Mr. David Blunkett)

The National Literacy Trust will produce its evaluation report in December, but it has already told us that the success of the national year for reading has resulted in a massive take-up of library services, an increase in reading by parents and grandparents with children and a substantial contribution to the success of the national literacy programme which, as hon. Members will know, resulted in a five percentage point improvement in literacy levels for 11-year-olds this summer. The Conservatives, who announced their policy at their conference in Blackpool, would sweep away that programme, along with the numeracy programme, which is making so much progress.

Mr. Simon Burns (West Chelmsford)

One group of people are not benefiting from improved literacy skills, and they are individuals who are excluded from school. I thank the Minister for School Standards for the help that she gave a constituent of mine on this problem during the summer. Can the Department do more to ensure that excluded pupils benefit from improving their reading? Some children are excluded from school for more than a year without receiving any other education, even though they should be receiving it.

Mr. Blunkett

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his generous comments about my right hon. Friend; I, too, offer her congratulations on her becoming a Privy Councillor only a week ago. I am extremely glad that she is in the Chamber today, because she was stuck in a lift in Sanctuary Buildings, which could have excluded her from today's Question Time.

School exclusion is a serious matter; it transcends party differences. Children who are not in school are not learning, and those who are excluded for long periods are likely to drift into crime and other activities which make matters worse. Ensuring that such children are quickly and effectively dealt with, and that support units throughout the country are available rapidly so that we can re-engage those young people in the most appropriate ways, is an essential task to make the literacy programmes work in practice.

Madam Speaker

I have not called Dr. Iddon for his supplementary question. I think that I may have been confused because, after half an hour, we have only reached Question 5. However, I now call Dr. Iddon.

Dr. Iddon

Will my right hon. Friend join me in congratulating Bolton local authority library service on the huge success of its national year of reading? During that year, the service contacted more than 40,000 people across the age spectrum—including 15,000 of the local authority's workers through their wage packets. It also put adverts on local multiplex cinema screens. One effect of that scheme has been a noticeable increase in library membership. Will my right hon. Friend promote numeracy in a similar way?

Mr. Blunkett

In view of Madam Speaker's strictures, I shall be brief.

Madam Speaker

I am glad that the Minister has got the message.

Mr. Blunkett

That has taken up a little time.

I congratulate all the people in Bolton whom I saw when I came to the festival held there during the summer. It was a tremendous success and has enabled Bolton to exceed the national improvement in literacy. I am sure that the maths and numeracy year will give equivalent results during the 12 months ahead.