§ 8. Sandra Gidley (Romsey)What plans he has to increase rates of pay for lecturers in further education. [138364]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment (Mr. Malcolm Wicks)The Government have made an additional £50 million available for further education teachers' pay in 2001–02, in order to improve students' learning through the recruitment, retention and reward of high calibre staff. Representatives of employers and staff are working in consultation with officials from my Department on detailed proposals for the new arrangements. Subject to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State being satisfied that the detailed arrangements proposed will achieve the Government's objectives, we will make available £100 million in 2002–03 and further increased sums in later years.
§ Sandra GidleyWe welcome the money, but will the Minister confirm that it will be used to address the problem that a lecturer starting in further education currently earns less than schoolteachers at the beginning of their career? Will the Minister also investigate the increasing move to short-term contracts, whereby agreed pay scales do not have to be adhered to?
§ Mr. WicksThe extra money is an indication of our good faith. Yes, we do look at comparisons with the school sector, as do those in the further education and sixth-form college sector. That is one of the reasons why we are acting firmly on the matter. We are not merely making available an extra £50 million and further sums in later years; the Government have made a record investment in further education, which will help to enhance the pay and conditions of important staff in those colleges. We are extremely concerned that the employment of agency staff should not be used by colleges to undermine proper employment rights. We are watching that carefully.
§ Mr. Huw Edwards (Monmouth)I welcome the additional resources that my hon. Friend mentioned. Does he agree that, especially in further education, there is an over-reliance on part-time staff, who are often paid on only an hourly basis for their class contact work, which does not give them fair remuneration for the amount of effort that they put into preparing their work, marking, assessment and the other contributions that they make?
§ Mr. WicksAs in all sectors, we should value part-time staff and give them proper opportunities through training.
429 We are taking training in the sector more and more seriously. I note that inspectors have raised questions about the quality of some—not all—part-time staff. It is important that, as well as teaching on an hourly basis, staff are available to help with pastoral care, so I recognise the importance of the matter raised by my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. John Bercow (Buckingham)Approximately how many working days have been lost over the past 12 months as a result of strike action by further education lecturers? Given that lecturers' pay rates depend on the overall budget, which in turn depends on numbers, can the hon. Gentleman confirm that an institution that is unable to meet its recruitment target may find not only that it cannot increase pay, but that at least in relative terms it may be obliged to reduce it?
§ Mr. WicksWe are concerned to increase the number of our citizens in further education, and we are taking a range of measures to boost numbers. The colleges that are most successful in recruitment will be properly rewarded. The number of days lost through industrial action is extremely small, but I will write to the hon. Gentleman and give him the data that we have.