HC Deb 21 December 1984 vol 70 cc396-9W
Mr. Ernie Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the text of the letter from the Scottish Education Minister to the hon. Member for Dundee, West on 6 December regarding the latest allocation of assisted places in Scotland.

Mr. Allan Stewart

The text of my letter is as follows:

Ernie Ross Esq MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A OAA 6 December 1984

You will recall that the Secretary of State was unable to reply fully to 3 Parliamentary Questions about the Assisted Places Scheme, which you tabled towards the end of the last session. The interim replies were published on 23 and 25 October, (Official Reports, Vol 65, No 207, Written Answers Col 546 and Vol 65, No 209, Written Answers Col 675) but statistics for the current school session did not become available in time for publication in Hansard before the Prorogation.

Hence this letter.

You asked the Secretary of State—

  1. 1. What has been the number and percentage of places awarded under the assisted places scheme to pupils already attending grant-aided or independent schools in the latest school session in Scotland; and what are the corresponding figures for each participating school;
  2. 2. If he will publish in the Official Report a table concerning the assisted places scheme for each participating school showing (a) the number of places made available, (b) the number of applications for places 397 and (c) the number and percentage of applications from parents for children already attending a fee-paying school and the corresponding information for Scotland in total; and
  3. 3. What is the current number and percentage of places at schools participating in the assisted places scheme expressed in terms of the school roll in each case.

QUESTIONS 1 AND 2
Total number of pupils in the scheme in session 1984–85 (provisional) Pupils in col. 1 attending a fee-paying school before entry to the scheme Col. 2 as percentage of col. 1
Albyn school for girls, Aberdeen 10 10 100
Belmont House school, Newton Mearns 5 — —
Craigholme school for girls, Glasgow 22 21 95
Convent of the Sacred Heart school, Kilgraston, Perthshire 34 12 35
Daniel Stewart's and Melville college, Edinburgh 445 301 68
Mary Erskine school, Edinburgh
George Watson's college, Edinburgh
Dollar academy 38 22 58
Edinburgh academy 30 19 63
Fernhill school, Glasgow 23 5 22
Fettes college, Edinburgh 20 3 15
Fort Augustus Abbey school 33 12 36
George Heriot's school, Edinburgh 178 90 51
Glasgow academy 41 28 68
Gordonstoun school, Morayshire 17 7 41
The High school of Dundee 136 69 51
The High school of Glasgow 49 11 22
Hutcheson's grammar school, Glasgow 128 78 61
Keil school, Dumbarton 47 13 28
Kelvinside academy, Glasgow 39 33 85
Kilquhanity House school, Castle Douglas 13 — —
Laurel Bank school, Glasgow 43 22 51
Lomond school, Helensburgh 30 15 50
Loretto school, Musselburgh 20 11 55
Merchiston Castle school, Edinburgh 33 19 58
Morrison's academy, Crieff 158 79 50
The Park school, Glasgow 44 20 45
Rannoch school, Perthshire 18 8 44
Robert Gordon's college, Aberdeen 51 28 55
Rudolf Steiner school of Edinburgh 51 41 80
St. Aloysius' college, Glasgow 129 81 63
St. Columba's school, Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire 34 23 68
St. Denis and Cranley school, Edinburgh 12 7 58
St. George's school for girls, Edinburgh 8 6 75
St. Leonard's school, St. Andrews 20 18 90
St. Margaret's convent school, Edinburgh 13 7 54
St. Margaret's school for girls, Aberdeen 14 7 50
St. Margaret's school for girls, Edinburgh 44 26 59
Strathallan school, Forgandenny, Perthshire 20 9 45
Glenalmond college, Perthshire 28 12 43
Wellington school, Ayr 19 13 68
Westbourne school for girls, Glasgow 76 36 47
2,173 1,222 56

Question 3
Total number of assisted pupils in the scheme in session 1984–85 (Provisional) Number of assisted pupils as percentage of school roll
Albyn School for Girls, Aberdeen 10 2.1
Belmont House School, Newton Meams 5 1.8
Craigholme School for Girls, Glasgow 22 3.5
Convent of the Sacred Heart School, Kilgraston, Perthshire 34 16.2
Daniel Stewart's and Melville College, Edinburgh 445 10.2
Mary Erskine School, Edinburgh
George Watson's College, Edinburgh
Dollar Academy 38 3.7
Edinburgh Academy 30 3.0
Fernhill School, Glasgow 23 7.9

You will recall from the Secretary of State's earlier reply that the information which you required in Parts (b) and (c) of the second Question is not collected centrally. The information now available in reply to all 3 Questions is in the enclosed tables.

Allan Stewart

Total number of assisted pupils in the scheme in session 1984–85 (Provisional) Number of assisted pupils as percentage of school roll
Fettes College, Edinburgh 20 3.8
Fort Augustus Abbey School 33 35.9
George Heriot's School, Edinburgh 178 13.0
Glasgow Academy 41 4.5
Gordonstoun School, Morayshire 17 3.7
The High School of Dundee 136 12.0
The High School of Glasgow 49 5.5
Hutchesons' Grammar School, Glasgow 128 8.0
Keil School, Dumbarton 47 33.8
Kelvinside Academy, Glasgow 39 5.6
Kilquhanity House School, Castle Douglas 13 44.8
Laurel Bank School, Glasgow 43 10.6
Lomond School, Helensburgh 30 6.2
Loretto School, Musselburgh 20 5.1
Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh 33 9.6
Morrison's Academy, Crieff 158 18.5
The Park School, Glasgow 44 11.0
Rannoch School, Perthshire 18 6.7
Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen 51 4.4
Rudolf Steiner School of Edinburgh 51 15.4
St. Aloysius' College, Glasgow 129 12.4
St. Columba's, Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire 34 9.0
St. Denis & Cranley School, Edinburgh 12 5.1
St. George's School for Girls, Edinburgh 8 0.9
St. Leonard's School, St. Andrews 20 4.5
St. Margaret's Convent School, Edinburgh 13 6.1
St. Margaret's School for Girls, Aberdeen 14 3.1
St. Margaret's School for Girls (Edinburgh) 44 5.1
Strathallan School, Forgandenny, Perthshire 20 4.2
Glenalmond College, Perthshire 28 7.1
Wellington School, Ayr 19 3.7
Westbourne School for Girls, Glasgow 76 23.3