Swimming (Hansard, 27 November 1992)

§ Ms. Walley
To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make the teaching of water safety compulsory in all schools.

§ Mr. Forth
The statutory order for physical education in the national curriculum requires that, from August 1994, all pupils should, by the age of 11, be able to swim unaided at least 25 m and demonstrate an understanding of water safety.

§ Ms. Walley
To ask the Secretary of State for Education which schools(a) have swimming pools on site and (b) employ (i) swimming instructors and (ii) specialist teachers to teach swimming, life-saving and water safety; what hours are worked; and what information he has about the award of swimming proficiency certificates at each school.

§ Mr. Forth
This information is not collected centrally.

§ Ms. Walley
To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the implications of local management of schools and grant-maintained status on the ability of schools to maintain current levels of swimming instruction; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Forth
Local management of schools and grant-maintained status do not affect the ability of schools to maintain current levels of swimming instruction. It is open to local education authorities in their local management of schools schemes to decide whether to delegate provision for swimming to school level or to retain it centrally. Annual maintenance grant for a grant-maintained school replicates the local management of schools formula of the local education authority in which that school is located, as well as including a share of the funds local education authorities spend centrally on their schools.