Schools (Hansard, 20 December 1994)

§ Mr. Win Griffiths
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money he plans to make available for his new initiative for popular schools; when he expects this initiative to get under way; and when the first pupils will take up places in schools taking part in the programme.

§ Mr. Richards
My right hon. Friend has made £20 million available over the next four financial years for the popular schools initiative. Bids will be invited for consideration under the initiative early in the new year and I would hope to be in a position to make the first announcement of schools to benefit by summer 1995.

§ Mr. Win Griffiths
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to launch a major new initiative like that announced for popular schools to raise standards in schools which are identified by the office of Her Majesty's chief inspector or the local education authority as having particular problems to overcome in providing a high standard of education for their pupils.

§ Mr. Richards
The whole thrust of the Government's education policies and reforms is to raise standards. The Education Act 1993 contained specific provisions to deal with schools identified by inspectors as failing to provide acceptable standards of education. It is our policy to raise the standards of education in all Welsh schools.

§ Mr. Win Griffiths
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what specific programmes and publications he has funded in each of the last three years to promote the dissemination of information about making schools successful.

§ Mr. Richards
The Welsh Office has over that period issued advice and guidance in a variety of forms about aspects of school performance and management which contribute to making schools successful, as has the office of Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools in Wales.

§ Mr. Win Griffiths
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by local education authority the(a) secondary schools, (b) primary schools and (c) special schools that will be eligible for his new initiative for popular schools, and what estimate he has made of the capacity of these schools' sites to accommodate the extra facilities that he is proposing.

§ Mr. Richards
All maintained schools which are oversubscribed will be eligible under the popular schools initiative. It is for local education authorities and/or the school to decide whether to bid for funds and whether the school site is able to accommodate the additional facilities.