§ Mr. Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the contribution of the GCSE course in nautical studies in relation to the understanding and promotion of best practice in sea safety. [113544]
§ Mr. WicksWe have not made an assessment of how the GCSE in nautical studies may contribute to sea safety.
§ Mr. Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the annual cost of administering the GCSE examination in nautical studies. [113545]
§ Mr. WicksThe GCSE in nautical studies is offered by the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance. The total costs incurred by the awarding body for offering the syllabus in 1999 were £12,282.
§ Mr. Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many students took the GCSE examination in nautical studies in(a) 1995–96, (b) 1996–97 and (c) 1997–98; and how many he estimates will take it in 1999–2000. [113547]
§ Mr. WicksThe number of candidates entered for the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance's GCSE in nautical studies was 144 in 1995–96, 118 in 1996–97, and 105 in 1997–98. An estimate for the 1999–2000 entry will not be available from the awarding body until later in the month.