§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to ensure that the Connexions service will deliver(a) a universal and (b) a differentiated service.[135497]
§ Mr. Wicks[holding answer 31 October 2000]The Connexions service will provide access for all teenagers to high quality information, advice and guidance about their options in learning and life, and personal support for those who need it. Every teenager is different, and the service can be tailored to individual need. The Secretary of State for Education and Employment announced, on 23 October, a substantial increase in the resources available to deliver the new service. By the end of 2002–03, the funding for the Connexions service will amount to £420 million, which will be £177 million more than the careers service currently receives.
The Government have also issued business planning guidance to the new Connexions partnerships, inviting them to produce plans which identify the needs of all young people in their areas and how they propose to meet them. We will scrutinise these plans to ensure that they are offering a universal service as well as differentiating what is needed for those requiring additional and special help. The new resource and planning guidance will enable Connexions partnerships to deliver a service that meets the needs of all young people, including both those progressing well and those in need of extra help.
Numbers of staff whose primary role is teaching in further education colleges, by mode England 1994–95 to 1997–98 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 Number of full-time staff whose primary role is teaching 53,800 52,400 48,800 48,300 Number of part-time staff whose primary role is teaching 77,000 82,200 82,100 79,200 Total number of staff whose primary role is teaching 130,900 134,700 130,900 127,500