§ Mr. KempTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children there were in infant classes of over 30 children in the Northern Region in(a) 1996 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. [155095]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisThe information requested is shown in the table.
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Central Government capital investment in Northern Region £000 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 Basic Credit Approvals 17,989 18,639 18,629 21,171 27,754 Supplementary Credit Approvals 3,085 5,165 5,122 14,826 11,499 Grant to Voluntary Aided Schools 5,774 4,675 2,277 3,314 5,048 Schools Renewal Challenge Fund 910 — — — — New Deal for Schools — 5,698 15,970 29,412 36,980 School Security Grant — 741 923 933 925 Removal of Outside Toilets — — 621 — — Energy Efficiency Initiative — — 812 — — Class Size Initiative — — 2,232 2,990 916 Schools Access Initiative 142 — 73 75 86 National Grid for Learning Grant — — 6,330 7,203 9,172 Early Excellence Centres — — 22 404 657 Assistance with Asset Management Plans — — — 394 — Seed Challenge Funding — — — — 1,896 Class size data were published in a Statistical Bulletin "Class Sizes and Pupil Teacher Ratios in England 2000" on 20 December 2000, copies of which are available from the Library, or alternatively can be accessed from the Department for Education and Employment statistical website www.dfee.gov.uk/statistics. Figures from this release show that in September 2000, there were just 30,000 infants in classes of over 30 compared with 485,000 in January 1998. Just 2 per cent. of infants are now in such classes compared with 29 per cent. in January 1998.
Number of pupils in infant classes over 30 in the north-east region Number January 1996 20,999 January 1997 23,717 January 1998 25,906 January 1999 15,305 January 2000 7,279 September 2000 898
§ Mr. KempTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much capital investment there has been in primary schools in the Northern Region since 1996. [155096]
§ Jacqui SmithThe table shows a breakdown of central Government capital investment of £314,026 million in all schools in the Northern Region from 1996 –97 to 2000 –01. Information at primary school level is not readily available.
These allocations include £88.060 million investment made so far in schools under the New Deal for Schools programme.
The New Deal for Schools was introduced as a new additional progranme targeted specifically at addressing the backlog of urgent repairs in school buildings that had built up after 18 years of under funding under the previous Administration. It has been in addition to other capital funds made available in the Northern Region.
Nationally, investment in school buildings has tripled from £683 million a year in 1996–97 to over £2 billion in 2000–01. It will be £3.5 billion in 2003–04, including grant, credit approvals and Private Finance Initiative credits. There will be central Government investment of £8.5 billion in school buildings in total from 2001–02 to 2003–04.
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Central Government capital investment in Northern Region £000 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 Devolved Formula Capital for Schools — — — — 19,805 Renewal of School Laboratories — — — — 1,852 Nursery Provision — — — — 628 Secondary Learning Support Units — — — — 257 Total 27,900 34,918 53,011 80.722 117,475 Note:
Northern Region defined as the Government Office Northern Region including Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland, South Tyneside, Stockton on Tees and Sunderland local education authorities.