§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what pupil-teacher ratio his Department has proposed for the city technology colleges; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. DunnThe Government's grant toward the running costs of city technology colleges will assume a pupil: teacher ratio which moves in line with good practice in LEA-maintained city schools.
§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the definition given by his Department of the extent of the catchment area from which pupils will be drawn for a city technology college; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. DunnThe Department's booklet on the city technology college proposals, which is available in the Library, explains that each CTC will serve a substantial catchment area. The precise arrangements will need to be decided case-by-case, but a typical catchment area is likely to contain at least 5,000 pupils of secondary age, of whom 750 to 1,000 will be admitted.
§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the first city technology colleges will be established; when the full list of proposed city technology colleges will be established; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. DunnMy right hon. Friend expects that the first city technology colleges will come into operation by September 1988 and that 20 will be in operation by the end of the decade. A list of possible locations for the first 20 city technology colleges is in the published proposals, copies of which are available in the Library.
§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, for each city technology college that has been proposed by his Department if he will list (a) the number 454W of inquiries, from potential sponsors, to his Department, (b) the number of firm offers of sponsorship and (c) the total amount firmly pledged in sponsorship.
§ Mr. DunnSeveral hundred inquiries have been received following the announcement of my right hon. Friend's proposals for city technology colleges. Many of these inquiries have led to discussions about support or sponsorship. More precise information could not be made available without disproportionate cost. At their request, discussions with prospective sponsors are being conducted in confidence.
§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, for each city technology college that has been proposed by his Department, if he will give the local education authority that covers that site, the total number of secondary education establishments within the city technology college's catchment area and the total number of pupils aged 11 years and above currently attending secondary education establishments in the catchment area.
§ Mr. DunnMy right hon. Friend has proposed that 20 city technology colleges be established over the next few years in a number of our cities. There is a list of possible locations at Annex B of the Department's booklet on CTCs, which is available in the Library. The precise locations will depend upon factors such as the local response to these proposals, and the availability of finance and of accommodation. The sizes and boundaries of the catchment areas will be determined in due course, in discussion between prospective sponsors and the department. The following local education authorities will be responsible for each of the suggested locations listed in the booklet:
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Possible location LEA concerned Greater London: North Peckham Inner London Education Authority Notting Hill Hackney Newham Newham Greater Manchester: Manchester (Moss Side) Manchester Merseyside: Liverpool Liverpool Knowsley Knowsley West Midlands: Birmingham (Handsworth) Birmingham Coventry Coventry Sandwell Sandwell Wolverhampton Wolverhampton East Midlands: Leicester (Highfields) Leicestershire Derby Derbyshire Nottingham Nottinghamshire Yorkshire and Humberside: Leeds (Chapeltown) Leeds Bradford Bradford Hull Humberside Cleveland: Middlesbrough Cleveland Tyne and Wear: Newcastle/Gateshead Newcastle/Gateshead Sunderland Sunderland
Possible location LEA concerned Lancashire: Preston Lancashire East Anglia: Norwich Norfolk South East: Portsmouth Hampshire Southampton Hampshire South West: Bristol (St. Paul's) Avon Plymouth Devon
§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science by what process entry to a city technology college will take place in its first year of establishment for pupils other than those aged 11 years; and who will administer applications for entry to a city technology college.
§ Mr. DunnThe sponsors of each city technology college will be responsible, through the governing body, for deciding and administering the arrangements for admitting pupils. These arrangements will be the subject of prior discussion between the Department and the sponsors. One of the Department's aims in these discussions will be to secure, if possible, that some pupils aged more than 11 are admitted in the first year of establishment of the city technology college, so that it can progress as quickly as possible to full operation.
§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what will be the total expenditure by his Department on the city technology colleges programme in the current financial year, and the next financial year; and what proportion of this expenditure will be on additional administrative costs involved in the proposal.
§ Mr. DunnIn the current financial year the estimated total expenditure by the Department on the city technology colleges programme will be £160,000. Estimated expenditure for the next financial year will be £4 million. In the current financial year 80 per cent. of the expenditure on CTCs represents additional administrative costs, and 20 per cent. other costs. It is not yet possible to break down the estimated expenditure in 1987–88 in this way.
§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy as to the minimum percentage of the total capital costs of establishing a city technology college firmly pledged by sponsors necessary for his Department to proceed with the establishment of that city technical college; and when such decisions will be taken.
§ Mr. DunnMy right hon. Friend has made it clear that he is seeking all or a substantial part of the total capital costs of each city technology college from private sponsors. The decision whether or not to proceed with an individual project will depend on the response from prospective sponsors.