§ Mr. Freudasked the Paymaster General what information is available to his Department, in respect of the participation of pupils with special educational needs, in the technical and vocational education initiative scheme (a) in total, (b) as a proportion of the total numbers involved in the technical and vocational education initiative and (c) as compared with the percentage of the secondary school population designated as having special educational needs; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. TrippierThe national criteria for the technical and vocational education initiative require that projects consider accommodating some students with special educational needs. So far over half of the 74 projects currently operating have done so, but no figures of the number of pupils involved are available.
§ Mr. Freudasked the Paymaster General what proportion of participants in technical vocational and education initiative schemes were girls; and how this compares with the overall secondary school population at the latest available date.
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Wages inspectorate staff in post at September 1975–77 1975 1976 1977 Region Inspectors Other staff Inspectors Other staff' Inspectors Other staff South East 41 45 40 44 46 42 South West 9 11 9 11 9 12½ Midlands 20 18½ 20 17½ 20 16½ North West 16 12 16 10 16 14 Yorks and Humberside 12 12 12 12 12 12 Northern 9 6 9 6 10 6 Scotland 14 12 14 12 15 12 Wales 7 6 7 6 7 6 Great Britain 128 122½ 127 118½ 135 121
§ Mr. TrippierAcross the 74 projects in Great Britain currently operating under the technical and vocational education initiative, 43 per cent. of students starting projects were girls. This compares with 49 per cent. for the population in maintained secondary schools as at January 1985.
§ Mr. Freudasked the Paymaster General whether he will list in the Official Report for each local education authority in England (a) the sum received for technical and vocational education initiative projects, (b) the sum received for technical and vocational education initiative projects expressed as a percentage of the education budget, (c) the number of pupils engaged on technical and vocational education initiative projects, (d) the number of such pupils expressed as a percentage of the total in secondary education, (e) the number of secondary schools involved in the technical and vocational education initiative, (f) the percentage of secondary schools involved in technical and vocational education initiative, and (g) the percentage of pupils in participating schools engaged in technical and vocational education initiative projects in each case (i) during the pilot scheme and (ii) under the proposed expansion of the scheme.
§ Mr. TrippierI shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.