§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on his achievements with respect to education in the inner cities.
§ Mr. DunnThe Government's plans for improving the overall quality of education, which include the establishment of CTCs, will have particular relevance for the needs of the inner cities. A range of existing policies, including the education support grant programmes on ethnic diversity and curriculum development in urban primary schools, together with the REPLAN and adult literacy training schemes are already making a significant contribution to the improvement of educational provision 539W in the inner cities. In addition, the school teachers' pay and conditions document 1987, which came into force on 1 October, will have a particularly beneficial effect in the inner cities since it allows LEAs not only to pay extra increments to teachers starting work in an urban area but also to give schools extra incentive allowances on criteria which include the difficulties of recruiting and retaining teachers, and various socio-economic factors. My Department also contributes resources to and advises on the running of the urban programme which supports a wide range of educational activities in inner-city areas. Many schools and colleges also receive grant under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 to meet the special needs of pupils and students from ethnic minority backgrounds, many of whom live in inner-city areas.