HC Deb 09 February 1988 vol 127 cc160-2W
Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has for retaining each of the following facilities and services, currently provided by the Inner London education authority as a united and comprehensive review to all pupils and parents in inner London(a) educational prospectus, (b) census advice services, (c) computer services, (d) visual aids equipment, (e) library levies, and (f) playing fields and sports facilities.

Mr. Dunn

Under the proposals announced by my right hon. Friend on 4 February, each inner London council will become the local education authority for its own area. Councils will be required to publish in 1989 development plans for the education services they will provide from April 1990; these plans will be expected to provide information about the range of support services, such as those listed by the hon. Member, which the council will maintain. In the light of these development plans, and of discussions which the Department will have with the councils concerned, my right hon. Friend will consider whether formal steps are necessary to promote co-operation between councils in respect of any such services.

Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science in pursuance of his policy of parental choice and preference, what steps he is taking to consult parents in inner London, concerning the legislation he plans to place before Parliament in respect of education in inner London.

Mr. Dunn

As my right hon. Friend explained in his statement to the House on 4 February, at columns 1178–79, each local council will be required to publish in 1989 a development plan, as a basis for local consultation. These plans will set out the way in which councils propose to organise the transfer of responsibilities and the services they propose to run.

Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, pursuant to his statement of 4 February,Official Report, columns 1178–79, relating to his objective of obtaining better standards of education in inner London, he will state those means of resources which he intends to make available to the new proposed education authorities which are currently not obtainable from the existing Inner London education authority.

Mr. Dunn

The new system of local government finance, which will be introduced at the same time as the transfer of education responsibility to the inner London boroughs, will provide a fair means of distributing resources to local authorities, taking account of local social need. Boroughs will have the opportunity to ensure that the education service in their area is meeting local needs.

Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, pursuant to his statement of 4 February,Official Report, column 1179, he will state the groups of inner London boroughs that he expects to establish joint education committees for specific functions.

Mr. Dunn

The question whether joint education committees need to be established for specific functions, and, if so, the composition of such committees, is a matter which the Department will be discussing with the councils concerned as they draw up development plans for their education service.

Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to publish his proposals for the operation of further and special education in inner London to continue single comprehensive services, following the abolition of the Inner London education authority.

Mr. Dunn

Each inner London council will become the local education authority for its own area, responsible for securing statutory provision such as that referred to by the hon. Member. The question whether these or other aspects of the education service in inner London would benefit from formal or informal co-operation between the new inner London LEAs is one that the Department will be discussing with the councils concerned.

Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, pursuant to his statement of 4 February,Official Report, column 1178, he will state the precise evidence on which he based his conclusion that the service provided by the Inner London education authority is poor.

Mr. Dunn

My right hon. Friend's statement explained that pupil performance in ILEA over the past seven years has remained disappointing, despite increasing levels of expenditure which are sharply in excess of those of other inner city authorities. This is borne out by published reports on ILEA schools by HM Inspectorate, and by many of the authority's own reports.

Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Newham, South of 2 February,Official Report, column 534, he will now obtain and publish the information not then available centrally about pupil and student numbers in each London borough.

Mr. Dunn

As I explained to the hon. Member, my Department does not collect centrally the statistics he has requested. That information is held and published by the Inner London education authority. I will ensure that a copy of the 1987 "Annual Schools Statistics" published by the ILEA, is deposited in the Library of the House.

Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in theOfficial Report the evidence for his assertion, 4 February, Official Report, column 1186, that the political leaders of the Inner London education authority had condemned competitive sport.

Mrs. Rumbold

My right hon. Friend based his statement on remarks made by ILEA's inspector for physical education on Thames Television in July 1986, remarks which were never convincingly repudiated by ILEA's political leaders. The lukewarm attitude of ILEA to competitive sports is reflected in the McIntosh report, which recommends that the authority encourages competitive activities within and outside school time.

Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the inner London boroughs which have(a) finally resolved or (b) indicated an interest in taking over the functions of the Inner London education authority in their area.

Mr. Dunn

The City of Westminster, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the Borough of Wandsworth have publicly stated their wish to apply for LEA status. Reports in the press have made it clear that other inner London boroughs have been considering the implications of such a step.