HC Deb 12 February 1988 vol 127 cc367-8W
Mr. Andrew Welsh

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what figures he has to show foreign language teaching provision in Scottish schools and that provided in other EEC countries.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

The timetabled percentage of teaching group time in secondary schools in Scotland devoted to foreign languages was 7.6 in 1983. Comparable statistics for other European Community countries are not readily available.

Mr. Andrew Welsh

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to implement EEC recommendations about foreign language teaching in Scottish schools; if he has any plans to increase current language teaching provision; and what steps he is taking to improve the present situation.

Table 1: RSA Payments (£ million)
Greenock and Port Glasgow Parliamentary Constituency Strathclyde Region
Year Current prices Constant (1986–87) prices Current prices Constant (1986–87) prices
1978–79 0.4 0.9 6.7 13.1
1979–80 1.0 1.6 9.7 16.1
1980–81 2.6 3.7 14.4 20.2
1981–82 2.8 3.6 13.4 17.2
1982–83 1.4 1.7 12.1 14.4
1983–84 0.8 0.9 13.4 15.2
1984–85 0.7 0.8 18.2 19.9
1985–86 3.8 3.9 30.0 30.9
1986–87 0.9 0.9 19.6 19.6
Table 2: Payments of revised RDG (£ million)
1984–85
1985–86 0.1 0.1 9.6 9.9
1986–87 0.6 0.6 31.6 31.6
Table 3: Payments of old RDG (£ million)
Greenock and Port Glasgow EO As EO As lying wholly or mainly in Strathclyde region
1978–79 2.0 3.9 31.2 60.7
1979–80 0.4 0.7 17.2 28.6
1980–81 2.0 2.8 35.5 49.8
1981–82 5.1 6.5 51.9 66.3
1982–83 7.6 9.0 61.5 73.3
1983–84 2.2 2.5 34.6 39.5
1984–85 8.0 8.8 41.5 45.3
1985–86 8.8 9.1 39.7 40.8
1986–87 9.1 9.1 61.4 61.4

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Advice on curricular design for the secondary stages of schooling was issued by the Consultative Committee on the Curriculum (CCC) with the approval of my right hon. and learned Friend in November of last year. The CCC has now submitted further advice on the teaching of languages other than English which my right hon. and learned Friend is now considering.

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