Surplus School Places (Hansard, 16 February 1989)

§ Mr. Straw
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table showing for each year from 1979 to date(a) the number of surplus school places removed, (b) the target number specified for that year in the public expenditure White Paper or elsewhere and (c) (a) expressed as a percentage of (b).
315W

§ Mr. Kenneth Baker
The information is given in the table:

Year The number of surplus school places removed 000s The Public Expenditure White Paper Target 000s per cent. (a)/(b)

(a) (b)

1979–80 542 470 115

1980–81

1981–82

1982–83

1983–84 158 160 99

1984–85 155 160 97

1985–86 132 168 79

1986–87 118 167 71

1987–88 124 139 89

1988–89 n/a 137 —

1989–90 n/a 133 —

The column (b) figures for 1987–88 to 1989–90 represent revised targets arrived at following discussion with the local authority associations.

§ Mr. Straw
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total number of surplus school places available for removal represented by decisions made by him or pending in respect of proposals for the closure or reorganisation of schools.

§ Mr. Kenneth Baker
The number of surplus places planned to be taken out of use following my approval of statutory school reorganisation proposals since May 1986 is 103,500. In addition substantial numbers of surplus places have been removed as a result of other action by LEAs, such as removing temporary classrooms, rationalising split sites, and mothballing surplus classroom accommodation. The remainder of the question can be answered only at disproportionate cost.

School leavers 1986–87 maintained schools only

¹Percentages

Attempting Achieving

Total leavers (000's) CSE O-level A-level ²lower grades ³higher grades A-level passes

London boroughs

Barking 2.38 75.8 59.7 9.0 76.3 40.8 7.5

Barnet 3.23 64.5 76.9 32.3 74.3 66.2 30.1

Bexley 3.25 72.1 66.5 17.9 81.1 49.4 16.2

Brent 3.06 91.3 70.5 18.1 89.4 57.5 11.8

Bromley 2.74 81.5 86.5 26.0 85.8 58.2 21.7

Croydon 4.25 79.4 67.5 14.7 81.0 49.8 14.1

Ealing 3.31 82.4 63.5 17.3 78.6 46.6 15.1

Enfield 3.31 79.1 75.6 17.1 81.4 49.9 13.9

Haringey 2.08 78.5 76.2 12.7 77.5 40.2 11.0

Harrow 1.63 90.3 89.0 9.0 84.0 65.0 7.4

Havering 3.55 87.4 79.4 14.9 85.3 53.4 12.9

Hillingdon 2.79 87.7 71.7 14.4 89.9 51.1 11.8

Hounslow 2.46 78.7 71.6 14.4 81.6 52.0 13.5

Kingston upon Thames 1.31 74.3 80.1 26.6 80.3 60.5 23.4

Merton 2.00 74.3 68.4 15.5 83.0 54.1 15.5

Newham 2.88 78.0 57.7 11.5 77.8 47.3 9.9

Redbridge 2.68 75.3 71.0 22.6 75.8 55.1 20.4

Richmond upon Thames 1.69 86.7 81.4 0.7 85.9 65.2 0.0

Sutton 2.00 60.5 80.0 34.3 78.2 68.1 33.7

Waltham Forest 2.03 80.3 67.4 8.5 75.8 32.0 6.3

Inner London 23.55 76.1 55.5 11.7 74.6 43.1 10.4

West Midlands

Birmingham 16.52 81.7 66.3 12.1 80.5 43.3 10.3

Coventry 4.61 87.9 74.4 16.7 84.6 50.9 13.9

Dudley 4.65 89.7 77.1 8.3 86.9 52.6 8.3

Sandwell 4.81 83.2 61.1 9.0 82.2 39.1 7.8

Solihull 3.62 91.5 83.8 23.3 87.2 60.5 20.9

Year	The number of surplus school places removed 000s	The Public Expenditure White Paper Target 000s	per cent. (a)/(b)
	(a)	(b)
1979–80	542	470	115
1980–81
1981–82
1982–83
1983–84	158	160	99
1984–85	155	160	97
1985–86	132	168	79
1986–87	118	167	71
1987–88	124	139	89
1988–89	n/a	137	—
1989–90	n/a	133	—

School leavers 1986–87 maintained schools only
¹Percentages
		Attempting	Achieving
	Total leavers (000's)	CSE	O-level	A-level	²lower grades	³higher grades	A-level passes
London boroughs
Barking	2.38	75.8	59.7	9.0	76.3	40.8	7.5
Barnet	3.23	64.5	76.9	32.3	74.3	66.2	30.1
Bexley	3.25	72.1	66.5	17.9	81.1	49.4	16.2
Brent	3.06	91.3	70.5	18.1	89.4	57.5	11.8
Bromley	2.74	81.5	86.5	26.0	85.8	58.2	21.7
Croydon	4.25	79.4	67.5	14.7	81.0	49.8	14.1
Ealing	3.31	82.4	63.5	17.3	78.6	46.6	15.1
Enfield	3.31	79.1	75.6	17.1	81.4	49.9	13.9
Haringey	2.08	78.5	76.2	12.7	77.5	40.2	11.0
Harrow	1.63	90.3	89.0	9.0	84.0	65.0	7.4
Havering	3.55	87.4	79.4	14.9	85.3	53.4	12.9
Hillingdon	2.79	87.7	71.7	14.4	89.9	51.1	11.8
Hounslow	2.46	78.7	71.6	14.4	81.6	52.0	13.5
Kingston upon Thames	1.31	74.3	80.1	26.6	80.3	60.5	23.4
Merton	2.00	74.3	68.4	15.5	83.0	54.1	15.5
Newham	2.88	78.0	57.7	11.5	77.8	47.3	9.9
Redbridge	2.68	75.3	71.0	22.6	75.8	55.1	20.4
Richmond upon Thames	1.69	86.7	81.4	0.7	85.9	65.2	0.0
Sutton	2.00	60.5	80.0	34.3	78.2	68.1	33.7
Waltham Forest	2.03	80.3	67.4	8.5	75.8	32.0	6.3
Inner London	23.55	76.1	55.5	11.7	74.6	43.1	10.4
West Midlands
Birmingham	16.52	81.7	66.3	12.1	80.5	43.3	10.3
Coventry	4.61	87.9	74.4	16.7	84.6	50.9	13.9
Dudley	4.65	89.7	77.1	8.3	86.9	52.6	8.3
Sandwell	4.81	83.2	61.1	9.0	82.2	39.1	7.8
Solihull	3.62	91.5	83.8	23.3	87.2	60.5	20.9