HC Deb 05 May 1989 vol 152 cc258-9W
Mr. Robert G. Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish his proposals for the 1990–91 ESG programme.

Mr. Kenneth Baker

I have today written to the local authority associations proposing a programme to support expenditure of £140 million in 1990–91. A total of £50 million of this will be expenditure on new activities or extensions, and the remainder will represent continuing support for activities begun in 1989–90 or earlier years.

My proposals are set out in full in the following table.

My priority in drawing up the programme has again been to continue support for the implementation of the Education Reform Act. The programme that I am proposing expands the valuable work begun in 1989–90 to help LEA with the introduction of local management of schools and of the national curriculum. It also offers LEAs valuable support in other areas such as health education and provision for difficult pupils.

I am proposing to increase the resources available for local management of schools, in particular for the purchase of management and curriculum information systems. Additional money will also be made available for the training of school and college governors, and I am proposing extra support for the core and other foundation subjects of the national curriculum.

Following the report by the committee of inquiry into discipline in schools, my proposals also include £2.5 million expenditure to help LEAs with the development of support services for the most difficult pupils, and a similar sum for work to improve school attendance. £2 million will be available for measures to help combat vandalism and arson.

The ESG to help combat the misuse of drugs has produced some very valuable work, and I now propose to

Education Support Grants 1990–91—Proposed Programme
£ million
New Expenditure and Extensions Committed and Continuing Expenditure Total
ERA Related
1. Local Management of Schools 11.5 25.0 36.5
2. Management Information Systems for FE 4.0 7.1 11.1
3. Training for School Governors 1.0 4.1 5.1
4. Training for FE College Governors 2.0 — 2.0
5. Planning and Delegation to Colleges (ILBs only) 0.1 1.2 1.3
6. Basic Curriculum and Assessment 9.5 10.0 19.5
7. LEA Inspection1 — 3.0 3.0
8. IT in Schools 9.0 4.8 13.8
9. English Language in the Curriculum — 8.2 8.2
10. Primary Science and Technology — 7.3 7.3
11. Maths in Schools — 3.2 3.2
Other Priorities
12. Difficult Pupils 2.5 — 2.5
13. Improving School Attendance 2.5 — 2.5
14. Combating Vandalism and Arson 2.0 — 2.0
15. Health Education 4.0 — 4.0
16. Teacher Recruitment 2.0 — 2.0
17. Youth Leaders in Inner Cities — 3.9 3.9
18. Learning by Achievement — 2.3 2.3
19. Adult Literacy — 1.7 1.7
20. Open Learning — 1.3 1.3
21. Educational Guidance — 1.2 1.2
22. Education for a Multi-Ethnic Society — 2.3 2.3
23. PORTAGE — 1.4 1.4
24. Social Responsibility — 1.3 1.3
25. Rural Primary Schools — 0.6 0.6
Total 50.1 89.9 140.0
Grant2 — — 83.0
1 Second tranche of support for LEA Inspection is included in the basic curriculum and assessment activity.
2 Grant will be paid at 60 per cent, on all activities except science and technology in primary schools and maths in schools, where committed expenditure will continue to be paid at the 1989–90 rate of 50 per cent.