HC Deb 25 May 1989 vol 153 cc605-7W
Ms. Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many city technology colleges are presently operating within the United Kingdom; and which are clearly scheduled to open in September 1989 and September 1990.

Mr. Butcher

Kingshurst CTC opened in September 1988, Nottingham and Teesside will open this September, and Dartford, Bradford, Gateshead and the London school for performing arts and technology will open in September 1990.

Ms. Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much capital money has been identified for development of city technology colleges between their inception and the year 2000.

Mr. Butcher

A total of £13.3 million has been incurred on city technology college capital expenditure between the inception of the programme and the end of the 1988–89 financial year.

Planned public expenditure to 1991–92, as published in Cmnd. 612, is £.106.6 million. The balance of expenditure between capital and recurrent costs will depend on a number of factors, including the nature and condition of premises acquired and the speed at which sponsors' plans are implemented.

Plans for future years have yet to be considered.

Ms. Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much capital money has been provided by the Government to those city technology colleges in existence or scheduled to open shortly.

Mr. Butcher

Capital grants made to city technology colleges open or scheduled to open are as follows:

£ million
Kingshurst 3.53
Nottingham 5.94
Teesside 3.34
Gateshead 0.30
Bradford 0.63
Dartford 0.24

Ms. Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how the running costs of city technology colleges will be met; and what the anticipated source or sources of the revenue funding will be;

(2) whether the running costs of a city technology college will be broadly comparable with similar costs associated with maintained schools.

Mr. Butcher

All normal running costs will be met through our recurrent grant to city technology colleges. The basis of this grant will be expenditure by local education authorities on maintained schools in similar areas. It will be open to city technology colleges, as it is to all schools, to raise additional funds from other sources.

Ms. Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how the travel expenses of children who live over 3 miles away from a city technology college will be met; and how the costs of uniform grants and other similar benefits will be met.

Mr. Butcher

Our recurrent grant to city technology colleges will be comparable to expenditure by local education authorities on schools in similar areas, including expenditure on home to school transport and on pupil support generally. It will be for the city technology college to decide how to meet these costs in specific cases.

Ms. Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what firms or other commercial interests have so far agreed to sponsor an entire city technology college and what are the names of these firms or other commercial interests.

Mr. Butcher

None has been asked to do so. The capital costs of all CTCs will be shared between the Government and private sector sponsors and thereafter normal running costs will be met by annual grant from my right hon. Friend. Sponsors have already pledged £36 million towards the establishment of CTCs across the country—an unprecedented response to an education initiative.

Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how long the period of consultations with parents and governors prior to the decision by the governing body to submit an application to become a city technology college was at(a) Sylvan high school, (b) Haberdashers Aske's schools, Hatcham and (c) Riverside school.

Mr. Butcher

Consultations on the future of the Sylvan high school, which is a county school, were undertaken by Croydon education authority; and the authority subsequently published proposals under section 12 of the Education Act 1980 to cease to maintain the school, so that a CTC might be established in its place. In the case of Riverside, also a county school, consultations were held on its future, but Bexley education authority subsequently decided against publishing section 12 proposals. The period for consultation was approximately three months and two months respectively. Our expectations on what public consultations should take place in these circumstances were set out in circular 3/87.

The Haberdashers' Aske's are voluntary schools and I understand that the governors are considering seeking our leave to give notice of their discontinuation under the provisions of section 14 of the Education Act 1944. That section carries no requirement for public consultations to take place. Nevertheless, we have made clear in my right hon. Friend's statements on 28 July 1988 and 23 January this year that in considering any application for leave under section 14, where the intention is to establish a CTC, we expect that there shall have been prior public consultations.

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