HC Deb 11 July 1990 vol 176 cc230-2W
Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to have all appointments to the Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college suspended until such time as the Haberdashers' city technology college trust company has been formed and that body has adopted a code of good employment practices.

Mrs. Rumbold

Appointments will be made in conformity with the requirements of employment legislation following the establishment of the Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college trust.

Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will make a statement concerning the compensation of local education authorities for costs they may incur directly or indirectly, as a result of the closure of a voluntary school under section 14 of the Education Act 1944 for the purposes of converting the school to a city technology college;

(2) if he will fully compensate Lewisham education authority for the redundancy payments it will be obliged to make as a result of the closure of the Haberdashers' Aske's schools in Deptford and their conversion to a city technology college.

Mrs. Rumbold

My right hon. Friend is not empowered to pay compensation to any local education authority for the costs, if any, it may incur as a result of the discontinuance of a voluntary school under section 14 of the Education Act 1944.

Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the deadline for receiving proposals relating to the catchment area, admissions policy and pupil numbers for the Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college.

Mrs. Rumbold

It is for the Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college trust, when established, to decide when it wishes to invite applications for first year places at the CTC for September 1991, subject to the Secretary of State having already agreed the trust's admissions policy.

Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if the £1 million sponsorship for the Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college, to be underwritten by the Haberdashers' Company, additional to the value of the existing schools' sites, will be contributed towards either capital or revenue costs of the college.

Mrs. Rumbold

The £1 million sponsorship which the Haberdashers' Company has undertaken to underwrite may be contributed towards capital costs.

Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what additional steps his Department will take to consult those local education authorities whose own educational planning may be affected before approving any proposals relating to catchment area, admissions policy and pupil numbers for the Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college.

Mrs. Rumbold

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave her on 22 June 1990,Official Report, column 717.

Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college will be legally constituted. for the purposes of section 105 of the Education Reform Act 1988 and paragraph 21 of the model funding agreement, as a single school or two schools.

Mrs. Rumbold

The Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college will be a single CTC which has single-sex departments. The college will be managed by a single charitable company, and will be conducted by one governing body on the basis of a single instrument of government and one funding agreement with the Secretary of State.