Assisted Places Scheme (Hansard, 15 February 1994)

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much it costs his Department annually to publicise and administer the operation of the assisted places scheme.

§ Mr. Forth
Publicity for the scheme is undertaken chiefly by schools themselves and organisations such as the Independent Schools Information Service—ISIS. The Department produces each year a brief guide for parents and a list of schools participating in the scheme at a cost in 1993–94 of £3,200. The scheme is administered by some eight staff whose direct staff costs are some £134,000 per annum.

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Secretary of State for Education what safeguards are used by his Department to ensure that schools covered by the assisted places scheme meet recognised educational standards.

§ Mr. Forth
All 295 schools participating in the scheme satisfy stringent criteria relating to high academic achievement. They must offer a broad and balanced curriculum and must be able to demonstrate and maintain high academic standards. The Department monitors these standards through its annual examination results survey.

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement indicating the level of fees charged by the institutions in England covered by the assisted places scheme in the current academic year.

§ Mr. Forth
Tuition fees charged by participating schools vary considerably and are dependent to a large degree on the type of institution and its location. In the current academic year 1993–94, the average fee charged is about £4,100 per year. The highest fee charged is £9,348 per year in respect of sixth-formers and the lowest fee charged is £2,283 per year.

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the assisted places scheme.

§ Mr. Forth
The scheme is a success and more popular with parents than ever. Virtually all new places on offer each year are being taken up with a significant proportion going to those children from families with incomes below the threshold, currently £9,225 per year, for full fee remission. To ensure that participating schools carry out assessments of income correctly, the Department also issues regular comprehensive guidance and carries out random audit surveys of income assessments. These surveys, together with the statistical information collected, show that schools are indeed administering the scheme properly and targeting the pupils for whom the scheme is intended.

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the schools in England that have pupils under the assisted places scheme for the current academic year; how many pupils are supported at each institution; and how much it has cost his Department to provide this support.
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§ Mr. Forth
The information requested has been placed in the Library. The estimated cost to the Department for the current academic year 1993–94 is £97.5 million.