HC Deb 25 February 1994 vol 238 cc503-6W
Ms Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received concerning the introduction of the new model contract by the College Employers Forum.

Mr. Boswell

My right hon. Friend and I have received a number of letters from further education lecturers, both directly and through hon. Members.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will estimate the numbers of employers and part-time students whose need for further education services is not limited to the working day or the traditional three college terms for each year from 1992–93 to 1994–95; and what influence the kind of staff contract has had or is expected to have on the ability of colleges to meet the demand.

Mr. Boswell

Few, if any, employers close their own businesses for up to 16 weeks in each year, so their employees are available for training at times when a college running a traditional 36-week teaching year is closed. Most adult part-time students are also ready to learn during the holidays, or in the evenings. A more flexible contract will assist colleges to open for longer and to meet demand when it arises.

Ms Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made on local employee relations in colleges arising out of the 2 per cent. reduction of college funding.

Mr. Boswell

The 2 per cent. holdback relates to the introduction of more flexible contracts for staff appointed on or after 1 April 1994. I see no reason why the introduction of more flexible contracts should damage employee relations. Staff should see the advantages for themselves of a system where the weight of the whole job is considered rather than the counting of hours on tasks.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what proportion of contracts he will require to be adequately flexible for the £50 million held back from the grant to colleges of further education to be payable; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what time scale he envisages for rapid progress in moving further education staff over to new contracts;

(3) what sanctions are being imposed on colleges to move existing staff on to new contracts;

(4) what he considers to be the significant majority of existing lecturers signing new contracts in colleges of further education which would satisfy his desire to move staff over to them.

Mr. Boswell

The £50 million grant will be released to the Further Education Funding Council in proportion to the number of colleges which certify that staff appointed on or after 1 April 1994 have contracts that provide adequate flexibility for the colleges' needs. No sanctions will be imposed on colleges who do not move existing staff on to new contracts; it is for colleges to decide how rapidly they wish to do so.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the ratio of staff to students of further education colleges for each of the last five years; and what increase in the ratio will be allowed by greater flexibility of contract.

Mr. Boswell

The table gives student-staff ratios for further education colleges for the last five years. Future plans for the employment of lecturers are a matter for individual colleges. It is not possible to say what effect the introduction of new contracts will have on the ratio of staff to students.

Academic year Student staff ratio
1988–89 10.1
1989–90 10.6
1990–91 10.9
1991–92 11.8
1992–93 12.3

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if he will list for each further education college the proportion of existing staff who have been moved on to new contracts;

(2) if he will list those further education colleges which have had strikes, stoppages or working to rule over new contracts.

Mr. Boswell

This information is not collected centrally.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what limits he is imposing on cash sums and salary increases offered to existing staff or further education colleges to accept new contracts;

(2) whether colleges of further education can make payments of fees for private medical insurance for staff as part of an incentive package to persuade staff to accept new contracts.

Mr. Boswell

Within the framework of the Government's policy on public sector pay, it is for individual colleges to decide what they will pay their staff, and what form increases or incentives will take, within the resources available to each college.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what procedures he has introduced to vet staff contracts in colleges of further education to ensure that they satisfy his requirements;

(2) by what criteria he will assess whether new contracts for further education staff (a) offer adequate flexibility and (b) are sufficiently different; whether the contracts currently being issued to new staff fulfil these criteria; and in what respects existing contracts do not meet them;

(3) what kind of certification from governing bodies of further education colleges, that their new contracts provide adequately increased flexibility, is acceptable to him; how that flexibility will be audited; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Boswell

It will be for colleges themselves to certify that their new contacts both provide adequate flexibility for their needs, and, so far as lecturers are concerned., also differ significantly from the former local authority contracts. The Further Education Funding Council will ask them to sign a declaration to that effect. Such a declaration would be subject to scrutiny by the college's auditors.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proposals he has for ending the system of three traditional terms in(a) further education colleges, (b) former polytechnics and (c) universities.

Mr. Boswell

The Government have no such plans. The organisation of the academic year is a matter for institutions.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what limits are indicated for hours worked per week in new staff contracts in further education colleges; and how the part-time contract is differentiated from the full-time contract;

(2) what liability is imposed on further education staff for damage to college property or equipment (a) by them and (b) by students in the new contracts;

(3) if his Department will review or offer advice on new contracts to governing bodies of further education colleges.

Mr. Llwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will give details of the changes in conditions of employment proposed in the new contract for further education lecturers; to what extent these are linked to increased salary awards; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Boswell

It is for each college to decide what form of new contract it wishes to introduce.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if he will set out his objections to the existing contracts of staff of further education colleges; and what changes to these conditions would be acceptable to him;

(2) whether existing contracts for staff of further education colleges include an hour-by-hour account of what they are to do;

(3) to which restrictive practices in the Silver Book of further education colleges he objects; and what difficulties each of those practices poses in respect of a more flexible and responsible service.

Mr. Boswell

The Silver Book includes the following restrictions: no more than 10 sessions per week; no more than 30 hours duty per week; no more than 21 hours of class contact per week; no more than two evening sessions per week; and reduced class contact time for other professional duties according to agreed procedures. Such restrictions prevent colleges from making the best use of their human and material resources. It will be for individual colleges to decide the precise content of new, more flexible contracts.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will detail the negotiations with the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education about the new contract for staff; and what representations he has received from them on it.

Mr. Boswell

The Colleges Employers Forum has held negotiations with NATFHE on the introduction of more flexible contracts between September 1993 and February 1994. A delegation from NATFHE met officials at the Department on 25 November 1993. NATFHE has asked to see officials again and a meeting is being arranged. I am not aware of any other representations from NATFHE on this matter.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish the detailed conditions for the release of holdback of the £50 million kept back from further education colleges in November 1993; and if he will list the colleges which have satisfied them to date.

Mr. Boswell

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) on 16 February,Official Report, column 842. The condition relates to the financial year 1994–95, and colleges will be asked in due course by the FEFC whether they have satisfied the conditions.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how the effect of his statement to colleges of further education that the higher pay costs shall be covered by efficiency improvements will differ from the increases in pay costs available in the rest of the public sector.

Mr. Boswell

The Government's policy that increases in pay costs should be covered by efficiency improvements applies throughout the public sector.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish in theOfficial Report his speech to principals of further education colleges in the week ended 11 February and a copy of his letter to the chairs of the College Employers Forum of 8 February.

Mr. Boswell

Since these are lengthy texts, I have placed copies of them in the Library of the House.