HC Deb 07 July 1994 vol 246 cc260-2W
Mr. Bates

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the key targets for 1994–95 that have been set for the Hydrographic Office Defence Agency.

Mr. Hanley

The chief executive of the Hydrographic Office Defence Agency has been set the following key targets for 1994–95:

  1. (a) To continue to ensure that all urgent dangers to navigation are promulgated by radio navigational warnings within 20 hours of receipt of the information.
  2. (b) To improve the state of revision of Admiralty navigational charts and publications in waters of UK national responsibility so that at 1 April 1995 82 per cent. will have been revised or reviewed within the previous 10 years and found to need no revision.
  3. (c) To achieve the endorsed and funded Defence programme. In pursuing all of his primary objectives, the chief executive will be expected to strive to deliver optimum value for money.

Mr. Butler

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on key targets for 1994–95 which have been set for the Service Children's Schools (North West Europe) Defence Agency.

Mr. Hanley

The chief executive of SCS (NWE) has been set the following key targets for 1994–95, the agency's fourth year of operation:

  1. (1) For the 42 schools in SCS (NWE), to extend the scope of the local management of schools paralleling, as far as possible, the initiative in the United Kingdom, to include staff costs for locally entered civilians, certain staff costs for United Kingdom-based civilians, building maintenance and utilities.
  2. (2) By 31 December 1994 to launch, and complete, an initial programme of training for head teachers, parents and others serving on school advisory committees so as to develop their advisory role in local school management.
  3. (3) To improve efficiency so as to reduce net expenditure for 1994–95 by 2.5 per cent.
  4. (4) To maintain the overall pass rates in GCSE and A-level grades A to E and achieve a 2 per cent. increase in the percentage of pupils gaining grades A to C in five subjects and achieve an 80 per cent. pass rate in BTEC—first diploma—courses.
  5. (5) During the period of the plan to ensure that 95 per cent. of all teachers meet all the qualifications criteria for their post.
  6. (6) By 31 March 1995, to develop and implement methods for the regular gauging of customer satisfaction with SCS (NWE) schools.
  7. (7) Complete the planned school closure and reorganisation programme in line with the drawdown of British forces in Germany.
  8. (8) Continue to implement the Education Reform Act in accordance with the timetable laid down in the Act and subsequent regulations.

Mr. Bates

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the chief executives of(a) the Duke of York's Royal Military School and (b) the Queen Victoria School in 1994–95.

Mr. Hanley

The following key targets have been set for the chief executives of the schools in 1994–95:

Duke of York's Royal Military School: Key Targets Curriculum

In August 1994: To achieve at least 97 per cent. of GCSE passes at grades A to G. To achieve at least five GCSE passes at grades A to C for 80 per cent. of pupils. To achieve 85 per cent. of A-level passes at grades A to E. To achieve three A-level passes at grades A to E for 80 per cent. of pupils. To achieve 30 per cent. of A-level passes at grades A and B. To achieve 100 per cent. award rate for BTEC national diploma courses. To implement new timetable in September 1994.

Pastoral

By September 1994: To complete detailed pastoral preparations for co-education. To implement school policy on extra-curricular activities. To update policy on assessing, monitoring and reporting in context of Dearing review.

Finance and Administration

To implement financial measures from pay and conditions review by September 1994. To implement efficiency decisions on management of works services in April 1994. To implement new school clothing system by August 1994. To introduce new software package for administration and finance in September 1994 and to introduce new school billing system. To reduce pupil per capita costs to £11,246 by April 1995.

Development

To review agency framework document by April 1995. To start RAF section of the combined cadet force in September 1994. To achieve 200 applicants for entry in September 1995 by April 1995.

Queen Victoria School: key targets

To achieve at least three standard grade passes at credit and general levels (1–4) for 90 per cent. of S4 pupils. To achieve at least 5 standard grade passes (1–3) for 60 per cent. of S4 pupils. To achieve three higher passes at A–C grades or Scottish Vocational Education Council (SCOTVEC) equivalents for 60 per cent. of S5/S6 pupils. To complete the phased implementation of the national five to 14 programme in line with Scottish Office Education Department (SOED) recommendations. To complete the audit of the school's academic programme in line with the SOED guidelines for school development plans: Scotland: 19 January 1994. To review and where appropriate update curricular guidance (S2/S3) as detailed by the Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum: January 1990.

Pastoral

To continue to monitor the effectiveness of the school pastoral policy and organisation document, and specifically to report on parental response on its quality, with reference to "Ethos Indicators in Secondary Schools Scotland: May 1992".

Extra-curricular Provision

To maintain and enrich at least 50 extra-curricular activities, both physical and cultural, involving pupils aged 10–15 in at least three per week and those aged 16–18 in at least two.

Management and development

To complete the audit of all staff functions to maximise educational, administrative and financial efficiency. To commence teacher appraisal and development. To implement the marketing policy so as to reach all eligible families. To implement an effective marketing policy to generate non-public income to the school. To complete planning and begin works services appropriate to the admission of girls for 1996–97 at the latest. To review the school management and committee structure to ensure all major policy decisions are co-ordinated at board level. To complete the implementation of all financial control systems. To identify and implement efficiency measures equal to 2.5 per cent. of the school's budget.
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