Assisted Places Scheme (Hansard, 14 December 1995)

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many schools covered by the assisted places scheme received(a) more than £1 million, (b) over £750,00, (c) over £500,000 and (d) over £ 250,000

School Total school roll Number of assisted Places Percentage of assisted places Assisted place Fees charged£ Total grant paid £

Kilquhanity¹ 27 11 41 2,430 34,082

Keil 207 69 33 4,479 239,782

Morrisins¹ 584 140 24 3,351 417,900

Park¹ 284 68 24 3,708 247,987

Rudolf Steiner 266 62 23 3,594 191,526

Kilgraston 267 54 20 4,161 184,177

St. Denis and Cranley 165 31 19 4,203 128,276

Laurel Bank¹ 354 63 18 4,014 232,914

Merchiston Castle¹ 393 69 18 6,480 333,381

H.S. of Dundee¹ 1,143 194 17 3,608 591,142

Glenalmond 245 41 17 7,575 257,408

George Heriot's¹ 1,512 250 17 3,624 699,790

Kelvinside 546 87 16 4,135 318,494

St. Aloysius¹ 1,082 168 16 2,978 472,009

Rannoch 250 38 15 5,490 175,887

Wellington¹ 354 53 15 4,290 202,604

818W
under the assisted places scheme for each academic year since 1981. [5818]

§ Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
Under the assisted places scheme, grant is paid to parents of assisted pupils. Schools administer the allocation of grant to parents. The amounts distributed to schools for this purpose are set out in the table.

Academic Year Over £1 million £750.001 to £1,000,000 £500.001 ti £750.000 £250,001 to £500.000

1981–82 — — — —

1982–83 — — — 1

1983–84 — — 1 —

1984–85 — — 1 —

1985–86 — 1 — 1

1986–87 1 — — 2

1987–88 1 — — 3

1988–89 1 — — 4

1989–90 — — 2 5

1990–91 — — 3 4

1991–92 — 1 2 6

1992–93 — 1 3 7

1993–94¹ — 1 3 8

1994–95¹ — 2 2 9

¹ Provisional.

Until school session 1988–89, Edinburgh Merchant schools—EMC— administered Stewart's Melville college, Mary Erskine school for girls and George Watson's college and one grant total was allocated to EMC to fund assisted places in each of these schools. From session 1989–90, grant was paid separately to George Watson's college.

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for the academic year 1994–95 in descending order the independent schools by the proportion of their school rolls made up of pupils covered by the assisted places scheme and the total number of pupils on the school roll; what proportion of the school roll at each school was covered by the scheme; how many pupils were covered by the scheme at each school; how many pupils were on the roll of each school; what level of fees was charged for pupils under the scheme at each school; and what sums were received by each school under the scheme. [5870]

§ Mr. Robertson
The information requested for the 1994–95 school session is set out in the table:
819W

School Total school roll Number of assisted places Percentage of assisted places Assisted place fees charged £ Total grant paid £

Crawfordton 45 6 13 4,542 22,853

George Watson's¹ 2,033 248 12 3,876 751,969

St. Margaret's [Edinburgh]¹ 664 74 11 3,895 271,812

Stewart's Melvill and Mary Erskine School¹ 2,556 282 11 3,912 900,020

St. Leondard's 329 36 11 5,682 164,382

Lomond 504 54 11 4,119 183,741

Sthrathallan¹ 495 46 9 7,485 299,342

Fernhill¹ 326 30 9 2,850 78,155

Craigholme¹ 493 45 9 3,330 134,235

Hutcheson's¹ 1,813 163 9 3,389 478,942

Glasgow Academy 1,010 90 9 4,014 329,362

Loretto 378 33 9 7,235 198,443

Butterstone¹ 58 5 9 4,930 23,817

Aberlour¹ 112 9 8 4,875 33,255

Fettes¹ 475 35 7 7,305 204,576

Gordonstoun¹ 456 31 7 6,690 182,064

Belmont¹ 382 25 7 3,570 78,623

Dollar 1,111 69 6 3,719 209,028

Edinburgh Academy 902 53 6 4,935 229,807

Albyn¹ 415 24 6 3,536 69,591

St. Columba's¹ 571 33 6 3,690 117,233

Robert Gordon's¹ 1,353 70 5 3,548 204,100

Clifton hall 120 6 5 4,827 28,452

HS of Glasgow 989 49 5 3,987 143,797

Croftinloan 81 4 5 5,475 20,768

St. Margaret's [Aberdeen] 415 20 5 3,353 53,433

St. George's 877 42 5 4,097 122,151

St. Mary's 93 4 4 4,536 15,992

Craigclowan 240 10 4 3,495 23,450

Lathallan 145 6 4 4,622 28,244

Ardvreck 147 6 4 4,588 22,589

Beaconhurst 249 10 4 4,095 31,815

New Park 128 4 3 3,951 15,839

Belhaven 74 2 3 5,039 9,789

Cargilfield 192 4 2 5,695 12,897

Hamilton College 757 14 2 2,273 27,095

Drumley House 115 2 2 4,415 7,069

Park Lodge 0 0 n/a n/a Nil

¹ Provisional figures. Final audited claims for 1994–95 schools session yet to be submitted.

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many independent sector schools have had(a) more than 25 per cent., (b) more than 50 per cent. and (c) less than 5 per cent. of their school rolls made up of pupils covered by the assisted places scheme for each academic year since 1981. [5794]

§ Mr. Robertson
The information requested was not collected centrally for school sessions 1981–82 to 1992–93. Information for school sessions 1993–94 and 1994– 95 is set out in the table.

School session Assisted pupils over 25 per cent. but not more than 50 Per cent. Of school roll Assisted pupils more than 50 per cent. of school roll Assisted Pupils less than 5 per. of school roll

1993–94 2 Nil 11

1994–95 2 Nil 14

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made by his Department in taking forward proposals for the expansion of the assisted places scheme; and how much his Department estimates this will cost in the future
820W
financial years for which figures are available when this has been achieved. [5820]

§ Mr. Robertson
Consultation on ways of expanding the assisted places scheme are currently underway with the Scottish Council of Independent Schools and a statement will be made in due course. The estimated cost of the scheme in the current financial year will be around £11 million. An additional £9 million in total is being made available for expansion of the scheme over the next three years.

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which independent sector schools charged(a) and highest and (b) the lowest level of fees to pupils covered by the assisted places scheme in the academic year 1994–95; and what charges were levied.[5828]

§ Mr. Robertson
The highest tuition fee charged to pupils covered by the assisted places scheme in academic year 1994–95 was at Glenalmond college at £7,575 per annum. The lowest fees were charged at Hamilton college—£2,273 per annum for pupils aged 12 to 18 years.

§ Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on the operation of the assisted places scheme in each year since 821W 1981; how many (a) pupils and (b) institutions were covered by the scheme; and what was the overspend on the budget allocated to the scheme. [5789]

§ Mr. Robertson
The information requested is set out in the table. Expenditure on the assisted places scheme is cash limited each year and there have been no overspends on the budget allocated in any year since the scheme commenced.

School session Total expenditure £ Pupils covered Schools covered

1981–82 799,203 790 39

1982–83 1,718,485 1,450 41

1983–84 2,454,386 1,900 42

1984–85 3,298,461 2,265 42

1985–86 4,217,234 2,620 42

1986–87 4,861,150 2,626 41

1987–88 5,310,061 2,680 41

1988–89 5,758.542 2,695 41

1989–90 6,681,213 2,841 59

1990–91 7,641,895 2,861 59

1991–92 8,706,443 2,911 58

1992–93 9,755,844 3,038 58

1993–94¹ 10,127,276 3,058 55

1994–95¹ 10,456,738 3,042 55

¹ Provisional.

School	Total school roll	Number of assisted Places	Percentage of assisted places	Assisted place Fees charged£	Total grant paid £
Kilquhanity¹	27	11	41	2,430	34,082
Keil	207	69	33	4,479	239,782
Morrisins¹	584	140	24	3,351	417,900
Park¹	284	68	24	3,708	247,987
Rudolf Steiner	266	62	23	3,594	191,526
Kilgraston	267	54	20	4,161	184,177
St. Denis and Cranley	165	31	19	4,203	128,276
Laurel Bank¹	354	63	18	4,014	232,914
Merchiston Castle¹	393	69	18	6,480	333,381
H.S. of Dundee¹	1,143	194	17	3,608	591,142
Glenalmond	245	41	17	7,575	257,408
George Heriot's¹	1,512	250	17	3,624	699,790
Kelvinside	546	87	16	4,135	318,494
St. Aloysius¹	1,082	168	16	2,978	472,009
Rannoch	250	38	15	5,490	175,887
Wellington¹	354	53	15	4,290	202,604

Academic Year	Over £1 million	£750.001 to £1,000,000	£500.001 ti £750.000	£250,001 to £500.000
1981–82	—	—	—	—
1982–83	—	—	—	1
1983–84	—	—	1	—
1984–85	—	—	1	—
1985–86	—	1	—	1
1986–87	1	—	—	2
1987–88	1	—	—	3
1988–89	1	—	—	4
1989–90	—	—	2	5
1990–91	—	—	3	4
1991–92	—	1	2	6
1992–93	—	1	3	7
1993–94¹	—	1	3	8
1994–95¹	—	2	2	9
¹ Provisional.

School session	Assisted pupils over 25 per cent. but not more than 50 Per cent. Of school roll	Assisted pupils more than 50 per cent. of school roll	Assisted Pupils less than 5 per. of school roll
1993–94	2	Nil	11
1994–95	2	Nil	14

School session	Total expenditure £	Pupils covered	Schools covered
1981–82	799,203	790	39
1982–83	1,718,485	1,450	41
1983–84	2,454,386	1,900	42
1984–85	3,298,461	2,265	42
1985–86	4,217,234	2,620	42
1986–87	4,861,150	2,626	41
1987–88	5,310,061	2,680	41
1988–89	5,758.542	2,695	41
1989–90	6,681,213	2,841	59
1990–91	7,641,895	2,861	59
1991–92	8,706,443	2,911	58
1992–93	9,755,844	3,038	58
1993–94¹	10,127,276	3,058	55
1994–95¹	10,456,738	3,042	55
¹ Provisional.