§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of independent schools operating in Scotland for each financial year since 1975.
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 13 January 1995]: The information requested is as follows:
Financial year Number of registered independent schools 1975–76 102 1976–77 99 1977–78 100 1978–79 98 1979–80 96 1980–81 92 1981–82 90 1982–83 90 1983–84 87 1984–85 90 1985–86 108 1986–87 115 1987–88 127 1988–89 121 1989–90 122 1990–91 123 1991–92 125 1992–93 116 1993–94 117 1994–95 117
§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment his Department has made of the average household income of the pupils applying for 585W assistance under the assisted places scheme; and what is the average household income of pupils covered by the assisted places scheme.
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 13 January 1995]: Comprehensive information on the household incomes of pupils applying for assistance under the assisted places scheme is not collected centrally. No details, for example, are held on the incomes of households below the threshold at which full fee remission applies nor of those applicants who may be successful in obtaining an assisted place. Applications to join the scheme are made direct to participating schools which must administer the scheme in accordance with the statutory regulations.
Information which is available centrally shows that, in the 1993–94 school session, over 81 per cent. of the families of pupils receiving assistance had household incomes of less than £18,000 per annum, and just over 45 per cent. had household incomes below the £9,522 threshold for full fee remission.
586W