HL Deb 17 March 1997 vol 579 c47WA
Lord Eames

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether there is a contradiction in Northern Ireland between the research evidence which suggests that there is a close relationship between low achievement and social deprivation and the administration of the Social Deprivation Factor which assumes that these are in all cases and circumstances identical.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office (Baroness Denton of Wakefield)

While social deprivation does not always lead to low academic achievement, it is the Government's view, backed up by national and local research, that it is a reasonable and robust proxy for such low achievement. Other indicators, including standardised tests and performance in the transfer tests, are also used in skewing resources towards specific schools.