HC Deb 21 May 1997 vol 294 cc80-1W
Mr. Hogg

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the savings that will result from phasing out the assisted places scheme. [597]

Mr. Byers

Phasing out the assisted places scheme will lead to savings of about £100 million in total by the year 2000 which will be used to reduce class sizes for five, six and seven-year-olds.

Mrs. Anne Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will name the independent schools and number of assisted places in each presently available in the Cambridge constituency. [602]

Mr. Byers

The number of entry places available at each of the three participating schools in the Cambridge constituency in academic year 1996–97 is given in the following table:

School name Number of entry places available
Perse School for Boys 16
Perse School for Girls 25
St. Mary's School 25

Mrs. Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will estimate the eventual savings from phasing out the assisted places scheme in the schools located in the Cambridge constituency.[603]

Mr. Byers

Estimates of the eventual savings from phasing out the assisted places scheme have not been compiled on a local education authority or constituency basis. The current annual cost of the scheme at the three participating schools in Cambridge totals some £750,000.

Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many pupils have been accepted on to the assisted places scheme for September 1997; if these pupils will be allowed to take up their places in independent schools; and if he will make a statement. [752]

Mr. Byers

The number of children who will have taken up assisted places at the start of the academic year 1997–98 will not be available until participating schools have made their statistical returns by the middle of the Autumn term 1997. Some 10,700 assisted places on entry will be available at 1 September, and we propose to allow any pupil selected during the current school year to take up such a place, provided he or she joins the school at the start of the 1997–98 school year.