§ 25. Mr. TownendTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the number of additional places in the state sector that will be required as a result of the ending of the assisted places scheme. [217]
§ Mr. ByersThere are over 800,000 empty places within existing LEA provision so there is ample scope available to accommodate the 10,000 or so pupils who would otherwise have entered the assisted places scheme each year. Phasing out the scheme will lead to savings of about £100 million in total by the year 2000 which will be used to reduce class sizes for 5, 6 and 7 year olds.
§ 29. Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much it will cost to return all assisted places scheme pupils back into the state sector; and how much money will be released to spend on the state sector. [221]
§ Mr. ByersI refer the hon. Lady to the reply I gave earlier to the hon. Member for East Yorkshire (Mr. Townend).
§ 32. Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Education and Employment how many pupils are currently in receipt of support from the assisted places scheme. [224]
§ Mr. ByersParticipating schools' estimates show that there are some 33,140 children holding assisted places in England in the current academic year 1996–97. Final figures will be available by the end of the current school term. The number of such children in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.
124W
§ 35. Mr. LuffTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children in Worcestershire are currently receiving assisted places. [227]
§ Mr. ByersInformation on the local education authority area from which assisted pupils are drawn is not collected centrally. At the 9 schools currently participating in the assisted places scheme in the Hereford and Worcester area, 1,039 children hold assisted places.
§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what expenditure is planned to support the assisted places scheme in(a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99. [770]
§ Mr. ByersCurrent plans, already announced, for expenditure on the assisted places scheme in financial year 1997–98 amount to £140 million. Provision for 1998–99 will be reviewed in the light of our commitment to phase out the scheme from September 1998 while allowing existing assisted place holders to continue their education at participating schools.
§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the average cost per assisted place in the year 1996–97. [766]
§ Mr. ByersThe average cost of an assisted place in the current academic year 1996–97 is estimated to be £3,916.
§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many assisted places are due to be made available in(a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99. [767]
§ Mr. ByersSome 10,700 new entry places will be made available in academic year 1997–98. We intend to introduce legislation this Summer which will stop new pupil intakes in 1998–99.
§ Mr. StreeterTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the expected annual saving which will accrue from the abolition of the assisted places scheme. [984]
§ Mr. ByersI refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier today by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Reading, East (Ms Griffiths).
§ Mr. StreeterTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is his policy in respect of children midway through their GCSEs and A levels who are currently receiving assistance from the assisted places scheme. [986]
§ Mr. ByersWe shall honour commitments to existing holders of assisted places at age 11 or above to complete their education.
§ Mr. GroganTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many places, at what schools and at what cost were provided under the assisted places scheme in North Yorkshire in 1995–96 and 1996–97. [969]
125W
§ Mr. ByersThe number of assisted places taken-up and the cost of those places for each participating school in North Yorkshire, including the City of York, in academic years 1995–96 and 1996–97 are given in the following table:
Assisted places scheme: North Yorkshire Academic year 1995–96 1996–96 Ampleforth College1 Number of assisted pupils — 23 Cost of places £000s — 121 Ashville College Number of assisted pupils 20 36 Cost of places £000s 93 157 Bootham School, York Number of assisted pupils 33 41 Cost of places £000s 153 197 Giggleswick School Number of assisted pupils 26 34 Cost of places £000s 121 153 Harrogate Ladies' College Number of assisted pupils 25 35 Cost of places £000s 119 168 Mount School, York Number of assisted pupils 35 46 Cost of places £000s 180 225 Scarborough College Number of assisted pupils 42 75 Cost of places £000s 181 340 St. Peter's School, York Number of assisted pupils 108 128 Cost of places £000s 480 586 1 Participating in the scheme for first time from 1996–97.