HC Deb 19 July 1999 vol 335 cc438-9W
Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children are in receipt of an assisted place. [91669]

Ms Estelle Morris

There are 29,795 assisted place holders in England in the current academic year 1998–99.

Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the average cost of(a) an assisted place and (b) an assisted place to age 13 years according to the most recent figures. [91673]

Ms Estelle Morris

The average cost of an assisted place in the current academic year 1998–99 is £4,145. Since the fees charged for the great majority of assisted place holders aged between 11 and 18 are similar across the age range, and almost 95 per cent. of assisted pupils are in that range, the average cost of a place to age 13 is estimated to be of a similar order to that for the scheme as a whole.

Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children in receipt of an assisted place due to end in the summer term of 1999 are attending the junior school of an all through school. [91674]

Ms Estelle Morris

There are estimated to be about 230 children in the junior departments of all through schools whose assisted places will end at the close of the current academic year.

Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many pupils in receipt of an assisted place(a) applied for and (b) received an extension of their assisted place under Section 2(2)(6) of the Education (Schools) Act 1997; and in each case how many related to an extension to (i) age 13 and (ii) beyond age 13 years. [91671]

Ms Estelle Morris

We have received 343 applications for extension and approved 189 of them. 152 of the applications related to an extension to age 13, and 191 were for an extension beyond that age. Of the 189 cases approved, 117 related to an extension to age 13, and 72 were for an extension beyond age 13.