HC Deb 10 May 2000 vol 349 cc395-6W
Mr. Ashdown

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the 20 education authorities with(a) the poorest record of pupil performance in GCSE examinations and (b) the highest administration costs (i) per pupil and (ii) as a proportion of their total education budget; and if he will make a statement. [121224]

Ms Estelle Morris

The following tables show, for 1999–2000,(a) the 20 local education authorities with the least proportion of pupils gaining five or more passes at grades A to C in GCSE examinations and (b) the 20 local education authorities with the highest central administration costs (i) per pupil and (ii) in relation to their total education budget.

(a) Percentage of pupils gaining five or more passes in GCSE at grades A-C
Kingston-upon-Hull UA 23.4
Knowsley 23.6
Islington 27.4
Hackney 27.8
Nottingham City 28.7
Southwark 29.5
Sandwell 29.7
Manchester 30.2
Haringey 30.3
Bristol UA 31.0
Middlesborough UA 31.0
Tower Hamlets 31.1
Greenwich 31.7
Lambeth 31.9
Bradford 32.1
Portsmouth UA 32.2
Lewisham 32.3
Barnsley 32.4
Liverpool 32.4
Newcastle upon Tyne 33.6

(b)(i) Central administration costs1 £ per pupil
Kensington and Chelsea 167
Greenwich 127
Manchester 126
Islington 104
Haringey 103
Southwark 100
Camden 99
Tower Hamlets 97
Merton 95
Lewisham 94
Bracknell Forest 90
Middlesbrough 83
Redbridge 82
Blackburn with Darwen 81
Hammersmith and Fulham 81
Hounslow 78
Waltham Forest 77
Harrow 76
Hackney 76
Barnet 75
1 Central costs on statutory and regulatory duties. Corporation of London and the Isles of Scilly have been excluded because of their very small size.

(b)(ii) Central administration costs1 As percentage of total education budget
Manchester 3.88
Greenwich 3.53
Merton 3.25
Kensington and Chelsea 3.20
Bracknell Forest 3.20
Middlesbrough 3.10
Haringey 2.81
Islington 2.81
Redbridge 2.80
Blackburn with Darwen 2.76
Bury 2.75
Herefordshire 2.68
Swindon 2.65
East Sussex 2.61
Hartlepool 2.57
Redcar and Cleveland 2.56
Lewisham 2.56
Wokingham 2.55
Hounslow 2.54
Torbay 2.53
1 Central costs on statutory and regulatory duties. Corporation of London and the Isles of Scilly have been excluded because of their very small size.