Grammar School Ballots (Hansard, 1 November 2000)

§ Mr. Chaytor
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list recorded incidents of fraud and misleading information in respect of the conduct of grammar school ballots before 1 September. [135540]

§ Ms Estelle Morris
During the school year September 1999 to August 2000, officials investigated 38 complaints about grammar school petitions and ballots as follows: one in Barnet. one in Buckinghamshire, one in Birmingham, 10 in Kent, 14 in Ripon, four in Sutton and seven in Trafford. These included alleged cases of schools and local education authorities spending public funds to

Maintained Secondary Schools, Selective and Non-Selective: number and percentage of pupils with statement of special educational needs, eligibility for free school meals and ethnicity—January 2000, by parliamentary constituency

Selective Schools

Number of pupils Percentage of pupils with statements Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals Number of pupils from ethnic minorities Percentage of pupils from ethnic minorities

Kent 43 0.1 674 2.4 1,293 4.5

Buckinghamshire 14 0.1 203 1.4 1,829 13.8

Lincolnshire 26 0.2 222 1.9 347 3

Birmingham 10 0.2 332 5.1 2,405 36.7

Trafford ¹— 0.0 318 4.9 627 9.6

Wirral 9 0.1 328 5.4 116 2.1

Medway 12 0.2 218 3.7 484 9.9

Gloucestershire 11 0.2 112 2.1 335 6.3

Sutton ¹— 0.1 53 1.2 1,041 23.7

Bexley ¹— 0.1 161 3.8 423 10.0

Lancashire 8 0.2 115 3 171 5.8

Southend-on-Sea ¹— 0.1 104 2.8 266 7.3

Slough 7 0.2 178 5.1 1,792 51.8

Warwickshire ¹— 0.1 38 1.2 149 5

Essex ¹— 0.0 22 0.7 271 9.2

Torbay ¹— 0.1 124 4.7 42 1.6

Plymouth ¹— 0.2 99 3.8 68 2.8

Barnet ¹— 0.0 34 1.4 765 34.1

Bournemouth 0 0.0 47 2.3 66 3.2

North Yorkshire 0 0.0 30 1.5 58 2.9

Calderdale 5 0.3 36 1.9 107 5.6

Kingston upon Thames 0 0.0 19 1 665 35.7

Poole ¹— 0.1 45 2.4 44 2.4

Bromley ¹— 0.1 20 1.2 280 16.5

Redbridge ¹— 0.1 49 2.9 806 48

Wiltshire ¹— 0.1 8 0.5 20 1.2

Reading ¹— 0.1 5 0.4 207 13.7

Walsall 0 0.0 37 2.7 364 27

Enfield ¹— 0.1 33 2.5 306 26.8

Kirklees 0 0.0 23 2.3 79 8.1

Telford and Wrekin 0 0.0 8 0.9 54 5.6

Liverpool 0 0.0 63 7.5 72 8.5

504W
influence the outcome of a petition or ballot and alleged breaches of the Ballot Information Code. Only two of these were fully or partially upheld. Both related to Trafford, one from each side of the debate.

§ Mr. Chaytor
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many staff are working in his Department on grammar school ballots; and what has been the cost of this team in respect of(a) salaries and (b) non-staffing costs. [135542]

§ Ms Estelle Morris
Officials working on the grammar school ballots policy may also be deployed on other duties and it is not therefore possible to give the number or the cost as requested.

Maintained Secondary Schools, Selective and Non-Selective: number and percentage of pupils with statement of special educational needs, eligibility for free school meals and ethnicity—January 2000, by parliamentary constituency
			Selective Schools
	Number of pupils	Percentage of pupils with statements	Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals	Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals	Number of pupils from ethnic minorities	Percentage of pupils from ethnic minorities
Kent	43	0.1	674	2.4	1,293	4.5
Buckinghamshire	14	0.1	203	1.4	1,829	13.8
Lincolnshire	26	0.2	222	1.9	347	3
Birmingham	10	0.2	332	5.1	2,405	36.7
Trafford	¹—	0.0	318	4.9	627	9.6
Wirral	9	0.1	328	5.4	116	2.1
Medway	12	0.2	218	3.7	484	9.9
Gloucestershire	11	0.2	112	2.1	335	6.3
Sutton	¹—	0.1	53	1.2	1,041	23.7
Bexley	¹—	0.1	161	3.8	423	10.0
Lancashire	8	0.2	115	3	171	5.8
Southend-on-Sea	¹—	0.1	104	2.8	266	7.3
Slough	7	0.2	178	5.1	1,792	51.8
Warwickshire	¹—	0.1	38	1.2	149	5
Essex	¹—	0.0	22	0.7	271	9.2
Torbay	¹—	0.1	124	4.7	42	1.6
Plymouth	¹—	0.2	99	3.8	68	2.8
Barnet	¹—	0.0	34	1.4	765	34.1
Bournemouth	0	0.0	47	2.3	66	3.2
North Yorkshire	0	0.0	30	1.5	58	2.9
Calderdale	5	0.3	36	1.9	107	5.6
Kingston upon Thames	0	0.0	19	1	665	35.7
Poole	¹—	0.1	45	2.4	44	2.4
Bromley	¹—	0.1	20	1.2	280	16.5
Redbridge	¹—	0.1	49	2.9	806	48
Wiltshire	¹—	0.1	8	0.5	20	1.2
Reading	¹—	0.1	5	0.4	207	13.7
Walsall	0	0.0	37	2.7	364	27
Enfield	¹—	0.1	33	2.5	306	26.8
Kirklees	0	0.0	23	2.3	79	8.1
Telford and Wrekin	0	0.0	8	0.9	54	5.6
Liverpool	0	0.0	63	7.5	72	8.5