Learning and Skills Council (Hansard, 6 May 2003)

§ Mr. Bercow
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received about the School Organisation Proposals by the Learning and Skills Council for England Regulations. [110505]

§ Margaret Hodge
The Department consulted widely for three months last September on the School Organisation Proposals by the Learning and Skills Council for England Regulations together with associated guidance. The response to the consultation was generally supportive of the new regulations. We made available a summary of the responses to the consultation on the Department's website on 12 February 2003.
The following is a list of the names and organisations of those who responded to our consultation.
List of respondents to the consultation on the school organisation proposals by the learning and skills council for England

Anonymous 1

Anonymous 2

Archdiocese of Westminster

Association of Colleges

Association of Greenwich Governors

Bath and North East Somerset Council

Blackpool Borough Council

Boswells College, The

Bournemouth Borough Council

Bracknell Forest Borough Council

Brighton and Hove City Council

Buckinghamshire County Council

Catholic Diocese of Nottingham

Catholic Education Service

Cheshire County Council

Clarendon School

De Montfort University

Devon County Council

Diocesan Board of Education (Blackburn)

Diocesan Board of Education (Durham)

Diocesan Board of Education (Leicester)

Diocesan Board of Education (Oxford)

Diocesan Board of Education (Rochester)

Diocesan Board of Education (Southwark)

Diocesan Board of Education (Truro)

Diocesan Board of Education (Winchester)

Diocesan Schools Commission

Diocese of Lancaster Education Service

Dixon, Christine

Dorset LEA

Foundation and Aided Schools National Association
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Hammersmith and Fulham LEA

Hampshire County Council

Hartlepool LEA

Hessle High School

John Jamieson School

Lancashire LEA

Learning and Skills Council

Lincolnshire County Council

Liverpool City Council

Local Government Association

London Borough of Haringey

London Borough of Hounslow

Manchester Metropolitan University

Medway Council

Merton LEA

Middlesbrough College

National Association of Governors and Managers

National Association of Headteachers

National Association of Independent Schools and Non-Maintained Special Schools

National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers

National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations

National Union of Teachers

North East Lincolnshire LEA

North Yorkshire LEA

Northumbria University

Nottinghamshire LEA

Oxford Governors' Association

Oxfordshire County Council

Rochdale LEA

Rotherham MBC

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

School Organisation Committee (Bedfordshire)

School Organisation Committee (Bradford)

School Organisation Committee (Cambridge)

School Organisation Committee (Camden)

School Organisation Committee (Dorset)

School Organisation Committee (Hampshire)

School Organisation Committee (Kent)

School Organisation Committee (Leeds)

School Organisation Committee (Liverpool)

School Organisation Committee (Northumberland)

School Organisation Committee (Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead)

School Organisation Committee (Sandwell)

School Organisation Committee (Stockton-on-Tees)

School Organisation Committee (Warrington)

School Organisation Committee (West Berkshire)

School Organisation Committee (Wigan)

Scope

Secondary Heads Association

Slough Borough Council

South Gloucestershire LEA

Southampton LEA

St Bernard's Convent School

Staffordshire University

Stockton Borough Council

Surrey County Council

Surrey Institute of Art and Design
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Telford & Wrekin LEA

Torbay LEA

Tower Hamlets LEA

Trinity School

University of Salford

Wolverhampton LEA

§ Mr. Boswell
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on recent changes in the senior management team at the Learning and Skills Council. [110879]

§ Margaret Hodge
John Harwood is retiring after three successful years as chief executive of the LSC. He has been a key figure in building a new learning system which will support a prosperous economy and an inclusive society. He has performed an immense service to this country and leaves a considerable legacy behind him for which we are very grateful. John will continue to drive forward LSC business until a successor has been appointed, and the LSC will be advertising for this post shortly.

§ Mr. Paterson
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to align the financial year of the Learning and Skills Council with(a) the standard financial year and (b) the academic year. [110069]

§ Margaret Hodge
All public sector bodies have 31 March as their financial year end, and in the case of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), this is specified by statute. Public funding is allocated to the LSC by financial years, but it plans and funds the bulk of its provision on an academic year basis, as this best meets the needs of the key providers involved. There are no plans to re-align the LSC's financial year.

§ Mr. Graham Brady
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what percentage of(a) the applicants to serve on the National Learning and Skills Council and (b) the successful applicants declared political activity for the Labour Party; [109427]
(2) what percentage of the membership of the National Learning and Skills Council has declared political activity for the (a) Labour, (b) Conservative and (c) Liberal Democrat Party. [109428]

§ Margaret Hodge
In the first and subsequent appointments rounds, there have been 969 applications for National Council positions. This included applications for the Chair, the Chief Executive and Council Member positions. 102 of these applicants have declared political activity (as defined by the Office for the Commissioner of Public Appointments—OCPA) for the Labour party. This represents 10 per cent. of the total applicants. Of these, 39 applicants declared that they have, or have had, experience as an elected councillor.
There are up to 16 positions available on the Council at any one time (including Chair and Chief Executive). Because of turnover of Council Members, a total of 21 positions have been available since the outset, and of these, six have declared Labour Party activity.
None declared political activity for either the Conservative or Liberal Democrat parties.
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Appointments to the LSC are made through fair and open competition, in accordance with guidance issued by OCPA. Working with the LSC we have sought to attract applications from individuals with a wide range of appropriate experience, regardless of any declared political activity.