HL Deb 28 January 2004 vol 656 cc39-41WA
Lord Lester of Heme Hill

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 12 January (WA 70), what they mean by:

  1. (a) "Catholic" students;
  2. (b) "Catholic" sixth-form education;
  3. (c) the "Catholic character" of sixth-form colleges;
  4. (d) an institution's "religious ethos"; and
  5. (e) the "religious character" of the institutions respectively; and [HL804]

Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 12 January (WA 70), whether they consider it necessary to be a professing Catholic in order to benefit from being educated in a Catholic sixth-form college; and, if so, what are their reasons for this view. [HL805]

Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 12 January (WA 70) what proportion of expenditure on Catholic sixth-form colleges in England and Wales is paid out of public funds. [HL806]

Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 12 January (WA 70), what is their reason for making a difference of treatment between:

  1. (a) the Catholic faith and Catholic institutions of education; and
  2. (b) other religious and belief-based institutions. [HL807]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland)

"Catholic" students means students who are baptised Roman Catholics.

"Catholic" sixth-form education means general sixth-form education offered by an institution, directed by Catholic leadership, underpinned by an understanding of Catholic values shared by all teaching staff and governors and where Catholic religious education and pastoral support are available to all students.

The "Catholic character" of a sixth-form college manifests itself differently to some extent in each institution but all colleges have in common Catholic leadership through the principal and foundation governor representatives on the governing body as well as an understanding of Catholic values shared by teaching staff and members of the senior management team.

The term "religious ethos" is the legislative term used in the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations and is to be understood in the context of that legislation.

The "religious character" of an institution describes its religious ethos and mission.

It is not necessary to be a professing Catholic in order to benefit from being educated in a Catholic sixth-form college. Many students at Catholic sixth-form colleges are not baptised or practising Catholics but have chosen to attend the colleges to benefit from the opportunities for educational and spiritual development and pastoral support that they offer. The institutions also benefit from the diversity of having students of other faiths and none.

The department allocates funds to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for provision in the post-16 learning and skills sector. The department does not provide a specific budget to the LSC for Catholic sixth-form colleges. It is for the LSC to determine the right level of investment in sixth-form colleges to meet the needs of learners. Mark Haysom, the council's chief executive, will write to the noble Lord providing details of the public funding of Catholic sixth-form colleges and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library.

The Government do not, and do not intend to, treat the Catholic faith and Catholic institutions differently from other religious or belief institutions. The proposed regulations, which are yet to be laid, are specifically drafted to permit only those institutions listed in a schedule to give preference in their admissions in respect of non-vocational provision to persons of a particular religion or belief in order to preserve that institutions's religious ethos. The amendment is not specific to any religion or belief and the schedule lists Catholic sixth-form colleges because they are the only religion or belief-based institutions incorporated into the further education sector. We have no plans to incorporate any further religion or belief-based institutions into the further education sector. Nothing in the regulations allows an institution to discriminate otherwise against a person of a particular religion or belief.