Written Statement of 27 February 2004

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

  Schools (Surplus Places)
  The Minister for School Standards (Mr. David Miliband)
  We are today publishing data on surplus places in primary and secondary schools in England.

  The survey returns indicate that there were 482,078 surplus primary places in January 2003. This is 11 per cent. of the total capacity of 4,40,723, and an increase in surplus of 33,041 places since 2001 when the last survey was conducted. This reflects the recent and continuing fall in numbers of primary aged children. In the secondary sector there were 231,391 surplus places, representing 7 per cent. of the total capacity of 3,455,993, and a fall in surplus of 19,342 places since 2001.

  Surplus Places 1 January 2003

  Primary

  Secondary

  Actual Surplus2

  Schools with surplus of 25 per cent, or more3

  Actual Surplus

  Schools with surplus of 25 per cent, or more3

  LEA Name

  Number of places

  Surplus as a per cent, of total places

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number of places

  Surplus as a per cent, of total places

  Number

  Per cent.

  Barking & Dagenham

  1,342

  8

  604

  5

  Barnet

  2,520

  10

  9

  10

  960

  4

  2

  10

  Barnsley

  1,175

  6

  3

  4

  805

  6

  1

  7

  Bath & NE Somerset

  1,520

  11

  7

  10

  843

  6

  2

  15

  Bedfordshire

  3,265

  12

  18

  12

  3,060

  8

  9

  14

  Bexley

  1,779

  8

  7

  11

  812

  4

  Birmingham

  7,162

  7

  25

  8

  2,998

  4

  3

  4

  Biackburn

  1,048

  7

  4

  7

  795

  8

  1

  11

  Blackpool

  719

  6

  3

  9

  335

  4

  Bolton

  1,690

  7

  5

  5

  373

  2

  Bournemouth

  1,182

  10

  5

  18

  490

  5

  1

  10

  Bracknell Forest

  972

  10

  2

  6

  895

  13

  1

  17

  Bradford

  7,150

  14

  29

  18

  2,992

  8

  2

  7

  Brent

  2,950

  13

  10

  17

  1,185

  7

  2

  14

  Brighton & Hove

  1,790

  10

  5

  9

  889

  7

  2

  20

  Bristol

  3,880

  13

  23

  19

  2,039

  11

  1

  5

  Bromley

  1,559

  6

  S

  10

  480

  2

  Buckinghamshire

  4,332

  10

  22

  12

  1,257

  4

  1

  3

  Bury

  1,102

  7

  4

  6

  253

  2

  Calderdale

  1,891

  10

  6

  7

  497

  3

  Cambridgeshire

  5,819

  12

  26

  13

  3,236

  9

  2

  10

  Camden

  1,077

  10

  2

  5

  84

  1

  Cheshire

  7,505

  12

  40

  14

  2,837

  6

  7

  16

  Cornwall

  4,154

  10

  20

  8

  1,376

  4

  Corporation of London

  6

  3

  Coventry

  2,935

  10

  8

  9

  1,542

  7

  2

  11

  Croydon

  2,414

  8

  9

  10

  1,923

  10

  1

  5

  Cumbria

  3,450

  8

  18

  6

  4,207

  1!

  6

  14

  Darlington

  849

  9

  3

  9

  548

  8

  Derby City of

  2,356

  10

  11

  14

  755

  5

  1

  8

  Derbyshire

  6,504

  10

  40

  11

  3,117

  6

  3

  6

  Devon

  5,291

  9

  32

  10

  1,523

  4

  Doncaster

  3,152

  14

  15

  14

  1,712

  7

  64WS
  Dealing effectively and sensitively with falling rolls presents a real challenge to individual schools and to local education authorities (LEAs). While it is for individual LEAs to consider the scope for removing surplus places, the Department encourages them, when planning, to concentrate on those schools with 25 per cent. or more surplus (arid at least 30 surplus places) which are also performing badly.

  In some cases it is sensible to propose the closure or amalgamation of schools. In others, surplus places can provide opportunities for extended schools providing a range of other services alongside schooling and for wider community use of school premises.

  Recognising the scale of the challenge faced by many LEAs with falling primary rolls, the Department proposes to establish a working group with our partner organisations to explore the options and opportunities available to schools and communities.

  The table attached sets out the numbers of primary and secondary surplus places by local authority area as at January 2003. The table also highlights the number of schools which had surplus of 25 per cent. or more, and at least 30 surplus places. The number of schools in this category has decreased by 25, from 2,441 in January 2001 to 2,416.

  The number of LEAs having high levels of surplus places (20 per cent. of schools with 25 per cent. or more surplus and at least 30 surplus places) fell from 22 in 2001 to 19 in 2003.
  65WS

  Primary

  Secondary

  Actual Surplus2

  Schools with surplus of 25 per cent, or more3

  Actual Surplus

  Schools with surplus of 25 per cent, or more3

  LEA Name

  Number of places

  Surplus as a per cent, of total places

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number of places

  Surplus as a per cent, of total places

  Number

  Per cent.

  Dorset

  3,185

  11

  24

  17

  1,731

  5

  2

  5

  Dudley

  2,687

  9

  6

  7

  595

  3

  1

  5

  Durham

  8,552

  18

  69

  28

  4,079

  11

  4

  8

  Ealing

  2,523

  10

  6

  9

  666

  4

  1

  8

  East Riding of Yorkshire

  2,606

  9

  16

  12

  1,01

  4

  East Sussex

  2,791

  7

  11

  7

  1,670

  6

  2

  7

  Enfield

  995

  4

  3

  5

  2,326

  10

  I

  6

  Essex

  13,462

  11

  48

  10

  6,003

  6

  4

  5

  Gateshead

  2,710

  15

  16

  21

  972

  8

  Gloucestershire

  4,794

  10

  27

  11

  2,737

  6

  2

  5

  Greenwich

  2,289

  11

  7

  11

  1,905

  12

  2

  13

  Hackney

  1,947

  117

  7

  13

  931

  11

  1

  11

  Halton

  1,258

  11

  7

  13

  383

  4

  2

  25

  Hammersmith & Fulham

  1,254

  13

  6

  17

  1,369

  18

  2

  22

  Hampshire

  10,414

  10

  39

  9

  5,001

  7

  5

  7

  Haringey

  1,616

  8

  4

  6

  698

  6

  Harrow

  2,832

  13

  6

  11

  283

  3

  Hartlepool

  837

  9

  3

  10

  629

  9

  Havering

  1,155

  6

  2

  3

  974

  6

  1

  6

  Herefordshire

  1,421

  10

  6

  7

  495

  5

  Hertfordshire

  13,231

  13

  67

  16

  9,832

  11

  11

  13

  Hillingdon

  2,528

  11

  6

  9

  1,133

  6

  2

  12

  Hounslow

  2,174

  11

  6

  10

  441

  3

  Isle of Wight

  1,012

  12

  1

  2

  1,543

  11

  Isles of Scilly

  265

  Islington

  1,760

  12

  7

  15

  589

  7

  1

  11

  Kensington & Chelsea

  617

  9

  202

  5

  Kent

  9,455

  8

  36

  8

  6,915

  7

  12

  12

  Kingston upon Hull City of

  3,913

  15

  7

  9

  1,070

  6

  1

  7

  Kingston upon Thames

  768

  7

  2

  5

  619

  7

  1

  10

  Kirklees

  3,948

  II

  15

  10

  2,989

  10

  4

  13

  Knowsley

  3,595

  20

  19

  32

  1,768

  15

  2

  18

  Lambeth

  1,826

  9

  5

  8

  762

  10

  Lancashire

  12,466

  12

  67

  14

  4,816

  6

  4

  5

  Leeds

  8,487

  13

  42

  17

  3,647

  7

  8

  19

  Leicester City

  4,120

  14

  16

  19

  744

  4

  Leicestershire

  5,629

  10

  26

  12

  1,816

  4

  3

  4

  Lewisham

  2,343

  11

  6

  9

  711

  6

  Lincolnshire

  6,844

  11

  42

  15

  3,533

  7

  7

  11

  Liverpool

  5,906

  14

  24

  17

  2,286

  6

  2

  6

  Luton

  1,756

  9

  5

  8

  344

  3

  Manchester

  5,690

  14

  23

  17

  1,614

  6

  2

  9

  Medway Towns

  2,574

  10

  12

  13

  1,649

  8

  5

  Merton

  2,836

  19

  8

  19

  870

  9

  Middlesbrough

  2,245

  15

  11

  24

  797

  10

  1

  13

  Milton Keynes

  3,266

  13

  17

  20

  1,542

  11

  2

  18

  Newcastle Upon Tyne

  2,280

  11

  9

  13

  1,427

  7

  1

  6

  Newham

  1,729

  6

  4

  6

  1,326

  7

  1

  7

  Norfolk

  8,197

  11

  42

  11

  2,939

  6

  4

  8

  North East Lincolnshire

  1,865

  12

  6

  10

  931

  7

  1

  8

  North Lincolnshire

  1,101

  8

  1

  1

  1,167

  10

  1

  7

  North Somerset

  782

  5

  4

  6

  250

  2

  North Tyneside

  2,726

  15

  11

  20

  826

  6

  North Yorkshire

  6,229

  12

  34

  10

  3,417

  8

  3

  6

  Northamptonshire

  5,847

  10

  30

  11

  4,598

  8

  6

  10

  Northumberland

  2,550

  13

  11

  8

  2,465

  8

  4

  7

  Nottingham City of

  3,940

  15

  20

  20

  1,540

  10

  5

  26

  Nottinghamshire

  6,121

  9

  29

  9

  3,670

  7

  3

  6

  Oldham

  2,332

  10

  6

  6

  888

  5

  1

  7

  Oxfordshire

  6,813

  14

  36

  16

  2,341

  6

  5

  11

  Peterborough

  2,756

  15

  11

  20

  1,898

  13

  3

  23

  Plymouth City of

  3,017

  13

  12

  15

  863

  5

  2

  12

  Poole

  726

  6

  205

  2

  Portsmouth

  2,384

  14

  13

  25

  802

  7

  Reading

  1,751

  16

  7

  18

  854

  12

  2

  29

  Redbridge

  1,091

  5

  1

  2

  1,245

  6

  1

  6

  Redcar & Cleveland

  1,762

  13

  9

  18

  1,204

  11

  2

  18

  Richmond upon Thames

  732

  6

  1

  2

  359

  5

  Rochdale

  2,818

  13

  18

  24

  1,224

  8

  1

  7

  66WS 67WS

  Primary

  Secondary

  Actual Surplus2

  Schools with surplus of 25 per cent, or more3

  Actual Surplus

  Schools with surplus of 25 per cent, or more3

  LEA Name

  Number of places

  Surplus as a per cent, of total places

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number of places

  Surplus as a per cent, of total places

  Number

  Per cent.

  Rotherham

  1,988

  8

  5

  5

  1,312

  6

  1

  6

  Rutland

  608

  19

  5

  29

  345

  13

  1

  33

  Salford

  3,097

  14

  19

  23

  2,154

  15

  3

  21

  Sandwell

  4,096

  13

  19

  19

  1,917

  9

  1

  6

  Sefton

  3,344

  13

  16

  18

  874

  4

  1

  5

  Sheffield

  4,587

  10

  16

  11

  700

  2

  Shropshire

  3,787

  15

  22

  15

  573

  3

  Slough

  1,564

  13

  5

  17

  309

  4

  1

  9

  Solihull

  1,162

  6

  4

  6

  164

  1

  Somerset

  4,936

  12

  28

  13

  2,550

  7

  4

  10

  South Gloucestershire

  2,942

  11

  10

  10

  1,462

  8

  1

  7

  South Tyneside

  1,853

  13

  11

  20

  1,461

  12

  2

  20

  Southampton

  1,776

  10

  7

  11

  1,478

  11

  2

  14

  Southend

  723

  5

  1

  2

  638

  5

  1

  8

  Southwark

  2,737

  11

  5

  7

  686

  6

  1

  8

  St Helens

  1,402

  9

  4

  7

  298

  2

  Staffordshire

  8,256

  11

  47

  15

  2,602

  4

  4

  4

  Stockport

  2,302

  9

  11

  11

  794

  5

  Stockton on Tees

  1,947

  11

  3

  5

  839

  6

  Stoke on Trent

  3,663

  16

  15

  19

  487

  3

  1

  6

  Suffolk

  5,688

  11

  25

  10

  4,957

  8

  6

  8

  Sunderland

  3,844

  14

  13

  15

  2,146

  10

  4

  17

  Surrey

  8,501

  10

  42

  13

  3,706

  6

  6

  11

  Sutton

  915

  6

  3

  7

  598

  4

  Swindon

  2,146

  11

  7

  11

  877

  7

  1

  10

  Tameside

  1,824

  9

  6

  8

  808

  5

  2

  11

  Telford and the Wrekin

  1,542

  10

  4

  6

  854

  8

  1

  8

  Thurrock

  2,271

  15

  7

  15

  760

  9

  1

  9

  Torbay

  807

  8

  3

  9

  145

  2

  Tower Hamlets

  2,013

  9

  4

  6

  1,424

  9

  2

  13

  Trafford

  1,187

  6

  6

  8

  993

  6

  2

  11

  Wakefield

  3,846

  12

  15

  12

  614

  3

  Walsall

  3,334

  12

  12

  13

  998

  4

  1

  5

  Waltham Forest

  1,272

  6

  5

  8

  980

  7

  2

  12

  Wandsworth

  2,025

  12

  9

  16

  679

  6

  1

  11

  Warrington

  1,857

  10

  9

  13

  395

  3

  Warwickshire

  4,263

  10

  20

  10

  2,652

  7

  2

  5

  West Berkshire

  1,328

  10

  8

  12

  330

  3

  West Sussex

  7,348

  11

  30

  12

  3,804

  8

  3

  8

  Westminster

  1,122

  11

  3

  8

  840

  9

  Wigan

  2,676

  9

  12

  11

  1,441

  7

  2

  10

  Wiltshire

  6,877

  16

  47

  21

  3,974

  12

  8

  24

  Windsor & Maidenhead

  670

  S

  5

  11

  524

  5

  1

  8

  Wirral

  3,735

  13

  17

  17

  1,472

  6

  Wokingham

  1,304

  10

  7

  13

  316

  3

  Wolverhampton

  3,436

  14

  18

  22

  1,713

  9

  4

  22

  Worcestershire

  4,616

  11

  26

  13

  2,589

  6

  5

  7

  York

  2,455

  16

  12

  22

  608

  6

  1

  9

  TOTAL

  482,078

  11

  2,146

  12

  231,391

  7

  270

  8

  Note 1: Primary figures show surplus after taking account of summer entry.

  Note 2: Actual surplus is defined as the difference between capacity and number on roll for all schools where capacity exceeds number on roll.

  Note 3: Schools with less than 30 surplus places are not included.

  Note 4: Blanks denote no surplus.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Passport and Records Agency
  The Minister for Citizenship and Immigration (Beverley Hughes)
  The Passport and Records Agency Accounts 2002–03 have been published today and I am pleased to say that copies of the report have been placed in the Library of the House.
  68WS

TREASURY

  Financial Services and Markets Act
  The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Ruth Kelly)
  I announced the start of the two year review of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 in a written statement to Parliament on 4 November 2003,Official Report, (Col 28WS). In that statement I said that the Government intended to issue during February a public

  69WS
  consultation document on changes to the boundary of financial services regulation. A consultation document was issued today. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

WORK AND PENSIONS

  Draft Disability Discrimination Bill
  The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Andrew Smith)
  When I published the draft Disability Discrimination Bill on 3 December 2003, (Cm 6058), I emphasised a priority to meet our 2001 manifesto commitment in the lifetime of this Parliament—on extending rights of disabled people and removing barriers to their participation in society. I also announced our intention to publish a further clause which would protect disabled local councillors from discrimination by the local authority of which they are a member. This meets the commitment in "Towards Inclusion", the Government's response to the recommendations of the disability rights taskforce.

  I am pleased to announce that I have today laid before Parliament the draft clause which becomes clause 15 of the draft Disability Discrimination Bill (Cm 6126, Draft Disability Discrimination Bill—Clause 15: relationships between locally-electable authorities and their members). Alongside the clause are published explanatory notes, prepared by my Department, to assist the Joint Scrutiny Committee of Parliament which is considering the draft Bill. The draft clause and notes are also available on http:// www.disability.gov.uk.

DEFENCE

  Free Packet Service (Gulf)
  The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Mr. Adam Ingram)
  On 17 April 2003, with the generous support of the Royal Mail Group, the Ministry of Defence introduced a free postal service to enable families to post packets up to 2kg free of charge to BFPO addresses in the Gulf. The provision of a free packet service recognised the difficult conditions personnel were operating in and that it was not possible to provide the full spectrum of welfare support normally available to personnel on operations. Whilst southern Iraq is not yet a benign environment, the level of welfare support and the facilities available on Operation TELIC are now comparable to those provided in other operational theatres.

  It has therefore been decided that from 8 April 2004 with the handover of 20 Armoured Brigade to 1 Mechanised Brigade this free service will cease. This date should allow for any Easter gifts to be sent under the free service.

  In common with other operations, personnel in Iraq are provided with free forces air letters and their electronic counterparts ("Blueys" and "eblueys") in addition to free Internet access and free 20 minute phone calls each week. Families may also send packets up to 2kg in weight to personnel in the Gulf at a concessionary rate—the equivalent of the UK inland First Class postal rate. The NAAFI/Expeditionary Forces Institute also sells through its outlets in theatre many of the small
  70WS
  consumable items that families were previously sending to personnel and this has led to a significant decline in the demand for the free packet service.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Council of the European Union
  The Minister for Europe (Mr Denis MacShane)
  The forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union is as follows:

  March

  1–2

  Cork

  ASEM Finance Deputies' Meeting

  2

  Brussels

  Environment Council

  3

  Brussels

  COREPER 1

  3

  Brussels

  COREPER 2

  4–6

  Co. Clare

  Youth Ministerial Conference

  4–5

  Brussels

  Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumer Affairs (Ministerial Informal)

  8

  Brussels

  Meeting of Eurogroup

  8–9

  Ankara

  EU Ministerial Troika with Turkey

  8–9

  Brussels

  Transport, Telecom & Energy Council

  9

  Brussels

  ECOFIN

  10

  Brussels

  COREPER 2

  10

  Brussels

  COREPER1

  11

  Dublin

  EU/Russia Ministerial Meeting (Troika)

  12

  Brussels

  COREPER1

  17

  Brussels

  COREPER1

  18

  Brussels

  COREPER 2

  18

  Ottawa

  EU Canada Summit (Troika)

  18–19

  Dublin

  OECD Ministers Conference

  19

  Brussels

  COREPER 1

  22

  Brussels

  Agriculture & Fisheries Council

  22–23

  Brussels

  General Affairs & External Relations (GAERC)

  24

  Brussels

  COREPER 1

  24

  Brussels

  COREPER 2

  24–25

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Economic and Financial Committee

  25–26

  Brussels

  EUROPEAN COUNCIL

  30

  Dublin

  EU/Ukraine Ministerial Meeting (Troika)

  30

  Brussels

  Justice & Home Affairs (Ministerial Informal)

  31

  Brussels

  COREPER 1

  April

  2

  Punchestowsn

  Meeting of Eurogroup

  2–3

  Punchestown

  ECOFIN

  7–8

  Co. Wicklow

  Ministerial Conference on Communicating Europe

  16–17

  Tullamore

  GYMNICH

  17

  Co. Kildare

  ASEM Foreign Ministers Meeting

  26–27

  Brussels

  General Affairs & External Relations (GAERC)

  26–27

  Brussels

  Agriculture & Fisheries Council

  27

  Luxembourg

  EU/Russia Permanent Partnership Council (Troika?)

  29–30

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Economic and Financial Committee

  29–30

  Brussels

  Justice & Home Affairs (Ministerial Informal)

  May

  6–7

  Dublin

  EuroMed Foreign Ministers

  7

  Limerick

  Meeting of Ministers with responsibility for Equality

  71WS

  9–11

  Killarney

  Agriculture Informal Ministerial Meeting

  10

  Brussels

  Meeting of Eurogroup

  11

  Brussels

  ECOFIN

  11–12

  Cork

  Health Ministers Consultative Meeting

  14–16

  Waterford

  Informal Meeting of EU Environment Ministers

  17–18

  Brussels

  General Affairs & External Relations (GAERC)

  19–20

  Offaly

  Informal Budget Committee

  21

  Moscow

  EU/Russia Summit (Troika)

  23–25

  Brussels

  Agriculture & Fisheries Council

  24–25

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Economic and Financial Committee

  24–25

  Brussels

  Agriculture & Fisheries Council

  25–27

  Co. Galway

  Conference on Islands and Territorial cohesion Meeting New Challenges

  27–28

  Brussels

  Education, Youth & Culture Council

  27–31

  Dublin

  Ministers and Directors General of Public Administration

  28

  Guadalajara

  EU-Latin America/Caribbean Summit

  June

  1–2

  Luxembourg

  Health Council

  1

  Dublin

  Development Ministers' Meeting

  1

  Luxembourg

  Meeting of Eurogroup

  2

  Luxembourg

  ECOFIN

  8

  Luxembourg

  Justice St Home Affairs Council Meeting

  72WS

  10–11

  Luxembourg

  Transport, Telecom & Energy Council

  14–15

  Luxembourg

  General Affairs & External Relations (GAERC)

  17–18

  Brussels

  EUROPEAN COUNCIL

  21–22

  Luxembourg

  Agriculture & Fisheries Council

  21–22

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Economic and Financial Committee

  28–29

  Luxembourg

  Council Meeting of EU Environment Ministers

  July

  1

  Brussels

  Coreper 2

  2–3

  Maastricht

  Competitiveness (Informal)

  7

  Brussels

  Coreper 1

  7–8

  Brussels

  Coreper 2

  8

  tbc

  EU–Ukraine Summit

  8–10

  Maastricht

  Social Policy (Informal)

  9–10

  Amsterdam

  Transport (Informal)

  12–13

  Brussels

  General Affairs & External Relations (GAERC)

  12–14

  Rotterdam

  Informal Ministerial Education Youth and Culture

  14

  Brussels

  Coreper 1

  15

  Brussels

  Coreper 2

  16–18

  Maastricht

  Environment (Informal)

  19

  Brussels

  J HA Council

  19

  Brussels

  Agricultural and Fisheries Council

  22

  Brussels

  Coreper 2

  23

  Brussels

  Coreper 1

  August

  No meetings planned