asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many (a) girls and (b) boys took one or more mathematics or physical science subject at (i) O-level and (ii) A-level in the last year for which figures are available.
Information is not available in the precise form requested. The number and percentage of boys and girls leaving English schools in 1984–85 who had attempted (a) mathematics, and (b) physics in CSE and/ or GCE examinations is shown in the table.(2) how much his Department has spent on
(a) word processing hardware and (b) word processing software in each year since 1984; and what is projected expenditure for the financial years 1987–88 and 1988–89.
The value of contracts awarded by my Department for word processing hardware and software for the financial years in question is as follows:
| Wordplex Ltd. | AES Ltd. | |
| £ | £ | |
| 1984–85 | ||
| Hardware | 29,000 | 32,000 |
| Software | — | — |
| 1985–86 | ||
| Hardware | 106,000 | 18,000 |
| Software | 1,000 | — |
| 1986–87 | ||
| Hardware | 47,000 | — |
| Software | 15,000 | — |
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will list those companies that his Department has awarded contracts for the supply of desktop publishing hardware and software in each year since 1984; and what was the value of each contract;(2) how much his Department has spent on
(a) desktop publishing hardware and (b) desktop publishing software in each year since 1984; and what is projected expenditure for the financial years 1987–88 and 1988–89.
The Department is undertaking a study into the extent to which desktop publishing systems would be useful in helping to meet its publication requirements. It has not purchased any such systems in the past, and currently has no plans for such expenditure.