To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which of the first-round education action zones have applied to vary the details of their original bids; and if he will set out the details of such variations. [81144]
None so far. Each EAZ submitted a detailed action plan on 31 March 1999. The action plans are currently being assessed and decisions on their approval will be made shortly.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the time limits on the existence of the education and employment action zones.[80893]
Education Action Zones are established for three years in the first instance. Zones which are successfully meeting their aims and targets for raising standards, and can continue to contribute significantly to raising standards, will be extended to five years; some may be extended beyond this.Employment Action Zones will operate for two years in 14 areas, from April 2000, helping 48,000 long-term unemployed people find and keep work.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 27 January 1999, Official Report, column 293, if he will list the expenditure by his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies on (a) market research, (b) conferences, (c) direct mail, (d) advertising and
| Key stage 1 and 2 classes, average class size of single teacher classes in maintained primary and secondary schools. Local Education Authority areas, January 1998 and 1999 | ||||
| Key Stage 1 | Key Stage 2 | |||
| England | 27.1 | 26.5 | 28.3 | 28.4 |
| North East | 26.9 | 25.8 | 27.8 | 27.6 |
| Hartlepool | 27.9 | 25.7 | 28.2 | 28.0 |
| Middlesbrough | 26.7 | 26.0 | 27.5 | 27.2 |
| Redcar and Cleveland | 26.8 | 26.1 | 27.9 | 27.3 |
| Stockton-on-Tees | 26.7 | 26.0 | 28.3 | 27.8 |
| Darlington | 29.3 | 25.9 | 29.2 | 28.4 |
| Durham | 27.2 | 29.4 | 29.1 | 30.2 |
| Northumberland | 27.3 | 25.9 | 29.0 | 28.4 |
| Gateshead | 25.8 | 25.4 | 26.6 | 26.9 |
| Newcastle-upon-Tyne | 27.4 | 25.4 | 27.8 | 27.7 |
| North Tyneside | 27.2 | 26.5 | 27.6 | 27.5 |
| South Tyneside | 27.0 | 25.0 | 26.7 | 26.8 |
| Sunderland | 25.2 | 24.7 | 26.4 | 26.6 |
| North West and Merseyside | 27.5 | 26.6 | 28.5 | 28.6 |
| North West | 27.7 | 26.7 | 28.7 | 28.9 |
| Cheshire1 | 26.4 | — | 28.0 | — |
| Cheshire2 | — | 26.4 | — | 28.3 |
| Halton | — | 24.9 | — | 27.8 |
| Warrington | — | 27.3 | — | 28.8 |
| Cumbria | 25.7 | 25.0 | 26.7 | 26.8 |
| Bolton | 28.3 | 27.8 | 29.2 | 29.6 |
| Bury | 29.3 | 25.3 | 29.7 | 29.5 |
| Manchester | 27.1 | 26.6 | 27.9 | 28.1 |
| Oldham | 29.1 | 28.3 | 30.1 | 29.8 |
| Rochdale | 28.9 | 27.8 | 30.0 | 29.9 |
| Salford | 26.9 | 25.7 | 27.5 | 28.3 |
| Stockport | 28.1 | 27.1 | 29.1 | 29.2 |
| Tameside | 29.2 | 27.5 | 30.2 | 29.3 |
publicity, (e) web sites, (f) hospitality, (g) salaries and relevant expenses of administrative staff and (h) external consultants and advisers which is included in the expenditure on education action zones.. [81152]
Expenditure, during the financial year 1998–99, was as follows:
| £ | |
| (a) Market research | 0 |
| (b) Conferences | 254,735 |
| (c) Direct mail | 3,496 |
| (d) Advertising and publicity | 124,825 |
| (e) Website | 0 |
| (f) Hospitality | 1,200 |
| (g) Central administration costs | 539,693 |
| (h) External consultants and advisers | 219,202 |