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Republic of Ireland: Official Languages Act

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 10 June (WA 42) concerning the Republic of Ireland's Official Languages Act 2003, what is meant by "occur in the Republic of Ireland". [HL3302]

Baroness Amos: The phrase "occur in the Republic of Ireland" was used in reference to the activities of the implementation bodies in the Republic of Ireland. The Government consider that the phrase is self-explanatory.

Belfast Agreement: Citizenship

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

What discussions they have had with the Eire Government prior to the Eire Government amending the Belfast Agreement of 1998 in the area of citizenship. [HL3366]

Baroness Amos: The Irish Government have not amended the Belfast agreement in any area. The referendum on Irish citizenship held on 11 June does not amend the Belfast agreement; both Governments have agreed a joint interpretative declaration confirming this.

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

What representations they made to the Eire Government regarding the rights of British citizens, resident in Eire, to vote in the Irish referenda. [HL3367]

Baroness Amos: Her Majesty's Government have not recently made any such representation.

Northern Ireland: Ulster-Scots Agency

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

In the event that additional resources are made available to North/South ministerial bodies during this financial year, whether the Ulster-Scots Agency will be given priority, as its initial requirements were not met. [HL3404]

Baroness Amos: The 2004 budgets for each of the North/South implementation bodies have been jointly agreed by the two governments, in accordance with the arrangements under the agreements made by the exchange of notes between the two governments dated 19 November 2002. The provision of additional resources, above the amounts agreed in the budgets, would be considered only in response to new and specific pressures. Such issues must be the subject of a specific request from the relevant body to its sponsoring department, and it would then be considered in the context of the body's business plan for the year in question, the resource availability at the time and other competing priorities.
 
19 Jul 2004 : Column WA6
 

City Acadamies

Baroness Sharp of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether city academies which take over inner city secondary schools are subject to transfer of undertakings protection of employment rules in relation to staff employment. [HL3765]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills, (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): Yes. Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 (TUPE) has applied in all the open academies directly replacing predecessor schools.

Baroness Sharp of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:

Which city acadamies' establishments have been agreed to date, and what is the respective contributions to their cost, including land values, from (a) sponsors; and (b) the public sector. [HL3766]

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: To date 26 academy projects have funding agreements in place with the Secretary of State. Details of these academies and the capital costs of each are set out in the table below. Academies' recurrent funding is comparable with funding for maintained schools, with similar characteristics, within the LEAs in which they are situated. LEAs, or in some cases church authorities, provide the land on which academies are established, at no cost to the academy.
£

Sponsors provide funding of up to £2 million towards the initial capital costs. Academy: Name	Capital Contribution in: Sponsors	Capital Contribution in: DfES
Open Academies
The Business Academy, Bexley inc. primary
wing	2,450,000	35,866,940
Greig City Academy, Haringey	2,000,000	14,479,000
Unity City Academy, Middlesbrough	2,000,000	18,590,000
Capital City Academy, Brent	2,000,000	25,516,105
The City Academy, Bristol	2,599,000	25,067,644
The West London Academy, Ealing	2,000,000	27,726,458
Manchester Academy	2,000,000	13,291,971
The King's Academy, Middlesbrough	2,000,000	20,301,106
Djanogly City Academy, Nottingham	0	21,236,359
City of London (Southwark) Academy	2,000,000	31,685,332
The Academy at Peckham, Southwark	2,000,000	26,219,539
The Walsall City Academy	2,500,000	15,721,463
Academies in Implementation
London Academy, Barnet	1,500,000	29,898,939
Mossbourne Community Academy,
Hackney	2,150,000	25,823,726
Stockley Academy, Hillingdon	2,000,000	23,809,685
Lambeth Academy, Lambeth	2,000,000	25,450,000
Northampton Academy	2,000,000	25,359,196
Trinity Academy, Doncaster	2,000,000	22,769,433
Harefield Academy, Hillingdon	1,500,000	23,852,463
Marlowe Academy, Kent	2,462,000	24,978,111
Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College
Academy, Lewisham	704,500	6,340,500
Haberdashers' Aske's Knights Academy,
Lewisham	295,500	38,109,500
Academy of St Francis of Assisi, Liverpool	2,000,000	16,196,030
David Young Community Academy,
Leeds	2,357,397	18,348,993
Sandwell Academy, Sandwell	2,000,000	24,156,066
Grace Academy, Solihull	2,000,000	26,881,398

 
19 Jul 2004 : Column WA7
 

Baroness Sharp of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether "ownership" of a city academy by a sponsor implies ownership of the land and buildings and other assets; and if so whether sponsors will retain ownership and development rights on the assets in the event of the subsequent failure of the academy. [HL3767]

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Ownership of any existing buildings or land required for the establishment of an academy is transferred from the current owner, usually the local education authority, to the academy trust before an academy opens. The academy trust is a charitable trust set up by the sponsor which is responsible for the building and running of the academy. Should the academy close, ownership of the land and buildings would revert to the previous owner.

Baroness Sharp of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:

What qualifications are sought from sponsors of city academies to ensure that they are qualified to set the terms and conditions for the employment of teachers. [HL3768]

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Academies are replacing schools which have failed to provide an adequate education for pupils over a long period, often despite a number of attempts to turn them around. The private, voluntary and faith sector sponsors of academies bring with them a wide range of skills, experience and success. Academies have the freedom to set terms and conditions for their staff and we back sponsors to make a success of academies where all else has failed.

Baroness Sharp of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:

What safeguards are in place to ensure that sponsors of city academies serve the best interests of the pupils, bearing in mind the role and influence of sponsors in these academies. [HL3769]

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Most academies are replacing schools which have failed to provide an adequate education for their pupils. All trustees of an academy are bound by charitable law to act in the best interests of the academy. The funding agreement for each academy sets out the framework under which the academy operates, including having admissions arrangements which comply with the code of practice
 
19 Jul 2004 : Column WA8
 
and teaching the national curriculum core subjects. The funding agreement also sets out a range of interventions that the Secretary of State can implement where an academy is in breach of its funding agreement or where he has concerns about its management or performance.

Academies are also inspected by Ofsted in the fifth or sixth term after they open and thereafter on the same basis as other maintained schools.

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