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Efficiency Gains
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to express efficiency gains as a percentage of his departmental budget; and if he will make a statement. [69631]
Mr. Mudie:
I refer the hon. Member to the publication "Public Services for the Future: Modernisation, Reform, Accountability" (Cm 4181) which is available in the Library. This includes the Department for Education and Employment's Public Service Agreement, which describes the Department's objectives and resources and
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contains our specific efficiency and performance targets, including an annual efficiency gain of 2½ per cent. in running costs.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many work permits issued for nurses in each of the last five years were (a) newly admitted one year work permits, (b) one year work permit renewals and (c) new work permits of over one year duration. [68577]
Ms Hodge:
For the information requested at points (a) and (c) I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 18 January 1999, Official Report, column 349.
The information requested at (b) is not available as work permit records do not link applications for renewal of a permit with the period for which the permit was originally approved.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what discussions he has had with Remploy about their factories in North Staffordshire. [69059]
Ms Hodge:
There have been no discussions between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and Remploy about their factories in North Staffordshire.
However, I am aware that Remploy management recently informed the workforce and unions in the three Remploy factories in Stoke, Trentham and Newcastle under Lyme of their intention to look into the feasibility of merging the three factories onto one site. I am told that two of the factories are in poor structural condition, and the third does not provide the necessary scope to expand operations. An important aim from any merger would be to provide a more modern facilities with a better working environment for the disabled employees.
I understand that there would be full consultation with the workers and trade union representatives on each site if the project looked feasible. If there was a merger, all existing disabled employees would be guaranteed a job at the new site and help with transport as necessary.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the participation rate of three-year-olds in early education in Hampshire. [69461]
Ms Hodge:
The information is not available in the form requested. There were 559 three-year-olds in maintained nursery and primary schools in the Hampshire Local Education Authority area in January 1998. In addition, the Government have set a target to double the national participation rate of three-year-olds in free early education places to 66 per cent. by 2002, using the maintained voluntary and private sectors.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the budget of the Childcare Unit. [69232]
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Ms Hodge:
The Childcare unit is taking forward work on the National Childcare Strategy. Some £470 million has been allocated to support the National Childcare Strategy in England from April 1998-2003, of which £300 million comes from the Department for Education and Employment budget.
The Childcare Unit's running cost budget for 1998-99 is £824,000.
Mrs. May:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many external assessors his Department estimates will be needed to implement his proposals for teacher assessment set out in the Green Paper; and how many teacher assessments an external assessor will be expected to conduct on average in an academic year; [69637]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The independent external assessors will not be involved in the annual appraisal cycle, but will work with the headteacher, confirming his or her judgments made on the assessments at the new threshold and ensuring that a robust pay policy exists in the school which properly rewards good teaching. We are consulting on the role of the assessors, and will make further announcements in due course.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the increase in the standard spending assessment for education for Southampton Education Authority in the last three years for which figures are available. [69470]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The following table sets out the information requested in cash and percentage terms after allowing for local authority changes of function.
(2) who will be the employer of the external assessors referred to in his Department's proposals for teacher assessment set out in the recent Green Paper; and who will determine their rates of pay. [69638]
| Year | £ million | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | 5.0 | 6.1 |
| 1998-99 | 5.7 | 7.5 |
| 1997-98 | 1.8 | 2.5 |
Grants (Devon)
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what grants have been made, or are planned to be made, by his Department to Torbay Council in (a) 1998-99 and (b) 1999-2000. [69366]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The table sets out the allocations for 1998-99 to Torbay through the education standard spending assessment system, the Standards Fund, Annual Capital Guidelines, the New Deal for Schools and the money to reduce infant class sizes. Figures for 1999-2000 are also set out where announcements have already been made. Torbay's share of the money for the New Deal for Schools and the reduction of infant class sizes in 1999-2000 will be announced in due course.
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| £ million | ||
|---|---|---|
| Programme | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 |
| Education SSA | 46.7 | 49.9 |
| Standards Fund | 1.0 | 2.4 |
| Annual Capital Guidelines | 1.3 | 1.6 |
| New Deal for Schools | 0.6 | (23)-- |
| Reduction of Infant Class Sizes (Capital) | 0.2 | (23)-- |
(23) To be announced
Notes:
1. The Standards Fund allocations include the LEA contribution to the programme.
2. Annual Capital Guidelines represent loan sanction, the repayment of which generates SSA cover through the Capital Financing SSA.
Infant Class Size Plan
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for each local education authority in the most recent round of bids under the infant class size plan (a) the amount bid for and (b) the amount allocated. [68810]
Ms Estelle Morris: No allocations have yet been made. Class size plans are the subject of continuing discussions between the Department for Education and Employment and local education authorities, and thus the funding proposals associated with them may change.
Nursery Places
Mr. Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he plans to extend Government funding of nursery places to three-year-olds. [68324]
Ms Hodge: The Government have set a target to double the participation of three-year-olds in free early education places to 66 per cent. by 2002. In 1999-2000, the Government are making available £40 million to the 50 Local Education Authority areas with greater social need to bring forward the first 47,000 places, which will be found in all sectors and described in each Authority's Early Years Development and Childcare Plan. Over the following two years an additional £350 million will be available to expand places across all Local Education Authority areas.
Mr. Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidelines he has issued to local authorities in informing parents of three and four- year-olds of their rights of access to local provision of nursery places. [68325]
Ms Hodge: The Government have issued guidance to Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships about what information they should provide to parents about early education and child care. In every LEA area there is an early education place for all four-year-olds whose parents want one; expansion of places for three-year-olds will begin in 50 LEA areas from September 1999.
Grants and Awards
Yvette Cooper:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the grants and awards that require bids from applicants which his Department is responsible for administering and awarding (a) nationally and (b) that people and groups within
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Wakefield Metropolitan District are eligible to bid for; if he will publish the deadlines for these applications; and if he will produce this list on a regular basis. [69089]
Ms Estelle Morris:
A list of specific grants for education managed by the Department for Education and Employment for 1999-2000 which require bids from local education authorities, and the deadlines for those bids, are listed in the table. All local education authorities, including Wakefield Metropolitan District Council, are able to bid for these grants. This list will be produced as and when requested, normally grant programmes represented by these bids are revised annually.
| Grant | Deadline |
|---|---|
| The Standards Fund Programme (as set out in DfEE Circular 13/98) | 16 November 1998 |
| Protecting and expanding local education authority music services | 15 January 1999 |
| New Deal for Schools Phase 3 | 22 January 1999 |
| Reduction in Class Size (Revenue) | 30 October 1998 |
| Reduction in Class Size (Capital) | 20 November 1998 |
| Independent/State School Partnerships | 5 February 1999 |
| Voluntary Aided Schools Capital Grants | 19 October 1998 |
| Education Action Zones | 16 April 1999 |
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