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Global Cultural Diversity Congress
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he was informed of the cancellation of the Global Cultural Diversity Congress and the collapse of Global Diversity Congress 2000 Ltd., and by whom; and if he will make a statement. [112797]
Ms Hodge [holding answer 3 March 2000]: The decision to notify interested parties of the cancellation of the Congress and the collapse of Global Diversity Congress 2000 Ltd. were matters for the company. They informed my Department on 23 February 2000 that the Congress had been cancelled.
Free School Meals
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will estimate the (a) cost in the current financial year of providing free school meals and (b) additional annual cost of extending the scheme to include (i) children in full-time education whose families are in receipt of working families tax credit and (ii) all children in full-time education. [112946]
Jacqui Smith: The Department does not collect information on the cost of providing free school meals. We estimate that (a) the cost of providing free school meals in England in the current financial year is over £300 million; and that (b) the additional annual cost of (i) extending free school meals to children in full-time education whose families are in receipt of working families tax credit would be over £400 million; and (ii) extending free school meals to all children would be almost £2 billion.
We have no current plans to extend eligibility for free school meals, which would require primary legislation, but we are working closely with the Child Poverty Action Group on ways of increasing take-up by entitled pupils.
Physical Education
Mr. Pendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many pupils at (a) primary and (b) secondary schools are currently meeting the Government's target that they participate in more than two hours a week of physical education. [112957]
Jacqui Smith:
Ofsted collects information about the percentage of taught time for each subject when inspecting schools. The number of school hours spent on physical education varies from school to school. Evidence from Ofsted inspections during 1998 of the average number of hours per week primary and secondary schools currently spend teaching National Curriculum PE is as follows.
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| Average hours of PE per week (approx.) | |
|---|---|
| Key Stage 1 (ages 5-7) | 1 hour 20 minutes |
| Key Stage 2 (ages 7-11) | 1 hour 35 minutes |
| Key Stage 3 (ages 11-14) | 2 hours |
| Key Stage 4 (ages (14-16) | 1 hour 15 minutes |
Our aspiration is that pupils receive two hours of physical activity a week, including the National Curriculum and extra curricular activities.
My officials are meeting regularly with DCMS and representatives of PE and sports organisations to discuss ways of promoting this.
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what progress has been made towards the provision of computers on loan as outlined in his speech of 28 October 1999 to the United Kingdom Internet Summit. [112642]
Mr. Wills:
The Government are making £15 million available for a pilot scheme--'Computers Within Reach'--to enable those who cannot afford new computers to acquire reconditioned computers for use in the home on a loaned or owned basis for the purpose of improving their employment prospects, for lifelong learning, or for their children's homework. The pilot scheme will run from May, and evaluation findings of the initiative will be made available in due course.
Mr. Redwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the new public bodies established by his Department since May 1997. [112662]
Mr. Wills:
The annual Cabinet Office publication 'Public Bodies' provides information on a range of public bodies. The 1997 edition lists those bodies in existence prior to May 1997. The 1998 and 1999 editions list public bodies in existence in subsequent years. Copies of these publications have been placed in the Library of the House. Copies are also available on the Cabinet Office website (www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/quango).
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on his Department's policy respecting the maintenance of political neutrality in discussing the future of the EU in schools. [112341]
Jacqui Smith:
Pupils in England are taught about Europe and the European Union at secondary school. From the start of the school year 2000 they will be taught about the history of Britain in its European and wider context within National Curriculum History and from 2002 they will be taught about the world as a global community, the role of the European Union and the UK's relations in Europe, including the European Union in National Curriculum Citizenship.
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There are safeguards in law to ensure that where political issues are discussed in school it is in an unbiased and balanced way. Local Education Authorities, governing bodies and head teachers are required under section 407 of the Education Act 1996 to take such steps as are reasonably practicable to secure that where political issues are brought to the attention of pupils, they are offered a balanced presentation of opposing views.
Lorna Fitzsimons:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what proportion of (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools and (c) colleges of further education have procedures in place to record racist incidents; [111291]
Jacqui Smith
[holding answer 22 February 2000]: Our "Social Inclusion: Pupil Support" guidance in July 1999 states that all schools' behaviour policies must make clear that racial harassment will not be tolerated, and say how staff and pupils should deal with it. Schools should record all racial incidents and parents and Governors should be informed of such incidents and the action taken to deal with them. Governing bodies should inform LEAs annually of the pattern and frequency of any incidents. Colleges of Further Education have policies in place to deal with complaints, and procedures to investigate incidents. Information on the total number of racist incidents recorded in schools and colleges in England during the period 15 April 1999 to 31 December 1999 is not held centrally.
Mr. Alexander:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many calls have been made to the New Deal Hotline in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK; how many were from (i) clients and (ii) employers; and how many were (1) positive comments and (2) complaints. [111137]
Ms Jowell:
In the period October 1998 (when records started) to January 2000; a total of 1,652 calls were made to the New Deal Hotline of which 376 came from Scotland. We do not disaggregate the source of calls by category of caller and only the complaints are identified separately from all other calls. In the UK, 344 of the calls made were classed as complaints of which 62 came from Scotland. The Employment Service follows up every complaint to a conclusion.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of New Deal participants who have undertaken an option have moved into the employment option; to what extent Government targets in exercise of the employment option have been achieved; and if he will make a statement. [109283]
Ms Jowell:
Since the start of New Deal 7.9 per cent. of young people leaving Gateway have moved onto the employment option. Although this is less than the original planning assumption, a further 35.5 per cent. have gone
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directly into unsubsidised jobs. Together these figures demonstrate how New Deal significantly improves the changes of many young people finding work.
Mr. Breed:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of people had access to Government-funded child care (a) in rural areas and (b) in urban areas, (i) in the most recent year for which figures are available and (ii) five years ago. [111976]
Ms Hodge:
We are unable to provide the information in the format requested, but can provide data on the overall number of new child care places created through government funding. In 1998-99 some 66,000 new child care places were funded through the Out of School Childcare Initiative, the Further Education Funding Council and DfEE grants to Early Years Development Partnerships. This compares with 22,286 new child care places created by the Out of School Childcare Initiative in 1994-95.
(2) what was the total number of racist incidents recorded during the period 15 April 1999 to 31 December 1999 in England in (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools and (c) colleges of further education. [111292]
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