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New Deal (Northern Ireland)

Ms Kelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people have benefited from the New Deal, by parliamentary constituency, in Northern Ireland broken down by gender who are (a) young unemployed, (b) long term unemployed, (c) disabled and (d) lone parents. [151000]

Ms Jowell: This subject is a devolved matter. I refer my hon. Friend to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Fast-track Teachers

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if fast-track teachers will be distributed proportionately between specialist and non-specialist schools; and if he will make a statement. [151133]

Ms Estelle Morris [holding answer 26 February 2001]: Specialist and non-specialist schools will be able to create fast-track teaching posts. Fast-track teachers will not be distributed among schools; they will apply for these posts and be recruited in the usual way.

Environment Agency Learning Initiatives

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what involvement he will have in the implementation of learning initiatives proposed by the Environment Agency in "The Business of Learning--Investing in a Sustainable Future". [150272]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 15 February 2001]: I recently met Sir John Harman and colleagues to hear about their consultation on "The Business of Learning". The Environment Agency is proposing a number of initiatives building on its Pathfinder project and extending

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its involvement in sustainable development education. The Government's sustainable development education panel has already made a significant contribution towards raising the profile of sustainable development education in schools, further and higher education, and among the general public. I am considering with colleagues at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions the extent to which the proposals outlined in the consultation paper might complement the panel's work.

Civil Servants (Performance-related Pay)

Mr. John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment on what basis performance- related pay is awarded to those civil servants within his Department concerned with the outsourcing of LEA services. [150703]

Mr. Wills: DfEE staff up to and including Grade 6 have their performance assessed under the Department's Performance Management System and at the end of each year are awarded an overall performance marking. This performance marking determines the size of their pay increase. Better performance is rewarded with a higher pay increase than weaker performance. The details of these increases are negotiated annually with the unions.

Members of the Senior Civil Service (SCS) (former Grade 5 and above) in DfEE have their performance assessed under the arrangements for the SCS Performance

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Review set centrally by the Cabinet Office. At the end of each reporting year, members of the SCS are awarded a performance mark, which is the key factor in determining their pay increase. Again, better performance at each level of management within the SCS is rewarded with a higher pay increase than weaker performance. The framework for the SCS pay award is set centrally each year by the Cabinet Office following the Government's response to the Senior Salaries Review Body's Report for that year.

School Funding (Sefton)

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the credit approvals allocated to Sefton borough in each year from 1997 to 2004; and if he will specify the projects which received approvals and their associated cost. [151291]

Jacqui Smith: The table lists credit approvals issued to Sefton local education authority for the financial years 1997-98 to 2001-02, and shows those schools for which the credit approvals were allocated, together with details of the projects supported, where this information is known. Credit approvals for local authorities for the years beyond 2001-02 have not yet been issued. Sefton local education authority will have had discretion as to the application of credit approvals to specific projects and will be able to provide more information about the individual projects which have been supported through credit approvals.

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Credit approvals allocated to Sefton local eduction authority (LEA)

Year/school ProjectCredit approval awarded £000
1997-98
LEA-wide allocationAnnual Capital Guideline settlement:
Commitments arising from previous years(10)70
Details not readily availableSpecial Education Needs (SEN)(11)20
1998-99
LEA-wide allocationAnnual Capital Guideline settlement:
Commitments arising from previous years(10)9
Formula(10)208
Minor Works(10)60
Greenbank HighEnhance facilities for the teaching of languages100
Green Park County PrimarySchools Access Initiative (SAI) project2
Orrell County PrimarySAI project4
Davenhill County PrimarySAI project6
Grange County PrimarySAI project5
Linaker County PrimarySAI project3
Freshfield County PrimarySAI project3
Crosby Road North County PrimarySAI project5
Northway County PrimarySAI project4
Manor HighSAI project34
1999-2000
LEA-wide allocationAnnual Capital Guideline settlement:
Commitments arising from previous years(10)104
Formula(10)327
Basic Need(10)161
SEN projects(10)87
Minor Works(10)91
Netherton Moss County PrimarySurplus places removal76
Redgate County PrimarySurplus places removal33
Litherland Moss County PrimarySurplus places removal92
Rowan Park SpecialAlterations217
Presfield SpecialAlterations40
Ronald House SpecialAlterations40
Greenacre NurserySAI project1
Birkdale Community PrimarySAI project10
Davenhill Community PrimarySAI project18
Farnborough Road Community Infant and JuniorSAI project21
Freshfield Community PrimarySAI project2
Larkfield Community PrimarySAI project42
Linaker Community PrimarySAI project1
Thomas Gray Community InfantSAI project4
Range HighSAI project8
Waterloo Community PrimarySAI project5
St. John's CE Primary, CrossensSAI project10
St. Luke's CE Primary, FormbySAI project4
Holy Spirit Catholic PrimarySAI project2
St. George's Catholic PrimarySAI project3
St. Peter's CE PrimarySAI project1
Holy Family Catholic HighSAI project10
2000-01
LEA-wide allocationAnnual Capital Guideline Settlement:
Commitments arising from previous years(10)868
Formula(10)380
Basic Need(10)202
Minor Works(10)139
Chesterfield HighEnhance facilities for the teaching of sport100
Ronald House SpecialAlterations42
Bedford PrimarySAI project11
Birkdale PrimarySAI project10
Larkfield PrimarySAI project7
Linaker PrimarySAI project6
Range HighSAI project17
St. John's CE Primary, CrossensSAI project3
St. Luke's CE Primary, FormbySAI project4
Twelve schoolsSAI project(11)147
English Martyrs Catholic PrimarySAI project2
St. Nicholas CE PrimarySAI project1
St. Peter's CE PrimarySAI project2
2001-02
LEA-wide allocationAnnual Capital Guideline settlement:
Commitments arising from previous years(10)2,725
Basic Need(10)225
LEA co-ordinated voluntary local programme (LCVAP)(10)101
Holy Family RC HighLEA liabilities on project to provide 47 additional sixth form places23
Our Lady of Lourdes RC PrimaryLEA liabilities in respect of project to create nursery2

(10) This credit approval was LEA-wide; Sefton LEA can provide details of how this funding was used.

(11) Details of which school(s) benefited from this credit approval are not readily available; Sefton LEA can provide details of which school(s) benefited from this funding.


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Explanation of terms used in table
Commitments--funding to meet commitments that have arisen from allocations made in previous years;
Special Educational Needs (SEN)--funding to meet costs of statutorily approved projects at SEN schools;
Basic Need--allocation towards the cost of providing sufficient numbers of school places;
Formula--allocation made on a per pupil basis;
VA Minor Works--funding to meet LEA liabilities for projects costing less than £250,000 at Voluntary Aided (VA) schools;
Surplus places removal--funding to remove surplus places;
LEA Co-ordinated Voluntary Local Programme (LCVAP)--this has replaced the Minor Works programme, and is broadly similar.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the projects that (a) the New Deal for Schools programme and (b) Seed Challenge funding have supported in the borough of Sefton in each year since 1997; which it will support in each year up to 2004; and how much money (i) has been and (ii) will be allocated to each project. [151290]

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Jacqui Smith: The table shows those schools in the borough of Sefton which are benefiting from investment through the New Deal for Schools programme, allocated over the four years from 1997-98 to 2000-01. These allocations total £6.768 million. In the same period, Sefton local education authority has been allocated some £19.536 million of funding in total for capital investment in schools.

A total of £196,000 of Seed Challenge funding was made available to Sefton local education authority in 2000-01. The authority will be able to provide a breakdown of individual projects and costings. 2000-01 is the first year in which Seed Challenge funding has been allocated to local education authorities.

In January this year, we announced that the New Deal for Schools would be extended over the next three years to 2003-04. Allocations which will benefit schools in Sefton local education authority, announced in January 2001 under the New Deal for Schools, total £11.23 million over three years; of this, £1.89 million is for 2001-02, £3.69 million for 2002-03 and £5.65 million for 2003-04.

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This funding does not include the new £550 million New Deal for Schools Modernisation programme for which detailed allocations will be announced later this year.

An increase in Seed Challenge funding was also announced in January 2001, with allocations to Sefton local education authority totalling £970,000 over the three

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years to 2003-04. This comprises £220,000 in 2001-02, £375,000 in 2002-03 and £375,000 in 2003-04. It will be for Sefton local education authority, working with local schools and within guidelines provided by the Department, to allocate this new funding to individual school projects.

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New Deal for Schools
Allocation for schools in Sefton local education authority

Year/school ProjectGrant awarded (£)
1997-98
Included within an LEA-wide package:
Hillside HighConversion and refit of laboratory
Sacred Heart RC HighRefit of three science laboratories
Range HighRefit of three science laboratories
Christ The King RC HighRefit of two science laboratories
St. Winefride's RC PrimaryMajor structural repair due to ground subsidence(12)836,000
Litherland HighReplace felt roof
Maghull HighReplace felt roof
Ramborough Road InfantReplace two classroom units
Lydiate County PrimaryDemolition of reinforced concrete covered walkway
Grange County PrimaryWet rot repairs and external painting
1998-99
Litherland HighHeating repairs55,850
Holy Trinity CE PrimaryRewiring55,850
Holy Trinity CE PrimaryHeating repairs44,680
Our Lady of Lourdes RC PrimaryBoiler replacement44,680
Our Lady of Lourdes RC PrimaryReplacement kitchen112,310
St. Andrew's CE PrimaryRewiring55,850
Ainsdale HighFire safety improvements11,549
Linacre PrimaryHeating repairs61,435
1999-2000
Churchtown SchoolReplace temporary accommodation1,862,285
2000-01
Farnborough Road Infant and Junior, Bootle High, Christ the Church HighBoiler replacement(13)368,283
Hillside HighReplace temporary classrooms528,513
Forefield InfantReplace temporary classrooms513,231
Greenbank HighReplace temporary classrooms424,253
St. Luke's Formby CEReplace temporary classrooms605,594
Melling PrimaryReplace temporary classrooms396,048
Forefield JuniorReplace temporary accommodation393,539
Waterloo PrimaryReplacement dining room398,079

(12) Local education authorities (LEAs) were not required to specify individual project costs for phase 1 of the NDS programme, so the amount shown is the total allocation in that year to the LEA. Sefton local education authority holds project level information.

(13) The total allocation made to package projects covering more than one school. Sefton local education authority will be able to advise the value of projects at schools which have benefited from these allocations.


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