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School Transport

Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions she has had with religious organisations about the implications for church schools of new funding arrangements for school transport of pupils over the age of 16 years. [4996]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: There have been no changes to the national funding arrangements for post-16 transport. My officials have not, therefore, had discussions with religious organisations. I understand that Northumberland LEA is considering changes to the support that it provides for transport locally and is consulting on these changes. It is for each LEA to determine the level of support that it makes in relation to local needs, and to have regard to parents' religious preferences.

Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance she has issued to education authorities and to learning and skills councils on future funding arrangements for transport to school for pupils aged over 16 years; how many education authorities propose to discontinue free transport on post-16 pupils; and if she will make a statement. [4997]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: There have been no changes to the national funding arrangements for post-16 transport and no guidance has been issued. We do not have figures on the numbers of LEAs who propose to discontinue the provision of free transport for post-16 pupils. We are awaiting the outcome of a study into post-16 transport arrangements in September 2001 and will consider any recommendations and issue our response thereafter.

Early Years Provision

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what requirements she has placed on (a) local authorities and (b) pre-school settings for the preparation of and application for kitemark schemes. [5084]

19 Jul 2001 : Column: 410W

Mr. Timms: A range of quality assurance mechanisms is being used successfully by local authorities to raise standards. These include: Investors in People, Charter Mark and the Excellence Model. Some local authorities have also developed their own models. The revised LEA Code of Practice, which came into effect in February 2001, contains a non-statutory Annexe setting out the standards that local authorities should adhere to in their communications with schools.

In March, Government announced "Investors in Children" a national quality-rating scheme for child care and early years education, as proposed in the Green Paper "Schools Building on Success". Early Years Development and Child Care Partnerships are working to meet a new national target to ensure that at least 40 per cent. of early years and child care providers have been accredited by a quality assurance scheme by 2004.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will publish, for each local education authority, in respect of (a) three year olds and (b) four year olds (i) the number resident in each local education authority, (ii) the number for whom places are available in pre-school settings, (iii) the number for whom places are available in schools, (iv) the number of places for which Government funding is provided, (v) category (iv) as a percentage of (i), (vi) category (iv) as a percentage of (ii) and (iii) and (vii) the number of residents whom the local EYCDP identifies as in need of provision. [5085]

Mr. Timms: The information requested can be collected only at disproportionate cost.

Bullying

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the criteria for the inclusion of organisations in her Department's anti-bullying website, "Don't Suffer in Silence". [5122]

Mr. Timms: In installing links from our website to other websites of interest to bullied pupils we have considered the usefulness of the other sites to users, whether there is any controversial or inappropriate material, and whether the sites appear to support our policy on bullying.

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when her officials plan to meet representatives of the charity Bullying Online. [5123]

Mr. Timms: My officials are ready to meet the representatives of Bullying Online at any time. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State made this clear in a letter to the Director of the charity on 5 July.

Trainee Teachers (Tests)

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 9 July 2001, Official Report, column 403W, how many students who obtained QTS status last summer have (a) failed the skills tests in numeracy and literacy and (b) applied for an extension in order to retake the tests that they have failed. [5357]

Mr. Timms: 231 of last year's newly qualified teachers have failed so far to pass the computerised numeracy skills test. They are not required to take the literacy test. We do not yet know how many have applied for an extension to their induction period to retake the test.

19 Jul 2001 : Column: 411W

Chief Inspector of Schools

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what arrangements are being made to recruit the next HM Chief Inspector of Schools in England. [5610]

Estelle Morris: I am grateful to Mike Tomlinson for agreeing to extend his one-year appointment as HM Chief Inspector for five months. This extension, until 30 April 2002, was confirmed yesterday by Order in Council. Recruitment for the post will be run in accordance with the guidelines of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments following advertisement in the national press in September.

SCOTLAND

Foot and Mouth

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will publish the protocols and guidance notes for the disinfection of milking parlours in Scotland following foot and mouth disease. [2767]

Mrs. Liddell: Detailed guidance is currently being drafted by DEFRA in respect of cleansing and the disinfection of milking parlours. It will be distributed widely among interested parties and a copy will be placed in the Libraries of the House. Information is available on the DEFRA and Scottish Executive websites in respect of disinfectants and their use generally in cleaning farms following an outbreak of FMD.

Ministerial Travel

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when she last travelled on the London Underground in the course of her official duties. [3685]

Mrs. Liddell: I use the most efficient and cost-effective mode of transport and travel on the underground as and when appropriate.

Motoring Fines

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much the Treasury received from motoring fines in Scotland in each of the last five years. [3883]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 13 July 2001]: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Scottish Homes

Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much public funding Scottish Homes has received each year since 1989. [4033]

Mr. Foulkes: The table sets out the grant-in-aid allocations made to Scottish Homes each year between 1989 and 1999. On 1 July 1999 this became a devolved matter for the Scottish Parliament.

£ million

Financial yearPublic funding
1989–90229.146
1990–91266.445
1991–92450.746
1992–93566.897
1993–94320.212
1994–95324.742
1995–96294.921
1996–97281.190
1997–98314.986
1998–99340.591

19 Jul 2001 : Column: 412W

Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many performance audits Scottish Homes has conducted each year since 1989. [4035]

Mr. Foulkes: The table shows how many performance audit inspections Scottish Homes conducted each year between 1989 and 1999. Figures from 1989 to 1993 are based on estimates only. On 1 July 1999 this became a devolved matter for the Scottish Parliament.

YearNumber of performance audits conducted
1989–90(21)45
1990–91(21)45
1991–92(21)45
1992–93(21)45
1993–9453
1994–9546
1995–9667
1996–9782
1997–98101
1998–9990

(21) Estimates


Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many statutory inquiries Scottish Homes has conducted each year since 1989. [4034]

Mr. Foulkes: The table sets out the number of statutory inquiries Scottish Homes instructed each year between 1989 and 1999. On 1 July 1999, this became a devolved matter for the Scottish Parliament.

YearInquiries
1989–901
1990–910
1991–921
1992–932
1993–941
1994–950
1995–960
1996–970
1997–982
1998–990


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