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Teachers Returner Bonus
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers had registered for the returner bonus by 1 September. [8401]
Mr. Timms: By 1 September, 1,944 people had registered their details with the welcome back bonus registration line. By 17 October, this figure was in excess of 2,500.
The number of people registering their details so far does not necessarily represent the number who will receive the bonus. That will become clear when eligible teachers have returned application forms. We expect more people to register over the next few weeks as application forms become available, and to continue to do so until the scheme comes to an end in February 2002.
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Church of England Schools
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what provision has been made to ensure that some new Church of England schools are established in areas of economic and social hardship. [8407]
Mr. Timms: We welcomed Lord Dearing's June report to the Archbishop's Council, which recommended an increase in the number of Church of England secondary school places to build on the Church's record of meeting parental demand and local community need. However, decisions to set up new faith schools, or close other schools and reopen them as faith schools, are taken at local level—by the school organisation committee for the area, or the schools adjudicator where the committee cannot agree—and depend on proposals coming forward.
In the White Paper "Schools: achieving success", published on 5 September, we proposed to legislate for different procedures, where a need for a wholly new school is identified by a LEA. The LEA will have to invite any interested parties—which may include the Church of England or other faith group—to bring forward proposals to establish the new school. After the local school organisation committee has commented on alternative proposals, the Secretary of State will decide between them, taking account of the proposals educational merits, value for money and the outcome of local consultation.
Nursery Places
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what further spending will be made available for nursery places in Lancashire. [8419]
Mr. Timms: The Department for Education and Skills will notify Lancashire local education authority of its allocation of nursery education places for 2002–03 shortly.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many free nursery places were not taken up in Lancashire in the last 12 months. [8420]
Mr. Timms: Central Government made available sufficient funding for Lancashire local education authority to provide 5,008 free early education places for three-year-olds in 2001–02. In both the summer and autumn terms all of those places were taken up. Those places are in addition to those made available by the local education authority. We are unable to comment on the take-up of free places made available by Lancashire local education authority from its own resources.
Anaphylaxis (Children)
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what provision (a) has been made and (b) will be made to enable children with anaphylaxis to participate in out-of-school activities; what work (i) has and (ii) will be undertaken with the Department of Health to ensure that such children are given the right to partake in such activities; and if the matter will be referred to the Cabinet Committee on children and young people. [8449]
Mr. Timms: My Department has produced good practice guidance, "Health and Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits (1998)"; "Safe Keeping—A good practice guide for health and safety in study support settings (2000)"; and a joint good practice guide with the
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Department of Health "Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs (1996)", all of which include advice to schools on including pupils with medical needs in out-of-school activities. The joint DFES and Department of Health website www.wiredforhealth.gov.uk also carries advice on problems relating to anaphylaxis. The Special Education Needs and Disability Act 2001 will bring access to education within the remit of the Disability Discrimination Act and will outlaw discrimination against disabled pupils or prospective pupils from September 2002. Out-of-school activities will be covered by the Act. One of the Government's children services objectives is to increase the number of disabled children who use inclusive play and leisure services, with appropriate support if necessary. It is standard practice not to comment on the proceedings of Cabinet Committees.
Education Funding (East Sussex)
Mr. Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations she has received from (a) secondary and (b) primary schools in east Sussex regarding the level of funding for education in the county. [8677]
Mr. Timms: My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations from schools in east Sussex over the past year concerning the level of the area cost adjustment applied to the county.
AS-levels
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the Government's plans for modifying AS-Levels. [8831]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: On 12 September, the Secretary of State announced changes which will reduce the burden of assessment on candidates taking their AS examinations next year.
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority will submit a further report on vocational A-levels and key skills in December.
Post-16 Students
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the level of funding will be for post 16 students in schools where there is an overall increase in numbers on roll after April 2002. [8845]
Margaret Hodge: Ministers have set a national figure of £2,600 per pupil for adjustments in pupil numbers in 2002–03 that are above or below the real terms guarantee baseline set for each school sixth form.
Student Support
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will publish the timetable for consultation on her plans to review the system of student support. [8887]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 19 October 2001]: No decisions have been taken yet on the timing of consultation.
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Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to produce a consultation paper as part of the Government's review of the current system of student support. [8888]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 19 October 2001]: We have said that we plan to consult on any proposals for change that may emerge from the review. No decisions have been taken yet on the detail of the consultation process.
University Staff
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 11 July 2001, Official Report, column 554W, on university staff, if the information from the Higher Education Funding Council is now publicly available. [8907]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 19 October 2001]: Provisional figures from the Higher Education Funding Council are now available. The following table provides figures by institution for the number of staff defined by institutions as research active that left positions between 1 January and 30 March 2001, as reported in institutions research assessment exercise returns. Under research assessment exercise rules, part of the work of some of these staff would have been included in the submission of the institution they had recently left.
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