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Pre-school Education

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the new regulations affecting pre-school playgroups and nurseries introduced since 1997. [21954]

Margaret Hodge: Regulations have been introduced as follows:
















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Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pre-school nurseries and playgroups are registered with Ofsted in (a) Surrey and (b) England and Wales. [23408]

Mr. Timms: The information is not available in the form requested. The Department collects information on day nurseries, playgroups and pre-schools defined in terms of the full day or sessional care that they provide. It does not collect information on pre-schools separately from playgroups. The available information is shown in the following table.

Number of day nurseries and playgroups and pre-schools: England and Surrey local authority area: position at 31 March 2001

Day nurseriesPlaygroups and pre-schools
England(46)7,80014,000
Surrey LA area(47)170370

(46) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.

(47) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Local authorities provided the data. Ofsted did not assume responsibility for registration and inspection of children's day care facilities until September 2001.

Figures for 2001 for England and Government Office regions were published in Statistical Bulletin 08/01 "Children's Day Care Facilities as at 31 March 2001", which is available at www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics/ and from the Library.

For information for Wales, I refer the hon. Member to the Education Department of the Assembly for Wales.

Teaching Qualifications

Mr. Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will negotiate mutual recognition of teaching qualifications with other Commonwealth countries. [22280]

Mr. Timms: We have no plans to do so. Previous comparability arrangements for recognition of overseas teaching qualifications were withdrawn in 1989. These were replaced by mutual recognition arrangements with other countries in the European Economic Area coupled with an employment based training route which enables overseas-trained teachers from countries outside the European Economic Area to obtain qualified teacher status. These arrangements were augmented earlier this year to allow exceptional experienced overseas trained teachers to obtain qualified teacher status and an exemption from induction through a simultaneous assessment.

Individual Learning Accounts

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what inquiry she has commenced into the circumstances of closure of the Individual Learning Accounts scheme; what the terms of reference of the inquiry are; and when she expects it to report. [22153]

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John Healey [holding answer 10 December 2001]: On 12 November the Secretary of State asked the Department's Head of Internal Audit to carry out a review of the development and management of Individual Learning Accounts. I will make the results of this work available to the House in due course.

Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she has taken to ensure hon. Members are kept informed of developments relating to the Individual Learning Accounts programme; and if she will place relevant papers in the Library. [25375]

John Healey: It is important that Parliament is kept informed of developments relating to the Individual Learning Accounts programme. I wrote to all hon. Members on 24 October, 27 November and 18 December 2001. I have also undertaken to keep the Education and Skills Select Committee updated following the withdrawal of the Individual Learning Accounts programme on 23 November and I wrote to the Chairman about this on 30 November, 7 December and 18 December and copies have already been placed in the House Library. I am also responding individually to Members addressing both concerns from their constituents and parliamentary questions.

UK Youth Parliament

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the development of the UK Youth Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [23325]

Mr. Denham: The Government want to provide more opportunities for children and young people to have a bigger say about policies and services relevant to them. I value the UK Youth Parliament as one of the routes by which this can happen. The Government have given support to the UK Youth Parliament to help it establish itself. I have now asked the Children and Young People's Unit to explore with the UK Youth Parliament what more the Parliament can do to ensure that it acts as an effective voice for children and young people, as part of our drive to improve children and young people's participation right across Government and in their communities.

Youth Councils

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to encourage youth councils at a local level; and if she will make a statement. [23326]

Mr. Denham: On 2 November, I published "Learning to Listen: Core Principles for the Involvement of Children and Young People." It commits Government Departments to increase opportunities for children and young people to have a bigger say about policies and services relevant to them across government and in their communities. Youth councils provide one way to help achieve this. The funding we are making available through the new "Transforming Youth Work Development Fund" will provide additional resources to support the drive for increased participation, help to ensure there is enhanced youth work provision to underpin it, and contribute to our efforts to increase young people's engagement with local democracy.

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Voter Participation

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to encourage more young people to vote; and if she will make a statement. [23327]

Mr. Denham: I have asked the Children and Young People's Unit to work with young people to identify what needs to change to encourage more young people to vote and to develop an agenda for action. On 29 October a group of young people came together from across England to present their initial views to Government, the Electoral Commission and representatives of political parties. The unit, working closely with the Electoral Commission and the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, will be extending the consultation with young people and key stakeholders over the coming months with a view to producing conclusions and recommendations for further action in the spring of 2002.

Pre-school Work

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people completed certified courses for pre-school work in 2001–02; and how many she estimates are certified for pre-school work. [23407]

Margaret Hodge: The Department for Education and Skills does not yet hold information regarding the number of people who have completed accredited courses for pre-school work in 2001–02.

We estimate that presently there are 147,004 people certified for pre-school work to at least the levels required by the National Standards for Under Eights Day Care and Childminding. Additionally, there are 72,300 people registered to work as child minders. The total excludes volunteers.



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