| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Accountancy Contracts
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will publish the (a) number and (b) value of contracts awarded by her Department to (i) Arthur Andersen, (ii) Deloitte Touche, (ii) Ernst and Young, (iv) KPMG and (v) PricewaterhouseCoopers accountants in each year since 1997. [34995]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: This information could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
Individual Learning Accounts
Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills from whom she received advice concerning possible abuse of the Individual Learning Accounts scheme prior to its commencement; and what response was given by her Department. [35210]
John Healey [holding answer 11 February 2002]: My Department actively engaged a wide range of key stakeholders in the development of the Individual Learning Accounts programme. For example, a number of seminars were held with learning providers in 2000, prior to the introduction of the National Framework for Individual Learning Accounts, and these continued into 2001. At these and other similar events and meetings providers expressed a wide range of opinions which helped inform and shape the development, implementation and presentation of ILA policy.
Educational Maintenance Allowance
(Lincolnshire)
Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many recipients of an educational maintenance allowance there are in North
13 Feb 2002 : Column 424W
East Lincolnshire; and what assessment she has made of the impact of the allowance on encouraging 16 to 18-year-olds to stay in full-time education. [35319]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: As of the 1 February 2002, 478 students in North East Lincolnshire have received at least one payment of educational maintenance allowance (EMA) this academic year.
The DfES has commissioned the Centre for Research in Social Policy to conduct a rigorous evaluation of EMAs which is now in its third year of data collection. First year findings have already been published and these early findings show that EMA appears to have raised participation in further education. The statistical analysis estimates an average gain in participation in pilot areas compared to control areas, among EMA eligible young people, of around 5 percentage points.
Internet Training (North-West)
Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of teachers have received training for the internet in (a) St. Helens, South, (b) St. Helens MBC area, (c) Merseyside, (d) Manchester, (e) the North West RDA area, (f) the other RDA areas and (g) England. [35422]
John Healey: Training for the Internet is covered by the nationally run New Opportunities Fund (NOF) Information and Communications Technology (ICT) teacher training programme. Schools have until the end of March this year to sign up for the NOF training and over 95 per cent. have already done so.
The information relating to the numbers of teachers who have completed the training is not available by the regional areas requested. However, the figures available as at 31 December 2001 show that 83 per cent. of all teachers in England have registered for, or are currently
13 Feb 2002 : Column 425W
undertaking, the NOF training and 52 per cent. of all teachers have completed it. Teachers may have also undertaken locally organised training in the use of the internet but figures are not collected on these training schemes centrally. All newly qualified teachers entering the profession will have received training in the use of the internet as part of their initial teacher training.
Working Conditions and Practices
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in her Department; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost, in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement. [35938]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Information is not held by my Department in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Procedures put in place to reduce work related stress include:
- Training events on stress management available to all staff;
An interactive on-line package to help with recognition and prevention of stress;
An Employee Assistance Service which includes an advice and counselling service;
An Occupational Health Service that provides practical advice on occupational health issues; and
A wide range of initiatives providing practical advice and tips to individuals on techniques to deal with stress and maintain a healthy work life balance.
No compensation has been paid to employees specifically for work related stress in any of the last three years.
13 Feb 2002 : Column 426W
Learning and Skills Councils
Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on what criteria local Learning and Skills Council chairs are to be remunerated for part-time input. [36010]
Margaret Hodge: No criteria have been agreed. The current Education Bill includes a clause that would give the Secretary of State for Education and Skills the power to agree terms of remuneration.
FE Colleges
Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to reduce the audit burden on further education colleges. [36012]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 January 2002, Official Report, columns 134–35W.
Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will publish the criteria under which provider reviews are carried out by the Learning and Skills Council in further education colleges. [36026]
Margaret Hodge: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for the reviews of their providers, which include further education colleges. The proposed aims, key areas and evidence requirements for performance reviews were posted on the LSC's website in early September 2001. Views from colleges and other providers, as well as other stakeholders, were sought by December 2001. Drawing on this evaluation, the LSC are publishing a consultation document in early March 2002, which will outline their proposals to simplify and refine the performance review process. Following the consultation, the refined arrangements will be published in autumn 2002.
Specialist Schools
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which schools broken down by LEA applied for specialist status but were not among the successful applicants announced on 5 February. [36016]
Mr. Timms: A list of schools, by LEA, which applied for specialist status in the October 2002 competition, which were not among the successful applicants announced on 5 February 2002 is provided in the following tables.
13 Feb 2002 : Column 429W
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills by what criteria the latest round of schools to achieve specialist status was chosen. [36017]
Mr. Timms: Applications for specialist school designation in the October 2001 competition were assessed against the published criteria set out in the guidance documents for Arts, Language, Sport and Technology College applicants. Copies of these have been placed in the Library.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |