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Training and Enterprise Councils

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the cases of (a) suspected fraud and (b) misuse of public funds notified to her Department involving training and enterprise councils, and in each case the sums involved, for each financial year up to 31 March 2001; which ones have been the subject of investigation by her Department; how many cases have been referred by her Department to the police; how many of the investigations (i) have been terminated, and for each of those cases the grounds on which that decision was taken, (ii) have resulted in a criminal prosecution and

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(iii) continue, and what sums have been recovered as a result; what controls were put in place for training and enterprise councils to minimise the possibility of fraud and misuse of public funds; what lessons her Department drew from the cases; and how these were applied in relation to individual learning accounts. [33785]

John Healey: Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) were required to notify Government Offices (GOs) of instances of suspected fraud or financial irregularity in accordance with their contracts with the Department. Details of cases notified to the Department are as follows:

Number of Cases NotifiedNumber of Cases Investigated by DfESNumber of Cases Referred to the PoliceNumber of Cases TerminatedNumber of Cases Still Ongoing
1994–953311
1995–96414110401
1996–972424924
1997–9844441444
1998–9935351035
1999–200020209182
2000–011515296
Total182182551739

The reasons for terminating cases are shown in the following table:


Reason For Closure
Number of Cases TerminatedCriminal ProsecutionMalpracticeNo Evidence to SubstantiatePoor Administration
1994–95312
1995–964013198
1996–972411148
1997–9844125810
1998–993522211
1999–20001811214
2000–01945
Total1734874141

In total, the amount involved and identified as recoverable was £18,167,000. The amounts identified as recoverable from TECs were notified to GOs in order to initiate recovery action. Details of actual recoveries are not held centrally.

The Department's financial control mechanisms applied to TECs developed and improved, drawing on the experience gained from managing the contracts with TECs and lessons learned from investigating cases of fraud and misuse of public funds. Key elements of the controls were:
(a) A detailed legal contract for the provision of the public funds, legally binding. The contract and supporting material reflected input from specialist professional financial control staff, spelling out the specifics of what was being paid for, evidence requirements and other specific conditions on the provider. It was a requirement on TECs to notify the Secretary of State immediately if it had reason to suspect that a fraud had or was occurring;
(b) Legal contractual remedies that could be followed quickly if any of the contractual conditions were not met; Job No: 715993 Folios: 000-000Operator: Operator No 3. Date: 08/03/02

(c) Visits from Government Office Financial Assurance and Management Teams to TECs and providers to ensure that public sector standards of regularity and propriety were maintained and that public funds were properly spent, well managed and safeguarded;



The Department drew a range of lessons from the TEC experiences applicable in relation to Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs) and other Departmental business, including for example: retaining expertise in

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the DfES Special Investigations Unit. The SIU was involved in investigations of alleged ILA fraud and abuse at the earliest opportunity working closely with ILA policy team. They are currently involved in investigations into the activities of 97 ILA learning providers.

Computers

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) if she will make it her policy to turn the Computers Within Reach pilot scheme into a permanent scheme; [39110]

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John Healey: The Computers Within Reach pilot scheme closed on 31 October 2001, having delivered over 24,000 computers into 22 pilot areas. We are currently evaluating the scheme and considering options for the bet way of using the remaining funding available.

Information on the number of unsuccessful applications could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.

Pupil:Teacher Ratios

Mr. Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the ratio of teachers to pupils was in (a) all schools, (b) primary schools and (c) secondary schools for each year since 1996 in (i) East Sussex Local Education Authority, (ii) the South-East region and (iii) England. [37911]

Mr. Timms: The available information is shown in the table:

Pupil:teacher ratios in schools
Position in January each year

East Sussex Local Education Authority1 Brighton and Hove Local Education Authority
Primary schoolsSecondary schoolsAll schoolsPrimary schoolsSecondary schoolsAll schools
200122.717.116.621.616.515.4
200022.417.116.522.616.516.1
199923.816.917.023.416.416.5
199823.316.616.823.316.316.5
199722.816.216.5
199622.716.016.3

Source: Annual Schools' Census

— Not applicable.

1 Data for 1996 and 1997 include Brighton and Hove LEA.


In April 1997 East Sussex Local Education Authority was subject to Local Government Re-organisation and was split into Brighton and Hove Local Education Authority and East Sussex Local Education Authority.

South East RegionEngland
Primary schoolsSecondary schoolsAll schoolsPrimary schoolsSecondary schoolsAll schools
200122.917.417.222.917.118.1
200023.217.317.323.317.218.3
199923.617.117.523.517.018.4
199823.616.917.423.716.918.5
199723.216.717.323.416.718.3
199623.216.618.2

Source: Annual Schools' Census

— Not applicable


In 1997 Government Office Region definitions altered and data for previous years are therefore not comparable.

Class Sizes (Lincolnshire)

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) five, (b) six and (c) seven-year-olds in North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire were in class sizes over 30 in each year from 1990 to 2001. [37752]

Mr. Timms: The available information is shown in the table.

Number of classes with 31 or more Key Stage 1 pupils and the number of pupils in such classes in Maintained Primary Schools in North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire Local Education Authorities
Position in January each year

North East Lincolnshire ClassesPupilsNorth Lincolnshire ClassesPupils
1997712,393531,738
1998732,467662,229
1999531,76700
20002063300
200139800

Source: Annual Schools' Census

Prior to 1997 North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire were part of Humberside Local Education Authority which was subject to Local Government Re-organisation in April 1996.

Information on Key Stage 1 classes and pupils was not collected prior to 1996.

Job No: 715993 Folios: 000-000Operator: Operator No 3. Date: 08/03/02


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