---

6 Nov 2002 : Column 405W—continued

Higher Education

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to the answer of 21 October, Official Report, column 38W, what the annual cost to public funds is of each higher education access measure listed. [79971]

Margaret Hodge: The relevant figures are:

Excellence Challenge—#69.6 million (2002–03)

Access/Hardship Funds—#85.5 million (2002–03)

Loans for part-time students (excluding Open University Students)—#1.3 million (2001–02)

2001–02 costs for the childcare grant; and the travel, books and equipment grant will be available in Spring 2003.

Teachers

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of (a) the number and (b) the percentage of teachers (i) passing the threshold for performance related pay and (ii) rising up the enhanced pay spine having passed the threshold. [79471]

Mr. Miliband: Over 200,000 teachers applied and were successful in Round 1 of Performance Threshold (97 per cent. of applications) and a further 31,000 successfully achieved threshold status in Round 2 (95 per cent. of applications to date). Teachers who were placed on point 1 of the Upper Pay Scale in Round 1 were first eligible to progress to point 2 in September 2002. It is too early to compile details of the numbers who have done so at present.

Children's Fund

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which programmes are being funded by the Children's Fund; what the results have been so far; and what further evaluation is (a) underway and (b) planned. [78329]

Mr. Denham: The Children's Fund is responsible for implementation of 149 Children's Fund programmes (Annex A) across England. The Fund is being rolled out in three waves, and to date 40 plans in Wave 1 and 50 plans in Wave 2 have been approved. The remaining 59 plans in Wave 3 will be submitting proposals at the end of the year, and approved plans will begin operating from April 2003. Programmes bring together local voluntary organisations, statutory agencies, community and faith groups, children and young people and their families to deliver a range of locally co-ordinated preventive services for 5–13 year olds at risk. Examples of activities include bi-lingual home/school liaison projects, helping children with behavioural difficulties,

6 Nov 2002 : Column 406W

managing the transition between primary and secondary school, tackling truancy and promoting community cohesion through developing positive perceptions about different cultures.

The Children and Young People's Unit gather information on all services supported by the Children's Fund on a quarterly basis. The most recent information available from 38 out of 40 Wave 1 partnerships shows that 584 services were supported during April–June 2002 (Annex B). No information was gathered from Wave 2 partnerships for April–June 2002 because the majority of partnerships only received approval in April 2002. The CYPU is gathering service information on all Wave 1 and 2 partnerships for the period July–September 2002, and this information should be available later this year. It is too soon for the programme to provide an accurate indication of the direct impact on children and their families, but early feedback from children, parents, teachers and other professionals is positive. Individual programmes are already making a difference in improving school attendance, tackling behavioural problems and promoting positive parenting.

The Children and Young People's Unit are in the process of selecting a contractor for a national evaluation of the Children's Fund, and work is expected to begin early in 2003. This will draw on the results of local evaluations of achievement against measurable targets which individual partnerships are required to carry out.

Schools Performance

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will rank each local education authority according to its performance on Key Stage 2 and 3 SATS results for the last three available years, including the preliminary results for 2002; and which local education authorities did not achieve 33 per cent. of pupils obtaining above average scores in each Key Stage 2 subject. [78761]

Mr. Miliband [holding answer 5 November 2002]: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

QCA

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in respect of how many schools each year (a) complaints and (b) reports of incorrect SATS results reached the QCA; in which local education authorities those complaints and reports occurred; and how the QCA dealt with these complaints. [78772]

6 Nov 2002 : Column 407W

Mr. Miliband [holding answer 5 November 2002]: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) does not maintain a central log of volume or nature of correspondence. All correspondence received at QCA is responded to and dealt with by the relevant team or division. It is therefore not possible to give the figures requested without incurring disproportionate cost.

The procedures for dealing with complaints fall within QCA's Customer Service Charter and are responded to within the 5-day turn-around time described in the charter. QCA replies to any general complaints under their Customer Service Charter. Where schools have concern about the quality of marking of their pupils' scripts and consider that they may have been awarded an incorrect level, a review of marking can be requested. The arrangements for seeking a review of marking are included in QCA's Schools' Guide, sent to schools each year. An application for a review of marking is considered by a panel of senior markers led by the Lead Chief Marker for the subject. Any re-marking that occurs as part of the review procedure is undertaken by a review or senior marker.

The number of reviews of marking requested in 2002 is not yet available although early estimates have not shown any significant increase on previous years' figures. Figures for 2001 are available in the Standards Reports published by QCA and will be placed in the House of Commons Library. Figures for 2002 will also be placed in the Library when available.

SATS

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will place the guidance on procedures for the conduct and integrity of SATS tests in the Library with the arrangements for monitoring the inplementation of that guidance. [78763]

Mr. Miliband [holding answer 5 November 2002]: The guidance on procedures for the conduct and integrity of the National Curriculum tests is contained in the:

2003 Assessment and Reporting Arrangements booklets for Key Stages 1, 2 & 3;

Guidance on Administering the Years 7 and 8 Tests booklet;

Teacher Packs which accompany the actual test materials and re-state the guidance in the Assessment and Reporting Arrangement booklets; and

Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 Schools Guides.

The instruction for monitoring the implementation of the guidance is contained in the Test Security and Administration Monitoring Visits to Schools form.

We will place copies of current guidance in the House of Commons Library.

Individual Learning Allowance

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money claimed by contractors under the ILA scheme remains unpaid. [79852]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department contracted with Capita Business Services Ltd to deliver the Individual Learning Account (ILA) programme. Since closure of the programme, Capita have worked closely with the

6 Nov 2002 : Column 408W

Department on the wind down of the original programme and to assist in the development of the successor scheme. We have now agreed with Capita that, because we are undertaking a fundamental review of the funding of adult learning, their work on the successor scheme is complete and we have agreed to terminate our contract with them. The Department is discussing settlement terms with Capita.

Learning providers, who were not contracted to the Department, were required to register with Capita's ILA Centre. Currently #17.3 million is withheld from 268 learning providers.

Learning and Skills Council

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many square feet of office space are occupied by the Worcester office of the Learning and Skills Council; and how many square feet will be occupied by the Council in its new Worcester Office; [79481]

(2) how many staff are employed in the Worcester office of the Learning and Skills Council; [79485]

(3) what the cost is of the new office space to which the Worcester office of the Learning and Skills Council is moving; and when it will move. [79486]

Margaret Hodge: These are matters for the Learning and Skills Council. John Harwood, the Council's Chief Executive will write to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Student Loans

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) if the Government will raise the repayment threshold for student loans; [79544]

(2) if his Department will reintroduce targeted maintenance support for those students from the poorest backgrounds. [79532]

Margaret Hodge: In January we will publish a strategy document setting out our vision for the development and reform of higher education, including the outcome of the review of student support. It would not be right to pre-empt it here by saying what is or is not planned.

---