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Investors in People

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of (a) universities, (b) colleges of higher education, (c) general further education colleges and (d) sixth form colleges have Investors in People status. [104958]

Margaret Hodge: The proportion of educational establishments which have or are working towards Investors in People is as follows.

	Total number in	Proportion with Investors in Peoplerecognition		Proportion working towardsrecognition (committed)
Establishment	England		Percentage		Percentage
Universities	95	47	49	6	6
Higher Education Colleges	41	7	17	3	7
Further Education Colleges	306	133	43	40	13
Sixth Form Colleges	104	44	42	—	—

Language Teaching

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) if he will make a statement on the teaching of languages in secondary schools; [111711]

(2) what assessment he has made of the effects of languages being non-compulsory at GCSE level. [111712]

Mr. Miliband: Our National Languages Strategy document, published in December 2002, makes clear our intention to ensure that the opportunity to learn languages has a key place in the transformed secondary school of the future. At Key Stage 3, all pupils will continue to have an opportunity to learn at least one language and develop cultural understanding. We also want to raise standards and enrich the language learning experience.

The current National Curriculum requirements at Key Stage 4 include modern foreign languages. However, we do not believe that requiring schools to teach languages to every young person beyond the age of 14 is the best way forward. Around 36,000 pupils currently do not study a language at Key Stage 4 under the present disapplication arrangements. We therefore intend to amend the statutory requirement at Key Stage 4 so that schools will no longer be required to teach modern foreign languages to all pupils. However, every pupil has an entitlement to study a modern foreign language and are therefore required to ensure as a minimum that they are available to any pupil wishing to study them. Our ultimate goal is to move to a position where young people are motivated to study modern foreign languages, rather than being forced to do so.

Music Lessons

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what percentage of state-educated pupils in each government office region had access to musical instrument lessons during school hours and on school premises in (a) 1992, (b) 1997 and (c) 2002; [111684]

(2) how many pupils in each year group (a) had access to and (b) took up musical instrument lessons in the latest year for which figures are available. [111688]

Mr. Miliband: This information is not collected centrally.

However, music is taught to all children in Key Stages 1–3 (ages five to 14) through the National Curriculum. The Government also provides just under £60 million per annum to LEA Music Services through the Music Standards Fund to give pupils access to high quality musical experiences, including instrumental lessons.

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps are being taken to assist talented musicians from state schools to achieve excellence as musicians. [111685]

Mr. Miliband: My Department is strongly committed to music education and we have a number of projects under way to identify and nurture talented young musicians.

The Music Standards Fund offers just under £60 million per year for musical activities delivered through LEA Music Services, including instrumental tuition and programmes for the gifted and talented. The Music and Dance Scheme has allocated just under £65 million to gifted and talented young musicians since 1997 through its Aided Pupil Scheme; and we are supporting the work of the National Youth Music Organisations to enable them to increase access and opportunities for young musicians throughout the country. The gifted and talented education programme includes support for talented young musicians, for example, through the gifted and talented strand of Excellence in Cities and the national summer school programme for 10 to14 year-olds.

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) peripatetic and (b) staff musical instrument teachers work in state schools in the UK; how many full-time equivalent staff

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there are; and what the average number of hours worked per week was in the latest period for which figures are available. [111687]

Mr. Miliband: This information is not collected centrally.

Nursery Provision

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when the Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative commenced; how many nurseries have (a) been approved and (b) started operating; how much of the available funds have (i) been allocated and (ii) remain unspent; and what his plans are to support the establishment of further nurseries in the most disadvantaged areas. [108556]

Maria Eagle: We launched the Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative on 24 July 2001 with a target of creating 45,000 child care places. Our latest figures show that 161 nurseries have opened and a further 1,174 nursery projects have been approved by the local authorities and are in development, bringing the total number of neighbourhood nurseries to 1,335. The entire Neighbourhood Nurseries budget of £346 million has been allocated to those local authorities taking part in the initiative. This includes £100 million of capital from the New Opportunities Fund.

We are also making £435 million available to local authorities to develop children centres. This will incorporate nursery provision in the 20 per cent. most disadvantaged areas and will create a further 43,000 child care places by 2006.

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans there are to (a) increase and (b) extend the provision of nursery school development funding. [109299]

Maria Eagle: The Department's nursery school development grant programme, worth £5 million a year, will continue until 2005–06. It provides additional ring-fenced support to help Maintained Nursery Schools develop and extend their services enabling them to take advantage of the wider development and expansion of Neighbourhood Nurseries and Children's Centres.

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans are in place to ensure existing Maintained Nursery Schools are protected from the threat of closure. [109300]

Maria Eagle: The revised school reorganisation guidance which we intend should come into force in June 2003 will include a clear presumption against the closure of Maintained Nursery Schools. The guidance will make clear that closure proposals should not generally be approved, unless the local education authority (LEA) can demonstrate that the proposals are clearly in the best interests of local children and families and that it has duly considered:

the quantity, quality, value for money and convenience to parents (in hours offered) of provision at the individual nursery school, and proposed replacement provision;


the impact of the potential loss to the locality of the nursery school's experience and knowledge in delivering early years education; and


alternatives to closure.

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Schools

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the meetings he has had with Devon teachers to discuss the budgetary allocations for 2003–04 in the last six months. [111858]

Mr. Charles Clarke: I have had no such discussions.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funds his Department has allocated to partnerships between the independent and state school sectors; and if he will make a statement. [111677]

Mr. Miliband: In its first five years, 1998–2003, the independent/state school partnerships grant scheme was allocated £3.3 million of Departmental funding. Independent evaluation of the scheme has found that it is achieving its aims and objectives and provides good value for money. As a result, the scheme has been allocated a significant increase of funding over the next three years: £1.25 million in 2003–04 rising to £2 million in 2005–06. We expect to announce the outcome of the recent application round in June.

We believe the independent sector can and is making a substantial contribution to our education system, through a range of collaborative models and policy initiatives, such as joint professional development, sharing of ideas on curriculum development and classroom observation. In addition, independent schools which meet the criteria and are willing to work with schools in the maintained sector will be able to participate in the next round of the Leading Edge programme later this year.

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance he has given to local education authorities on fixing dates for school terms, with particular reference to areas where many children attend schools in an authority other than where they live. [111465]

Mr. Miliband: Responsibility for deciding the dates of school terms and holidays rests with local education authorities or school governing bodies depending on the category of school. We would encourage adjoining authorities as far as possible to set similar dates.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to improve the cleanliness and hygiene of school toilets. [111126]

Mr. Stephen Twigg [holding answer 6 May 2003]: It is a requirement of The Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999 that

"Every part of a school building and of the land provided for a school shall be such that the health, safety and welfare of the occupants are reasonably assured".

Servicing of washrooms is covered by this requirement. It is the responsibility of the school, through the head teacher and governing body to ensure that standards of cleanliness are maintained.

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