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19 May 2003 : Column 560W—continued

Languages Teaching

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his estimate is of the proportion of schools in (a) deprived areas and (b) affluent areas which intend to permit 14-year-olds to drop language subjects; and if he will make a statement. [113389]

Mr. Miliband: "14 to 19: Opportunity and Excellence" confirmed that we intend to amend the statutory requirement at Key Stage 4 of the National Curriculum so that schools will no longer be required to teach modern foreign languages to all pupils. All schools will, however, be required to ensure as an entitlement that they are available to any pupil wishing to study them.

We have made no estimate of the number of schools that might permit 14-year-olds to drop language subjects. In taking decisions about the curriculum at Key Stage 4, schools will be expected to consider carefully the needs and aspirations of their pupils, and the provision of opportunities which will best serve their future education and employability. Some schools may continue to require pupils to study languages as a compulsory part of their curriculum.

Leadership Incentive Grant

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the impact of the leadership incentive grant in North Yorkshire. [110075]

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Mr. Miliband: Three mainstream secondary schools in North Yorkshire are eligible for the new LeadershipIncentive Grant which began in April 2003. Each school will receive £125,000 for each of the next three years, plus £50,000 partnership funding per year, providing these schools with significant additional resources to raise standards, strengthen leadership at all levels and enable collaborative working. Eligible schools will be expected to revise their School Development Plan in the light of the additional funding, and, as a condition of funding, to work together to draw up a collaborative plan setting out their shared priorities. For schools such as these in North Yorkshire which are outside Excellence in Cities areas, Education Action Zones and Excellence Clusters and which are eligible for the funding, LEAs will be responsible for approving these collaborative plans.

In addition, Aireville School, which was previously funded through the schools facing challenging circumstances and which has now improved, will receive £50,000 this year through the Targeted Improvement Grant to work collaboratively and secure continued improvements.

National Minimum Wage

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the estimated cost is in 2003–04 to his Department, agencies and the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible of the increase in the national minimum wage from £4.20 per hour to £4.50 per hour. [110433]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The estimated cost in 2003–04 to the Department and its non-departmental public bodies arising from the increase in the national minimum wage from £4.20 per hour to £4.50 per hour is £33,000. The Department has no Agencies reporting to it.

Office for Standards in Education

Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total pay costs incurred by the Office for Standards in Education were in each year since 1997. [113387]

Mr. Miliband: This is a matter for Ofsted and the HM Chief Inspector, David Bell, will write to the hon. Member and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library.

Part-time Students

Dr. Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Government are taking to promote foundation degrees as high-quality qualifications among (a) learners and (b) employers; and what steps the Government are taking to ensure that foundation degrees extend opportunities to study for part-time students.[R] [113198]

Margaret Hodge: The Government's plans for a significant expansion of foundation degrees are set out in 'The Future of Higher Education' (Cm 5735). Details are currently being worked up, in collaboration with the Higher Education Funding Council for England and other interested parties.

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The Quality Assurance Agency is responsible for safeguarding the standards and quality of the foundation degree as a higher education qualification. Employers and employer organisations are being involved in foundation degree design and development to ensure that qualifications meet professional standards and workplace needs. 50 per cent. of students currently studying for foundation degrees are part-time. A new promotion campaign to be launched later this year will continue to promote the message to both students and employers alike of the quality of foundation degrees and of the flexible modes of study available.

This answer refers to England only.

Dr. Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Government are taking to encourage a more comprehensive system of credit accumulation and transfer for part-time students. [R] [113216]

Margaret Hodge: Credit systems which make it possible to break off and start again without having to repeat learning are increasingly important for part time learners in higher education. We recognised this in the White Paper and this is why we are encouraging HEFCE to work with other partners in the HE sector to identify and build upon good practice in the use of credit systems. HEFCE will be undertaking a two year programme which will include a number of pilot schemes using credit to support flexible progression and transfer between institutions and qualifications.

Dr. Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Government are taking to ensure that part-time students have access to a broad and balanced curriculum within easy travelling distance between their homes and place of study.[R] [113226]

Margaret Hodge: Higher education institutions themselves determine what programmes and courses they offer. They work increasingly with Regional Development Agencies and local Learning and Skills Councils to identify regional and sub-regional priorities and to develop appropriate programmes tailored to the needs of students and the economy.

The Government recognise the importance of providing flexible ways of learning and new types of qualifications to meet the wide variety of needs of learners. Credit systems, which make it possible to break off and start again without having to repeat learning, will become increasingly important for part-time higher education students. We are building on the potential of e-learning to offer interactive, individualised learning at the pace, place and level most suited to the learner. The new foundation degrees are inherently flexible in how they are delivered: not only full-time or part-time at an institution but also through distance learning or in the workplace.

As set out in our recent White Paper "The future of higher education" we are also improving the package of support for part-time students including a grant to help with the costs of travel.

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PFI Schemes

Dr. Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many local education authorities will be paying from their education budgets for the costs of PFI schemes in 2003–04; [113160]

(2) what the total value is of payments for PFI schemes to be made by local education authorities from their education budget in the financial year 2003–04. [113161]

Mr. Miliband: All local education authorities (LEAs) with operational Schools PFI schemes contribute towards the costs of these schemes. Funding from this Department is intended to meet the capital repayment element of the unitary charge. LEAs must meet the facilities management element. They do this by recouping some of the funds which would otherwise have been devolved for this purpose to schools involved in the project, and by using their own resources.

The contract for a Schools PFI scheme is usually between the LEA and the contractor. The DfES is not a party to the contract, so we are not aware of the unitary charge that the LEA would have agreed to pay each year. The size of the charge will of course be dependent on the overall value of the contract, however, a number of checks are put in place during the procurement process to try to ensure that LEAs agree deals that are affordable and offer good value for money.

Physical Education

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent advice his Department has issued to schools in the London Borough of Havering regarding the (a) number of hours of physical education that should be taught to GCSE pupils and (b) the setting of homework tasks for GCSE pupils. [113472]

Mr. Miliband: The Department has issued no advice specifically to schools in the London Borough of Havering about the number of hours of physical education that should be taught to GCSE pupils or the setting of homework tasks for GCSE pupils. Both are determined at local school level.

However, the Government believes that all pupils should receive two hours per week of high quality physical education and school sport within and beyond the curriculum. To this end, the DfES and DCMS are working with a range of partners to deliver an ambitious Public Service Agreement target to ensure that, by 2006, 75 per cent. of all pupils will receive two hours per week of high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum. Delivery of this target is supported by Government investment of £459 million over the next three years.

The Department last issued guidance to all schools on homework in November 1998 through the publication "Homework: Guidance for Primary and Secondary Schools".

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