House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 20 Oct 2003 (pt 24)

20 Oct 2003 : Column 436W—continued

Good Friday Agreement

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures have been taken in the last 12 months to promote co-operation in matters concerning education and skills through the east-west dimension of the Good Friday Agreement. [131949]

Mr. Lammy: I have been asked to reply.

Strand Three of the Belfast or Good Friday Agreement identified education as one of a number of possible issues for discussion within the British-Irish Council. The Council is currently working on a number of other priority areas, although some of them touch on education and skills issues.

Graduate Teacher Scheme

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of (a) the number and (b) the percentage of newly qualified teachers trained under the graduate teacher scheme this year who have been unable to find employment in teaching. [132926]

Mr. Miliband: My right hon. Friend has made no such estimates.

Electronics/Electrical Engineering

Mr. Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what have been the student participation rates in (a) electronic, (b) electrical and (c) combined electronic/electrical engineering courses in the last five years. [131115]

Alan Johnson: The latest available information is in the table.

Undergraduate⁽⁷⁾ participation on Electronic and Electrical Engineering courses

Electronic Engineeing Electrical Engineering Electronic/Electrical Engineering

Academic year Number Percentage⁽⁸⁾ Number Percentage⁽⁸⁾ Number Percentage⁽⁸⁾

2001–02 21,734 1,42 5,022 0.33 26,756 1.74

2000–01 19,790 133 5,143 0.35 24,933 1.68

1999–2000 18,474 1,28 4,468 0.31 22,942 1.59

1998–99 18,050 1.25 4,567 0.32 22,617 1.57

1997–98 17,828 1.26 4,964 0.35 22,792 1.61

	Electronic Engineeing	Electrical Engineering	Electronic/Electrical Engineering
Academic year	Number	Percentage⁽⁸⁾	Number	Percentage⁽⁸⁾	Number	Percentage⁽⁸⁾
2001–02	21,734	1,42	5,022	0.33	26,756	1.74
2000–01	19,790	133	5,143	0.35	24,933	1.68
1999–2000	18,474	1,28	4,468	0.31	22,942	1.59
1998–99	18,050	1.25	4,567	0.32	22,617	1.57
1997–98	17,828	1.26	4,964	0.35	22,792	1.61

⁽⁷⁾ Figures cover all undergraduates studying full and part time courses at UK HE institutions.

⁽⁸⁾ Percentage of all undergraduate enrolments

Source:

Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Minister for Children

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the responsibilities are of the Minister for Children; what immediate targets she has set; and what funding is available for her Department subsection. [128238]

Margaret Hodge: I have responsibility within the Department for Education and Skills for policy on children, young people and families. The creation of the post of Minister for Children in June brought together within the DfES a number of key responsibilities including some from other Government Departments in order to improve the co-ordination of policy on

20 Oct 2003 : Column 437W

children, young people and families. From September the title of this post was changed to Minister for Children, Young People and Families.

The accountability arrangements for PSA and supporting targets affected by this change are:

The transfer from the Department of Health of the PSA target on improving the life chances for children in care together with work on the adoption of looked after children.

Joint ownership of the PSA target on reducing the under 18 conception rate by 50 per cent. by 2010.

The Department of Health will retain the PSA target on improving life outcomes for adults and children with mental health problems with DfES having an important role in ensuring input from social care and other services.

I will also retain responsibilities for the Sure Start targets which aim to ensure that accessible and high quality childcare, early education and other services are available for all young children and families.

I will be reviewing all targets and structures are now being established within the Department to ensure that our policy ambitions are delivered in the most cost effective manner.

School Noise Reduction

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his Department is doing to enforce the recommended guidelines in reducing noise in schools; and if he will make a statement. [132568]

Mr. Miliband: Acoustic standards in schools have been subject to the Building Regulations, Approved Document E, since 1 July 2003. Approved Document E quotes DfES Building Bulletin 93 as the normal means of compliance with Regulation E4 which applies to schools. Building Bulletin 93, "The Acoustic Design of Schools", can be downloaded from the DfES acoustics website www.teachernet.gov.uk/acoustics and will be published by the Stationery Office (ISBN 0 11 2711057) in November 2003.

Building Bulletin 93 contains recommendations that also apply to the refurbishment of existing schools which are not subject to Building Regulations. Some aspects of such refurbishment work are subject to the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act as it applies to pupils with hearing impairments.

Building Bulletin 93 also gives recommendations on noise levels in playing fields and other areas of the school grounds. External noise considerations are subject to Policy Planning Guidance Note 24 and Planning law.

Ofsted

Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the response from HM Chief Inspector of Schools to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury on 13 June, how many complaints have been made against Ofsted inspectors in each of the last three years for reasons other than their performance as inspectors in connection with Section 10 inspections; and whether de-registrations have subsequently resulted. [132753]

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

PGCE Citizenship Courses

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 18 September 2003, Official Report, column 985W, on Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (Citizenship), how many places (a) have been taken up and (b) were available for PGCE history courses in each year between 2001 and 2003; what percentage of teacher training institutions offer PGCE Citizenship courses; and if he will make a statement. [131950]

Mr. Miliband: The table shows the number of entrants to Postgraduate Certificate in Education courses in history and the number of places allocated to institutions in England by the Teacher Training Agency since 2001/02.

Places Entrants⁽⁹⁾

2001/02 941 922

2002/03 977 982

2003/04⁽¹⁰⁾ 998 n/a

	Places	Entrants⁽⁹⁾
2001/02	941	922
2002/03	977	982
2003/04⁽¹⁰⁾	998	n/a

⁽⁹⁾ Does not include trainees on undergraduate or employment-based routes.

⁽¹⁰⁾ The number of entrants to initial teacher training in 2003/04 is not yet available.

Source:

TTA

Currently 13 per cent. of providers of initial teacher training courses in England offer a Postgraduate Certificate in Education course in Citizenship.

School Finance (Essex)

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he expects to respond to the request for additional financial resources made on 26 September by the Essex Secondary Headteachers' Association; and if he will make a statement. [132805]

Mr. Miliband: On 17 July the Secretary of State announced the changes we propose to make to restore stability to school funding in 2004–05 and 2005–06. We are currently working with national partners on the detail of his proposals and the Secretary of State will be announcing the outcome as soon as this work is complete.

Sector Skills Councils

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the trailblazer sector skills councils; and if he will make a statement. [132497]

Alan Johnson: Five organisations were licensed as Trailblazer Sector Skills Councils in the spring of last year. A business case for Skill set (the Trailblazer SSC for audiovisual industries) is currently being considered and if accepted will lead to the award of a licence before the end of the year.

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The other Trailblazer Sector Skills Councils; Cogent Plus, Skillfast-UK, Lantra and Skillsmart, are expected, subject to SSDA Board approval to be awarded licences by June 2004.

Sure Start

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what resources were allocated for research for each of the Birkenhead Sure Starts in each of the years since their inception; and how much of the funding has been spent; [129168]

(a)

(b)

(3) how much of the (a) revenue and (b) capital allocation awarded to Birkenhead under the Sure Start programme has been used, broken down by financial year, since 2001–02. [129229]

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Margaret Hodge: The available information for the three Sure Start local programmes in the Birkenhead area is shown in the following tables. These programmes were approved at different times—Birkenhead North in August 2000, Ferries in January 2002 and Birkenhead Central in January 2003. Information is drawn from the local programmes' delivery 9 plans and Sure Start Unit's finance and performance monitoring IT system. N/A denotes not applicable where year shown is before a programme's inception.

Table 1—Research

Research Spend (£)

Sure Start local programme 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04

Birkenhead North nil 21,145 18,545 nil to date

Ferries n/a nil 250 nil to date

Birkenhead Central n/a n/a 5,803 nil to date

	Research Spend (£)
Sure Start local programme	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04
Birkenhead North	nil	21,145	18,545	nil to date
Ferries	n/a	nil	250	nil to date
Birkenhead Central	n/a	n/a	5,803	nil to date

Note:

Programmes are advised to spend around 5 per cent. of their Revenue allocation on research. There are no set amounts allocated.

Table 2—Revenue

Revenue (£)

2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04

Sure Start local programme Allocation Spend Allocation Spend Allocation Spend Allocation Spend

Birkenhead North 394,500 140,868 743,400 745,376 745,000 679,216 745,327 339,749

Ferries n/a n/a 100,000 120,000 550,000 419,648 714,095 163,577

Birkenhead Central n/a n/a n/a n/a 338,000 280,971 745,327 178,759

Table 3—Capital

Capital Spend (£)

Sure Start local programme Total Capital Allocation (£) 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04

Birkenhead North 1,052,000 21,519 63,204 44,598 nil to date

Ferries ⁽¹¹⁾1,173,031 n/a n/a 17,500 nil to date

Birkenhead Central 1,000,000 n/a n/a 13,000 nil to date

	Revenue (£)
	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04
Sure Start local programme	Allocation	Spend	Allocation	Spend	Allocation	Spend	Allocation	Spend
Birkenhead North	394,500	140,868	743,400	745,376	745,000	679,216	745,327	339,749
Ferries	n/a	n/a	100,000	120,000	550,000	419,648	714,095	163,577
Birkenhead Central	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	338,000	280,971	745,327	178,759

		Capital Spend (£)
Sure Start local programme	Total Capital Allocation (£)	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04
Birkenhead North	1,052,000	21,519	63,204	44,598	nil to date
Ferries	⁽¹¹⁾1,173,031	n/a	n/a	17,500	nil to date
Birkenhead Central	1,000,000	n/a	n/a	13,000	nil to date

⁽¹¹⁾ inclusive of irrecoverable VAT

Note:

Approval of Capital Spend for two of the programmes has been given in full to date. Birkenhead North has had £1,052,000 and Ferries £1,173,031 approved. Approval is on-going for the Birkenhead Central programme.

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