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Minister for Children

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) areas of responsibility, (b) targets and (c) priorities of the Minister for Children are. [122339]

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 2003 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 children, young people and families. From September 2003, 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; and


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 child care, early education and other services are available for all young children and families.

My priorities are set out in the Green Paper, published in September 2003. We need to ensure we properly protect children at risk within a framework of universal services which support every child to develop their full potential and which aim to protect negative outcomes.

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.

Modern Apprenticeships

Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his targets are for the number

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of modern apprenticeships to be provided; and how many have been achieved for each year since they were introduced. [133250]

Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 20 October 2003]: The Public Service Agreement (PSA) for Modern Apprenticeships states that:

"By 2004, at least 28 per cent. of young people to start a Modern Apprenticeship by age 22".

The technical note for this target clarifies this to mean first-time entrants to Foundation or Advanced Modern Apprenticeships by those aged 16 to 21. The outturn will be starts, defined above, during the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) academic year 2004/05, expressed as a proportion of the most recent population estimate for that cohort from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

While Modern Apprenticeships have a longer history, fit for purpose data for the PSA target have been compiled only since 2001/02:

Modern Apprenticeship starts

	Number	Percentage
2001/02	137,000	(5)22.8
2002/03	(6)144,900	(5)23.9

⁽⁵⁾ Proportion calculated using ONS population estimates DME50 Table 4.

⁽⁶⁾ Data for 2002/03 outturn are provisional; due to be finalised by the LSC in January 2004.

Physical Assaults

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers have been attacked by (a) pupils and (b) parents in each education authority, in each academic year since 1997. [133700]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: In my answer to a similar question from the hon. Member on 8 September 2003, Official Report, column 148W, I stated that the number of serious injuries to primary and secondary school teachers in Great Britain caused by physical violence reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was as follows:

1996–97—83


1997–98—119


1998–99—124


1999–2000—135


2000–01—135


2001–02—110.

The injuries reported to the HSE are major injuries and those resulting in more than three days' absence from work as a result of assault. Information about who caused the injury is not available and the figures cannot be broken down by education authority.

School Funding

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he will make a statement on school funding for the next financial year. [133602]

Mr. Miliband: In his statement to the House on 17 July, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State outlined initial steps in responding to the practical

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concerns raised about the present system of funding schools, and promised a further report in the autumn. He expects to make that report shortly.

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent representations he has received in respect of the funding of schools in Essex; and if he will make a statement. [133710]

Mr. Miliband: My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations about school funding issues in Essex. He made a statement to the House on 17 July about 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.

School Places

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children failed to gain a place at the school of their choice in (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools, (c) special schools and (d) all schools in each year since 1997, broken down by local education authority. [133674]

Mr. Miliband: The Department does not keep statistics on how many children fail to gain a place at the school of their choice at primary, secondary and special schools. Individual local education authorities may have information. Collecting reliable data is difficult, because many parents apply for places at more than one school and it may not be clear which is their first preference. Research published by the Department in June 2001 suggested that, nationally, 96 per cent. of parents receive an offer of a place at one, at least, of the schools for which they express a preference.

School Transport

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his policy is towards the funding of free school transport for pupils attending faith schools. [132810]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Education Act 1996 sets out the local education authorities (LEAs) responsibilities in providing free transport to school for pupils of compulsory school age. Section 509(1) requires LEAs to make arrangements for the provision of transport as they consider necessary, so that pupils can attend school. This transport must be free. Section 509(3) enables authorities to pay the whole of part of a pupil's travelling expenses.

LEAs must provide free transport to denominational schools, where pupils live beyond the statutory walking distances, where they are the nearest suitable school that pupils can attend. Where pupils live closer to a non-denominational school, LEAs will provide free transport to a denominational school of their choice if they consider that transport is necessary, and they may otherwise provide assistance with travel costs. This is an area where LEAs exercise local discretion, taking into account the religious beliefs of parents and local circumstances.

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Our recent document, "Travelling to School: an Action Plan", set out our plans for boosting walking, cycling and bus use on the journey to school. We are planning to put legislation in place as soon as possible which will allow LEAs to trial new approaches to school transport.

We hope that one or more exemplar scheme will examine fresh approaches to denominational transport.

Sector Skills Councils

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which sector skills councils are accredited; when they were accredited; and when the remainder will be operational. [132498]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: We are making good progress in setting up the Sector Skills Councils (SSCs). I expect the network of around 25 SSCs will be in place by summer 2004, as outlined in the recently published White Paper, "21st Century Skills. Realising Our Potential". Between April and October this year, four SSCs have been awarded full five-year licences to operate. They cover IT, Telecommunications and Contact Centres; Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies; Construction and Active Leisure and Learning. Plans are well advanced for the development of proposals for a further 17 SSCs, including the five trailblazer SSCs. In addition, the SSDA continues to work with a number of other sectors to ensure the right coverage.

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with the Department for Trade and Industry about joint funding streams for (a) sector skills councils and (b) related training opportunities; and if he will make a statement with specific reference to the ceramics industry. [132496]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Skills Strategy White Paper, "21st Century Skills, Realising our Potential", set out our intention that the DTI should jointly sponsor, with DfES, the Skills for Business Network.

Discussions are taking place at official level regarding the details of this arrangement, including funding. The Secretaries of State for Education and Skills and Trade and Industry will receive proposals for their consideration at the end of this year.

Although the ceramics industry does not meet the criteria for establishing a dedicated Sector Skills Council (SSC), the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) is working with the Association of Ceramic Training and Development to put in place effective arrangements for bringing the ceramics industry fully within the Skills for Business Network.

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