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11 Nov 2003 : Column 220W—continued
Gap Year
Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received from (a) schools, (b) parents and (c) pupils about the intentions of Year 12 or lower 6th students expecting to complete 'A' levels in summer 2005 and considering whether to take a gap year in 2005–06. [135447]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 5 November 2003]: The Department for Education and Skills has not received any direct representations from schools, parents or pupils about young people's gap year intentions for 2005/06 although we are aware of some concerns from education and voluntary organisations about the possible impact of changes to tuition fees in 2006 on gap year take-up. We have no plans to introduce any special arrangements for those young people deferring entry to higher education in 2005 in order to take a gap year since students will have had three years' notice of the funding changes. We will abolish upfront payment of fees and introduce loans for fees which students repay after graduation only when they are earning a reasonable salary. We will introduce a £1,000 Higher Education Grant from 2004, to be paid to the poorest 30 per cent. of students. We will also continue to pay the standard fee (currently £1,125) for students from poorer backgrounds.
GCSEs
Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what proportion of 15 and 16-year-olds in (a) Somerset and (b) England were entered for GCSE examinations in each year since 1997; [137241]
- (2) what proportion of 15 and 16-year-olds in (a) Somerset and (b) England achieved (i) five or more A* to C GCSE grades and (ii) five or more GCSE passes in each year since 1997. [137242]
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Mr. Miliband: The statistical information requested is detailed in the following table:
| Academic year | Percentage of 15(16)-year-old pupils who entered for one or more GCSE/GNVQ | Percentage of 15(16)-year-olds achieving five or more gradesA*-C GCSE/GNVQ | Percentage of 15(16)-year-olds achieving five or more gradesA*-G GCSE/GNVQ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset figures | ||||
| 1997 | 96.5 | 48.9 | 92.5 | |
| 1998 | 97.5 | 51.2 | 92.3 | |
| 1999 | 97.5 | 52.7 | 93.7 | |
| 2000 | 97.6 | 55.3 | 93.4 | |
| 2001 | 97.6 | 54.7 | 93.0 | |
| 2002 | 98.0 | 54.8 | 92.7 | |
| 2003 (provisional)96.9 | 54.8 | 90.2 | ||
| England figures | ||||
| 1997 | 94.0 | 45.1 | 86.4 | |
| 1998 | 94.8 | 46.3 | 87.5 | |
| 1999 | 95.0 | 47.9 | 88.5 | |
| 2000 | 95.5 | 49.2 | 88.9 | |
| 2001 | 95.7 | 50.0 | 88.9 | |
| 2002 | 95.9 | 51.6 | 88.9 | |
| 2003 (provisional)96.0 | 52.6 | 88.6 | ||
(16) Pupils are aged 15 at the start of the academic year ie 31 August.
Gifted Pupils
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria are used to allocate funding for gifted pupils. [136710]
Mr. Miliband: Funding for gifted and talented education is used to support area-based programmes in disadvantaged areas, regional support through the London Challenge and a range of national resources that are universally available, notably the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth.
The area-based programmes— provided through Excellence in Cities, Excellence Clusters and Aim Higher—benefit urban LEAs and smaller pockets of disadvantage, some in suburban and rural areas. Each school uses this funding to support their most able 5–10 per cent. of pupils, so the measure of ability is relative to the school.
In addition to benefiting from national resources, LEAs and schools outside these areas are encouraged to use generic funding to support gifted and talented education.
Industrial Action
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many hours have been lost to industrial action in (a) schools and (b) local education authority offices in each year since 1990. [137202]
Mr. Miliband: The Department does not hold information about hours lost to industrial action in schools or local education authority offices.
LEA Partnerships
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many local education authorities have sought authority to create partnerships with private companies to deliver additional resources
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for schools and colleges in their areas; which companies are involved in each area; and how much has been contributed to each educational institution. [137537]
Mr. Miliband: Local education authorities are free to contract out a wide range of their statutory functions to private companies. They are not required to seek authority to do so, and the Department has not conducted a comprehensive survey of such partnerships. The information requested is therefore not available.
Learndirect
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the UK online centres in Amber Valley; and which centres provide access to LearnDirect courses. [136776]
Mr. Charles Clarke: UK online centres provide people with access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT). There are six UK online centres in Amber valley. These are as follows:
- Read On Write Away (a mobile bus taking ICT facilities to rural, socio-economically deprived areas of Derbyshire)
The Bridge Centre, Langley Mill
Ironville Training Centre, Ironville
Alfreton Hall Adult Education Centre
Groundworks toolbox (formerly the Amber Valley Environ Centre)
Belper Adult Community Education Centre
Local Education Authorities
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many registered teachers worked for local education authorities in a non teaching capacity in each year since 1997. [137206]
Mr. Miliband: This information is not held centrally.
Public Service Agreements
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many civil servants his Department employed to meet each of his Department's public service agreements in each year since 2001. [137169]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The number of civil servants employed by my Department in 2003 to meet its public service agreements is 5,020 (including 640 staff who work in the Government Office network). The number in 2002 was 4,820 (including 650 Government Office staff).
The numbers are not broken down by public service agreements (PSAs) as one aspect of the Department's work often contributes to the achievement of several PSAs. However, the numbers of civil servants in each of the Department's policy directorates over this period
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are given in the following table. Many of the remaining staff, although not located within a policy directorate, provide direct support.
| Policy directorate | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|
| Schools | 1,385 | 1,602 |
| Lifelong Learning | 681 | 661 |
| Youth | 336 | 376 |
The numbers in Schools Directorate include staff who work on Sure Start and Children and Young People's issues.
Qualifications
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research he has collated into the relative cost-effectiveness of public expenditure on (a) improving basic skills, (b) achieving level 2 qualifications, (c) achieving level 3 qualifications and (d) achieving level 4 qualifications. [136455]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The document "Education and Skills: The Economic Benefit" published by DfES in May 2003 presents both Government and wider research undertaken into the economic benefits of public expenditure on education. It highlights the social and economic value of education and skills, from a basic skills level to first degree, in terms of earnings, employment and social benefits.
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act
Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what statutory investigatory powers the Department has; which ones will be superseded by use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; and what plans he has for removing these legacy powers. [136124]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Department does not have powers of the type referred to by my hon. Friend and consequently there will not be any powers superseded by the use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.
The Department may have powers that are similar in effect (such as section 497B of the Education Act 1996—a right in specified circumstances to inspect and take copies of documents held by a local authority), however, collating a full response on such powers will not be possible on grounds of disproportionate cost.
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