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20 Nov 2003 : Column 1482W—continued
Pre-school Provision
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent discussions he has had on pre-schooling; what plans he has to expand high-quality pre-school care; and if he will make a statement. [139445]
Margaret Hodge: Ministers have discussed pre school issues with a wide range of organisations and individuals in recent months.
All four-year-olds now have access to a free, part time early education place and by April 2004 all three-year-olds will have access to a free part time place. Presently 88 per cent. of three-year-olds enjoy free early education.
We have also funded a major expansion of child care through our National Childcare Strategy. Since 1997, 745,000 new places have been created, benefiting more than 1.3 million children. Following the substantial increase in child care expenditure agreed as part of the 2002 Spending Review, new places will be provided for over 2 million children by 2006.
Our National Standards set a benchmark of quality below which no registered child care should fall and Ofsted inspects against these Standards.
Specific initiatives, such as Sure Start local programmes, Neighbourhood Nurseries and our new children's centres, are expanding high quality, safe child care in disadvantaged communities, increasingly provided alongside early education and family and health support.
Primary Schools (Essex)
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many special needs teachers were employed in primary schools by Essex county council on 1 September. [139519]
Mr. Miliband: The information is not available in the form requested. In January 2003, there were 5,100 full-time equivalent regular teachers in maintained nursery and primary schools and a further 280 full-time equivalent regular teachers in maintained special schools, pupil referral units and education other than at school in Essex. All teachers must be able to differentiate their teaching to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs in order to gain Qualified Teacher Status. In addition, special educational needs feature in the induction standards for new teachers.
School Buildings
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was paid in VAT on school buildings in the last three years. [139812]
Mr. Miliband: Schools that receive their funding for premises-related work through their local education authority may be required to pay VAT on certain types of work, but can then reclaim those costs. We do not have records of the amounts involved. Voluntary Aided schools cannot normally reclaim any VAT payable on work which is funded by capital grant paid by this Department, although that grant is increased to reflect the VAT costs.
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Our records indicate that the amounts of VAT paid on this type of work are as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 23.01 |
| 2002–03 | 38.00 |
| 2003–04 (to date) | 29.36 |
Notes:
1. The figures do not include VAT for Academies, City Technology Colleges, or former Grant Maintained schools.
2. VAT information for earlier years is not available.
School Funding
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what Surrey's change in funding was following the new funding arrangements for schools introduced in December 2002; what the national average was; and if he will make a statement. [139822]
Mr. Miliband: I am unable to provide the information requested before the House prorogues. I will write to the hon. Gentleman with the information and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether, in relation to the Government's education grant to Surrey in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04, allowance was made for (i) the increase in national insurance rates, (ii) the re-grading of teaching assistants, (iii) the non-government-funded parts of the increases in teachers' pensions and (iv) administration and insurance charges. [139826]
Mr. Miliband: The national grant settlement, which included the proportionate allocation for Surrey was sufficient in each of the years in question to fund all of the pressures listed above.
School Meals
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether (a) providers and (b) procurers of school meals are required to complete an assessment exercise which addresses the issues contained in the Why Diet is Important module of Unit 9B Science at Key Stage 3. [138996]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: I am unable to provide the information requested before the House prorogues.I will write to my hon. Friend with the information and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
Secondment
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people from science and technology backgrounds have been seconded into the Civil Service in his Department in each of the last five years for which data are available. [138626]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I am unable to provide the information requested before the House prorogues. I will write to my hon. Friend with the information and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
20 Nov 2003 : Column 1484W
Selective Education (Ethnic Minorities)
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of pupils of each local authority which retains selective education in (a) grammar schools, (b) secondary modern schools or equivalent and (c) non-selective schools are from each ethnic minority. [137762]
Mr. Miliband [holding answer 11 November 2003]: Information on the proportion of pupils by ethnic group is provided for schools that have indicated that they operate selective (grammar) entry, selective (other) entry and non-selective entry.
The information is based upon school intake type as reported by schools in the 2003 Annual Schools' Census.
Tables have been placed in the House of Commons Library.
Silent Aeroplanes
Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will provide funds to Cambridge University for research into silent aeroplanes. [140077]
Alan Johnson: The joint Cambridge University-Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (CMI) which receives Government funding to promote collaborative research with industry, has recently announced a project to develop the design for a silent aircraft. The Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) has also recently awarded a grant to the Cambridge University engineering department for research into jet engine noise at take off.
Special Educational Needs
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in each local authority receive additional support through the code of practice on special educational needs; and what assessment his Department has made of differences in the pattern of support identified among local authorities. [139603]
Margaret Hodge: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what changes have taken place in the number of children in (a) nursery, (b) primary and (c) secondary education with statements of special educational need since 1997, broken down by local authority. [139604]
Margaret Hodge: The number of pupils with statements of SEN has increased in all sectors since 1997. However, since 2000 the rate of increase has levelled out and the proportion of pupils with statements in England has remained at 3 per cent. for the last two years. A table containing the number of pupils for each authority will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to develop common definitions of need for children with special educational needs. [139605]
20 Nov 2003 : Column 1485W
Margaret Hodge: From January 2004 we shall be collecting information about the type of special need for children with statements of SEN and those at the School Action Plus phase in the SEN Code of Practice. In preparation for this exercise we have provided all schools with guidance, which includes definitions of 11 special educational needs. A copy of the publication, Data Collection by Type of Special Educational Need, is available at: www.dfes.gov.uk/sen
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total amount spent by Somerset county council on special needs teaching was in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [139044]
Margaret Hodge: The Department does not collect expenditure data within mainstream schools for teaching on special needs. The following table therefore only contains data for teaching expenditure within special schools in Somerset local education authority.
| Special schools (£) | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 3,528,393 |
| 2002–03 | 3,595,259 |
Notes:
1. The 2001–02 figures are taken from Table 3 of the LEA's 2001–02 section 52 Outturn Statement.
2. The 2002–03 figures are taken from Table A of the LEA's 2002–03 section 52 Outturn Statement. The figures are still subject to validation by the Department and could change.
3. The figures reported are in cash terms.
4. The figures are as reported by the LEA.
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