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18 Dec 2003 : Column 1061W—continued
Mental Health
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many referrals there have been to the Child and Family Mental Health Services of families with children up to the age of five years in England and Wales in each year since 1997; and who initiated the referrals. [144135]
Dr. Ladyman: I have been asked to reply.
Information is not available in the form requested. The following table shows the number of referrals to child and adolescent psychiatry in England from general practitioners and others.
| Referral type | ||
|---|---|---|
| GP | Other | |
| 1997–98 | 41,834 | 28,007 |
| 1998–99 | 37,356 | 27,965 |
| 1999–2000 | 36,263 | 26,892 |
| 2000–01 | 34,231 | 24,004 |
| 2001–02 | 31,506 | 24,875 |
| 2002–03 | 26,346 | 20,228 |
Note:
Others includes referals from A&E, consultants in other specialities etc.
Source:
Department of Health form QM08.
Pre-school Sector
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what funds he will make available to the boards of pre-schools to meet possible staff redundancies; [142509]
- (2) what additional financial resources he will provide to the pre-school sector to enable staff better to comply with Ofsted inspections; [142506]
(3) what plans his Department has fully to fund (a) pre-schools and (b) the Appletree pre-school in Sidmouth. [142510]
Margaret Hodge: Funding for pre-school settings is rightly a matter for local determination in the light of local needs and circumstances. From April 2003, we have increased local flexibility and autonomy by consolidating the resources to enable local authorities to meet their statutory responsibilities to provide free nursery education for three and four year olds through the under-fives sub-block of their Education Formula Spending Share (EFSS)—the main source of funding for education. In the current financial year, Devon's overall
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under fives sub-block is worth nearly £30 million. We calculate that more than £6 million of additional ring-fenced funding is available to providers in Devon-through a variety of Sure Start funding streams administered by the local authority.
Royal National Institute of the Blind
Mr. Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the minimum level of funding was for trainees on the residential training for disabled adults course at the Royal National Institute of the Blind's Loughborough College in each year since 1995. [142960]
Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
The Residential Training Unit contracts with 14 national training providers, including Royal National Institute for the Blind's (RNIB) Loughborough College, to deliver specialist residential training for people with disabilities who are unable to train in their home area because local providers cannot offer the specialist help they need.
Each provider is contracted with separately, and fees vary for each provider. Each trainee is funded separately depending on their own unique set of circumstances. Providers are paid a one-off fee for each trainee that starts a course; these start at £1,000 per trainee, rising to £2,000 when the provider passes a pre-set threshold. Weekly fees are also paid for each trainee.
Additionally, providers are paid outcome payments; these are on a sliding scale ranging from £4,000 for a job outcome within 40 weeks of starting training to £1,000 for a job outcome after 12 months of finishing a training programme. Additional fees are also payable for specific support such as child care, tools, equipment, interpreters, readers, travel and special support for those with mental health problems.
The standard weekly fees paid for trainees at RNIB's Loughborough College are in the table.
| Year | Residential fee | Day fee |
|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | 391 | 315 |
| 1996–97 | 391/362 | 315 |
| 1997–98 | 362 | 315 |
| 1998–99 | 338 | 299 |
| 1999–00 | 345 | 299 |
| 2000–01 | 380 | 299 |
| 2001–02 | 392 | 300 |
| 2002–03 | 404 | 300 |
| 2003–04 | 414 | 308 |
Note: The fees changed in 1996/97 due to a renegotiation of the contract.
Source:
Residential Training Unit
Public Services (Ethnicity)
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of a person's ethnicity on their access to public services within the responsibilities of his Department. [143572]
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Mr. Charles Clarke: The Department's Race Equality Scheme, first published in 2002 and revised in August 2003, incorporates our action plan for equality, which assesses the impact of all the Department's policies on ethnic minorities. The Race Equality Scheme can be found on our internet site and is available in hard copy.
Standard Attainment Tests
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he will publish the findings of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority investigation into the standard attainment tests at age seven, 11 and 14. [141797]
Mr. Miliband: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority published a report yesterday entitled "Comparability of National Tests overtime: Key Stage Test Standards between 1996 and 2001". A copy of the report is available on the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority website at: www.qca.org.uk
Sure Start
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on Sure Start funding mechanisms. [144715]
Margaret Hodge: Grants are allocated to local authorities to support Sure Start initiatives. The Sure Start Unit is continually simplifying funding arrangements. Six separate funding streams for early years and child care have already been brought together in one simplified grant for 2003–04 and the number of ring-fenced funds has been halved. Strategic Guidance issued to local authorities in July 2003 has confirmed that they will have greater flexibility in setting local priorities and use of funding. A new performance management system with a set of streamlined targets will be introduced from April 2004.
Funding for Sure Start local programmes is paid to the organisation nominated by the local partnership as the 'accountable body'. Annual revenue funding is approved by the Sure Start Unit, based on the programme's delivery plan. Capital funding is approved by the Sure Start Unit from submission of capital project plans. Payments for both capital and revenue funding are made on submission of quarterly funding claims.
Sustainable Development
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on how the national curriculum promotes awareness of sustainable development. [144710]
Mr. Miliband: Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a statutory part of the programmes of study for Science, Geography, Design and Technology and Citizenship within the National Curriculum. The Department and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) also encourage schools to consider sustainable development issues within the teaching of all subjects. Since 2001, the Department has funded QCA to provide on-line guidance for teachers.
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Top-up Fees
Mr. David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much money has been spent in the last six months on advertisements to promote and explain top-up fees; how many advertisements have been broadcast; and what the total planned spending is on this campaign. (142642)
Alan Johnson [pursuant to his reply, 9 December 2003, c. 359–60W]: Advertising about the student finance package will in fact cost a total of £682,000 (excluding VAT).
The Department has not spent any money on advertisements to promote top-up fees. We are, however, running advertising to inform those considering applying now for a higher education course in September 2004 about the student support package available to them and how to apply.
Tuition Fees
Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much has been budgeted for the advertising campaign on university tuition fees; which media are being used; and when the campaign will finish. [144033]
Alan Johnson: The Department has no budget for an advertising campaign on proposed university tuition fees.
The Department regularly runs advertising campaigns to explain to potential students and their parents what financial support is available to those undertaking higher education courses. The current 2003 campaign, (for those applying for September 2004 and which runs to the end of February 2004) is closely linked to the Government's wider Aimhigher campaign, designed to encourage young people from non traditional backgrounds to apply for university. The total cost of advertising is £682,000 which covers radio and poster advertising, and paid editorials.
In addition, following the publication of the Higher Education White Paper in January 2003, the Department ran a further information campaign to explain what was being proposed and to signpost further information. The total cost of advertising was 605,000. All costs are exclusive of VAT.
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