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12 Feb 2004 : Column 1582W—continued
Private Finance Initiative (Schools)
19. Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the use of the private finance initiative in schools. [154528]
Mr. Miliband: The use of the private finance initiative in schools has been a popular and successful programme. Popular because more than 100 of the 150 local education authorities in England have applied to take part. Successful because we have progressed from one contract covering one school in 1997 to 66 contracts covering over 600 schools today. Services have started under 40 of these contracts and they represent a private sector capital investment of £1.8 billion.
School Sport
20. Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how he will assess whether his target that 75 per cent. of all five to 16-year-olds should spend at least two hours a week engaged in physical education and school sport by 2006 has been met. [154529]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: Data are now being collected for the first time—for publication in April—on the number of pupils who choose to take up the entitlement to two hours of high-quality PE and school sport each week
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within and beyond the curriculum. This exercise will be repeated in future years so that performance against the PSA target can be assessed.
Higher Education Teachers
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is his intention that the new national professional standards for teachers in higher education will include a requirement to hold specific or new professional or academic qualifications. [152656]
Alan Johnson: The White Paper, The Future of Higher Education, signalled that in order for teaching in HE to be treated seriously as a profession its own right, national professional standards designed and agreed by the sector should be introduced. Training to meet the new standards should be possible through a wide range of programmes and courses. It is expected that all new teaching staff will be required to obtain a teaching qualification that meets the standards. Qualifications will be awarded by HEIs and could be existing qualifications, adapted and developed as necessary, or newly developed qualifications. The development of the standards and the accreditation of the qualifications are being taken forward by the new sector body, the HE Academy.
Key Stage 3 Tests
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Key Stage 3 English tests were re-marked in each year since 2001; what the cost was of carrying out this re-marking in each year; and if he will make a statement. [152477]
Mr. Miliband [holding answer 3 February 2004]:The figures quoted as follows represent the number of Key Stage 3 English re-marks requested and those which resulted in a change in the level awarded to the pupil in reading, writing and overall. The figures for the number of re-marks which resulted in a change in marks are not available since the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority(QCA) only keeps records relating to changes in level.
| Key Stage 3English | Number ofRe-marks requested | Number ofRe-marks resulting in a change in level | Changes in level as per cent. of whole cohort |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 87,985 | 18,579 | 3.1 |
| 2002 | 90,510 | 16,864 | 2.3 |
| 2003 | 120,780 | 23,888 | 3.8 |
The costs of carrying out the re-marking process for each test subject at each key stage are not held by the External Marking Agency (EMA).
Changes to the test mark schemes were introduced in 2003. The consequent unfamiliarity with the mark scheme resulted in an increase in the number of reviews requested by schools. Due to the increase in level changes following review and the concerns raised by schools, the Department asked QCA to examine the quality control measures in place for both marking and reviews.
Improvements planned for this year include:
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The separate marking of reading and writing Key Stage 3 English scripts.
Markers will be asked to focus on one mark scheme and specialise in one component of the tests, either reading or writing.
The electronic calculation of marks and levels, which should eliminate the need to request reviews due to clerical error.
Increased marker supervision, revised marker training and additional training for new markers.
Nottinghamshire Learning and Skills Council
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what reassessment he has made of decisions made by the board of Nottinghamshire Learning and Skills Council in the last six months; [154871]
- (2) what conclusions he draws from the inquiry into bullying at Nottinghamshire Learning and Skills Council. [154872]
Alan Johnson: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to my hon. Friend with this information and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.
R and D
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills to whom his Department distributes expenditure on research and development; how many staff are employed as a result; and how many research establishments of (a) the Department and (b) its agencies there are in each region of England. [154355]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: I refer my hon. Friend to the Office for Science and Technology's publication 'The Forward Look 2003—Government funded science, engineering and technology' which provides details of the Department's expenditure on research and development for the period 2001–02 to 2004–05.
The Department does not have any research establishments or agencies.
Scientific Research Infrastructure Programme
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money has been allocated to (a) Newcastle University and (b) Northumbria University from the Scientific Research Infrastructure Programme; and what the purpose was of each investment. [154606]
Alan Johnson: The Science Research Investment Fund (SRIF) provides universities with resources to address the backlog in infrastructure for science, engineering and technology research and to invest in the new facilities they need to produce world-class research. It is up to institutions to spend their allocation in line with their own research strategy within the eligibility criteria, which now includes arts and humanities research.
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The University of Newcastle received £16,246,007 from the first round of SRIF between 2002 and 2004 and will receive £21,451,684 from the next round of the Fund over the next two years. The University of Northumbria at Newcastle received £731,167 from the first round of SRIF and will receive £1,054,366 from the next round.
Special Needs Education
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received about the continued commissioning from local education authorities of independent specialist education for children with complex and special needs; and if he will make a statement. [154381]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has not received any specific representations on this matter.
Some local authorities have raised concerns about the increased costs of placements in some independent and non-maintained special schools and have cited these costs as a particular pressure on the centrally retained part of the schools budget. It has been one of the reasons some local authorities have given for applying for relaxation of the limits on central spending.
The Department is shortly to issue guidance for local authorities on the management of SEN funding, based on examples of effective practice.
SOLICITOR-GENERAL
Proceeds of Crime Act
24. Mr. Kidney: To ask the Solicitor-General how many applications have been made by the Crown Prosecution Service under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002; and how successful the recovery has been. [154533]
The Solicitor-General: Between 24 March 2003 (when the relevant provisions of the POCA came into effect) and the end of 2003, the Crown Prosecution Service applied for and was granted approximately 40 confiscation orders and assets valued in excess of £4.5 million are restrained in respect of 45 defendants. To date enforcement action has been successfully taken in respect of three confiscation orders made under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
Crown Prosecution Service
25. Bob Spink: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on the progress of the pilot to place Crown Prosecution Service offices in police stations. [154534]
The Solicitor-General: Shadow charging arrangements are currently operating at 262 out of the 380 police operation units that require cover. Every one of the 42 CPS and police force areas has at least one unit in place and 18 currently have full shadow coverage.
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