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15 Mar 2004 : Column 73W—continued
Unfair Dismissal Compensation
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many residents of Crosby have benefited from the increase in unfair dismissal compensation to £50,000. [160543]
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Mr. Sutcliffe: I regret that I am unable to provide any statistics for the Crosby area. However, in common with the rest of Great Britain, all Crosby residents have had the potential to benefit from the increase in unfair dismissal compensation in the appropriate circumstances.
Welsh Manufacturing Exports
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much revenue has been generated from exports of goods manufactured in Wales in each year since 1997. [161202]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: According to figures published by HM Customs and Excise the information is as follows:
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 5,764 |
| 1998 | 5,805 |
| 1999 | 6,312 |
| 2000 | 7,172 |
| 2001 | 7,099 |
| 2002 | 6,619 |
Source:
HM Customs and Excise
EDUCATION AND SKILLS
Behavioural Problems
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance the Government provide to children and their families seeking assistance from local authority social services departments to address children's behavioural problems in the home. [153295]
Margaret Hodge: Under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, local authorities are expected to provide a range of services that are appropriate to safeguard and provide welfare for children in need in their area.
Once a child, who is or who may be a child in need, has been referred to social services, the responsible local authority is expected to assess the child using the "Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families" (2000). Following that assessment, the local authority should then determine what services or support are needed, including those that may be provided by the local authority. For children with behavioural problems, the local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) team may be identified as an appropriate way to assist the child.
Best Practice Research Scholarships
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost was of the school-based research programme on best practice; what the outputs were of this programme; and to what use they were put. [161473]
Mr. Miliband: The Department has invested £8.03 million in the Best Practice Research Scholarships programme since it began in May 2000.
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The scholarships have enabled over 4,000 teachers to engage in supported, school-focused research to develop their professional knowledge, understanding and confidence, enhance their skills as practitioners and share effective practice and experience within their own schools and across the wider educational community.
Details of research undertaken so far can be found on the Teachernet website, at the following address: www.teachernet.gov.uk/professionaldevelopment/opportunities/bprs/search
Chesterfield High School, Sefton
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much has been made available to Chesterfield High School in Sefton for developing sporting facilities since 1997; how the funding has been spent; and what (a) capital and (b) revenue schemes are pending. [160180]
Mr. Miliband [holding answer 9 March 2004]: Upon designation as a specialist Sports College in September 2000, Chesterfield High School received a capital grant of £100,000. The school also receives recurrent annual funding based on pupil numbers to meet the costs of implementing the specialist school development plan. This is currently around £145,000 per year, of which the school is required to spend at least one third on the community element of the development plan.
The school is also receiving an award of a total of £314,328 over three years as a result of a successful School Sport partnership bid, to support the infrastructure and funding for a Partnership Development Manager. A further award to extend the Central Sefton School Sport Partnership has also been confirmed. This will mean total funding of £616,866 over three years from September 2004.
Chesterfield High School is also part of a New Opportunities Fund application by Sefton LEA. If formally approved, the funding will be used to enhance changing facilities at the school.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the schools that have used the sports facilities in the Chesterfield High School Specialist Sports College in Sefton since the school was awarded specialist status; and for what percentage of the total time available the facilities have been used by this group of schools. [160181]
Mr. Miliband [holding answer 9 March 2004]: Chesterfield High School currently works with four partner secondary schools (St. Wilfrid's Catholic High School, Savio High School, Bootle High School, and Manor High School) and 20 primary schools. Sports facilities are made available to these schools as part of Chesterfield High School's specialist school community development plan and its School Sport partnership plan. The DfES does not hold data centrally about the amount of time their facilities are used by these schools.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how schools in Sefton access the facilities of Chesterfield High School; and what steps are being taken to make the facilities better known to groups that have right of access. [160182]
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Mr. Miliband [holding answer 9 March 2004]: Schools in Sefton access facilities at Chesterfield High School as part of the specialist school community plan, the School Sport partnership programme, and local administrative arrangements. A Community Sport Development Officer has been appointed to help with this process.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what charges are levied on schools that use the Chesterfield High School Specialist Sports College in Sefton. [160183]
Mr. Miliband [holding answer 9 March 2004]: Schools are not charged for using facilities at Chesterfield High School during the school day. At evenings and weekends charging is in line with the local authority's charging policy.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what facilities and services at Chesterfield High School in Sefton are available to members of the public; what mechanisms are used to inform the public about the facilities and service available; whether facilities are available to (a) individual members of the public and (b) sporting groups; and on what basis in each case. [160184]
Mr. Miliband [holding answer 9 March 2004]: Management of sports facilities at Chesterfield High School has recently transferred from the local authority to the school. At present, facilities are open to the public seven days a week under a lettings arrangement, with some exceptions during examination periods. A range of sporting groups including a number of football and badminton clubs and the Merseyside County Netball Association currently use facilities at the school, and the school runs activities during school holidays. Precise details of the future availability of facilities and the mechanisms used to inform the public will be decided locally as part of the transition, by the school, its partners, and the local authority.
Computers within Reach Programme
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) teachers and (b) families in Crosby have benefited from the Computers within Reach programme. [160447]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Computers Within Reach scheme closed on 31 October 2001 having delivered over 24,000 recycled computers to people in 22 pilot areas, at a cost of £7.1 million over two years. Those eligible were in receipt of certain working age benefits or a state pension with minimum income guarantee.
At the same time as funding was made available for the Computers within Reach scheme, funding was also provided for the Computers for Teachers programme. For teachers who met certain criteria, this programme subsidised the cost of a computer. It was subsequently replaced by the current Laptops for Teachers scheme which dispensed with subsidies, and through which sufficient funding will be provided to enable two thirds of teachers to receive a laptop by March 2006.
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Of the 24,000 computers delivered through the Computers within Reach scheme, approximately 3,000 were for people in the Liverpool area which included those in and around Crosby.
Connexions
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what amount of money has been spent on voluntary and community services by each Connexions partnership since 2001. [161031]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 12 March 2004]: The amount spent on voluntary and community services by each Connexions Partnership is collected via management accounts which are commercially confidential. The total amount spent by Partnerships on the voluntary and community sector in each year is as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 2.6 |
| 2002–03 | 10.1 |
| 2003–04 | (9)16.0 |
(9) Based on latest data to December 2003.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total budget is of Connexions Direct in 2003–04. [161034]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 12 March 2004]: The total budget of Connexions Direct, a telephone helpline and internet service for 13–19 year olds, is £3.36 million for 2003–04.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) personal advisers and (b) staff are employed by Connexions Direct. [161035]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 12 March 2004]: 40 Connexions Direct advisers (28.3 Full Time Equivalent) and seven managerial and support staff (6.75 Full Time Equivalent) are employed by Connexions Direct. Separately, three staff are employed by the contractor (Ufl) in a management role.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is his Department's policy to make local authorities act as lead bodies for the receipt of Connexions partnerships grants; and if he will make a statement. [161069]
Margaret Hodge: It is not our policy to compel Connexions partnerships to adopt any particular arrangements for the receipt of Connexions grant. However we are encouraging partnerships to improve their tax efficiency. Connexions partnerships which have a local authority acting as a lead body are more tax efficient than other structural models. Where local authorities act as the lead body for receipt of the grant they do so voluntarily and with the agreement of the Board of the Connexions Partnership.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which is the lead body for receipt of grant for the London Central Connexions Partnership. [161071]
Margaret Hodge: The Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea is the lead body for receipt of the grant for the London Central Connexions Partnership.
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Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of the total Connexions budget in 2003–04 is spent on providing careers guidance. [161073]
Margaret Hodge: Details of the amount spent by Connexions partnerships on providing careers guidance are not collected. We provide broad guidance to partnerships about their statutory duties and it is for them to decide how best to meet the needs of their area.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total budget was of the Careers Service, prior to the establishment of the Connexions Service, in each year since 1997. [161074]
Margaret Hodge: Total annual expenditure on the Careers Service from 1998 onwards was as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | (10)198 |
| 1999–2000 | 228 |
| 2000–01 | 239 |
| 2001–02 | 174 |
| 2002–03 | 52 |
(10) Estimated
Data for the years prior to 1998–99 are not available. Decreasing expenditure from 2001–02 reflects the gradual introduction of the Connexions service across England.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of Connexions partnerships' VAT liability his Department will meet in 2004–05. [161076]
Margaret Hodge: Based on estimated VAT costs provided by Connexions Partnerships, we will be able to meet around 30 per cent. of these costs in 2004–05.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools (a) have a Connexions resource centre, (b) are being fitted with a Connexions resource centre and (c) have no Connexions resource centre in each Connexions partnership area. [161087]
Margaret Hodge: My department does not collect information on the number of Connexions resource centres in schools.
In our guidance to Partnerships we require them to use part of their grant to provide financial support for setting up and maintaining Connexions resource centres in schools. Connexions Partnerships are responsible for ensuring that this requirement is met.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidelines are provided for the staffing of Connexions resource centres in schools. [161088]
Margaret Hodge: No specific guidelines have been issued to Connexions Partnerships in relation to the staffing of Connexions resource centres in schools.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the proportion of parents who have been aware of the services offered by Connexions in each Connexions partnership area in each year since 2001. [161090]
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Margaret Hodge: Information on the proportion of parents who are aware of the services offered by Connexions is not collected centrally.
Publicity campaigns and selected publications, including the recently published Parents and Carers of Year 9 Students' booklet, are raising awareness of Connexions among parents. Connexions partnerships supplement nationally produced publicity material with their own publications targeted at young people, parents and carers.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidelines are given to Connexions partnerships regarding the monitoring and supervision of personal advisers who are working towards an NVQ level 4 equivalent in a relevant professional discipline. [161092]
Margaret Hodge: All Connexions partnerships are required to have a clear, written supervision policy; a training and development policy; and appropriate processes in place to support them. In line with these policies, individual partnerships assess the level of supervision required for personal advisers depending on their level of experience, and their duties.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how long a young person has had to wait on average to speak to a Connexions personal adviser in each Connexions partnership; and what the target waiting time is for a young person to talk to a Connexions personal adviser in person. [161094]
Margaret Hodge: Information on how long a young person has to wait to see a Connexions personal adviser is not collected centrally.
Connexions Partnerships are required to publish a Youth Charter, prepared in collaboration with young people, which sets out minimum standards for accessing personal advisers, including outside normal office hours. In addition, from April 2004, Connexions Direct the telephone and web based help line, will be available nationally to all young people 18 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many under-18 conceptions there were in each of the Connexions partnership areas in each year since 2001. [161096]
Margaret Hodge: The numbers of under-18 conceptions in each Connexions partnership area for 2001 and 2002, the latest years for which this information is available, are set out in the table. It must be noted that this data predates the launch of the majority of Connexions Partnerships.
The figures for 2001 and 2002 are provisional. They are taken from National Statistics, 'Conception statistics for local authorities 1998–2002'. Data should be considered in light of increases in population between 2001 and 2002.
(11) Conceptions for 2001 are provisional.
(12) Provisional estimates based on incomplete abortions data.
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Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the level of awareness of the Connexions service among those young people not in education, employment or training. [161099]
Margaret Hodge: A survey of over 16,000 young people by my Department in 2003 showed that 93 per cent. of young people in need of intensive support, including those who were not in education, employment or training, were aware of the Connexions Service.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the proportion of careers guidance provided by the private sector. [161072]
Margaret Hodge: 21 out of the 47 Connexions partnerships operate a subcontracted delivery model, where private companies deliver the Connexions service, including careers advice and guidance, to young people in that Partnership area.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to reduce the running costs of the Connexions service in 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [157512]
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Margaret Hodge [holding answer 1 March 2004]: There are no plans to reduce the grant to Connexions Partnerships in 2004–05. In addition to the grant, we had set aside funds to support Connexions Partnerships' VAT commitments on a temporary basis. In 2004–05, this will be less than had been originally planned but will still amount to some £12 million.
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