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Scottish Executive

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the annual change in the block grant paid to the Scottish Executive was in each year since 1999; what percentage of the change for each year resulted from the application of the Barnett Formula; and what percentage of the change for each year resulted from other monies added to or subtracted from the block grant. [149632]

Mrs. McGuire: Information on the block grant to the Scottish Executive is set out in the main and supplementary estimates of the Scotland Office and in Scotland Office departmental reports. Changes to the Scotland DEL are determined in accordance with the Statement of Funding Policy, published by HM Treasury.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Capital Modernisation Fund (Crosby)

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Capital Modernisation Fund computer-learning centres have been established in Crosby. [160446]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: There are three UK online centres in Crosby.

Two of those are Capital Modernisation Fund (CMF) centres and one is a public library. The two CMF Centres "3TC" and Merseyside Third Technology Centre and the public library is Crosby Connect Learning Centre at Crosby Library.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people in Crosby have received a computer to assist in seeking employment or retraining. [160449]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: At present no centrally funded schemes exist which enable people to acquire free or low price recycled computers. In the past such schemes have been trialled but have proved costly to administer to ensure fair distribution of equipment.

Government funding has been focused instead upon establishing the network of UK online centres. People in Crosby who do not have ICT access and wish to use computers are advised to visit their local UK online centre.

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Sure Start

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Sure Start children's centres have been set up in deprived neighbourhoods since 2003. [161016]

Margaret Hodge: There are currently 67 children's centres in England, all of which are based in disadvantaged areas. We announced 32 on 23 June 2003, 29 on 24 September 2003 and a further six on 18 February 2004. We are currently considering proposals from local authorities for the wider roll out of this programme, and will announce new locations in the near future as further centres are ready for designation. All children's centres will be based in the 20 per cent. most disadvantaged wards in England, or in pockets of disadvantage outside of these wards.

Education (Stroud)

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of teachers in Stroud have received computer training. [162744]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Statistics on teacher training in ICT are not compiled on a constituency basis, but all teachers are expected to be able to use ICT effectively in the classroom. In-service training was largely addressed by the UK-wide National Lottery-funded New Opportunities Fund (NOF) ICT training, which ran between 1999 and 2003, and to which some 96 per cent. of teachers in England signed up.

Training in the effective use of ICT in teaching is also a mandatory part of Teacher Training Institute courses.

Further training opportunities to address teachers' continuing professional development needs (CPD) in embedding ICT in classroom teaching are now being developed across a range of subjects, and teachers are able to buy into this training using Standards Fund monies.

IT Procurement

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action the Department is taking to improve and increase (a) school and (b) local education authority IT procurement. [161235]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Government is making significant investment in ICT in schools and always looks to ensure schools get the best value for money from this investment. Currently through the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) we are supporting schools and LEAs by

aggregating procurements through the creation of framework contracts which deliver significant savings in price and considerably reduce the time and effort that would be needed (and duplicated) at local level;

the recent agreement between Becta and Microsoft Ltd in relation to their licensing framework for schools provides significant savings of between 20 per cent. to 37 per cent. for schools in England who choose to license the Microsoft software. The agreement also extends to schools in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland;

accrediting suppliers against strict commercial and technical criteria to provide assurance of quality service at affordable cost;

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providing procurement advice to schools and LEAs though the Becta Independent Procurement Advisory Service (IPAS) and online advice and support to schools on the total cost of ownership and the issues to be considered beyond just the cost of infrastructure equipment.

Maintained Schools (Languages)

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils in maintained schools he estimates were studying one or more modern foreign languages at key stage two in each of the last five years. [163133]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: A 2001 study by QCA and the University of Warwick of modern foreign languages in the primary curriculum suggested that one in five primary schools were offering some form of language provision. The Department is currently reviewing this figure, and the number of primary pupils engaged in languages through further research, the findings of which will be available in late spring.

Return-to-work Training (Crosby)

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many women in Crosby have visited an information and communications technology training centre in order to learn skills to return to work. [160387]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Crosby is served by both UK online centres and learndirect provisions.

An estimated 169 women use UK online centres in Crosby each quarter.

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This information is calculated from UK online quarterly management information (quarter ending December 2003) which shows that, on average, each UK online centre has 101 users and that 56 per cent. of UK online users are female.

To date, 555 women have enrolled on a learndirect course from the Crosby constituency.

Schools (West Suffolk)

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many schools in the west Suffolk constituency have benefited from the Out of School Hours Learning Programme; [163035]

(2) what financial provisions have been made for those schools who wish to continue the after school activities that have come about from the Out of School Hours Learning Programme once funding from the programme ends. [163036]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: Suffolk Local Education Authority has informed my Department that it has distributed £725,186 from the Department's Standards Fund to all schools in Suffolk this year to provide study support opportunities (out of school hours learning) for young people in Suffolk.

Study support includes activities such as sport, the creative arts and cultural activities, as well as after school and breakfast clubs. Suffolk has also received £720,564 from the New Opportunities Fund 'Out of School Hours Learning Programme' of which £219,802 went to schools in West Suffolk. Again, this can be used to provide a range of activities for young people.

School funding plans for next year have been announced, guaranteeing that the standards fund income for all schools will be protected at this year's levels plus inflation proofing at 4 per cent.

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ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Peat

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has (a) to re-convene the Peat Working Group and (b) to engage the United Kingdom gardening industry in helping the Government to meet its target of 90 per cent. of growing media and soil improvers to be peat free by 2010. [162234]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department held a seminar involving all stakeholders on 30 April 2003 to examine the current and future development and use of environmentally friendly growing media and how this should be taken forward in the light of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan targets. The seminar's conclusions included establishment of a new Forum to replace the Peat Working Group to assist us in taking an informed view on the achievability of the 90 per cent. peat free target during the next review of the UK Biodiversity Action plan targets due in 2005.

Work on the composition of the new Forum and arrangements for the first meeting have regrettably been delayed. We hope to convene the new Forum as soon as resources and priorities allow. In establishing the new Forum we will seek representation from all the stakeholders including the gardening industry.

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