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19 Apr 2004 : Column 48W—continued

School Meals

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of (a) maintained and (b) grammar schools in England have introduced healthy eating options into school canteens in the past 12 months. [165575]

Alan Johnson: The Department for Education and Skills does not collect this information.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of children in (a) maintained and (b) grammar schools bring packed lunches into school. [165576]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: The Department for Education and Skills does not collect this information.

School Playing Fields

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what land used as playing fields by schools in Cornwall have been disposed of in the last 10 years. [165713]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 was introduced on 1 October 1998 to stop the indiscriminate sale of school playing fields that occurred in the 1980s and early to mid-1990s. Local authorities and governing bodies of all maintained schools now need the Secretary of State's consent before they can dispose of a playing field or any part of a playing field. Applications to sell school playing field are approved only where it is clear that they meet the published criteria and, in particular, that any proceeds will be used to improve school sports provision or education facilities.

There are no central records of how many school playing fields were lost before October 1998. Since October 1998, the Government have not approved any applications affecting schools in Cornwall that would result in the loss of areas of school playing fields capable of forming at least a small sports pitch of 2,000m ² .

Schools (Key Stages)

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the delivery mechanisms used by the Department to implement its strategies for each of the key stages. [165304]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: The Department's strategic documents "Excellence and Enjoyment" and "A New Specialist System" set out a clear framework for transforming educational achievement across the key stages in primary and secondary schools.
 
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They set out how the Department uses a broad range of delivery mechanisms to work with LEAs and schools to achieve this objective. These include the Specialist Schools programme, the Excellence in Cities programme, and the Primary and Key Stage 3 National Strategies.

The Department's non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) which work with schools, in particular the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), the Teacher Training Agency (TTA), the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) and the National College for School Leadership (NCSL), all play a central role.

Special Educational Needs

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children attended severe learning disability special schools in each of the last five years. [162909]

Margaret Hodge: Information relating to special schools with approval to make provision for severe learning difficulties is shown in the following table. Schools may be approved to make provision for more than one area of special need.
Special schools⁽³⁶⁾: Schools approved to make provision for severe learning difficulties—position as at January each year—England

	Number of schools	Total pupils(37)
1999	347	25,064
2000	350	25,153
2001	449	35,590
2002	445	37,302
2003	496	41,985

⁽³⁶⁾ Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
⁽³⁷⁾ Includes all pupils in the school, not just those pupils with severe learning difficulties.
Source:
Annual Schools' Census

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children attended moderate learning difficulty special schools in each of the last five years. [163112]

Mr. Miliband: Information relating to special schools with formal approval to make provision for moderate learning difficulties is shown in the table. Schools may be approved to make provision for more than one area of special need.
Special Schools⁽³⁸⁾: Schools approved to make provision for moderate learning difficulties—position as at January each year—England

	Number of schools	Total pupils(39)
1999	354	39.071
2000	336	37,592
2001	454	47,832
2002	472	51,036
2003	489	51,273

⁽³⁸⁾ Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
⁽³⁹⁾ Includes all pupils in the school, not just those pupils with moderate learning difficulties.
Source:
Annual Schools' Census

Jonathan Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his Answer of 22 March 2004, Official Report, column 630W, on
 
19 Apr 2004 : Column 50W
 
special educational needs, if he will make a statement on each of the four cases the Special Educational Needs and Disability Panel has reviewed, the reasons for each being reviewed and the subsequent outcomes. [164758]

Margaret Hodge: As stated in the previous Answer, the SEN and Disability Tribunal has identified four cases since September 2002 in which panels have reviewed decisions because they might have included obvious errors. Over the same period panels have reviewed five decisions because the interests of justice appeared to require it. In a further two cases the Tribunal reviewed decisions because there might have been an error resulting from administrative mistakes.

The following table summarises the cases reviewed and the outcomes.

Review date	Reasons	Outcome
3 December 2002	Obvious error	Decision set aside
8 January 2003	Obvious error	Decision amended
3 February 2003	Interests of justice	Decision stood
9 April 2003	Interests of justice	Decision amended
9 May 2003	Administrative error	Decision stood
19 September 2003	Obvious error/interests of justice	Decision amended
18 November 2003	Administrative error	Decision stood
24 January 2004	Obvious error/Interests of justice	Decision amended
24 February 2004	Interests of justice	Decision stood

Student Finance

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department has taken to ensure the smooth transition from the present arrangements for applications for student loans through local education authorities to the new system of    Student Finance Direct; and if he will make a statement. [164633]

Alan Johnson: Student Finance Direct retains the role of LEAs, which receive and assess applications from students, and the Student Loans Company (SLC), which pays them. They will both now be supported by a new IT system to carry out those functions.

My officials and the SLC, which is in the lead in developing and implementing the new system, have taken a number of steps to help LEAs with the transition. They have sought LEA views on, and involved LEA staff directly in, the design and implementation of the new system. Most importantly, following the principles recommended in the report by Ian McCartney MP, "Successful IT: Modernising Government in Action", the system was piloted in six LEAs in 2003. The lessons learned have been fed into the system that will be used nationally this year. The SLC will have appropriate contingency arrangements in place to deal with any problems.

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will extend the student loan system to British students wishing to undertake their entire undergraduate degree in another EU member state. [164849]

Alan Johnson: We have no plans to do so. It has been longstanding policy to provide student support for maintenance to British students attending designated courses wholly provided by UK educational institutions
 
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maintained or assisted by recurrent grants out of public funds or provided by such institutions in conjunction with institutions outside the UK; and courses of higher education specifically designated by the Secretary of State.

Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what discussions he has had with Scottish Ministers regarding arrangements to ensure students from England who attend higher education institutions in Scotland are not disadvantaged in terms of (a) fee liability and (b) living costs from 2006; [164891]

(2) what discussions he has had with Scottish Ministers regarding arrangements for students from Scotland to study medicine in higher education institutions in England after 2006; [164894]

(3) what discussions he has had with Scottish Ministers regarding assistance for (a) fee costs and (b) living costs for Scottish students studying in England from 2006. [164895]

Alan Johnson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills and I have quarterly meetings with Scottish Ministers, in which these issues are discussed.

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