---

27 Apr 2004 : Column 985W—continued

School Computers

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding has been spent on computers for schools in Burnley in each of the last seven years. [167931]

Mr. Charles Clarke: My Department does not collect information on school spend on computers at constituency level. However Burnley is in Lancashire LEA and since 1998–99 schools in Lancashire have benefited from the following funding through the Standards Fund grant for ICT (including match funding from the LEA):

	Allocation to Lancashire LEA (£)
1998–99	2,500,000
1999–2000	1,627,867
2000–01	5,576,036
2001–02	6,483,142
2002–03	8,983,493
2003–04	9,169,124
2004–05	11,892,478

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding has been spent on computers for schools in Manchester, Gorton in each of the last seven years. [167441]

Mr. Charles Clarke: My Department does not collect information on school spend on computers at constituency level. However Manchester, Gorton is in Manchester LEA and since 1998–99 schools in Manchester have benefited from the following funding through the Standards Fund grant for ICT (including match funding from the LEA):

	Allocation to Manchester LEA (£)
1998–99	983,605
1999–2000	1,410,000
2000–01	1,861602
2001–02	2,012,866
2002–03	2,932,949
2003–04	2,880,827
2004–05	3,682,324

 
27 Apr 2004 : Column 986W
 

School Sports

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what assessment he has made of the effects on schools in Burnley of changes since 1997 in the level of investment in school sports; [167912]

(2) how much has been invested in sustainable school sports in Burnley. [167913]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Within the context of the statutory National Curriculum, where Physical Education (PE) is compulsory for pupils aged five to16, it is for individual schools to use their budgets as they judge appropriate.

The Government is investing more than £1 billion in England to transform PE, school sport and club links. The funding will help deliver an ambitious Public Service Agreement target, shared with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to increase the percentage of five to 16 year olds who spend a minimum of two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum to 75 per cent. by 2006.

The Department is providing just over £440,000 to support the delivery of a School Sport Partnership in the Lancashire LEA area. The partnership includes five secondary and 21 primary schools and provides enhanced sports opportunities for all young people to ensure that their pupils spend a minimum of two hours each week on high quality PE and School Sport. A key objective for all School Sport Partnerships is to ensure that the improvements and enhanced opportunities that they deliver are sustainable and embedded within schools to ensure a lasting legacy. The New Opportunities Fund
 
27 Apr 2004 : Column 987W
 
has provided schools in the Lancashire LEA area with nearly £12 million specifically to enhance PE and school sport facilities.

Latest research, published by the Departments on 4 March shows that 68 per cent. of pupils in schools that have been in a partnership for three years, are taking up the two hour entitlement, rising to 90 per cent. at Key Stage 3. Data has been collected from the remaining partnerships and will be published in April.

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what assessment he has made of the effects on schools of changes since 1997 in the level of investment in school sports in Manchester, Gorton; [167455]

(2) how much money has been invested in sustainable school sports in Manchester, Gorton. [167456]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: The information is not held centrally. Within the context of the statutory National Curriculum, where Physical Education (PE) is compulsory for pupils aged five to 16, it is for individual schools to use their budgets as they judge appropriate.

The Government are investing more than £1 billion in England to transform PE, school sport and club links. The funding will help deliver an ambitious Public Service Agreement target, shared with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to increase the percentage of five to 16-year-olds who spend a minimum of two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum to 75 per cent. by 2006.

The Department is providing just over £1.5 million to support the delivery of three School Sport Partnerships in the Manchester LEA area. The partnerships include 15 secondary and 92 primary schools and provide enhanced sports opportunities for all young people to ensure that their pupils spend a minimum of two hours a week on high quality PE and School Sport. A key objective for all School Sport Partnerships is to ensure that the improvements and enhanced opportunities that they deliver are sustainable and embedded within schools to ensure a lasting legacy. The New Opportunities Fund has provided schools in the Manchester LEA area with over £10 million to specifically enhance PE and school sport facilities.

Latest research, published by the Departments on 4 March shows that 68 per cent. of pupils in schools that have been in a partnership for three years, are taking up the two hour entitlement, rising to 90 per cent. at Key Stage 3. Data have been collected from remaining Partnerships and will be published in April.

Sports Days

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the number of schools holding annual school sports' days; and if he will make a statement. [167867]

Mr. Stephen Twigg [holding answer 26 April 2004]: Almost all schools hold an annual school sports day. The 2003–04 PE, School Sport and Club Links survey found that 96 per cent. of the 6,547 schools taking part in the survey held a sports day or equivalent event during the last academic year. The full results of the
 
27 Apr 2004 : Column 988W
 
survey will be published later this year and a copy of the report will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

Teachers

Mr. Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teacher vacancies there were in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each year since 1997, broken down by parliamentary constituency. [167558]

Mr. Miliband: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

Mr. Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many vacant head teacher posts existed in (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools and (c) special schools in each year since 1997, broken down by parliamentary constituency. [167574]

Mr. Miliband: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what guidelines his Department issues on disciplinary action schools should take against teachers who develop inappropriate relationships with pupils outside of school hours; [167217]

(2) what guidelines his Department issues on investigations schools should conduct into allegations of impropriety against a teacher; [167218]

(3) if he will make a statement on his policies on the prevention of inappropriate relationships between teachers and pupils. [167219]

Mr. Miliband: My Department does not issue guidelines about the disciplinary action that might be   appropriate to particular issues. The disciplinary sanctions that can be applied against staff in schools are governed by employment law in the same way as for any other employer, and each case must be considered on its merits.

Guidance about procedures for dealing with allegations against teachers, and other staff, including guidance about conducting disciplinary investigations, is annexed to my Department's Circular 10/95: "The protection of children from abuse: The role of the education service". However, the guidance also makes it clear that allegations involving a possible criminal offence, and allegations of possible child abuse must be investigated by the police and the social services respectively because those are the agencies with statutory responsibility for such matters.

An inappropriate relationship between a teacher and a pupil has always been regarded as professionally wrong, and as misconduct that is grounds for disciplinary action, including dismissal, by an employer. That kind of behaviour is also grounds on which the Secretary of State will consider exercising his powers under section 142 of the Education Act 2002 to prohibit the person from future employment as a teacher and other work involving regular contact with children and young people in the education service.

The Government also introduced a new criminal offence of abuse of trust in the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000 to protect young people under
 
27 Apr 2004 : Column 989W
 
18 years of age who are in full time education, or looked after by a local authority, or resident in NHS or other institutions, or in detention under an enactment. As well as teachers it applies to any adult working in one of those settings who is regularly involved in caring for, training, supervising, or being in sole charge of children under 18. As far as teachers it is an offence for a teacher to have relationship that involves sexual intercourse, or any other sexual activity, with a young person under 18 who is a pupil at the teacher's school. That offence is punishable by up to five years imprisonment, and it is repealed and re-enacted in the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

In addition, cross departmental guidance "Caring for Young People and the Vulnerable?" about preventing abuse of trust was published jointly by the Home Office, my Department, and the Department of Health in 1999. The guidance aims to help organisations create their own codes of conduct to prevent abuse of trust, either as part of wider codes to prevent abuse, or separately.

---