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29 Apr 2004 : Column 1257W—continued
Education (East Worthing and Shoreham)
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many new nurseries have been set up in East Worthing and Shoreham since 1997. [169033]
Margaret Hodge: West Sussex local authority is responsible for determining the local need for nurseries in West Sussex and holding information on current provision. West Sussex local authority reported that between April 1999 and December 2003, 37 new nurseries have been established in the constituency of East Worthing and Shoreham. Thirteen of these are offering full daycare and 24 are offering sessional daycare, creating 1,301 additional places. West Sussex Local authority plan to create a Children's Centre in Worthing providing Children's Centre services for around 250 children and their families. The nursery attached to the Worthing Children's Centre (which has benefited from resources from the Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative) is set to open in October 2004 and will deliver 30 new full daycare places.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) free nursery and (b) pre-school places were available for (i) three-year-olds and (ii) four-year-olds in East Worthing and Shoreham in each of the last seven years. [169035]
Margaret Hodge: The information is not available in the form requested.
Figures on the number of free nursery education places taken up by 3 and 4-year-olds in West Sussex local education authority area are shown in the table.
The latest figures on provision for 3 and 4-year-olds in England were published in a statistical bulletin "Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2003' which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.
Since the beginning of April 2004, six months ahead of our original target, all three-year-olds in England whose parents want one, will be eligible for a free, part-time early education place.
29 Apr 2004 : Column 1258W
| Position in January each year | 3-year-olds | 4-year-olds |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 600 | 7,600 |
| 1998 | 800 | 7,900 |
| 1999 | 900 | 8,400 |
| 2000 | 800 | 8,700 |
| 2001 | 1,300 | 8,200 |
| 2002 | 2,600 | 8,100 |
| 2003 | 4,900 | 8,400 |
(34) Part-time equivalent number of free nursery education places taken up by three and four-year-old children.
(35) A free nursery education place comprises five two and a half hour sessions of early years education per week, for 33 weeks of the year, usually three terms of 11 weeks.
Education (Heywood and Middleton)
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many children have benefited from the National Childcare Strategy; and if he will make a statement; [168496]
(2) how many child care places have been created in Heywood and Middleton since 1997. [168513]
Margaret Hodge: The Department is unable to provide details of childcare places for Heywood and Middleton. However, from April 1999 to December 2003 Manchester local authority created 6,086 new child care places helping some 11,101 children. This shows an increase in the stock of child care places, taking into account turnover, of 3,629 helping some 6,772 children.
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding was spent on computers for schools in Heywood and Middleton in each of the last seven years. [168506]
Mr. Charles Clarke: My department does not collect information on school spend on computers at constituency level. However Heywood and Middleton is in Rochdale LEA and since 1998–99 schools in Rochdale have benefited from the following funding through the Standards Fund Grant for ICT (including match funding from the LEA):
| Allocation to Rochdale LEA (£) | |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 442,813 |
| 1999–2000 | 354,000 |
| 2000–01 | 728,370 |
| 2001–02 | 1,076,549 |
| 2002–03 | 1,304,709 |
| 2003–04 | 1,613,999 |
| 2004–05 | 1,826,570 |
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the effects on schools of changes since 1997 in the level of investment in school sports in Heywood and Middleton. [168576]
Mr. Stephen Twigg:
The information is not held in the format requested.
29 Apr 2004 : Column 1259W
Within the context of the statutory National Curriculum, where Physical Education (PE) is compulsory for pupils aged 5–16, 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 5–16 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 £330,128–00 to support the Siddal Moor School Sport Partnership in the Rochdale LEA area. The partnership includes five secondary schools (including the sports college hub) and 20 primary/special schools and provides 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.
The New Opportunities Fund has provided schools in the Rochdale LEA area with over £2.873 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 remaining Partnerships and will be published in April.
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) free nursery and (b) pre-school places were available for (i) three and (ii) four year olds in Heywood and Middleton in each of the last seven years. [168581]
Margaret Hodge: The information is not available in the form requested.
Figures on the number of free nursery education places taken up by three and four year olds in Rochdale local education authority area are shown in the table.
The latest figures on provision for three and four year olds in England were published in a Statistical Bulletin Provision for children under five years of age in England-January 2003' which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.
Since the beginning of April 2004, six months ahead of our original target, all three year olds in England whose parents want one, are eligible for a free, part-time early education place.
| Position in January each year | 3-year-olds | 4-year-olds |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 1,400 | 2.800 |
| 1998 | 1.500 | 2,800 |
| 1999 | 1,400 | 2,800 |
| 2000 | 2.300 | 2,700 |
| 2001 | 2,300 | 2,700 |
| 2002 | 2,500 | 2,700 |
| 2003 | 2,300 | 2,700 |
(36) Part-time equivalent number of free nursery education places taken up by three and four year old children.
(37) A free nursery education place comprises five, two and a half hour sessions of early years education per week, for thirty-three weeks of the year, usually three terms of eleven weeks.
29 Apr 2004 : Column 1260W
Education (Match Funding)
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what studies he has made of the difficulties further education colleges have faced in deriving sources of funding to match funds from the learning and skills council. [168362]
Alan Johnson: We have not commissioned studies into the factors affecting further education college abilities to match funds from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Colleges are generally required to provide match funding for capital projects.
Colleges are not required to match funding for learning provision.
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