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6 May 2004 : Column 1771W—continued

Overseas Students

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement about the number of overseas students attending UK universities following the recent report published by the British Council, Vision 2020: Forecasting International Student Mobility—A UK Perspective. [168969]

Alan Johnson: This is an important and valuable report. We have every intention of remaining one of the most popular destinations for overseas students. That is why we launched the Prime Minister's Initiative in 1999 to recruit an additional 50,000 international higher education students by 2005. UK Higher Education institutions have already exceeded that target by recruiting an additional 64,635 international students. We remain confident that overseas students will continue to choose to come here to take advantage of the high quality higher education which is on offer.

Positive Activities for Young People

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement about the Positive Activities for Young People Initiative. [169875]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department for Education and Skills and New Opportunities Fund have joined forces with the Youth Justice Board, Home Office and Department for Culture Media and Sport to combine existing holiday activity schemes and deliver a Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP) programme. It is designed to divert and develop those young people aged 8–19 most at risk of social exclusion and committing crime and to steer their energy in a positive direction. It is being delivered across England from May 2003 to March 2006. £25 million funding for activities is available for the first year of the three year programme. A further £13.75 million is provided, annually, by the Connexions Service to fund Keyworkers throughout England.

Provision takes place in all of the school holiday periods. Easter activities have already taken place but it is too early to measure it's success. In addition to activities one to one support is available for the most at risk young people.

The programme comprises of quality arts, sports and cultural activities and encourages young people to continue in these activities after the programme ends. It aims to bring together young people from different geographical and ethnic minority communities to help break down prejudices and misunderstanding.

Evaluation is scheduled to take place across the three year period but feedback indicates that at least 75,000 young people participated during summer 2003 and a further 40,000 in October half term in line with planned delivery targets.

Pre-school Education (Wigan)

Mr. Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) free nursery and
 
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(b) pre-school places were available for (i) three and (ii)   four year olds in Wigan in each of the last seven years. [169280]

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 Wigan 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/.

From 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.

Psychology Postgraduates

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many education psychology training places have been available for postgraduate study in each year since 1997. [168633]

Alan Johnson: The information is not held centrally.

Quality Protects

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the original target number was for families to be included in the Quality Protects Programme; how many families have been included in the programme; and if he will make a statement. [170178]

Margaret Hodge: Specific information on the number of families who benefited from the Quality Protects Programme was not collected centrally.

School Funding

Mr. Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much school funding (a) in 2003–04 was and (b) is planned for 2004–05 will be    provided from (i) central Government and (ii) council tax revenue, broken down by local education authority. [171083]

Mr. Miliband: The Government does not fund local education authorities for school funding separately. Rather, they receive an amount of revenue support grant which provides revenue support for all their services. The amount of council tax revenue is a matter for local education authorities to decide.

School Nurses

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school nurses were employed in (a) 2003, (b) 2002, (c) 2001, (d) 2000, (e) 1999, (f) 1998 and (g) 1997. [170371]

 
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Mr. Miliband: The number of nurses working in schools is not identified separately. The following table shows the full-time equivalent number of medical staff employed in maintained nursery and primary, secondary, PRUs and all special schools in each January between 1997 and 2003.

	Number
1997	1,190
1998	1,220
1999	1,190
2000	1,180
2001	1,200
2002	1,780
2003	1,750

Source:
Annual School Census.

Numbers include matrons, nurses and other medical staff.

The increase in numbers between 2001 and 2002 may reflect the change in data collection methods between these two years.

Sex Education

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of whether there is a correlation between teenage sex education (a) advice programmes and (b) clinics and the prevalence of (i) sexually transmitted diseases and (ii) teenage pregnancy rates; and if he will make a statement. [167064]

Margaret Hodge: Increasing rates of sexually transmitted infections and high levels of teenage pregnancy have complex underlying causes. The best international research evidence supports the multifaceted approach being taken by our Teenage Pregnancy and Sexual Health and HIV Strategies.

Increasing and improving access to contraception and sexual health advice services is one essential part. We are also helping young people to resist pressure to have sex, improving sex and relationship education to increase their knowledge and skills, promoting condom use for those who are sexually active and supporting parents to talk to their children about sex and relationships without embarrassment.

The number of family planning sessions aimed at young people has increased to tackle high levels of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. In turn, increased provision will have created greater opportunities for raising awareness of sexually transmitted infections, increased screening and testing and identification of previously undiagnosed infections.

Since 1998, the baseline year for the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, there has been a 9.4 per cent. reduction in the under 18 conception rate with 80 per cent. of local authorities seeing declining rates.

Special Educational Needs

Mr. Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average age for
 
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identification of special needs has been in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) local education authority and (b) ethnic group. [167556]

Margaret Hodge: The information requested is not collected centrally.

A table has been placed in the House of Commons Library giving the most relevant information. This shows the age group of children for whom statements were made for the first time.

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