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14 May 2004 : Column 622W—continued
Computer Learning Centres (Birkenhead)
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many capital modernisation fund computer learning centres have been established in Birkenhead. [166322]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Four capital modernisation fund computer learning centres have been established in Birkenhead.
Arch Initiatives, Oliver Street East;
Birkenhead Central Library, Borough Road;
Encore Computer Training, Odyssey Business Centre; and
Livingstone Street Play and Community Centre, St. Anne's Street.
Consultants
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on external consultants and advisors in each of the last three years. [171877]
Mr. Charles Clarke: This Information could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
Education (Heywood and Middleton)
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Capital Modernisation Fund computer-learning centres have been established in Heywood and Middleton. [168507]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Thirteen Capital Modernisation Funded UK online centres have been established in Heywood and Middleton.
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money was allocated to Heywood and Middleton from the Capital Modernisation Fund. [168509]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Capital modernisation funding is awarded to individual projects. Projects often span constituency boundaries and therefore the information is not available on the basis requested.
Education Maintenance Allowance
Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost of introducing the educational maintenance allowance in schools in England. [173394]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Education Maintenance Allowance Scheme will be available in colleges as well as schools. The Department estimates the overall cost for the next three financial years to be:
2004–05—£275 million
2005–06—£403 million
2006–07—£476 million
These estimates take account of the phased roll-out to one cohort at a time and the cost of administering, promoting and evaluating the scheme. They take account of new estimates of the population of young people and household income distribution.
Education Services
Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding has been spent on computers for schools in Blackpool South in each of the last seven years. [173067]
Mr. Charles Clarke: My Department does not collect information on school spend on computers at constituency level. However, Blackpool South is in Blackpool LEA and in the last seven years schools in Blackpool have benefited from the following funding through the Standards Fund grant for ICT (including match funding from the LEA):
| Allocation to Blackpool LEA | |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 233,891 |
| 1999–2000 | 376,443 |
| 2000–01 | 471,538 |
| 2001–02 | 531,056 |
| 2002–03 | 750,176 |
| 2003–04 | 774,460 |
| 2004–05 | 1,021,894 |
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public money has been spent on computers for schools in (a) Tamworth constituency and (b) Staffordshire in the last five years. [173281]
Mr. Charles Clarke: My Department does not collect information on school spend on computers at constituency level. However, Tamworth is in Staffordshire LEA and in the last five years schools in Staffordshire have benefited from the following funding through the Standards Fund grant for ICT (including match funding from the LEA):
| Allocation to Staffordshire LEA (£) | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 3,000,000 |
| 2001–02 | 4,383,181 |
| 2002–03 | 6,933,997 |
| 2003–04 | 6,257,291 |
| 2004–05 | 8,262,812 |
FE Colleges
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is his policy for per capita funding for 16 to 18 years old students attending further education colleges to be the same as that for 16 to 18 year old pupils attending state schools; and if he will make a statement. [169471]
Alan Johnson:
The government has set out its investment plans for 2003–04 to 2005–06 to support its Success for All strategy to reform further education and training. These plans enable the Learning and Skills Council to increase funding for further education significantly. For the academic year 2003–04, core
14 May 2004 : Column 624W
funding rates per qualification increased by 3 per cent. for school sixth forms and 4.5 per cent. for further education colleges (setting aside the impact on rates of changes to targeted funds for pay and staff training and teachers' pension funding). Our expenditure plans to 2005–06 should see that trend continue.
Headquarters Staff
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 19 April 2004, Official Report, column 41W, how many headquarters staff there were in his Department as at 17 March. [171391]
Mr. Charles Clarke: As at 1 April 2004, my Department employed 4,487 staff. Staffing numbers are produced quarterly.
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 19 April 2004, Official Report, column 41W, on headquarters staff, what information is being provided to staff regarding plans to reduce the number of headquarters staff in his Department; and if he will place a copy of that information in the Library. [171409]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Staff received the latest in the series of messages from the Permanent Secretary on 30 April 2004 which set the context for the changes and explained how the reductions will be achieved. In addition, staff have been given information on the Human Resource policies to support the transition. Senior managers have written to staff in their parts of the Department and are discussing the changes with them. A copy of the Permanent Secretary's message will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 19 April 004, Official Report, column 41W, on headquarters staff, when he expects the first reductions in the number of headquarters staff in his Department to be made. [171410]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Department plans to reduce its size by 850 posts by April 2006 and a further 610 posts by April 2008, based on the full time equivalent staff in post, figures as at October 2003 (4660). Reductions will be spread throughout that period and the Department intends to make the first reductions of staff by the end of 2004.
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 19 April 2004, Official Report, column 41W, on headquarters staff, what discussions he has had with trade unions regarding his plans to reduce the number of headquarters staff in his Department. [171411]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I met the Trade Unions in my Department on 25 March 2004 and plan to do so again in June.
More generally there have been regular and constructive discussions between management and the unions about the reductions and how they will achieved.
14 May 2004 : Column 625W
Information and Communication Technologies (Preston)
Mr. Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Capital Modernisation Fund computer-learning centres have been established in Preston. [168119]
Mr. Charles Clarke: 16 Capital Modernisation Funded UK online centres have been established in Preston.
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