---

24 May 2004 : Column 1325W—continued

Head Lice

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the prevalence of head lice in schools. [175279]

Margaret Hodge: The Department does not keep records of the incidence of head lice in schools and has not made an assessment. To help schools combat this problem the Department of Health have produced a leaflet, "The prevention and treatment of head lice". The local primary care trust can also provide information which teachers can pass on to children and parents as part of an overall health education policy.

Inter-country Adoption

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to facilitate inter-country adoption with all signatories of the 1993 Hague Convention. [172218]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 19 May 2004]: The UK ratified the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in relation to inter-country adoption on 1 June 2003. My Department, which under the Convention acts as the central authority for the UK, is working closely with other signatories to remove any obstacles to the successful operation of the Convention.

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many signatories of the 1993 Hague Convention have suspended inter-country adoption with the UK. [172215]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 19 May 2004]: Romania has introduced a suspension on all inter-country adoptions, not just with the UK. No other signatories to the Convention have suspended work on inter-country adoption with the UK.
 
24 May 2004 : Column 1326W
 

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for    Education and Skills what research he has commissioned into the impact of the arrangements for inter-country adoption which came into effect on 1 June 2003. [172217]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 19 May 2004]: My Department launched a full public consultation on arrangements for intercountry adoption on 31 January 2004. This will bring intercountry adoption within the framework of the Adoption and Children Act 2002.

The consultation document specifically asked for comments and feedback on the implementation of the current arrangements for intercountry adoption, which came into effect on 1 June 2003. The consultation closed on 30 April. My Department also held consultation meetings with frontline staff and other stakeholders to discuss the impact of the 1 June 2003 changes.

All of the feedback received on the changes made on 1 June 2003 will be taken into account before the new arrangements to be made under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 are finalised.

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with Belarus regarding intercountry adoption. [172219]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 19 May 2004]: My Department has opened a dialogue with the Central Authority in Belarus regarding the procedures for intercountry adoption following Belarus' ratification of the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Intercountry Adoption.

International Baccalaureate

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) state secondary schools and   (b) sixth form colleges offer the International Baccalaureate as an alternative to A-levels. [174860]

 
24 May 2004 : Column 1327W
 

Mr. Miliband: There are 18 maintained secondary schools that offer the International Baccalaureate. Of these, nine submitted results for 16 to 18-year-olds for publication in the 2004 Performance Tables.

There are two Sixth Form Colleges that offer the International Baccalaureate. Neither of these submitted results for 16 to 18-year-olds for publication in the 2004 Performance Tables.

Local Network and Children's Funds

Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money has been allocated through the (a) Local Network Fund and (b) Children's Fund to the North East of England; what criteria his Department has laid down for the allocation of this money; and how the arrangements are audited. [173699]

Margaret Hodge: The total allocation for the Local Network Fund for Children and Young People and the Children's Fund, in the North East, since May 2001 when the programmes were launched is as follows.

	£
Local Network Fund for Children and Young People	7,215,152
Children's Fund:	38,122,961

Criteria

The Local Network Fund and Children's Fund are key elements of the Government's agenda to improve outcomes and opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people. The two programmes have different criteria and delivery arrangements:

The Children's Fund targets 5 to 13-year-olds and aims to develop local preventive strategies for children and young people at risk from social exclusion. The Fund contributes to the development of the wider Local Preventative Strategy which the Government have asked each local authority to develop for 0 to 19-year-olds. Local Children's Fund partnership boards, covering unitary authorities, decide local priorities for preventive services and allocate funds through direct commissioning or by inviting applications.

The Local Network Fund targets 0 to 19-year-olds and is delivered through the voluntary sector. Grants up to £7,000 and capacity building support are available to small community groups working with children and young people facing disadvantage. Applicants can bid for funding under one of four themes: economic disadvantage, isolation and access, aspirations and experiences and children's voices. Decisions on funding are taken by panels of local people with experience of the issues faced by young people in their area.

Audit

The Children's Fund, in the North East is administered through 12 programmes each with their own partnership board, lead agency and accountable body. Partnership boards comprise voluntary organisations, statutory agencies as well as members of the local community. The
 
24 May 2004 : Column 1328W
 
lead agency is responsible for the operational direction of the programme while the accountable body ensures the financial probity of the Fund.

The Local Network Fund is delivered through a   network of 57 local Funds run by voluntary organisations with grant-making and community development experience. Local Funds report, quarterly, to DFES on financial and service performance. DFES also undertakes regular monitoring visits to Funds to assess and improve performance and undertakes an annual financial and performance audit of the Fund.

Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money from (a) the Children's Fund and (b) the Local Network Fund has been allocated to projects serving Newcastle East and Wallsend parliamentary constituency. [173700]

Margaret Hodge: Information on both the Local Network Fund and Children's Fund is not collected on a parliamentary constituency basis.

Newcastle East and Wallsend is covered by the Tyne and Wear Local Network Fund which has a total allocation since 2001 of £3,146,297.

Newcastle East constituency is within the Newcastle Children's Fund which has a total allocation since 2001 of £4,965,059.

Wallsend is within the North Tyneside Children's Fund which has a total allocation since 2001 of £2,080,433.

Allocations for both programmes are based on indices of child poverty.

Panjabi

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has for the teaching of Panjabi in schools. [175047]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: The Department encourages schools to offer a wide range of languages, including community languages. Under current national curriculum requirements, schools are free to offer any modern foreign language, including Panjabi, as long as the offer includes at least one of the working languages of the European Union.

Learners of Panjabi will be able to have their language skills recognised by the Languages Ladder—the National Recognition Scheme—which will be rolled out nationally from September 2005.

---