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Child Care

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action his Department has taken in response to the recommendations made by the National Audit Office in its report, Progress in Developing High Quality Childcare and Early Education Accessible to All, published on 27 February, on the (a) expansion of, (b) sustainability and (c) the quality of child care provision; and if he will make a statement. [177518]

Margaret Hodge: I was pleased that the National Audit Office report acknowledged the good progress that had been made in creating new child care places and recognised the Government's achievement in providing free, part-time early education for 3 and 4-year-olds. There is now one child care place for every four children under the age of 8, whereas in 1997 there was only one place for every eight children. In addition, since the report was published, we have extended the offer of a free, part-time early education place to cover all 3-year-olds.

The Government fully accept the view, expressed in the report, that although a great deal has been achieved, there is still more to be done; and we have welcomed the recommendations. The areas highlighted in the report—the creation of places in disadvantaged areas, the sustainability of places, and the provision of training and support for providers—are ones where we are making particular efforts as we work towards our vision of good quality, accessible, and affordable child care for all parents who want it.

Children's Commissioner for England

Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what decisions he has made on the role of children and young people in the selection of a Children's Commissioner for England. [176570]

Margaret Hodge: Children and young people will play an important role in the selection of the new Children's Commissioner for England. The exact form that their participation will take is currently under consideration.

Children's Trusts

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is his policy that children's trusts should take responsibility for youth offending teams. [175836]

 
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Margaret Hodge [holding answer 25 May 2004]: Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) may become members of a Children's Trust where this is locally agreed. The Youth Justice Board has issued revised guidance on YOT structures. This includes issues to be considered when determining local arrangements, such as ensuring that YOTs retain strong links to criminal justice and crime reduction agencies and partnerships. Where a YOT does not join a Trust, it will still be important to plan in a joined up way to ensure that services are coherent.

Connexions

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether there are limitations on the power Connexions partnership chief executives have to appoint or remove members of its board of directors. [172673]

Margaret Hodge: The Department has no authority to impose limitations on the power of chief executives of private organisations. The authority of chief executives is agreed by the partnership's board. This, and the board's authority to appoint or remove members of the board of directors, is specified within their Articles of Association.

Education Services (Essex)

Mr. Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people were employed in state schools in (a) the County of Essex in each year from 1980 to 1997 and (b) the County of Essex and the unitary authorities of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock in each year from 1998 to 2003. [173325]

Mr. Miliband: The available information is shown in the following tables. The first table shows the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) regular teachers and support staff in maintained schools in Essex LEA in each January between 1992 and 1998. Information is only available from 1992 when support staff data were first collected. The second table shows the number of FTE regular teachers and support staff in Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock LEAs after local government re-organisation in April 1998, in each January between 1999 and 2003.

Information on the number of teachers and support staff by LEA from 1997 to 2003 is available in the School Workforce Volume, 2003 edition. This is available from the House of Commons Library or at the following URL: www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000443/index.shtml
Full-time equivalent regular teachers and support staff 1

	Essex LEA
1992	15,090
1993	15,010
1994	15,380
1995	16,060
1996	16,760
1997	17,390
1998	17,520

Note:
Sixth form colleges are included in 1992.





 
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Full-time equivalent regular teachers and support staff 1

	Essex LEA	Southend-on-Sea LEA	Thurrock LEA	Total
1999	14,850	1,920	1,740	18,500
2000	14,920	2,120	1,780	18,810
2001	15,660	2,240	1,900	19,800
2002	16,790	2,530	2,010	21,300
2003	17,060	2,600	2,080	21,730

⁽¹⁵⁾ Includes nursery assistants, special needs support staff, minority ethnic pupil support staff, secretaries, bursars, lab assistants design technology assistants, I.T. technicians, librarians, welfare assistants, learning mentors, child care staff in boarding schools and any other staff regularly employed in schools but excluding technicians medical staff in nurseries.
Source:
Teacher numbers: Annual Survey of Teachers in Service and Teacher Vacancies
Support Staff: Annual School Census

Education Statistics (London)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) London and (ii) Brent are expected to have a budget deficit in the current financial year. [172801]

Mr. Miliband: There are 230 (12.2 per cent.) of primary schools and 100 (24.1 per cent.) of secondary schools in deficit within Greater London. There are 12 (20 per cent.) of Brent primary schools and five (36.7 per cent.) of Brent secondary schools in deficit. Information on the current year 2004–05 will not be available until the summer of 2005.

Excellence in Cities Programme

Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood have benefited from the Excellence in Cities programme; and what the per pupil spending was in each year since the programme's inception. [176203]

Mr. Miliband: The following table shows the number of children in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood benefiting from EiC, and the annual spend per pupil for the years in question.

	Number of children	Total EiC expenditure(16) (£)	Spend per pupil (£)
2001–02	2,812	169,297	60.21
2002–03	3,839	425,566	110.85
2003–04	3,989	1,108,479	277.88

⁽¹⁶⁾ All funding figures supplied by Blackpool Excellence in Cities Team.

The increase in the rate of EiC funding and the number of pupils benefiting in 2002–03 was due to the Education Action Zone coming under the control of the EiC Partnership. The increase in funding in 2003–04 was due to the introduction of the Leadership Incentive Grant and the Behaviour Improvement Programme.

Further Education

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to provide
 
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funding to help further education colleges in the Worthing area specifically to refurbish and rebuild their estates. [175446]

Alan Johnson: All of the Department's post-16 learning and skills sector capital investment is allocated to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The Department does not provide a specific budget to the LSC for rebuilding and refurbishing property in further education colleges at either the local or regional levels. It is for the LSC to determine for itself the right level of capital investment in further education colleges. Mr. Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member on this matter and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

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