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Apprenticeship Schemes

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on apprenticeship schemes supported by the Department. [176483]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: There are currently over 255,000 apprenticeships supported by the Department, the highest number ever and more than three times as many as in 1997. In order to ensure that the initiative meets the evolving needs of the economy we have decided to make some changes. Our overall aim is to build up a coherent ladder of high quality vocational opportunities responsive to the needs of young people, older workers and business.
 
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On 10 May the Government announced its intention to put in place a family of apprenticeship programmes to suit a variety of needs from aged 14 upwards. These will include: Junior Apprenticeships for 14 to 16-year-olds, a pre-apprenticeship route within the existing Entry to Employment programme, Apprenticeships at NVQ Level 2, Advanced Apprenticeships at NVQ Level 3 and a strengthened progression route into higher education, including vocational Foundation Degrees. In addition we are developing Apprenticeships for Adults in those sectors with the greatest need.

Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many residents of Blackpool North and Fleetwood have undertaken apprenticeships in each of the last five years. [176208]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not available at parliamentary constituency level. Nor is the information available on a consistent geographical basis over the last five years. However, the following table shows the number of starts on apprenticeships (formerly known as Advanced Modern Apprenticeships) and apprenticeships at level two (formerly known as Foundation Modern Apprenticeships) in the Lancashire LSC area between April 2001 and the end of July 2003, as well as the number of starts from April 1998 to March 2001 in the two TECs that amalgamated into Lancashire LSC—ELTEC and LAWTEC.

Time period(30)	TEC/LSC	Advanced MA	Foundation MA
April 1998 to March 1999	ELTEC	1,000	400
	LAWTEC	1,600	100
April 1999 to March 2000	ELTEC	800	1,100
	LAWTEC	1,900	1,800
April 2000 to March 2001	ELTEC	900	1,300
	LAWTEC	1,800	2,100
April 2001 to July 2002	Lancashire LSC	1,900	4,100
August 2002 to July 2003	Lancashire LSC	1,500	3,300

⁽³⁰⁾ TECs reported the figures in financial years. LSC reports figures in academic years. The first LSC 'year' was 16 months in order to bring the financial year figures into line with academic years.
Source:
TEC Management Information
LSC Individualised Learner Record

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what additional funding will be earmarked for apprenticeships for people aged over 25 years in financial year 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [177013]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: We and the LSC are working with SSCs and key partners towards initial trials of apprenticeships for adults in a small number of sectors in England starting later this year, funded in 2004–05 by the LSC with other agencies. Funds for expansion of apprenticeships for adults in 2005–06 and beyond will be subject to post-spending review allocations.

Armed Forces Training Establishments

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what estimate he has made of the inspection charge to be levied upon the Ministry of
 
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Defence under section 56(4) of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 for the inspection and oversight of armed forces training establishments; [176319]

(2) under what circumstances a training provider may limit the power of the Adult Learning Inspectorate to publish its findings as it considers appropriate; [176320]

(3) what assurances have been given by the Ministry of Defence that inspectors attached to the Adult Learning Inspectorate will have all the powers available to them under section 57(2) of the Learning and Skills Act 2000, with particular reference to (a) the right of entry to army barracks and (b) the right to access documents; [176321]

(4) what assurances have been given by the Ministry of Defence that military orders will be issued to surrender personnel accused of obstructing an inspector acting under the authority of the Adult Learning Inspectorate; [176322]

(5) what the composition is of the Board of the Adult Learning Inspectorate; what the qualifications of each board member are; and what assessment he has made of the extent to which those qualifications enable the Inspectorate to examine duty of care issues in military establishments. [176323]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: These are matters for the Adult Learning Inspectorate. David Sherlock, the Chief Inspector, will write to my hon. Friend with this information and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Bullying

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the level of bullying in schools in the Vale of York, with particular reference to those within the City of York. [176688]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Data on bullying are not collected centrally and there is no reliable basis for an estimate of prevalence. However, any level of bullying is too high and we are determined to help schools to tackle the problem. Our guidance pack 'Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence' and the anti-bullying Charter and the anti-bullying website www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying offer detailed advice on preventing and addressing bullying. In November 2003 I launched our anti-bullying Charter for schools, which schools are now signing. It is accompanied by a summary of effective practice to help schools review and enhance their anti-bullying policies. The Charter was launched at the first of a series of regional conferences which have been running since November 2003 and culminate with a final conference in June. These conferences are an opportunity for schools and other partners to share good practice on this issue. Details of the conferences can be accessed online at www.teachernet.gov.uk/antibullying.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures he is taking to tackle bullying in schools; what guidance his Department has issued to teachers and schools about the prevention of bullying; and if he will publish his guidance. [176689]

 
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Mr. Ivan Lewis: Bullying is a serious problem which puts the emotional well-being and educational achievement of pupils at risk. Schools should treat bullying seriously and take steps to combat it promptly and firmly whenever and wherever it occurs. From September 1999, head teachers of maintained schools have been under a duty to draw up measures to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils.

In December 2000 we launched a guidance pack for schools with an accompanying video aimed at pupils. The pack is entitled 'Bullying: don't suffer in silence'. In September 2002 an updated version of this document was issued.

There is also a new public information film, 'Tell Someone', to raise awareness and encourage children to tell someone if they are being bullied, and an anti-bullying website at www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying, which contains the text of the updated pack. The Department has also funded an expansion of the Parentline Plus free helpline for the parents of bullying victims (0808 800 2222). The key message of the strategy is that pupils should be able to report bullying to someone they trust and not suffer in silence.

We have launched an anti-bullying 'Charter for Action' which all schools are encouraged to sign and which offers a series of practical suggestions for tackling bullying. The anti-bullying Charter went into every maintained school in England on 19 January 2004. Like all the rest of our anti-bullying guidance, this is published and in the public domain. For further information on the Department's work to counter bullying in schools can be found on our website at www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying.

A further measure has been the 'Make The Difference' campaign, a series of anti-bullying conferences, one in each government office region. Eight have taken place, the last is on 14 June. These conferences allow head teachers in each region to share effective practise and benefit from leading national practice.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received on the level of bullying in the Vale of York. [176690]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: We are unable to provide a breakdown of representations on the level of bullying in the Vale of York. We receive representations from individual parents about incidents of bullying but we do not analyse these by LEA.

However, any level of bullying is too high and we are determined to help schools to tackle the problem. Our guidance pack 'Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence' and the anti-bullying Charter and the anti-bullying website www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying offer detailed advice on preventing and addressing bullying. In November 2003 I launched our anti-bullying Charter for schools, which schools are now signing. It is accompanied by a summary of effective practice to help schools review and enhance their anti-bullying policies. The Charter was launched at the first of a series of regional conferences which have been running since November 2003 and culminate with a final conference in June. These conferences are an opportunity for schools and other
 
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partners to share good practice on this issue. Details of the conferences can be accessed online at www.teachernet.gov.uk/antibullying.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much central funding was available to schools in the Vale of York in each of the past three years for programmes to combat bullying. [176691]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department does not disaggregate the money made available to schools for behaviour improvement. Within these budgets schools themselves make decisions on how much money to devote to anti-bullying work.

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