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Surveys

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what surveys of public perceptions of his Department and of its areas of responsibility have taken place over the last 12 months; what the (a) title and (b) nature of these surveys was; what the findings of each survey were; where these findings have been published; what the cost of such surveys was; and if he will make a statement and place copies of the surveys in the Library. [176952]

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office undertakes a wide range of research activities that support the development of information-led policy, including surveys of public perception and focus groups of the public that consider Home Office issues and its related areas of responsibility.

The Department conducts or commissions such work only when it is justified by the specific needs of a particular policy or programme and when this is the most economical, efficient and effective way to achieve
 
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the purpose. Consulting and involving the public helps inform both policy formulation and the delivery of better quality public services.

The available information on commissioned projects or surveys of public perception, including where these have been published is shown at Appendix 1. This table has also been placed in the Library. It has not been possible to provide detailed breakdown of costs of projects where this information is either not held centrally or is commercial in confidence.

Websites

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total annual cost of his Department's websites, including those of its agencies, was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [159520]

Fiona Mactaggart: The details required were answered in a question from Matthew Taylor.
 
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I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 11 May 2004, Official Report, column 235W.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Children's Centres

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will estimate the cost of establishing 1,000 children's centres by 2008. [177651]

Margaret Hodge: The Government are allocating £435 million in the current Spending Review period to develop children's centres and 43,000 new full day care places in disadvantaged areas. Local authorities are responsible for deciding how many centres to develop, but their current plans indicate that around 975 will be operational by March 2006. The Government are committed to establishing 1,700 children's centres by March 2008, serving all of the most disadvantaged areas in England. Funding for this expansion will be announced later in the year.

School Buildings

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what plans he has for (a) issuing guidance and (b) making it a statutory obligation that existing system built schools should have the level of compartmentation fire protection increased to meet the levels required by the current building regulations; [177591]

(2) what assessment has been made of the fire risk associated with CLASP and SCOLA buildings; and how many schools are constructed in this way; [177592]

(3) what plans he has to change the regulations for upgrading the level of compartmentation fire protection in system built structures such as those of CLASP and SCOLA design. [177593]

Mr. Miliband: Exemption for schools from the Building Regulations ended in April 2001 and since that date all new building work at schools, including system built schools, has been subject to approval under the Building Regulations. The fire safety aspects of the Building Regulations are not retrospective.

The Department is in the process of producing new guidance on fire safety for schools. Building Bulletin 100, "Designing against the risk of fire in Schools", will give guidance on the design of new schools as well as the refurbishment of existing schools to at least the current standards of the Building Regulations. The guide is comprehensive and stresses the value of using risk assessments as the basis for determining, for example, the types of fire alarm and detection systems needed in particular school buildings. It will be aimed at schools, local education authorities (LEAs), design consultants, building control bodies and the fire and rescue service. It is likely, subject to consultation, that the forthcoming revised Approved Document B accompanying the Building Regulations will refer to this guide for fire safety standards in schools.

The Department does not have figures for how many schools were constructed using the CLASP or SCOLA systems. However, all LEAs have produced asset
 
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management plans covering all the maintained schools in their areas. These surveyed the condition, suitability and sufficiency of school buildings, and should have highlighted and prioritised any apparent health and safety problems associated with them. Fire safety issues would have been included and any obvious risks should have been addressed.

The Department's primary concern is for the safety of pupils, teachers and other users. Regulation 17 of the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999 requires that every part of a school building, and of the land provided for a school, shall be such that the safe escape of the occupants in case of fire is reasonably assured. Schools also covered by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and by subsequent related regulations. These include aspects of fire safety.

11-year-olds (Crosby)

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of 11-year-old students in Crosby area schools achieved expected levels in (a) mathematics and (b) reading in the latest year for which figures are available. [177940]

Mr. Miliband: The number and percentage of pupils in Crosby who reached Level 4 or above at Key Stage 2 in (a) mathematics and (b) reading in 2003 are:

	Number/Percentage
Mathematics
Crosby Number of pupils achieving Level 4 +	822
Crosby Percentage of pupils achieving Level 4+	86
England Percentage of pupils achieving Level 4+	73
Reading
Crosby Number of pupils achieving Level 4 +	860
Crosby Percentage of pupils achieving Level 4+	90
England Percentage of pupils achieving Level 4+	81

A/AS Levels

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average A/AS points score per examination entry was (a) in Sefton and (b) in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [177837]

Mr. Miliband: The information requested is shown in table 1.
Table 1: average point score per GCE A/AS entry (or vocational equivalent) 1999–2003

	Sefton	England
1999	4.9	5.4
2000	4.9	5.5
2001	4.8	5.5
2002	67.9	76.0
2003	69.7	77.4

The points awarded for each grade are described in table 2. In 2002, the point scores were changed to reflect the new UCAS tariff. An AS level counts as half an A level.
 
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Table 2

Grade	Points prior to 2002	Points since 2002
A	10	120
B	8	100
C	6	80
D	4	60
E	2	40

I welcome the rising trend in national performance. This is of course a reflection of the hard work of students and the quality of their teachers.

Building Schools for the Future

Mr. Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will take steps to allow (a) sixth-form colleges and (b) further education colleges to apply for funding under the Building Schools for the Future Programme; and if he will make a statement. [176821]

Mr. Miliband [holding answer 7 June 2004]: Capital investment through Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is allocated for schools, rather than sixth-form colleges or further education colleges. However, the Government have recently committed their self to separate increases in post-16 learning and skills sector capital investment. Capital funds allocated to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) will increase to over £400 million in 2005–06. This is an increase of over 60 per cent. in real terms when compared to 2002–03.

We are currently working closely with the LSC to join up investment for schools, sixth-form colleges and further education colleges. We are also encouraging local authorities and local LSCs to consult each other in formulating their proposals and plans for priority capital funding.

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