House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 15 Jun 2004 (pt 31)

15 Jun 2004 : Column 907W—continued

Adult Learning

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with the Learning and Skills Council on its recent decision to withdraw funding from adult learning courses which are not vocational. [177570]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: I have discussed with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) its overall funding position for 2004–05. Adult learning funding through further education and our support for adult education services will continue to provide a wide range of learning from approved vocational qualifications to community based informal learning. As part of the normal annual planning cycle local LSCs discuss with learning providers the mix of provision that is required to meet the needs of local communities, learners and employers. Where there is a need for more vocational provision to meet the needs of learners and employers I would expect local LSCs and learning providers to re-direct resources to meet those priorities.

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Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what public funding has been spent on adult (a) literacy and (b) numeracy in Stoke-on-Trent North in each year since 1997. [177639]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The estimated total spend on "Skills For Life" (the Government's strategy for literacy, language and numeracy needs of all post-16 learners from pre-entry level up to and including level 2) and on Key Skills (essential skills of communication, application of number and information technology), from April 2001 to July 2003, in the Staffordshire Learning and Skills Council (LSC) area is set out in the following table.
£000

Basic skills Key skills

April 2001 to July 2001⁽⁵⁰⁾ 2,341 788

August 2001 to July 2002 3,123 1,006

August 2002 to July 2003 4,899 2,063

⁽⁵⁰⁾ The figures for April to July 2001 include costs incurred from August 2000 on learning aims continuing into April 2001.

	Basic skills	Key skills
April 2001 to July 2001⁽⁵⁰⁾	2,341	788
August 2001 to July 2002	3,123	1,006
August 2002 to July 2003	4,899	2,063

From the information available to the LSC it has not been feasible to obtain estimates at constituency level or separate figures by subject without incurring disproportionate cost. Likewise it has not been feasible to obtain comparable figures for periods before April 2001 when the Skills for Life strategy was launched and the LSC was formed, but information shows it was considerably less than at present.

Adult Learning Inspectorate

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the full-time equivalent headcount of the Adult Learning Inspectorate was in each year since 1999–2000; and how much funding was allocated to it in each year. [178210]

Alan Johnson: The Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) became operational in April 2001 and has been building up to its full responsibilities since then. The information requested is provided in the following table.

Operating year Full-time equivalent staff Funding (£ million)

2001–02 189.5 17.1

2002–03 225.5 24.5

2003–04 254 ⁽⁵¹⁾27.6

2004–05 ⁽⁵²⁾272 ⁽⁵³⁾30.4

⁽⁵¹⁾ Estimated.
⁽⁵²⁾ 31 May 2004.
⁽⁵³⁾ Forecast.
Notes:
1. Funding for 2003–04 is the forecast of expenditure.
2. Funding for 2004–05 is the latest planned expenditure.
Source:
ALI resource budget and expenditure figures.

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Operating year	Full-time equivalent staff	Funding (£ million)
2001–02	189.5	17.1
2002–03	225.5	24.5
2003–04	254	⁽⁵¹⁾27.6
2004–05	⁽⁵²⁾272	⁽⁵³⁾30.4

The expenditure figure for 2001–02 is an update to the amount reported in the recent Departmental Annual Report, which contained an error. Corrective action is being taken.

Adult Skills Provision

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to maintain adult skills provision at (a) Basic level, (b) Level 2 and (c) Level 3 in Weston-super-Mare. [176978]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Government outlined their commitment to improving adult skills in "21st Century Skills" published in July 2003 and has set challenging PSA targets for skills improvement in basic skills and at Level 2.

The West of England Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for funding adult education and skills in Weston-super-Mare area through the local further education college and other work based training providers. The college has been performing well and plans for the creation of a new sixth form centre, alongside improvements to the main campus, have recently been approved by the LSC.

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Discussions with the college about its three year development have included plans for a 32 per cent. growth in the number of basic skills learners and plans to maintain their current good attainment at Level 2 and Level 3.

The Strategic Area Review being carried out across the country will support continued collaboration between post-16 provision, the local education authority and the cluster of 11–16 schools in Weston-super-Mare.

Capital Allocations (School Buildings)

Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much ring-fenced money for classroom building projects has been given by his Department to each local education authority in the South West in each of the last three years. [177195]

Mr. Miliband: The following table shows this Department's total capital allocations for school buildings to local education authorities in the South West from 2001–02 to 2003–04. It shows both ring-fenced and total allocations.

It is our policy to reduce the proportion of support that is ring-fenced for individual projects, and increasingly to allocate support direct to schools and authorities. This allows them to decide the priorities for investment. For example, through devolved formula capital, a typical primary school of 250 pupils will receive £25,500, and a typical secondary school of 1,000 pupils will receive £87,250 in 2005–06.
South West capital allocations 2001–02 to 2003–04

£000
2001–02
2002–03
2003–04

LEA Total allocations of which:
ringfenced⁽⁵⁴⁾ Total allocations of which:
ringfenced⁽⁵⁴⁾ Total allocations of which:
ringfenced⁽⁵⁴⁾

Bath and North East Somerset 4,607 799 11,227 4,757 12,198 5,497

Bournemouth 4,657 2,022 3,353 112 5,066 664

Bristol, City of 16,115 6,999 13,219 1,584 73,789 60,745

Cornwall 16,897 2,792 24,109 3,323 99,902 73,613

Devon 23,845 3,498 41,085 7,043 122,740 79,797

Dorset 10,115 873 19,161 5,205 22,855 5,434

Gloucestershire 21,165 2,852 22,917 1,921 28,486 3,352

Isles of Scilly 183 52 198 26 285 76

North Somerset 5,241 1,199 5,606 472 17,971 2,408

Plymouth 5,876 2,016 10,936 1,865 16,397 1,557

Poole 5,942 4,210 5,799 2,729 6,161 582

Somerset 11,760 1,268 16,045 1,283 19,249 587

South Gloucestershire 9,769 945 14,110 4,713 14,853 359

Swindon 3,386 215 13,820 905 80,240 63,063

Torbay 5,993 2,700 9,422 398 9,470 173

Wiltshire 10,170 626 15,567 466 27,615 3,983

⁽⁵⁴⁾ Includes allocations ring-fenced for the authority( including any PFI credits), but not funding direct to schools whether or not passported via the LEA. Ring-fencing may be either to a project or to meeting ministerial priorities.

£000
	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04
LEA	Total allocations	of which: ringfenced⁽⁵⁴⁾	Total allocations	of which: ringfenced⁽⁵⁴⁾	Total allocations	of which: ringfenced⁽⁵⁴⁾
Bath and North East Somerset	4,607	799	11,227	4,757	12,198	5,497
Bournemouth	4,657	2,022	3,353	112	5,066	664
Bristol, City of	16,115	6,999	13,219	1,584	73,789	60,745
Cornwall	16,897	2,792	24,109	3,323	99,902	73,613
Devon	23,845	3,498	41,085	7,043	122,740	79,797
Dorset	10,115	873	19,161	5,205	22,855	5,434
Gloucestershire	21,165	2,852	22,917	1,921	28,486	3,352
Isles of Scilly	183	52	198	26	285	76
North Somerset	5,241	1,199	5,606	472	17,971	2,408
Plymouth	5,876	2,016	10,936	1,865	16,397	1,557
Poole	5,942	4,210	5,799	2,729	6,161	582
Somerset	11,760	1,268	16,045	1,283	19,249	587
South Gloucestershire	9,769	945	14,110	4,713	14,853	359
Swindon	3,386	215	13,820	905	80,240	63,063
Torbay	5,993	2,700	9,422	398	9,470	173
Wiltshire	10,170	626	15,567	466	27,615	3,983

Obesity (Children)

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures he is taking to combat bullying that occurs as a result of childhood obesity. [177649]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Our free pack 'Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence' is designed to help schools deal effectively with all forms of bullying. The pack states: "Bullying can take many forms . . . This may be because of individual characteristics", and we recognise that regardless of how it is manifested, bullying is a serious problem which puts the emotional well-being and educational achievement of pupils at risk. The pack (which was updated in September 2002) is freely available to be ordered by all schools. All secondary and middle schools have received a copy as part of the KS3 behaviour and attendance training.

In September 2003 I launched a new information film aimed at children and young people. The film encourages pupils who are experiencing bullying to tell someone who can help so they do not suffer in silence. I

15 Jun 2004 : Column 911W

also announced an anti-bullying charter for schools. This has been drawn up in consultation with professional associations and voluntary sector partners, and it was launched in November 2003 at the first of a series of regional conferences, called "Make the Difference", for schools and other partners. The charter has been made available to schools. The conferences (nine in total) culminate with a final conference in Chorley on June 14.

The purpose of the conferences has been to provide a forum for schools and related partners to share good practice. This has been facilitated by workshops and exhibitor stalls where attendees can gather a host of information on combating bullying.

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