---

17 Jun 2004 : Column 1058W—continued

Educational Psychologists

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what assessment his Department
 
17 Jun 2004 : Column 1059W
 
has made of future (a) demand and (b) supply of educational psychologists across local education authorities; and if he will make a statement; [176060]

(2) how many qualified educational psychologists were employed by local education authorities in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement. [176061]

Margaret Hodge: Decisions on the recruitment, retention and deployment of educational psychologists (EPs) are matters for local authorities as employers to determine in light of local circumstances and available resources.

We are aware that there are shortages of EPs in some areas and that, as with other professions, there is a likelihood of a good many experienced staff retiring in the near future. In view of this, the Department has facilitated discussions involving a range of partners, including representatives of the Local Government Association, on developing a new shorter entry training route for EPs. The scheme under discussion would ensure EPs qualifying in six rather than eight years. Years 1–3 would be the Psychology degree course followed by a further three years of postgraduate training built around work placements. Years 4–6 would be managed by higher education institutions in partnership with local authorities.

The new route would require significant additional funding, the case for which will need to be considered within the wider context of the 2004 Spending Review. Ministers are currently considering the final allocation of the SR settlement in the light of our overall priorities.

As regards the number of EPs employed by local authorities, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 4 May 2004, Official Report, column 1420W.

Excellence in Cities (Leyton)

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how Leyton schools have benefited from the Excellence in Cities initiative. [178193]

Mr. Miliband: Waltham Forest has been part of the Excellence in Cities programme since it was launched in 1999 and the following Leyton Schools have benefited from EiC funding: Barclay Infant School, Barclay Junior School, Belmont Park School, Church Mead Junior School, Dawlish Primary School, George Mitchell School, Newport Infant School, Newport Junior School, Norlington School for Boys, The Beaumont School and The Lammas School.

EiC in Waltham Forest has given Leyton schools access to enhanced opportunities for their gifted and talented pupils, learning mentors for those with barriers to learning, and Learning Support Units to tackle disruption. The programme also provides City Learning Centres and EiC Action Zones as well as leading on to Aim Higher and incorporating the Behaviour Improvement programme and Leadership Incentive Grant.

The following table shows the number of children in Leyton benefiting from EiC, and the annual spend per pupil for the years that Leyton schools have been part of EiC.
 
17 Jun 2004 : Column 1060W
 

	Number of children	Total EiC expenditure(£)(14)	Spend per pupil (£)
1999–2000	1,196	58,854	49.21
2000–01	3,865	(15)229,446	59.37
2001–02	4,017	420,027	104.56
2002–03	4,150	460,277	110.91
2003–04	4,338	905,957	208.84

⁽¹⁴⁾ All funding figures supplied by Waltham Forest Excellence in Cities Team.
⁽¹⁵⁾ Estimated.
Note:
The increase in the rate of EiC funding and the number of pupils benefiting in 2000–01 was due to the Leyton primary schools becoming part of the EiC Primary Extension Pilot. The increase in funding in 2003–04 was due to the introduction of the Leadership Incentive Grant and the Behaviour Improvement Programme.

Implementation Review Unit

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many members of staff are employed by the Implementation Review Unit, broken down by (a) civil servants including grade, (b) advisers and (c) salary. [177603]

Mr. Miliband [holding answer 10 June 2004]: Three civil servants employed by DfES work for the secretariat to the Implementation Review Unit as part of their role. A Grade 7 works 0.5 of the full-time equivalent for the Unit's secretariat, and a Higher Executive Officer and Higher Executive Officer (Developmental) both work 0.8 of the full-time equivalent.

Two advisers work for the Implementation Review Unit; an LEA adviser for 50 days per year, and an education adviser for 20 days per year.

Salary ranges for London DfES staff are as follows:

Grade 7: £41,114 to £51,574

HEO(D): £24,881 to £35,814

HEO: £24,881 to £29,615

The salary range for the LEA adviser is £42,777 to £47,058 pro rata. The salary range for the education adviser is £53,586 to £75,147 pro rata.

Muslim Schools

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is his policy to encourage the setting up of single-sex Muslim schools. [178253]

Mr. Miliband: The Government's overriding aim is to raise standards. As part of this we welcome faith schools in the maintained sector, to meet clear demand from parents. Decisions about whether or not new schools should open are made at a local level by the School Organisation Committee for the area or by the Schools Adjudicator if the Committee cannot reach a unanimous decision.

Nursery Day Care (Wandsworth)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many nursery day care places there are in the London borough of Wandsworth; and what contribution towards the cost of these places is paid by (a) central Government and (b) local authorities. [179050]

 
17 Jun 2004 : Column 1061W
 

Margaret Hodge: There were 3,520 registered full day care places in Wandsworth at March 2004. The total expenditure and breakdown of local authority subsidy on day care in Wandsworth is not held centrally.

All three and four-year-olds are entitled to a free part-time early education place, of 2.5 hours per day, 33 weeks of the year, which may be offset against the cost of full day care. From April 2003, funding to support the delivery of that entitlement was consolidated within the under fives sub-block of each LA's Education Formula Spending Share (EFSS)—the main source of education funding. The under fives sub-block for Wandsworth is £18.5 million for 2004–05.

Wandsworth have been allocated Sure Start General Grant Funding of almost £3 million for 2004–06, which includes a target to create 1,138 child care places, including full day care and wrap around care to early education places. A ring-fenced element within the Grant can be used to support and sustain existing good quality child care.

The Government are also supporting the creation of full day care in Wandsworth through Neighbourhood Nursery funding. Wandsworth has been developing seven nursery projects to deliver 140 places. 35 of these places are already open across four existing nurseries and revenue grant of £189,000 is available over the next three years to support them. We have made available £343,000 of capital funding to help with the building works.

Child care fees payable by parents are also subsidised by central Government through the tax credit system. This amounts in total to approximately £700 million per year, although it is not possible to provide a figure for the amount claimed in Wandsworth.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 26 May 2004, Official Report, column 1690W, on test and examination costs, if he will make a statement on the initial costs of (a) AS, (b) A-level and (c) A2 examinations for all schools for 2002–03. [179101]

Mr. Miliband: Through the examinations modernisation programme, which was referred to in the answer to the previous question, we are continuing to analyse the costs incurred by colleges and school on general examinations, and to look at ways of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of school and college exam office administration.

PFI Projects

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much capital funding was made available through private finance initiative projects for (a) primary school and (b) secondary school buildings in Stoke-on-Trent North in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [177628]

Mr. Miliband: There is a private finance initiative project in Stoke-on-Trent which provides energy, energy management and repair and maintenance work to all 122 maintained schools in the Local Education Authority. The contract was signed in November 2000 with Transform Schools (Stoke) and was supported by
 
17 Jun 2004 : Column 1062W
 
£93 million PFI credits. Of the £93 million PFI credits, £13.4 million were made available for the primary school buildings and £7.7 million for the secondary school buildings in the Stoke-on-Trent North constituency.

---