---

17 Jun 2004 : Column 1062W—continued

Probationary Teachers

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what monitoring he has carried out of the support for probationary teachers; and what evidence he has collated on the effect probationary teacher support has on teacher retention. [178808]

Mr. Miliband: An independent report from the Institute of Education, "Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Statutory Arrangements for the Induction of Newly Qualified Teachers", in May 2002 found that the quality of provision for newly qualified teachers has improved since the introduction of induction.

Research by the General Teaching Council for England has shown that teachers who are exposed to any sort of professional development opportunities are more likely to be in teaching in five years time compared with those who have not had such opportunities.

Qualifications

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people of working age in (a) Merseyside and (b) the UK had no qualifications in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [177914]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The table shows the proportion and number of working age ¹ people with no qualifications in (a) Merseyside and (b) the United Kingdom. Data comes from the winter quarter of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) in 2003–04.

	No qualifications
	Percentage	Number
Qualification level
Merseyside	23.3	194,000
United Kingdom	14.4	5,223,000

Reducing the number of people with no qualifications is a major priority for the Government. The Skills Strategy announced a number of measures to address this issue. In particular, we are introducing a new entitlement to free learning for all those studying for those first Level 2 qualifications as a foundation for employability. We have also said that we will introduce a new adult learning grant of up to £30 a week for full-time learners studying for their first Level 2 qualification. We want to improve the quality of information, advice and guidance to help people choose the right course for them. Basic skills needs for those without qualifications are being addressed through the Government's Skills for Life strategy. We have also asked regional development agencies to work with the Learning and Skills Council, the Small Business Service, Jobcentre Plus, Skills for Business and others to ensure that the aims of Skills Strategy are delivered in a more co-ordinated way that connects with the needs of employers and individuals at the regional, local and sectoral level through the creation of strong and effective Regional Skills Partnerships.

¹ Working age population refers to males aged 16–64 and females aged 16–59.

 
17 Jun 2004 : Column 1063W
 

Schools (Use Outside School Hours)

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary school buildings are used outside of school hours, broken down by region; and if he will make a statement. [179100]

Mr. Miliband: We do not currently hold the data requested and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Secondary Schools

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne) of 27 May 2004, Official Report, column 1699, if he will list the successful schools that have expanded; and whether these schools were in areas with surplus places. [177876]

Mr. Miliband [holding answer 10 June 2004]: The local School Organisation Committee has approved proposals for the expansion of the following successful and popular schools, and the necessary capital support has been agreed by the DfES.

Fairfield High School, Bristol

Maiden Erlegh School, Wokingham

Bury Church of England High School, Bury

Parrenthorn High School, Bury

The percentage of secondary surplus places in Bristol is 11 per cent., in Wokingham it is 3 per cent., and in Bury it is 2 per cent.

DfES is working with a number of further schools that wish to expand.

Sector Skills Councils

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many sector skills councils are (a) operational and (b) planned for the next three years. [177376]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: We are making good progress in setting up sector skills councils (SSCs). To date there are 16 licensed SSCs. Plans are well advanced for the development of proposals for a further eight SSCs and, in addition, the SSDA continues to work with a number of other sectors. We currently anticipate that there will be around 23 SSCs in place by the end of the year covering the majority of the work force. Any further additions to the network will depend on employers coming forward with appropriate proposals.

Sure Start

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action his Department is taking to support disadvantaged children who do not live in wards targeted by the Sure Start programme. [177942]

Margaret Hodge: The broad Sure Start programme benefits children, parents and communities across the country, delivering free early education for all three and four-year-olds, improving the quality and affordability of child care, and creating at least 250,000 new child care places by 2006. Sure Start children's centres are initially being established in the 20 per cent. most disadvantaged
 
17 Jun 2004 : Column 1064W
 
wards in England. We recognise however that disadvantage exists outside of these wards, and the Sure Start Unit is considering proposals from local authorities to locate centres in such areas. The Government's long-term aim is to develop a children's centre in every community.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to assess the effectiveness of Sure Start programmes. [178360]

Margaret Hodge: The Sure Start Unit carries out thorough evaluations of all its major programmes. A comprehensive national evaluation of Sure Start Local Programmes began in 2001 and is examining the effectiveness of Sure Start for children, families and communities by tracking a sample of 8,000 children and their families over time. Local Sure Start programmes also undertake their local educations to inform their programmes delivery. An evaluation of the Neighbourhood Nursery Initiative began in 2003 and is assessing how far it is helping to reduce unemployment by providing high quality child care in disadvantaged areas. Further information, including findings to date, is available on the Sure Start website www.surestart/ensuringquality/research

Teaching Posts (Greater London)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on recruitment and retention of primary and secondary school teachers at schools in the Greater London area. [179039]

Mr. Miliband: Recruitment and retention of both primary and secondary teachers across the Greater London area has improved considerably over the last couple of years. The provisional figures for 2004 show an increase of a further 600 FTE teachers across London taking the total to 61,500, compared to the figure in 1997 of 56,800. The full-time vacancy rates across all the maintained sectors—nursery, primary, secondary and special schools have dropped each year from 3.5 per cent. in 2001 to a provisional 1.4 per cent. in 2004; leaving a total of 680 vacancies across London as at January this year.

Training

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding has been given for the training of people in Stoke-on-Trent, North constituency since 1997; under what projects; and if he will make a statement. [177631]

Alan Johnson: The Department allocates funds for education and training in the post-16 learning and skills sector to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The LSC then decides the funding allocations at local level to learning providers. Information about these allocated is not collected by the Department. This is an operational matter and the responsibility of the LSC. Mark Haysom, the LSC's Chief Executive, will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library. Some information will only be available from 2001 when the LSC assumed responsibility for funding some programmes from Training and Enterprise
 
17 Jun 2004 : Column 1065W
 
Councils and the Department. Information for these programmes prior to 2001 is not available at parliamentary constituency level.

---