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Food Education

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether food skills training is provided in primary school teachers' initial teacher training. [187458]

Mr. Miliband: All trainee teachers must demonstrate the standards set out in "Qualifying to teach", which represent the minimum that trainees must know, understand and be able to do to be awarded qualified teacher status. Although the standards as they apply to
 
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primary school trainees do not specify food skills training, they require that they should be familiar with the National Curriculum Framework for personal, social and health education, which at Key Stage 2 includes teaching about the benefits of healthy eating. Once employed within schools, teachers can look to professional development programmes to develop food technology skills.

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what action is being taken to help primary school teachers to teach cookery in addition to the Food in Schools programme; [187459]

(2) what action his Department is taking to improve food education in schools; [187460]

(3) how many primary schools have the (a) necessary equipment and (b) purpose built facilities to enable pupils to prepare and cook food; [187461]

(4) how much schools have spent on average for each pupil in each of the last 10 years on food education in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools. [187462]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: On 6 September, the Government published the Healthy Living Blueprint for Schools. A copy is being placed in the House of Commons Library. The Blueprint and a supporting website will help teachers access support, advice and information to create a healthy school environment. It includes food education within the National Curriculum, and wider opportunities through, for example, cookery and growing clubs.

In addition to the Food in Schools programme, there are food technology teachers in Technology Specialist Schools and food technology Advanced Skills Teachers who support their feeder primary schools in food education as part of their outreach work.

The Department does not collect detailed information about expenditure on equipment or per pupil for individual subjects; or on facilities for food education in primary schools. This year, the Government have increased its support for capital investment in schools to £4.5 billion. This includes direct capital funding to every primary school, which a school could allocate for food technology facilities.

Fraud

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the cost of fraud to (a) his Department and (b) the Executive Agencies affiliated to his Department in the last year for which figures are available. [186683]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The total amount of departmental funds under investigation in the financial year 2003–04 was £177,300. All cases of fraud or alleged fraud were investigated by the Department's Special Investigations Unit. Fully trained, professionally qualified fraud examiners staff this unit.

The Department has no Executive Agencies.
 
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General Teaching Council/Teacher Training Agency

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will break down the 2002–03 administration cost of the Teacher Training Agency by main budget heading. [187400]

Mr. Miliband: Part 14 of the TTA's Financial Statements 2002–03 outlines a total of 5 budget lines contributing to a total administration expenditure of £10.479 million of which: staff costs totalled £6.651 million and other administration costs totalled £3.828 million.

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost of the General Teaching Council was in 2002–03, broken down by main budget heading. [187399]

Mr. Miliband: The total expenditure incurred by the GTC in 2002–03 totalled £11.237 million of which staff costs were £3.559 million. Other costs totalled £7.678 million.

A more detailed breakdown of the figures can be found on page 20 of the GTC's Annual Report and Accounts 2002–03.

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many staff were employed in the (a) Teacher Training Agency and (b) General Teaching Council in 2002–03; and what the staff costs were in each case. [187401]

Mr. Miliband: The Teacher Training Agency employed an average of 193 staff during the financial year 2002–03. The total staff costs for the year were £6.651 million.

The General Teaching Council for England employed an average of 109 staff during the financial year 2002–03. The total staff costs for the year were £3.559 million.

The staff costs included temporary staff and secondees, and are disclosed in the organisations' accounts.

Graduate Employment

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research his Department has commissioned regarding the number of university graduates who enter graduate jobs within six months of graduating. [186942]

Alan Johnson: The Department's main data source for monitoring the destination of graduates is the First Destination Survey (FDS), which is collected annually by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). This records the employment position of graduates six months after graduation, including the type of work obtained by those graduates entering employment. These figures are published by HESA annually in 'First Destinations of Students leaving Higher Education Institutions', a copy of which can be found in the House Library.

Following a comprehensive review, the FDS has been expanded for 2002–03 to cover students completing part-time courses and to collect additional information on the student's employment.
 
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Higher Education (Newcastle upon Tyne)

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of 18-year-olds were accepted for entry to higher education through UCAS in the City of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in each year since 1995. [186860]

Alan Johnson: The available information is taken from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and covers 18-year-old applicants accepted through UCAS to full-time first degree and HND courses. Figures are given in the table.
18-year-old applicants domiciled in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne LEA, accepted through UCAS to full-time first degree and HND courses

Year of entry	Number	Percentage
1995	607	22.2
1996	603	21.0
1997	527	16.4
1998	593	18.0
1999	553	17.2
2000	609	18.9
2001	754	23.3
2002	826	24.4
2003	872	25.1

Source:
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and population figures based on projections from the Government Actuary's Department and the Office for National Statistics.

IT Training

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to improve (a) IT training and (b) access to the internet for older people. [186794]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information is as follows:

(a) DfES colleagues are currently working with partners, developing a strategy to take forward the commitments to ICT user skills made in the White Paper, 21st Century Skills, realising our potential, which include designating ICT as a Skill for Life.

A project called "Cybrarian" is currently being developed which aims to help reduce the digital divide by facilitating access to the Internet and to learning opportunities for those who currently do not, or cannot, use the Internet. This may be because of a lack of skills or confidence, or because of physical or cognitive disabilities.

(b) DfES has established a network of 6,000 UK online centres to help those who have not used computers or the Internet before, or who do not have access to a computer of their own. These centres provide free or low cost access to ICT and the Internet, with support from staff on hand to help individuals get started. One of the target groups is older people. Everyone in England should be able to find a UK online centre near to their home. Around 3,000 are based in libraries and the rest are located to provide easy access for all.
 
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