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11 Oct 2004 : Column 21W—continued
Extended Schools Scheme
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what new money is being allocated to extended school day programmes that are part of the extended schools scheme. [189521]
Margaret Hodge:
The Government are committed to supporting the development of extended schools. We have already invested around £45 million in the current
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Spending Review period to support the development of extended services in schools which includes the development of before and after school child care, out of schools clubs, breakfast clubs and other similar programmes.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills' statement to the House on 16 September set out how the additional funding for education and children's services over the period 2005–06 to 2007–08 will support the reforms set out in our Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners. Extended schools are a key part of the strategy. However, as the strategy makes clear, we are committed to reducing the burdens on the front line, including reducing the number of different funding streams so to give local authorities, schools and other agencies more scope to use resources flexibly to meet local needs. It is not, therefore, possible at this stage to give a figure for the increased investment in extended schools.
Fathers Direct
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding has been given to Fathers Direct in each year since 1997 by his Department and its predecessors with responsibility for children. [189323]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 16 September 2004]: Records show that funding given to Fathers Direct since 1997 by the Department for Education and Skills and its predecessors with responsibility for children is as follows:
Under the Family support grant:
£50,000 in 1999–2000, £100,000 in 2000–01, £100,000 in 2001–02; £50,000 in 2002–03; £50,000 in 2003–04 and £50,000 in 2004–05 (£25,000 given to date, £25,000 remaining to be paid)
£117,000 in 2003–04 Under Section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968: an award of £60,000 over two years commencing in 2003–04 (£30,000 given to date, £30,000 remaining to be paid)
Under the Parental Involvement in Children's Education Grant:
£19,000 in 2003–04, and £11,000 in 2004–05 (£7,000 given to date, £4,000 remaining to be paid) All figures rounded to the nearest £1,000.
The main activities of Fathers Direct include training, information and consultancy work for family services, prisons and schools on how to engage and work with fathers and advising Government on policy. Recent activity funded by DfES includes a project to provide information, skills and resources for supporting fathers' relationships with their children to those sectors that provide support to parents (funded under the Parenting Fund).
Foster Care
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many registered foster carers there were in each of the last three years. [189449]
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Margaret Hodge: The information requested is not collected centrally. However, my Department is currently seeking to identify and resolve data collection difficulties so that we can work towards the collection of this information in future years.
The number of children looked after at 31 March in foster placements for each of the last three years is shown in the table.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 38,3000 |
| 2002 | 39,200 |
| 2003 | 41,100 |
(6) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short-term placements.
(7) All figures are rounded to the nearest 100.
Source:
Children Looked After by Local Authorities, Year Ending 31 March 2003
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of foster carers required to satisfy current demand. [189450]
Margaret Hodge: At 31 March 2003 there were an estimated 41,100 children in foster placements in England, representing 68 per cent. of all looked after children. The Department itself does not collect information centrally about the number of foster carers. However, a recent survey of local authorities, carried out by the Fostering Network, indicated a shortage of around 8,200 foster carers in England, inevitably limiting the range of placements available to looked after children. Assisting local authorities to recruit and retain foster carers is a key priority for my Department and a number of national initiatives are already in place or planned to encourage greater numbers of people to become and remain foster carers.
Further and Higher Education
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much he plans to spend on (a) higher education and (b) further education in each of the three years covered by the recent Spending Review. [190083]
Dr. Howells: On 16 September, the Secretary of State announced that total funding for the post-16 learning and skills sector, excluding Higher Education, will rise to £11 billion by 2007–08, and total funding for Higher Education will rise to almost £9.5 billion by 2007–08. We are doing further work in partnership with the funding councils on the details of our spending plans for Further and Higher Education. Details of the grant letters to the Learning and Skills Council and the Higher Education Funding Council for England will be published at the time of release.
Information and Communication Specialists
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many information and communication technology specialists are in full-time employment in the Department. [189583]
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Mr. Charles Clarke: My Department employs 139 information and communication technology specialists.
Learning and Skills Council
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what process was followed for the appointment of the Chair of the Learning and Skills Council. [190082]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Appointments to the Learning and Skills Council are made through fair and open competition, in accordance with guidance issued by Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
Looked-After Children
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many looked-after children are in (a) foster care and (b) in children's homes outside the geographical area of the placing authority. [189410]
Margaret Hodge: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries,
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in England are looked after by local authorities. [189411]
Margaret Hodge: I refer the hon. Member to my response on 19 April 2004, Official Report, column 28W.
Modern Apprentices Scheme
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the companies who received funds from the Learning and Skills Council for participating in the Modern Apprentices Scheme in each year for which figures are available, broken down by amounts received. [190080]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with this information and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was spent by the Learning and Skills Council promoting modern apprenticeships in each year for which figures are available. [190081]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with this information and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
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