House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 11 Oct 2004 (pt 7)

11 Oct 2004 : Column 24W—continued

National Grid for Learning

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much National Grid for Learning funding has been granted to schools in Buckinghamshire in (a) 2002–03, (b) 2003–04 and (c) 2004–05. [189846]

Mr. Charles Clarke: I refer my hon. Friend to 'Funding for ICT in Schools in England' which is available in the House Library.

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Plumbing

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many level 2 NVQs in plumbing have been achieved in each year since 1997. [190012]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The numbers achieving a level 2 NVQ qualification in plumbing in the United Kingdom rose steadily from 1.9 thousand in 1997–98 to 4.4 thousand in 2002–03 (the latest year for which data are available). Numbers for each year are given in the following table:
Achievement of NVQ level 2 qualifications in plumbing Thousand

Year⁽⁸⁾ Number of awards

1997–98 1.9

1998–99 2.0

1999–2000 2.5

2000–01 3.3

2001–02 3.5

2002–03 4.4

⁽⁸⁾ Awards made between 1 October and 30 September each year.
Source:
NISVQ

11 Oct 2004 : Column 26W

Year⁽⁸⁾	Number of awards
1997–98	1.9
1998–99	2.0
1999–2000	2.5
2000–01	3.3
2001–02	3.5
2002–03	4.4

Pre-school Education

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of children had access to pre-school education in (a) St. Helens and (b) England, broken down by region, in each year since 1997. [186800]

Margaret Hodge: The information is not available in the form requested.

Provisional figures for 2004 show that all three and four-year-olds in England took up some form of early years education. 97 per cent. of these children received funding.

The available sub-national information relates the number of free part-time nursery education places taken up by three and four-year-olds. The latest figures for the St. Helens local authority area and the Government Office regions for 2003 are shown in the table. Provisional figures for 2004 show that in England, there were 1,034,900 free nursery education places taken up by 3 and 4-year-olds (or 91 places per 100 children).
Number of free nursery education places1, 2 taken up by 3 and 4-year-old children in maintained nursery and primary schools and private, voluntary and independent providers in St. Helens local education authority area and by Government Office Region—Position in January each year: England 1997–2003

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

England 790,300 813,500 819,500 868,600 924,700 992,800 1,024,000

North East 55,600 54,800 53,000 54,200 54,600 55,100 53,200

North West 125,600 126,400 128,100 134,800 145,000 142,300 143,700

Of which:

St. Helens 3,300 3,200 3,200 3,600 3,700 3,900 3,900

Yorkshire and the Humber 93,500 94,600 91,000 100,400 105,800 108,800 108,800

East Midlands 65,000 67,200 67,700 71,400 76,300 80,800 84,500

West Midlands 93,200 96,600 97,900 103,200 105,700 111,200 113,800

East of England 73,700 78,300 79,300 80,200 84,200 101,400 108,800

London 125,700 127,300 132,300 145,600 155,300 169,200 165,800

Inner London 50,800 50,700 54,300 63,400 65,600 69,000 67,200

Outer London 74,900 76,700 78,000 82,200 89,700 100,300 98,600

South East 98,900 104,800 106,800 110,500 120,700 140,100 155,000

South West 59,300 63,400 63,400 68,100 77,200 83,800 90,400

⁽⁹⁾ Part-time equivalent number of free nursery education places taken up by three and four-year-old children.
⁽¹⁰⁾ A free nursery education place comprises five two-and-a-half-hour sessions of early years education per week, for 33 weeks of the year, usually three terms of 11 weeks. Children in maintained schools are counted as taking up one place.

	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
England	790,300	813,500	819,500	868,600	924,700	992,800	1,024,000

North East	55,600	54,800	53,000	54,200	54,600	55,100	53,200
North West	125,600	126,400	128,100	134,800	145,000	142,300	143,700
Of which:
St. Helens	3,300	3,200	3,200	3,600	3,700	3,900	3,900
Yorkshire and the Humber	93,500	94,600	91,000	100,400	105,800	108,800	108,800
East Midlands	65,000	67,200	67,700	71,400	76,300	80,800	84,500
West Midlands	93,200	96,600	97,900	103,200	105,700	111,200	113,800
East of England	73,700	78,300	79,300	80,200	84,200	101,400	108,800
London	125,700	127,300	132,300	145,600	155,300	169,200	165,800
Inner London	50,800	50,700	54,300	63,400	65,600	69,000	67,200
Outer London	74,900	76,700	78,000	82,200	89,700	100,300	98,600
South East	98,900	104,800	106,800	110,500	120,700	140,100	155,000
South West	59,300	63,400	63,400	68,100	77,200	83,800	90,400

The latest provisional national figures on provision for three and four-year-olds were published in a Statistical Release "Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2004" which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway. The Department is planning to publish final figures for 2004 in October.

Pupil Referral and Learning Support Units

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the (a) pupil referral units and (b) learning support units operating in Buckinghamshire; and how many (i) staff and (ii) places there are in each. [189961]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: The January 2004 school census recorded five registered Pupil Referral Units (PRU), Aylesbury Vale PRU, Aylesbury Vale Secondary Support Centre, The Oaks PRU, The Wycombe Grange PRU and Woodlands Primary Support Centre, with a combined total of 190 pupils on roll (78 being solely registered with a PRU and the remaining 112 being dual-registered with a mainstream school), with 24 full-time equivalent teachers. Buckinghamshire has four Learning Support Units (LSU), Kirkstart LSU at Buckingham School, the Topaz Unit at Quarrendon School, The Diamond Centre at The Grange School and a LSU at Highcrest School. The Department does not hold any data on staff or place numbers for LSUs.

Research Council Funding

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in what circumstances foreign students would be eligible for Research Council grants to permit them to continue their studies. [188403]

Ms Hewitt: I have been asked to reply.

11 Oct 2004 : Column 27W

Eligibility for Research Council studentship awards is set out in the Statutory Instrument 1997 No. 1972, The Education (Fees and Awards) Regulations 1997. In accordance with European Directives, EU nationals residing outside the UK are entitled to the same support as UK residents for their tuition fees and this is provided for in the regulations. The Statutory Instrument permits the Research Councils (and a number of other bodies) to offer UK residents full support for postgraduate studies (university fees and maintenance award), while restricting the eligibility of residents of the EEA to a tuition fees only award; residents of third countries are not entitled to receive any support. Foreign students that are settled in the UK within the meaning of the Immigration Act, have refugee status, or have been granted leave to remain are treated as UK residents in respect of the Instrument.

Special Educational Needs

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average time taken to produce a statement of special educational needs is. [189361]

11 Oct 2004 : Column 28W

Margaret Hodge: Statutory timescales for local education authorities to observe in making assessments and statements of special educational needs are set out in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. Local education authorities are required to publish details of the percentage of draft statements they issue within the statutory 18-week timescale. There is also a statutory timescale of 26 weeks for local education authorities to produce final statements. Data are not collected or published on the percentage of final statements completed within this timescale.

In 2002/03, on average local education authorities in England met the 18-week timescale for producing draft statements in 65 per cent. of cases. When account is taken of cases where the issuing of draft statements was held up by factors beyond the authorities' control, this figure rose to 87 per cent.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many special needs status (a) primary and (b) secondary school children there were (i) in England and (ii) in the Buckingham constituency in (A) 2002–03 and (B) 2003–04. [189843]

Margaret Hodge: The requested information is given in the following table.
Maintained primary and secondary schools⁽¹¹⁾number of pupils with special educational needs (SEN), Position in January each year 2003 and 2004

Buckingham constituency
England

Primary Secondary Primary Secondary

As at January 2003

Number of pupils with statements of SEN 100 70 71,040 79,320

Percentage of school population with statements of SEN⁽¹²⁾ 1.2 1.5 1.6 2.4

Number of SEN pupils without statements 770 500 685,100 430,080

Percentage of school population with SEN (without statements⁽¹³⁾) 9.9 11.5 15.9 13.0

As at January 2004

Number of pupils with statements of SEN 100 70 69,610 78,480

Percentage of school population with statements of SEN⁽¹²⁾ 1.2 1.5 1.6 2.4

Number of SEN pupils without statements 700 440 685,700 450,120

Percentage of school population with SEN(without statements⁽¹³⁾) 8.9 10.2 16.1 13.5

⁽¹¹⁾ Includes middle schools as deemed.
⁽¹²⁾ Number of pupils with statements of SEN expressed as a percentage of total number of pupils in same school type.
⁽¹³⁾ Number of SEN pupils (without statements) expressed as a percentage of total number of pupils in same school type.
Note:
Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Annual Schools Census

	Buckingham constituency	England
	Primary	Secondary	Primary	Secondary
As at January 2003
Number of pupils with statements of SEN	100	70	71,040	79,320
Percentage of school population with statements of SEN⁽¹²⁾	1.2	1.5	1.6	2.4
Number of SEN pupils without statements	770	500	685,100	430,080
Percentage of school population with SEN (without statements⁽¹³⁾)	9.9	11.5	15.9	13.0

As at January 2004
Number of pupils with statements of SEN	100	70	69,610	78,480
Percentage of school population with statements of SEN⁽¹²⁾	1.2	1.5	1.6	2.4
Number of SEN pupils without statements	700	440	685,700	450,120
Percentage of school population with SEN(without statements⁽¹³⁾)	8.9	10.2	16.1	13.5

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children are on the roll at each (a) severe learning difficulties and (b) moderate learning difficulties special school in Essex. [189050]

Margaret Hodge: The available information is shown in the table.
Special schools⁽¹⁴⁾: Number of schools and number on roll by type of provisionJanuary 2004 (provisional), Essex local education authority

Of which:

All special schools Approved to make provision for severe learning difficulties⁽¹⁵⁾ Approved to make provision for moderate learning difficulties⁽¹⁵⁾

Number of schools 22 11 13

Number of pupils 1,888 1,041 1,377

⁽¹⁴⁾ Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools
⁽¹⁵⁾ Schools can be approved for more than one type of provision.

		Of which:
	All special schools	Approved to make provision for severe learning difficulties⁽¹⁵⁾	Approved to make provision for moderate learning difficulties⁽¹⁵⁾
Number of schools	22	11	13
Number of pupils	1,888	1,041	1,377

Information on individual schools cannot be provided as it is the Department's policy not to publish figures about individual schools without their prior agreement.

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many moderate learning difficulty special schools there are in each local education authority. [189051]

Margaret Hodge: The information requested has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

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