Supplementary memorandum submitted by
Ivan Lewis MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills
and Vocational Education
Following my appearance at the Select Committee
on 3 December, I promised to write back to you with additional
information on a number of points, where the Committee asked for
clarification.
I attach a set of responses to those issues,
about which you asked for further information. I trust that I
have covered all the outstanding points. On Individual Learning
Accounts, I can assure you that we take the issue very seriously.
Since the earlier hearings on Individual Learning Accounts the
Department has been working hard to ensure proper risk management
is in place across the piece and that lessons learned are taken
fully into account both in current and developing programmes and
projects. I am pleased to be able to say that we have succeeded
in moving ahead in a wide range of areas and I will be writing
shortly to the Committee giving a detailed account of what we
have achieved.
I look forward to meeting Select Committee colleagues
again in the New Year, during your 2003-04 enquiry into skills.
December 2003
Annex
INDIVIDUAL LEARNING
ACCOUNTS
(i) "To write to the Select Committee
with statistics on numbers of prosecutions brought as a result
of ILA fraud and the amount of money recovered by the Department"
As the Committee is aware, the Department has
been steadfast in its commitment to follow up all serious complaints
following the closure of the Individual Learning Account programme.
This has involved the review of 698 learning providers. The reviews
have resulted in 318 of those providers cases being cleared or
closed.
Investigations are continuing into the remaining
380 providers of which 106 have been accepted by the police. This
had led to 91 arrests and charges being brought against 31 individuals.
Of these 9 have been convicted with a variety of prison, suspended
sentences, community service and fines and 15 are awaiting court
appearances.
To the end of November 2003 action taken by
the Department has resulted in some £1.5 million being recovered
from providers. A further £16 million of provider claims
is withheld pending the results of the investigations.
PUPIL BEHAVIOUR
(ii) "To provide the Select Committee
with more details on the DfES Stakeholder Tracking Survey and
how it is conducted"
The Stakeholder Tracking Study is a termly survey
that tracks opinions of key stakeholders (headteachers, teachers,
governors, parents, support staff and LEA staff) towards aspects
of education, including behaviour. The study was commissioned
by COI Communications on behalf of the DfES and is carried out
by Continental Research. Interviewing for the study comprises
of a 20 minute telephone call and the results are not attributed.
Different respondents are used in each wave
and sample sizes used are as follows:
| Heads | 330 per wave (1,000 per year)
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| Teachers | 330 per wave (1,000 per year)
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| Governors | 130 per wave (500 per year)
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| LEA staff | 100 per wave (300 per year)
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| Support staff | 100 per wave (300 per year)
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| Parents | 330 per wave (1,000 per year)
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(iii) "How many school staff are being trained in anti-bullying strategies ?"
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The DfES folder "Don't Suffer In Silence"
contains much practical advice and has been successfully used
in Inset days. It has been available since 2000 and was updated
in 2002. It is available free of charge to any school and is being
issued to each secondary and middle school at the start of their
KS3 training.
All secondary and middle schools, and those primary schools
included in the Behaviour Improvement Programme and primary behaviour
and attendance pilot, will have access to training and other materials
in how to counter bullying. These will be provided through the
Key Stage 3 behaviour and attendance strand and the primary behaviour
and attendance pilot and will offer support to pupils, teachers
and parents.
Secondary and middle schools that identify, through the behaviour
and attendance audit, that bullying is an issue that they want
to prioritise will have available detailed material on how to
prevent and counter bullying and support in its use.
The series of regional anti-bullying conferences, launched
at Wembley on 19 November and targeted at headteachers, offers
hands-on training in practical anti-bullying strategies and the
opportunity to learn from leading edge practice in schools and
in the voluntary sector. Around 500 delegates, very largely headteachers,
are expected at each of the 9 anti-bullying conferences.
The anti-bullying charter and summary document on effective
practice highlight a number of anti-bullying areas that schools
may wish to prioritise.
ADULT BASIC
SKILLS AND
FURTHER EDUCATION
(iv) "According to the most recent figures available,
how many of those who started Adult Basic Skills course (a) dropped
out and (b) achieved the qualification?"
The latest available full year figures from 2001-02 show
that of the 1.07 million LSC funded learning opportunities that
were started, 860,000 (81%) were completed, and 210,000 (19%)
were not. Of qualifications that count towards the Skills for
Life target of 1.5 million people improving their skills by 2007,
with an interim target of 750,000 by 2004, we are confident that
our milestone of 470,000 achievements by July 2003 has been met.
Learners can only be counted once towards the target, although
many learners complete more than one qualification.
(v) "What level of "Golden Hello" is provided
to FE teachers to encourage them to come into the sector?"
"Golden Hellos" are available to new teachers (full-time
and part-time) in the FE sector who started their first teaching
in September 2001 or after, have completed their first year teaching
and are contracted for a further term. They provide a one-off
payment of up to £4,000 (subject to tax and NI deductions)
to new teachers contracted to teach a designated shortage subject.
The designated shortage subject areas are: Construction;
Design and Technology; Engineering; English (including drama);
Information and Communications Technology; Maths; Modern Languages,
Science; and Basic Skills (including: Literacy, Numeracy and English
for Speakers of Other Languages, which was added to the list on
1 September 2003).
1,237 teachers in the sector received a Golden Hello payment
(488 in the first seven months of operation, 749 between 1 April
and end October 2003). The budget for 2002-03 was £2.7 million,
and for 2003-04 is £2.7 million; £3.2 million in 2004-05
and £3.7 million in 2005-06 to deliver in the same periods
600, 600, 700, 800 full time equivalent Golden Hellos.
An evaluation to measure the success of Golden Hellos started
in Sept 2003, the outcome is expected to be made available in
spring 2004 and will help inform policy for possible future changes
to the scope of Golden Hellos.
LEVEL 2 ENTITLEMENT
(vi) "To confirm the numbers of adults without level
2 gualifications; and to provide the Committee with more information
about how many adults are expected to benefit in the current and
next financial year; and the likely cost and the date when the
entitlement will be fully operational."
Regarding the question from the committee on the number of
adults without level 2: for clarification, there are 7,091,000
economically active adults qualified below Level 2 according to
the Spring 2003 Labour Force Survey, and 10,729,000 people of
working age qualified below level 2.
The entitlement will be phased in from 2004. We expect to
introduce the entitlement on a partial basis next year. Subject
to the experience gained in the first year, we will proceed to
roll out nationally from 2005-06. We need to manage the introduction
of such a large scale national undertaking carefully, to manage
demand and to take into account the wider implications for local
learning provision.
The cost of the entitlement and the numbers that will benefit
from the offer in the first year will depend on the scale of the
initial phasing and the take-up by individuals. Funding the entitlement
during this period represents a refocusing of existing resources
to meet the needs of priority learners at level 2. This will affect
learning providers' fee arrangements and we and the LSC will be
issuing a discussion document in the new year about the implementation
of a new fees framework to support delivery of the entitlement.
LSC—BUREAUCRACY
(vii) "What is the cost of Learning and Skills Council
administration compared to the final year of Training and Enterprise
Council, and has it resulted in a reduction in the administrative
burden?"
The LSC is delivering a very different and more complicated
agenda than that delivered previously by TECs. The best estimate
of the administrative costs of predecessor bodies, the Further
Education Funding Council, and Training and Enterprise Councils,
is £270-280 million in 2000-01. The LSC was required to show
a saving of £50 million on these costs and its budget has
been set by reference to this requirement. In terms of efficiency
the LSC has exceeded the Parliamentary commitment to cut Administration
costs by £50 million compared to the costs of its predecessor
organisations.
The LSC administration budget has been set at a constant
£218 million between 2001-02 and 2006-07, which equates to
a real terms cut of 13.6% by 2006-07. There is clear evidence
that the LSC is already making substantial efficiency gains, if
looked at in terms of programme funds delivered per staff member.
We are also seeing signs of significant improvement in performance
of the LSC's key strategic objectives around raising participation,
achievement and quality.
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