Memorandum by the Department for Education
and Skills (DfES) (SOC 82)
I would first like to thank the Committee for
inviting a DfES Minister to attend your committee meeting on Community
Cohesion on 11 February 2004. Although I am not the Minister responsible
for this I do think that the Department has a lot of good work
to report on this, much of which is already taking place. I was
pleased to be able to discuss this alongside Dr Stephen Ladyman
MP (Department of Health).
At the meeting I agreed to write with information
on a number of outstanding queries that were raised during the
meeting.
Clive Betts asked if we had ever had a bid for
a facility and then turned it down because it does not support
social cohesion, and told the organisation that put the bid in
to go away and rethink what they are doing.
I have asked senior officials to provide me
with details of any cases where they have had to do this. None
have been reported.
Chris Mole asked why the DfES School Admission
Code of Practice does not refer to community cohesion.
The Code of Practice makes the following reference
to community cohesion in paragraph 3.10:
"Faith schools can contribute to community
cohesion by having admission arrangements that are inclusive of
other faiths and of all elements of the population of their local
area. Some faith schools already achieve inclusiveness by designating
a proportion of places for which children of their own faith or
denomination will be given priority, and the remainder as community
or open places for which local children will be given priority.
Note: this is quite different from `quotas' which would reserve
places solely for particular groups, and would mean leaving places
empty if not enough members of those groups apply. With the repeal
by the Education Act 2002 of section 91 of the School Standards
and Framework Act 1998, it is no longer possible for foundation
and aided schools with a religious character to agree special
arrangements with their LEA by which they can keep places empty
if they do not have enough applications from their particular
faith or denomination. Where evidence of commitment to another
faith (or denomination) is required, the guidance in paragraph
3.9 applies."
John Cummings asked why schools and health services
are not playing a greater role in order to break down community
barriers rather than relying upon cash-strapped voluntary and
community groups.
In my response to this I said that, over the
next three years, we will be promoting extended schools and will
be spending over £300 million in doing so. The figure I quoted
was incorrect, we are making available just over £130 million
for the next three years from 2003-06.
John Cummings also asked about youth service
provision, including how much extra money is going into it.
Statutory Youth Services receive their financial
support from the resources provided by the Education Formula Spending
(EFS)—a combination of Exchequer support, through the Revenue
Support Grant and Council Tax.
One of the problems faced by the Youth Service—and
one the Government wants to deal with—is poor funding resulting
in inadequate services. The Government has asked Local Authorities
to give priority to their Youth Service when planning the use
of their EFS resource. We want Local Authorities to develop their
Youth Services and improve the quality and quantity of their work
and we expect the Youth Service to make a strong contribution
to the development of Children's Trusts. We will be disappointed
if we hear that a Local Authority is reducing the resources available
for its Youth Service or deliberately planning to reduce its level
of service.
The Transforming Youth Work policy is the Government's
response to the variations in the quality of Youth Service provision
across Local Authorities. The policy is supported by the Transforming
Youth Work Development Fund (TYWDF). Statutory Youth Services
also need to meet their obligations under the Special Education
Needs Disability Act 2001 (SENDA). The Government is helping by
providing grant funding for this work. Over the four years 2002-06,
TYWDF and SENDA funding will be worth a total of £78 million,
although the final year of the period for both budgets is subject
to confirmation.
Through its three-year cycle of funding to National
Voluntary Youth Organisations (NVYOs), the Department aims to
promote the personal and social education of young people. The
current scheme, 2002-05, has a budget of £18 million, representing
an increase of 50% on the 1991-2002 scheme. This scheme is focused
on two broad Ministerial objectives: tackling social exclusion
through targeting priority groups and raising the standard and
quality of youth work.
I hope that I have answered all the Committee
members' queries satisfactorily.
Stephen Twigg MP
11 March 2004
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