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Seaford Route

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the impact of the Seaford noise preferential route on the proposed housing development at Imberhome in East Grinstead. [200480]

Charlotte Atkins: The Seaford noise preferential route (NPR) from Gatwick Airport is stipulated by the Secretary of State by Notice under s.78 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982. When it is allocated to the operators of aircraft departing towards the east, they are required to turn on a heading between East Grinstead and Crawley Down towards the navigational beacon at Seaford.

Adherence to the NPR is assessed on the basis of a 'swathe', 1.5 km to each side of the centre-line of the route. Aircraft which have reached an altitude of 4,000 ft may be 'vectored' by air traffic controllers onto a different heading without being deemed to have deviated from the NPR.

It is for interested parties to assess the relevance of the Seaford route, and of airport operations and noise controls generally, to any planning process, having due regard to planning guidance.
 
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Silk Mills Crossing

Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of how many cars used the Silk Mills train crossing in Taunton over the high speed train line from London to the South West each day on average in the last period for which figures are available. [200202]

Mr. McNulty: This is an operational matter for Network Rail. Network Rail will write to the hon. Member.

Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what dates for heavy engineering works to the tracks at the Silk Mills crossing in Taunton have been made available to the Somerset Highways Authority for putting a bridge over the crossing into place. [200204]

Mr. McNulty: This is an operational matter for Network Rail. Network Rail will write to the hon. Member.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Education Funding

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the reason is for the difference between the figure given for per pupil funding in the answer to the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire of 9 November 2004, Official Report, column 591W, in the last Session of Parliament, and that which appears on his Department's website at www.dfes.gov.uk/pns/pnattach/20030079/4.htm. [200105]

Mr. Miliband: Figures given in the press notice of 2 May 2003 (to which the hon. Member refers) contained forecasts of some grants. In particular, demand-led grants such as Teachers' Threshold Payments and Performance Pay grants are distributed throughout the year, and School Standards Grant allocations were still being finalised at this stage, and are subject to revision during the year as figures are audited.

In addition, the figures used in the answer on 9 November included the pensions transfers to Education Formula Spending made in 2003–04 and 2004–05. The series published on 2 May 2003 excluded the extra money transferred at this time for comparability with previous years.

Faith Schools

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on Government policy on faith schools. [200147]

Mr. Miliband: The Government believes parents should have a range of schools to choose from, including faith schools. We welcome more faith schools in the maintained sector where they have the support of parents and the local community. Decisions about the establishment of new faith schools are made at local level by the School Organisation Committee for the local authority concerned or by the Schools Adjudicator if the Committee cannot reach a unanimous decision.
 
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Where an LEA holds a competition to establish an additional secondary school, faith promoters, along with others, may bring forward proposals to set up a particular type of school. The Secretary of State will make the decision based on the merits of the proposals and taking into account local views.

Key Stage 2 Results

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils attained Level 4 at Key Stage 2 in each subject tested in 2003–04, broken down by parliamentary constituency. [199914]

Mr. Miliband: The Key Stage 2 data for 2004 has not yet been analysed to parliamentary constituency level. This will be available shortly after the Primary School Achievement and Attainment Tables are published on 2 December 2004 and will be placed in the Library. For years prior to 2004, the information requested has already been placed in the Library.

National Healthy School Standard

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total cost to public funds of the National Healthy School Standard has been in each year since 1999; and what funding he expects it to receive in each year until 2009. [199461]

Mr. Twigg: The National Healthy School Standard (NHSS) has been jointly funded by the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health since 1999. The following table shows the funding allocated to the NHSS from both Departments since 1999. Information on any additional support from local NHSS programmes or from local education authorities is not held centrally.
£ million

Year (allocations)	From the Department of Health	From the Department for Education and Skills	Total
1999–2000	2	2	4
2000–01	6	2	8
2001–02	5.8	2	7.8
2002–03	5.5	2	7.5
2003–04	5.5	2	7.5
2004–05	5.5	2	7.5

The DfES and Department of Health are committed to continued funding of the programme and the exact levels are still under discussion.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills to how many written questions tabled in the last parliamentary session his Department had been unable to provide a substantive answer before the end of the session. [199653]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: Of the 4,791 questions answered by this Department in the 2003–04 session, 18 did not receive a substantive reply. Ministers make every effort to answer questions substantively before Prorogation, but this is not always possible, especially with questions that are tabled in the last week before the House rises.
 
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Where right hon. and hon. Members did not receive a substantive response it is open to them to re-table their question this session.

Personalised Learning

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the Barnet pilot scheme for personalised learning. [199491]

Mr. Miliband: The DfES, working in conjunction with London LEAs, is funding a project to develop an ICT strategy for London which has identified personalised learning—tailoring education to the needs, interests and aptitudes of individual pupils within groups so as to enable them to fulfil their potential—as a key area for further development. As part of that ICT strategy, the Barnet project, supported by the London Grid for Learning, is utilising the broadband infrastructure in place across London and the LGfL services to provide individual access for schools, teachers, and pupils, at appropriate levels, to educational resources and information. This initiative by Barnet is a good example of the way LEAs are working with others to develop effective strategies for raising standards through personalised learning. We look forward to seeing the results of the project, and identifying how the lessons learned can be spread more widely.

Primary School Places (Washwood Heath)

Mr. Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the availability of primary school places in Washwood Heath, Birmingham. [199682]

Mr. Miliband: It is for each LEA to plan the supply of school places in its area to ensure that there are sufficient places, schools serve the needs of their local communities and provide good quality education in the most cost-effective way. The Government believe that decisions concerning the supply of school places are best taken locally by the main partners in the provision of education, who have knowledge of local needs.

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