House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 1 Dec 2004 (pt 10)

1 Dec 2004 : Column 144W—continued

Connexions (Prisons)

Dr. Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what work is undertaken by the Connexions service in prisons. [200433]

Margaret Hodge: Connexions is working in secure establishments, chiefly Young Offender Institutes, alongside the Prison Service and youth justice professionals, to deliver support services and personal development opportunities aimed at re-engaging young offenders into education, training and employment. The precise role of Connexions depends on the established support structure in each individual prison and is determined locally.

Early Years Education (Somerset)

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his estimate is of the percentage of three and four-year-olds in early years education in Somerset in each year from 1997 to 2005; and if he will make a statement. [199897]

Margaret Hodge: The information is not available in the form requested. Figures on the provision of early

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years education in January 2005 have not yet been collected. The latest available figures for January 2004 show that all three and four-year-olds in England took up some form of early years education. Ninety seven per cent. of these children received funding.

1 Dec 2004 : Column 146W

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 Somerset local education authority area are shown in the table.
Number of free nursery education places taken up by three and four year old children in maintained nursery and primary schools and private, voluntary and independent providers—1997–2004

Somerset local education authority area Three-year-olds

Position in January each year Maintained nursery and primary schools⁽²⁾ Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers⁽³⁾ Total number of three-year-olds

1997 470 0 470

1998 500 0 500

1999 480 0 480

2000 470 0 470

2001 500 220 720

2002 490 1,900 2,400

2003 430 3,000 3,500

2004 430 ⁽⁵⁾3,700 4,100

Somerset local education authority area Four-year-olds

Position in January each year: Maintained nursery and primary schools ⁽⁴⁾ Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total number of four-year-olds

1997 n/a n/a 5,200

1998 n/a n/a 5,700

1999 n/a n/a 5,500

2000 n/a n/a 5,900

2001 n/a n/a 5,400

2002 3,900 ⁽⁶⁾1,500 5,400

2003 4,000 ⁽⁷⁾1,600 5,500

2004 3,700 ⁽⁸⁾1,600 5,300

n/a = not available
⁽²⁾ Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
⁽³⁾ Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
⁽⁴⁾ Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
⁽⁵⁾ Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years census data collection exercise and the Annual Schools' Census.
⁽⁶⁾ Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
⁽⁷⁾ Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census Supplementary data collection exercise and the Annual Schools' Census.
⁽⁸⁾ Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years census data collection exercise and the Annual Schools' Census.

Somerset local education authority area	Three-year-olds
Position in January each year	Maintained nursery and primary schools⁽²⁾	Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers⁽³⁾	Total number of three-year-olds
1997	470	0	470
1998	500	0	500
1999	480	0	480
2000	470	0	470
2001	500	220	720
2002	490	1,900	2,400
2003	430	3,000	3,500
2004	430	⁽⁵⁾3,700	4,100

Somerset local education authority area	Four-year-olds
Position in January each year:	Maintained nursery and primary schools ⁽⁴⁾	Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers	Total number of four-year-olds
1997	n/a	n/a	5,200
1998	n/a	n/a	5,700
1999	n/a	n/a	5,500
2000	n/a	n/a	5,900
2001	n/a	n/a	5,400
2002	3,900	⁽⁶⁾1,500	5,400
2003	4,000	⁽⁷⁾1,600	5,500
2004	3,700	⁽⁸⁾1,600	5,300

Final figures for 2004 on the 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.

Entry to Employment Programme

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the future of the Entry to Employment programme. [200398]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Since Entry to Employment (E2E) was first launched in 2003, over 60,000 young people have benefited from the programme. E2E is part of the Apprenticeship family giving a vocational ladder of learning from entry level to higher education.

E2E has an important place in the Foundation level of the14–19 agenda and it will continue to play a key role in the Government's commitment to social inclusion.

Local Partnerships involving Connexions and the local Learning and Skills Councils work together to ensure that E2E and other appropriate entry to level 1 programmes are available for young people.

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many places his Department estimated would be taken up by young people on the Entry to Employment programme in each academic year since the programme's establishment; and how many have been taken up. [200399]

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.

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding has been provided for the Entry to Employment programme in each year since its establishment; and what future levels of funding have been allocated. [200400]

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.

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Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list by Learning and Skills Council area the budgets allocated to fund e2e in (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05. [199522]

Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 29 November 2004]: 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.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which Learning and Skills Councils are commissioning European Social Fund bids to replace e2e shortfalls in England. [199523]

Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 29 November 2004]: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. Mark Haysom, the council's chief executive, will write to my hon. Friend with this information and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Education Maintenance Allowances

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students in Birmingham, Selly Oak constituency are receiving education maintenance allowances. [200584]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Since the start of the academic year, as of 25 November 2004, 8,448 young, people in the Birmingham area had received payments under the national EMA scheme. The number is increasing at a steady rate and we expect it to continue to do so. We are unable to provide numbers down to constituency level.

International Student Assessment Study

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which civil servants within his Department have direct responsibility for compiling evidence for submission to the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment 2003 study. [200276]

Mr. Miliband: The Department's contractor for PISA 2003, the Office for National Statistics, was responsible for running the study. None of the data collected in schools passed through the Department. The data went directly to the consortium, led by the Australian Centre for Educational Research, that undertakes PISA 2003 on behalf of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

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