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24 Jan 2005 : Column 70W—continued
Child Protection
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how much was spent on child protection schemes by her Department in each of the last five years, broken down by budget head; and what the forecast budgets are for the next financial year; [207313]
(2) how much was spent by her Department on child protection schemes in each of the last five years, broken down by budget head; and what the forecast budgets are for the next financial year. [207314]
Margaret Hodge:
Local authority gross expenditure on children's social services functions is set out in the following tables for the period 1998–99 to 2002–03, the last five years for which expenditure is available.
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| £000 | |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 2,465,267 |
| 1999–2000 | 2,806,802 |
| 2000–01 | 2,864,584 |
| 2001–02 | 3,119,358 |
| 2002–03 | 3,497,372 |
| £000 | |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | — |
| 1999–2000 | — |
| 2000–01 | 916,667 |
| 2001–02 | 1,154,162 |
| 2002–03 | 1,329,001 |
(21) Definition changed in 1999–2000 therefore spend before 2000–01 not comparable.
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | — |
| 1999–2000 | — |
| 2000–01 | 32 |
| 2001–02 | 37 |
| 2002–03 | 38 |
(22) Definition changed in 1999–2000 therefore spend before 2000–01 not comparable.
Expenditure will include those in need of protection. Data on Local Authority Personal Social Services expenditure are available at: http://www.publications.doh.gov.uk/public/pss_stat.htm
For 2005–06 the Government are making available £4,284 million for children's social services through formula spending and grants, an increase of 7.6 per cent. on 2004–05. Councils are free to decide how much of these resources to use on child protection services.
In addition, the DfES is responsible for section 64 grants for children's social services. The Secretary of State for Education and Skills, through the Safeguarding Children and Supporting Families Grants Scheme (section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 as amended), has power to make grants to voluntary organisations in England whose activities support the DfES's policy priorities for children's social care. Grants may be paid for up to three years.
The grants are discretionary and terms and conditions agreed by Ministers and HM Treasury apply. Competition for the available funds is always very strong, and priority is given to applications with innovative proposals of national significance that will complement statutory services and so help secure provision of high quality children's social care.
The DfES values its partnership with the voluntary and community sector across the whole of children's social care. Making effective use of Safeguarding Children and Supporting Families Grants and other powers at national and local level is central to this relationship.
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The total budget for the Safeguarding Children and Supporting Families Grants Scheme in 2005–06 is £4.2 million including existing grants. Of this, we expect approximately £1.67 million to be available for new grant awards in 2005–06.
Of the 127 applications received in the 2004–05 Round, Minister awarded 47 grants totalling £2.812 million.
Furthermore, the Local Authority Social Services Letter (2003)7 announced the introduction of the Safeguarding Children Specific Formula Grant of £90 million. It also announced a capital grant of £10 million to support the development of information technology systems for children's social services. The £10 million was the first tranche of a total grant of £30 million payable in 2004–05, 2005–06 and 2006–07.
Child Trafficking
Mr. Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many trafficked children have disappeared from local authority care between 1999 and 2004. [207018]
Margaret Hodge: This information is not held centrally. Current statistics on those children who are absent from their agreed placement may be found in Table J of the DfES Statistical Volume "Children looked after by Local Authorities Year Ending 31 March 2003". This can be downloaded from the internet at: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DBA/VOL/v000454/index.shtml and is also available from TSO (the Stationery Office).
This data do not differentiate between the different groups of looked after children.
Civil Service Property
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many items of civil service property within her Department are unaccounted for, broken down by type. [205575]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: The following tables detail the items of civil service property unaccounted for (reported as lost or stolen) from the Department for Education and Skills in each year since the Department was established on 11 June 2001.
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| Description | Number of items | Approximate value per item (£) | Total approximate value (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile phone | 4 | 102.50 | 410 |
| Headphone | 1 | 10 | 10 |
| Digital Camera | 1 | 200 | 200 |
| Total losses | — | — | 620 |
Connexions
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what representations she has received on changes to funding for the Connexions Service in Birmingham and Solihull; [206924]
(2) what assessment she has made of the change in funding formula to be applied to the Connexions Service and the likely impact that this will have in Birmingham and Solihull. [206941]
Margaret Hodge: Letters about the funding of Connexions in Birmingham and Solihull have been received from:
Richard Burden MP on behalf of Mike Bell, former Chief Executive of Connexions Birmingham and Solihull and Valerie Broom of UNISON;
John Taylor MP on behalf of Mike Bell, Simon Field, the Connexions Voluntary Sector Forum Coordinator for Birmingham and Solihull and Councillor Richards,
Dr. Ahmed Hassam on behalf of Mike Bell and the Chairs of the West Midlands Connexions Partnerships.
Ministers considered carefully the impact that the changes made to the funding formula in 2004 would
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have on the Connexions Service in all areas of the country. In 2004–05 we introduced a no cash loss guarantee to ensure that no Connexions Partnership received less in cash terms than it did in 2003–04, and in 2005–06 we will be ensuring that all Partnerships receive a minimum 2 per cent. increase in their core grant allocation. Connexions Birmingham and Solihull will in fact receive an increase of 4.28 per cent. in 2005–06.
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