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26 Jan 2005 : Column 363W—continued
Freedom of Information
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what categories of information are available under Freedom of Information legislation that have not been provided in written parliamentary answers by her Department in the last three years. [207828]
Derek Twigg The Freedom of Information Act" does not make specific categories of information available, but operates on the presumption that all information held by public authorities should be available, subject to the 24 exemptions of the Act.
Whether or not information is exempt under the Act requires the exercise of judgement in each case. The majority of the exemptions also require that the public interest in releasing the information should be weighed against the public interest in withholding it. If the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in withholding it the information must be disclosed. The assessment of the public interest has to be made in all the circumstances of the case, on a case by case basis as far as each request is concerned. Therefore it is not possible to provide the information requested.
Higher Education
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of pupils went on to higher education from (a) maintained school sixth forms, (b) sixth form colleges, (c) further education colleges and (d) special schools in the last year for which figures are available. [210190]
Dr. Howells: Information is not available on the numbers of pupils from different establishment types who went on to higher education. However, the Youth Cohort Study, which tracks a sample of young people from the year after they have finished compulsory education until the age of 19, can provide estimates of percentages from certain establishment types.
Of the cohort of students who took their GCSEs in 1999, the proportion from each establishment type who were in higher education in either spring 2002 or spring 2003 were as follows:
| Establishment | Percentage |
|---|---|
| School sixth forms | 59 |
| Sixth form Colleges | 59 |
| Further education colleges | 32 |
Information is not available on those from special schools.
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Non-resident Parents
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidelines have been issued on how much time a non-resident parent should have with their children. [210229]
Margaret Hodge: The Government do not provide guidelines specifying how much time non-resident parents should have with their children. The Government believe that children benefit from a meaningful relationship with both parents following divorce or separation, where it is safe to do so. The Children Act 1989 supports this and, most importantly, it makes the welfare of the child concerned, rather than the rights of the parents, its paramount consideration.
In 2002 the Government published the Parenting Plans which contained a checklist of issues for parents to consider in making contact arrangements. We are currently developing a new edition of the Plans. The new Parenting Plans will contain a set of templates which seek to show parents the sort of contact arrangements that work well for children of different ages and who are living in a range of circumstances. They will describe, in practical terms, arrangements that are generally beneficial for children. They are intended to be used as practical aids, both by parents themselves and by solicitors, conciliators and mediators, to help parents to reach reasonable agreements. These will be made widely in solicitors' offices as well as through advice and mediation services.
NotSchool Project
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many participants there are in the NotSchool project; and how many are entered for formal accreditation. [210181]
Dr. Howells: There are currently 553 participants (researchers") in the NotSchool.net project of statutory school age, and an additional 18 at post-16.
Last academic year (2003–4) 98 per cent. of researchers achieved a formal accreditation, and current indications suggest a similar figure will be reached this academic year.
Parking Spaces
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many car parking spaces are provided for those (a) working in and (b) visiting her Department. [208928]
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Derek Twigg: My Department provides 660 car parking spaces at it's four Headquarter sites. The breakdown is as follows:
| Site | Staff (includes spaces for disabled) | Visitors |
|---|---|---|
| Darlington | 265 | 9 |
| Sheffield | 176 | 24 |
| Runcorn | 143 | 6 |
London has 37 car parking spaces and apart from spaces allocated for disabled staff the remainder are assigned to both staff/visitors according to availability.
Post-16 Education
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils were in post-16 education in each (a) local education authority and (b) learning and skills council area in the most recent period for which data are available; and what the participation rates were in each area in that period. [210183]
Dr. Howells: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of children migrated (a) into and (b) out of each (i) local education authority and (ii) learning and skills council area to attend a 16–19 education establishment in the last period for which figures are available. [210184]
Dr. Howells: 16 to 19-year-olds attend a range of establishments—schools, FE colleges, work-based learning providers. There is some harmonisation of the data collected—which allows the Department to report on participation rates. However, that harmonisation does not stretch to analyses about learners migrating into and out of LEA and LSC areas.
As the information regarding 16 to 19-year-olds who attend maintained secondary schools with sixth forms is contained in a number of large tables, I have placed the tables in the House of Commons Library.
Additionally, it is possible to analyse LSC funded Further Education by migration across boundaries.
This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. I have therefore asked Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, to write to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested and to place a copy of his reply in the Library.
Post-graduate Certificate
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of applicants for Post-Graduate Certificate in Education courses in (a) primary and (b) secondary teaching obtained either a first or an upper second class honours degree in the latest period for which figures are available. [209791]
Dr. Howells
[holding answer 20 January 2005]: The available information is taken from the Higher
26 Jan 2005 : Column 366W
Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record and is given in the table.
(39) Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December 2003.
(40) Percentages are based upon those of known first degree classification. Those students with unknown degree classification and those students who do not hold a UK undergraduate degree are excluded.
(41) Includes those studying to teach Foundation stage and Key Stage 1 (KS1) (ages 3–8)", KS1 and KS2 (ages 3–11)" and KS1 and KS2 (ages 5–11)".
(42) Includes those studying to teach KS2 and KS3 (ages 7–14)", KS3 and KS4 (ages 11–16)", KS3, KS4 and post-16 (ages 11–18)" and KS4 and post-16 (ages 14–19)".
(43) Includes students on courses not leading to qualified teacher status.
Source:
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)
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