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22 Feb 2005 : Column 526W—continued

Staff Surveys

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how much was paid to consultants carrying out staff surveys in the Department in each year since 1997; [213662]

(2) what the cost of staff surveys in the Department was in each year since 1997. [213685]

Mr. Miliband: The Cabinet Office and its agencies carry out regular Staff Surveys as part of good management practice in developing people to deliver more efficient and better quality services. Staff Surveys are usually carried out by external consultants.

Consultant costs are set out in the table.
 
22 Feb 2005 : Column 527W
 

Consultant costs of staff surveys in the department from 1997

£
Year of staff survey	Cabinet Office	Central Office of Information	Government Car and Despatch Agency
1997	—	*	*
1998	—	—	—
1999	29,963	*	—
2000	26,554	—	—
2001	—	25,350	—
2002	27,833	25,873	—
2003	—	—	—
2004	35,973	32,900	—

Notes:
1. Survey not carried out in that year.
2. Fees inclusive of VAT.
3. A Staff Survey was developed, carried out and analysed internally. No external costs were incurred.

Stationery

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Department spent on (a) stationery and (b) office supplies in each year since 1997. [213850]

Mr. Miliband: Detail of the Department's spend on stationery in each year since 1997 are shown in the table.

	Stationery expenditure (£000)
1997–98	392
1998–99	565
1999–2000	823
2000–01	756
2001–02	610
2002–03	712
2003–04	637

The cost of office supplies is not separately identifiable on the Department's Accounting System.

Swan Hunter

Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on his recent visit to Swan Hunter shipyard. [215820]

Mr. Miliband: My visit to the Swan Hunter ship yard was in my capacity as constituency MP for South Shields and not as Minister for the Cabinet Office.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Adoption

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children were adopted in the United Kingdom in each of the last three years. [209410]

Margaret Hodge: The tables show the number of adoptions in the UK for the last four calendar years for which numbers are available, and the number of looked after children adoptions in England for the last five years ending 31 March.
Number

Calendar year ending	2000	2001	2002	2003
United Kingdom	5,503	6,588	6,240	5,429
England	4,671	5,657	5,265	4,479
Wales	269	324	416	342
Scotland	391	468	385	468
Northern Ireland	172	139	174	140

Source:
Office for National Statistics





 
22 Feb 2005 : Column 528W
 

Adoptions of looked after children in the year ending 31 March⁽³⁶⁾

England	Number
2000	2700
2001	3100
2002	3400
2003	3500
2003	3700

⁽³⁶⁾ Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.
Source:
DfES

While the total number of children adopted in England has fallen between the calendar years 2001 and 2003, the number of looked after children adopted in England has increased by 37 per cent. between the years ending 31 March 2000 and 2004.

Children Act

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment the Government have made of the impact of the Children Act 2004 on the costs of local authorities. [216268]

Margaret Hodge: Details of the costs associated with the Children Act 2004 are set out in the regulatory impact assessment which is available on the Department's website. The resources which the Government will be providing to support the reforms introduced by Children Act 2004 are set out in Every Child Matters: Change for Children (paragraphs 4.16–4.25), a copy of which is in the Library.

Class Sizes

Mr. Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made in reducing infant class sizes for five, six and seven-year-olds in Leicestershire since 1997. [216932]

Derek Twigg: The age of individual pupils in classes is not collected centrally. The available information is shown in the table.
 
22 Feb 2005 : Column 529W
 

Maintained primary schools⁽³⁷⁾: number of pupils in key stage 1 classes of 31 or more pupils taught by one teacher1997 to 2004 Position in January each year
Leicestershire local education authority

		Number of pupils in classes of 31 or more
	Total pupils in all classes	Number of pupils	Percentage of pupils(38)
1997(39)	30,324	7,098	23.4
1998	20,311	4,407	21.7
1999	19,696	3,497	17.8
2000	19,977	2,464	12.3
2001	20,560	1,033	5.0
2002	20,112	280	1.4
2003(40)	18,077	436	2.4
2004(40)	17,720	818	4.6

⁽³⁷⁾Includes middle schools as deemed.
⁽³⁸⁾Percentage of pupils in those classes expressed as a percentage of pupils in all classes taught by one teacher.
⁽³⁹⁾Before local Government reorganisation.
⁽⁴⁰⁾From 2003 reception classes were returned alongside nursery classes as foundation stage for the first time. Therefore, reception classes have been included in the key stage 1 figures to produce a coverage as close as possible to that available for previous years.
Source:
Annual Schools' Census

Congestion Charge

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much has been spent on congestion (a) charges and (b) penalty charge notices by the Department since the commencement of the congestion charging scheme. [213821]

Derek Twigg: Since the commencement of the congestion charging scheme the Department has spent,

(a) £5,300 on registering two official vans;

(b) £368 in respect of one penalty charge for an official vehicle.

Departmental employees incurring congestion charges while on official business claim these on an individual basis. Information regarding this expenditure
 
22 Feb 2005 : Column 530W
 
is not held centrally. Such information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. It is departmental policy that penalty charges are not reimbursed to individuals.

Correspondence

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will reply to the letter dated 5 March 2004 sent to her predecessor by the hon. Member for Brent, East regarding Mr. Christopher McMahon. [215628]

Derek Twigg: My right hon. Friend the then Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education replied to the hon. Member's letter dated 5 March on 30 March.

Early Years Education

Ms Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many free nursery and pre-reception class places have been created for three, four and five-year-olds in the constituency of Stockton, South since 1997. [215305]

Margaret Hodge: All four-year-olds in England have been entitled to a free part-time early education place since September 1998. All three-year-olds in England have been entitled to a free part-time early education place since April 2004.

The available information on the numbers of free part-time early education places taken up by three and four-year-olds in Stockton-on-Tees local education authority area and parliamentary constituencies within Stockton-on-Tees local education authority area since 1997 is shown in the tables.

The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 39/2004 Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2004 (final)", which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.
Number of free nursery education places⁽⁴¹⁾taken up 3 and 4-year-olds—Stockton local education authority area Position in January each year

	3-year-olds			4-year-olds
	Maintained nursery and primary schools(42)	Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers	Total 3-year-olds	Maintained nursery and primary schools(43)	Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers	Total 4-year-olds
1997	2,400	n/a	2,400	n/a	n/a	(44)2,500
1998	2,200	n/a	2,200	n/a	n/a	(44)2,400
1999	2,000	n/a	2,000	n/a	n/a	(44)2,200
2000	1,900	(45)70	2,000	n/a	n/a	(44)2,200
2001	1,800	(45)100	1,900	n/a	n/a	(44)2,300
2002	1,700	(45)220	1,900	2,100	(44)90	2,200
2003	1,600	(45)110	1,700	2,100	(46)120	2,200
2004	1,600	(45)220	1,800	2,100	(48)140	2,200

n/a = Not available.
⁽⁴¹⁾Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate.
⁽⁴²⁾Headcount of children aged three at 31st December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
⁽⁴³⁾Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
⁽⁴⁴⁾Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
⁽⁴⁵⁾Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
⁽⁴⁶⁾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.
⁽⁴⁷⁾Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.
⁽⁴⁸⁾Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.



 
22 Feb 2005 : Column 531W
 

Number of free nursery education places⁽⁴⁹⁾taken up 3 and 4-year-olds by parliamentary constituencyStockton local education authority area Position in January 2004

	3-year-olds			4-year-olds
	Maintained nursery and primary schools(50)	Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers(51)	Total 3-year-olds	Maintained nursery and primary schools(52)	Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers(53)	Total 4-year-olds
Stockton North	760	70	830	940	60	1,000
Stockton South	860	150	1,000	1,100	80	1,200
Stockton LEA Total	1,600	220	1,800	2,100	140	2,200

⁽⁴⁹⁾Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate.
⁽⁵⁰⁾Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
⁽⁵¹⁾Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.
⁽⁵²⁾Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
⁽⁵³⁾Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.

Changes in pupil figures may arise from changes to the underlying population in the local education authority area and other factors. However, my Department does not publish population figures for individual age cohorts at sub-national level because of the unreliability of the underlying population estimates. The Office for National Statistics publish sub-national population estimates in five-year age bands.

Mr. Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many free early years education places were taken up in Bedford and Kempston in (a) 1997 and (b) 2004. [207222]

 
22 Feb 2005 : Column 532W
 

Margaret Hodge: All four year olds in England have been entitled to a free part-time early education place since September 1998. All three-year-olds in England have been entitled to a free part-time early education place since April 2004.

The available information on the numbers of free part-time early education places taken up by three and four year olds in Bedford parliamentary constituency and Bedfordshire local education authority area is shown in the tables. Information for private and voluntary providers is available for Bedfordshire but not for Bedford constituency.
Number of free nursery education places⁽⁵⁴⁾taken up by 3and 4year olds Bedfordshire local education authority area 1997 and 2004 Position in January each year

	3-year-olds			4-year-olds
	Maintained nursery and primary schools(55)	Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers	Total	Maintained nursery and primary schools(57)	Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers	Total
1997	1,300	0	1,300	n/a	n/a	(59)4,700
2004	1,250	(56)2,510	3,760	4,020	(58)770	4,790

n/a = Not available.
1Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 places.
2Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools Census.
3Part-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.
4Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools Census.
⁽⁵⁴⁾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.
⁽⁵⁵⁾Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.



Number of free nursery education places^{(56)(5507400057)}taken up by three and 4-year-olds in maintained nursery and primary schools, Bedford parliamentary constituency area 1997 and 2004 Position in January each year

	3-year-olds				4-year olds
	Maintained nursery schools	Maintained primary schools		Total	Maintained nursery schools	Maintained primary schools		Total
1997	150	190	0	340	100	130	700	910
2004	100	250	0	340	50	130	640	820

⁽⁵⁶⁾Headcount of children aged three and four at 31 December in the previous calendar year.
2Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 places.
3Includes reception classes and classes not designated as nursery classes.
Source: Annual Schools Census.




 
22 Feb 2005 : Column 533W
 

Changes in pupil figures may arise from changes to the underlying population in the local education authority area and other factors. However, my Department does not publish population figures for individual age cohorts at sub-national level because of the unreliability of the underlying population estimates. The Office for National Statistics publish sub-national population estimates in five-year age bands.

The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 39/2004 Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2004 (final)", which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.

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