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Children's Commissioner
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what role the Children's Commissioner for England will play in improving children's health services; and what information sources will be available to the Commissioner to assess children's health services. [223559]
Margaret Hodge: The Children's Commissioner's remit is as set out in the Children Act 2004. He will promote awareness of the views and interests of children and young people; working as an independent champion, with a strategic role which gives him wide scope and influence in advancing their interests. As part of this function, he may choose to consider or research any matter, relating to the interests of children, including the improvement of children's health services. He also has an inquiry function which means that when he considers that the case of an individual child raises questions of relevance to children generally, he may hold an inquiry into that case.
He is independent of Government and if he chooses to deal with health services, it will be up to him how he exercises this duty and what arrangements he will make. As in all his work, whether the Commissioner holds an inquiry or considers an issue, he will exercise impartiality at all times.
The Government look forward to supporting the Children's Commissioner whenever they can to aid him in his work. We will make available to him any information that we are permitted to, in order to help him discharge his functions. This will include anything related to health services.
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Computer Learning (Crosby)
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Capital Modernisation Fund computer-learning centres have been established in Crosby. [223944]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: This information has been supplied by Ufl who took over responsibility for administration and development of Capital Modernisation Fund (CMF) funded UK online centres in April 2003.
There are two UK online centres in Crosby and third on the border between Waterloo and Crosby. See details as follows:
Construction Industry (Training)
Mr. Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people were undergoing training in the construction industry in each year from 1975 to 2004. [223896]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: This information cannot be provided as the cost of gathering the information is disproportionate. However if the hon. Member wishes to write to me I may be able to provide information about specific types of training over some or all of the period in question.
Correspondence
Sir George Young: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for North-West Hampshire of 9 February, on an alleged breach of the Civil Service Code. [224095]
Mr. Stephen Twigg
[holding answer 4 April 2005]: A reply was sent to the right hon. Member on 31 March.
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Deregulation
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many EU (a) regulations and (b) directives covering matters within the responsibility of her Department have been repealed since 1 April 2004. [224574]
Derek Twigg: No EU regulations or directives covering matters within the responsibility of the Department for Education and Skills have been repealed since 1 April 2004.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many regulations have been repealed by her Department since 1 April 2004. [224575]
Derek Twigg: 15 regulations have been repealed by the Department for Education and Skills since 1 April 2004.
Disabled Students
Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps her Department is taking to support access to mainstream inclusive education for disabled people. [224540]
Margaret Hodge: The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 amended the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to cover the provision of education. The 2001 Act required local authorities (LAs) and schools not to discriminate against disabled people in their access to education for reasons relating to their disability. It also required LAs and schools to plan to increase progressively, and over time, access to schools by disabled pupils and prospective pupils.
The Government's SEN Strategy: Removing Barriers to achievement" is providing support to help schools and LAs implement these duties through the development of guidance and practical tools. These tools explain how they can make reasonable adjustments to their policies and practice to prevent discrimination, and how they can review and revise their accessibility strategies and plans.
The Department is also making available £300 million through the Schools Access Initiative between 1 April 2003 and 31 March 2006 to cover the first accessibility planning period. This funding is intended to support projects to improve the accessibility of mainstream schools to disabled pupils. It is for LAs to decide the schools at which projects are to be undertaken. We are encouraging schools and LAs to consider access as part of all capital building plans, including through the Building Schools for the Future programme and the recently announced 15 year capital investment programme for Primary Schools.
Education Business Links
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much Learning and Skills Council funding is planned for education business links for 2005–06; and how much was made available in 2004–05. [223666]
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Mr. Stephen Twigg: Learning and Skills Council (LSC) funding to support education business links activities is a matter for the LSC. Mark Haysom, the LSC's chief executive, will write to my hon. Friend, and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.
Families (Grants)
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what grants have been made in the 2005–06 financial year under the Safeguarding Children and Supporting Families grants; to which organisations; and if she will list unsuccessful applications. [222322]
Margaret Hodge: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.
Food Provision
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether her Department issues general guidance and advice to local authorities in respect of (a) meals on wheels and (b) other public provision of food. [223953]
Dr. Ladyman: I have been asked to reply.
The Department does not issue guidance or general advice to local authorities in respect of meals on wheels. This is a matter for local decision and commissioning, taking into account local circumstances and demography.
The Department has just launched the food in schools toolkit to provide guidance and support for schools and those working with schools, including local education authorities (LEAs), in implementing a 'whole school approach' to healthy eating and drinking. In addition, the Department issues guidance to LEA maintained schools on implementing the school fruit and vegetable scheme. Funding for the scheme for 2005–06 is £46 million.
The welfare food scheme (WFS) currently provides tokens for either seven pints of liquid cow's milk or 900grams of infant formula per week to pregnant women and children under five years old in families on qualifying benefits. Healthy Start" will replace the existing WFS and will be phased in from summer 2005. We expect that Healthy Start" expenditure should continue at a similar level to the WFS. The budget is demand-led and current welfare food expenditure is approximately £140 million per annum.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will extend nutrition education and training in food preparation and cooking units to all sector skills councils. [224013]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
Improve, the sector skills council for the food and drink industry have responsibility for thenational occupational standards related to food preparation. Sector skills councils will address skills issues in the food and cooking industry where this is relevant to their sector. A number of sector skills councils with interests in food and drink manufacture, the crop industry, storage, retail, food preparation, hospitality and other related areas are already working together and have formed the Food Chain Group to address areas of common interest and to share good practice.
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