House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 7 Apr 2005 (pt 9)

7 Apr 2005 : Column 1588W—continued

Pre-school Education

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many free (a) nursery and (b) pre-school places were available for (i) three and (ii) four-year-olds in Crosby in each of the last seven years. [223883]

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 Sefton Local Education Authority area and parliamentary constituencies within Sefton local education authority area since 1998 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⁽¹⁾ taken up by three and four-year-olds—Sefton Local Education Authority area: Position in January each year

3-year-olds
4-year-olds

Maintained nursery and primary schools⁽²⁾ Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 3-year-olds Maintained nursery and primary schools⁽³⁾ Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 4-year-olds

1998 2,000 n/a 2,000 n/a n/a ⁽⁴⁾3.300

1999 2,100 n/a 2,100 n/a n/a ⁽⁴⁾3,200

2000 2,100 ⁽⁵⁾290 2,400 n/a n/a ⁽⁴⁾3,100

2001 2,100 ⁽⁵⁾780 2,900 n/a n/a ⁽⁴⁾3,200

2002 1,800 ⁽⁵⁾940 2,800 2,900 ⁽⁴⁾350 3,200

2003 1,700 ⁽⁵⁾970 2,700 2,700 ⁽⁶⁾390 3,100

2004 1,800 ⁽⁷⁾970 2,700 2,500 ⁽⁸⁾400 2,900

⁽¹⁾ Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate.
⁽²⁾ Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
⁽³⁾ Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
⁽⁴⁾ Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
⁽⁵⁾ Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
⁽⁶⁾ 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.
⁽⁷⁾ 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.
⁽⁸⁾ 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.

Number of free nursery education places⁽⁹⁾ taken up by three and four-year-olds by parliamentary constituency—Sefton Local Education Authority: Position in January 2004

3-year-olds
4-year-olds

Parliamentary
constituency Maintained nursery and primary schools2 Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers3 Total 3-year-olds Maintained nursery and primary schools4 Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers5 Total 4-year-olds

Crosby 250 310 560 570 150 720

Sefton LEA total 1,800 970 2,700 2,500 400 2,900

⁽⁹⁾ Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate.
⁽¹⁰⁾ Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
⁽¹¹⁾ 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.
⁽¹²⁾ Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
⁽¹³⁾ 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.

7 Apr 2005 : Column 1589W

	3-year-olds	4-year-olds
	Maintained nursery and primary schools⁽²⁾	Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers	Total 3-year-olds	Maintained nursery and primary schools⁽³⁾	Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers	Total 4-year-olds
1998	2,000	n/a	2,000	n/a	n/a	⁽⁴⁾3.300
1999	2,100	n/a	2,100	n/a	n/a	⁽⁴⁾3,200
2000	2,100	⁽⁵⁾290	2,400	n/a	n/a	⁽⁴⁾3,100
2001	2,100	⁽⁵⁾780	2,900	n/a	n/a	⁽⁴⁾3,200
2002	1,800	⁽⁵⁾940	2,800	2,900	⁽⁴⁾350	3,200
2003	1,700	⁽⁵⁾970	2,700	2,700	⁽⁶⁾390	3,100
2004	1,800	⁽⁷⁾970	2,700	2,500	⁽⁸⁾400	2,900

	3-year-olds	4-year-olds
Parliamentary constituency	Maintained nursery and primary schools2	Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers3	Total 3-year-olds	Maintained nursery and primary schools4	Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers5	Total 4-year-olds
Crosby	250	310	560	570	150	720
Sefton LEA total	1,800	970	2,700	2,500	400	2,900

Changes in pupil figures may arise from changes to the underlying population in the local education authority area and other factors. However, my Department doesn't 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.

Private Children's Homes

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many private children's homes have been registered in each of the last five years. [210207]

Margaret Hodge [pursuant to the reply, 27 January 2005, Official Report, c. 506W]: It has come to my attention that the information provided by the Commission for Social Care Inspection for this answer was incorrect due to a clerical error. I am advised by the commission that the number of private children's homes registered in 2002/03, 2003/04 and 2004/05 (up to 19 January 2005) was 169, 276 and 187 respectively.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many private children's homes have been de-registered (a) due to voluntary closure and (b) under direction from her inspectors in each of the last five years. [210208]

Margaret Hodge [pursuant to the reply, 27 January 2005, Official Report, c. 506W]: It has come to my attention that some of the information provided by the Commission for Social Care Inspection for this answer was incorrect due to a clerical error. I am advised by the commission that the number of private children's homes de- registered in 2002/03 was 87.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many private children's homes have been registered to operate in each of the last eight years; and how many have closed during that time. [222069]

Margaret Hodge: Information provided by the Commission for Social Care Inspection, who took over the role of the National Care Standards Commission from 1 April 2004, on the number of registered and de-registered private children's homes for the last three years is shown in the following table.

Information is not available prior to 1 April 2002, the date when the National Care Standards Commission was created.

Private children's homes 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05⁽¹⁴⁾

Registered 169 276 199

De-registered⁽¹⁵⁾ 87 156 131

⁽¹⁴⁾ As at 7 March 2005
⁽¹⁵⁾ De-registrations occur for a number of reasons, including:
voluntary closure of a home
enforced closure resulting from regulatory action
change of ownership
change in the category of service provided.

7 Apr 2005 : Column 1590W

Private children's homes	2002/03	2003/04	2004/05⁽¹⁴⁾
Registered	169	276	199
De-registered⁽¹⁵⁾	87	156	131

School Discipline

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what advice she gives to teachers regarding the extent to which teachers can raise their voice when disciplining a pupil; and if she will make a statement. [224658]

Derek Twigg: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

School Funding

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding has been spent on repairing schools in Coventry in each year since 1997. [224793]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.

School Kitchens

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school kitchens have been (a) closed and (b) converted to other uses since May 1997; and whether the new resources announced on 30 March for improving school meals includes funding available to re-open closed kitchens. [224713]

Derek Twigg: Information on the closure or conversion of school kitchens should be held locally; and we do not collect it centrally. The £280 million announced on 30 March is revenue funding to transform the quality of school meals in England and set up the new School Food Trust. We have already announced substantial capital investment most of which can be used to improve kitchen and dining facilities of English schools.
£ million

Financial year Schools capital investment

2005–06 5,515

2006–07 5,770

2007–08 6,280

Financial year	Schools capital investment
2005–06	5,515
2006–07	5,770
2007–08	6,280

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