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7 Apr 2005 : Column 1590W—continued
School Meals
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the £280 million pledged by the Government to improve school meals is new money in addition to funds already allocated to local education authorities. [224899]
Derek Twigg: The money to improve school meals has come from the Department's reserve. It is therefore new money over and above existing allocations to local education authorities.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to assist schools which do not provide hot dinners to do so; and if she will make a statement. [224907]
Derek Twigg:
On 30 March, the Secretary of State announced that schools would receive additional funding to help them transform the quality of school meals. Over the next three years, all maintained schools in England will receive a share of the 220m set aside to
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help local education authorities and schools strengthen their support for healthy eating and to provide better quality food.
An expert panel has been convened to recommend revisions to current minimum school lunch nutritional standards. The panel has been asked to strongly consider the use of nutrient-based standards, whether any individual foodstuffs should be banned and the benefits of hot school lunches.
In addition, DfES officials are considering the work that would need to be done to reintroduce hot meals into all schools. This is a complex issue and we will need to work with schools, local education authorities and others to ensure that an appropriate
long-term strategy is developed.
School Uniforms (Vouchers)
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action the Department is proposing in connection with the use of clothing vouchers for social security recipient purchasers of school uniforms. [224901]
Derek Twigg: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Students
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures she takes to ensure that students are treated without discrimination; and if she will make a statement. [224952]
Dr. Howells: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations she has received concerning (a) the compliance of student unions at UK universities with Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 and (b) direct intervention by university authorities in the affairs of student unions. [224929]
Dr. Howells: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Sure Start
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what Sure Start activities are undertaken in Crosby constituency. [218866]
Margaret Hodge: The Sure Start local programme in Seaforth and Bootle was approved in 2001 to provide services to 700 children under four and their families in the wards of Church and Linacre. The Neighbourhood Nursery attached to this local programme, is located in the Linacre ward and opened in June 2004 delivering 62 additional child care places to families living in the area.
The local programme delivers a range of services for families and parents within the area, including
The combined expertise within the team members covers all aspect of health, education, parenting skills, practical and emotional support and social care from ante-natal stage to nursery education.
Seaforth and Bootle local programme has established a mobile toy library and the early years workers provide practical support around early learning and play.
The proportion of parents expressing no concerns about the extent of their children's language development increased from 77 per cent. in 2001–02 to 79 per cent. in 2003–04.
The community midwife provides breast feeding support sessions at birth, six weeks and 17 weeks. The rate of take up of these sessions has gone up from 34.4 per cent. in 2002–03 to 37.9 per cent. in 2003–04 at birth; 8 per cent. to 13.9 per cent. at six weeks and 4 per cent. to 8.6 per cent. at 17 weeks.
The number of women supported by post-natal depression group increased from 13 in 2002–03 to 30 women in 2003–04.
The programme funding for the current and future years is as follows:
| Programme name: Seaforth and Bootle (£) | |
|---|---|
| Capital | |
| Approved | 825,211 |
| Revenue | |
| 2004–05 | 770,140 |
| 2005–06 | 789,393 |
| 2006–07 | 789,393 |
Sefton council have been allocated capital of £1,954,031 and revenue of £250,000 for 2004–05 and £323,432 for 2005–06, and are planning to open seven Children's centre by March 2006.
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many parents and children in York have been supported by the Sure Start programme in Clifton and Westfield. [224649]
Margaret Hodge: The York Sure Start local programme serves 355 families with a total of 598 children under the age of four. 679 parents are currently registered with the programme and an average of 166 children are seen every month, 16 per cent. of whom are accessing services for the first time.
To date the programme has had access to £1,075,000 in capital funding and £1,383,860 in revenue funding and can expect a further £1,171,420 in revenue funding over the next two years (2005–06 to 2006–07). Services delivered include outreach visiting, high quality play experiences for children and parents, breast feeding and smoking reduction support, family learning and employment opportunities, and access to child care and early education. The programme is also working in partnership with the local authority's early years team and The Gatsby Foundation to explore ways of ensuring that children are supported in their development of speech and language.
Two new integrated children's centres are currently being developed at Hob Moor school and Clifton Green school. These will further extend Sure Start services to
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families with children under five living in the programme's catchment area. The local authority has also received £1,330,718 of revenue and £1,689,450 of capital funding to create eight further children's centres between 2006 and 2008.
Teachers (Life Expectancy)
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on her Department's estimate of the life expectancy of teachers. [224851]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: An individuals total life expectancy is defined as their current age plus their life expectancy from the current age. For a group of individuals of the same age, total life expectancy increases with age attained because those dying at earlier ages are excluded from the group. Thus, an individual's life expectancy at birth is very different to their total life expectancy at later ages.
As part of the demographic assumptions associated with the periodic valuations of the Teachers' Pension Scheme, the Government Actuary takes into account the life expectancy of teachers following their retirement. In the latest valuation report at 31 March 2001 the assumed life expectancy of teachers in normal health at age 60 was 26 years for men and 29 years for women. At age 65, assumed life expectancy would be about five years less than at age 60. The Government Actuary will be taking account of any subsequent improvements in life expectancy as part of the current valuation of the scheme.
Teachers' Pensions
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the treatment of additional voluntary contributions within the proposed changes to teachers' pensions. [224852]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: We are committed to the continued provision of arrangements within the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) that would enable teachers to pay additional contributions for a higher level of pension benefits. We are looking at how the TPS could provide new opportunities for paying additional contributions that are flexible, appropriate for a public service pension scheme and provide teachers with increased choice and options. We are also considering what increased flexibilities could be introduced into the existing in-house additional voluntary contribution (AVC) arrangements to take advantage of the new tax regime from April 2006.
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