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6 Jun 2005 : Column 329W—continued
Anti-Litter Campaigns
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action she is taking to promote anti-litter campaigns in schools. [1472]
Jacqui Smith: Anti-litter campaigns are supported by guidance for primary schools relating to the curriculum. For example, geography guidance encourages schools to promote anti-litter activities. Through citizenship lessons pupils learn about what improves and harms their local environments and the ways in which they can play their part in looking after them. Such lessons contribute to pupils' understanding of the consequences of dropping litter.
Anti-Semitism
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will conduct an assessment of levels of anti-semitism in English universities. [2020]
Bill Rammell:
Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and are responsible for the management of their own affairs. Their governing bodies have a duty to ensure that non-discriminatory practices are followed, in accordance with current equality legislation. The universities' representative body, Universities UK, has asked the Equality Challenge Unit
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(sponsored by the HE Funding Councils, Universities UK, and the Standing Conference of Principals) to look at the issue of extremism and intolerance on campus with a view to updating guidance to universities. I welcome this. It would be for Universities UK to monitor levels of discrimination against all minority groups and to consider whether any assessments should be carried out across the sector.
Building Schools for the Future
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the progress of each successful bid in the Building Schools for the Future initiative. [752]
Jacqui Smith: Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is the strategic programme of capital investment, currently worth over £2 billion a year, through which we are transforming our nation's secondary school estate. More than a quarter of local authorities are now part of this ambitious programme, and the following are some headlines on the progress of current BSF projects.
Of our 17 Wave 1/Pathfinder projects; 16 Education Visions have been signed off, 11 Business Cases have been approved (the remainder are due to be approved by September 2005). eight projects have gone out to
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market, three of which have issued their short list of preferred bidders. Local Education Partnerships (LEPs) will be set up between March 2006 and March 2007. The
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first school will be open by the beginning of 2007. The following table shows the progress each Wave 1/Pathfinder project has made:
Our Wave 2 authorities are engaged in regular project team meetings. The first Education Visions are expected this month. The first business cases are due to be submitted in September.
Initial meetings have been held between most Wave 3 authorities and the DfES, PfS and 4ps. Education Visions are due to be signed-off in January/February 2006.
All local authorities will benefit from the renewal of their secondary school estates through Building Schools for the Future. Broad indications of where they are currently prioritised for investment can be found at www.bsf.gov.uk/documents (Select 'Local Authority Project by Wave').
City Academies
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of lessons in city academy schools are setted. [1030]
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Jacqui Smith: We do not collect this information centrally. Academies are free to decide whether or not to set classes.
Consultants
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which consultants were employed by her Department in each of the last three years. [932]
Maria Eagle: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will respond to the letter of 15 April from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire. [2051]
Jacqui Smith: My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Schools, The Lord Adonis, replied to the hon. Member's letter of 15 April on 27 May.
Education
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many applications for places in Hammersmith and Fulham schools were turned down in 2004–05. [856]
Jacqui Smith: The Department does not collect this information. The administration of school admissions and the collection of data relating to applications is the responsibility of individual admission authorities.
However, with the introduction of mandatory co-ordinated admission arrangements for secondary intakes for 2005/06 and primary intakes for 2006/07, local authorities should have more easily accessible information on how well parental preferences have been met for all maintained schools in their area.
Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures she is taking to increase secondary school provision in Hertfordshire to take account of the increasing population. [1121]
Jacqui Smith: It is the responsibility of each local education authority to plan school provision in its area taking account of changes in local population.
The Department provides capital support for local authorities and schools to invest in school infrastructure, including for the provision of new pupil places. Hertfordshire has received £48.8 million specifically for new pupil places since 1997 and will receive a further £18.3 million over the next three years. The Department now allocates much of its capital resources to local authorities and schools by needs-related formulae, as they can best decide how to target their highest priority needs, in accordance with their asset management planning processes.
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Local authorities can also use other resources such as negotiated contributions from developers for new school provision, under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as substituted by the Planning and Compensation Act 1991).
Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will take measures to provideall children in Hertfordshire with fully funded access to music classes at primary and secondary school levels. [1127]
Jacqui Smith: The National Curriculum provides all children aged 5–14 with a statutory entitlement to music lessons, giving them the opportunity to sing, to play musical instruments, to hear live and recorded music from a range of traditions and styles, to compose and to perform. Music can then be taken as an option at GCSE.
In 1999 we established a Music Standards Fund of £59 million per year for additional musical activities outside the classroom. Activities funded include instrumental and vocal tuition, festivals and ensembles, instrument loan schemes and remissions policies.
In 2000 we further pledged that, over time, all primary school pupils who want to should have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. We have now piloted a Key Stage 2 instrumental programme in 12 areas, including Hertfordshire. For 2005/06, Hertfordshire received £782,448 through the Music Standards Fund.
Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will take measures to ensure that all primary and secondary schools in Hertfordshire have music teachers; and if she will make a statement. [1128]
Jacqui Smith: Quality music provision depends on having a strong and diverse workforce with a wide variety of skills and experience. Through the Music Manifesto and our ambitious Wider Opportunities programme for primary pupils, we are encouraging classroom teachers to work in partnership with other music leaders and teachers from Local Education Authority Music Services, music institutions such as local orchestras and opera companies and the community music sector.
From September 2000, £6,000 training bursaries are being paid to eligible students on secondary Postgraduate Certificate in Education courses in music. Between January 2002 and January 2005 we have seen a 38 per cent. decrease in the number of vacant music teacher posts nationally. Figures on the number of vacant music teacher posts in Hertfordshire are not collected centrally.
Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will take measures to ensure that Hertfordshire's secondary schools retain sixth forms; and if she will make a statement. [1129]
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Jacqui Smith: The organisation of education and training provision for 16–19 year olds in an area is a matter for local stakeholders, primarily the local Learning and Skills Council and the Local Authority. The LSC informs me that, following consultation on its Strategic Area Review options for Hertfordshire, it has no plans to close school sixth forms in the Broxbourne area. The Department's five year strategy announced measures to increase choice and diversity in 16–19 provision. We are currently developing guidance for stakeholders on this with a view to issuing it in the coming months.
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