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Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the impact of growing up in poverty on a child's (a) social, (b) educational and (c) personal development; and if she will make a statement. [12043]
Beverley Hughes:
The Government assessment of the impact of child poverty is set out in the Child Poverty Review which was published alongside the 2004
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Spending Review. The Child Poverty Review shows that poverty can affect children's lives through the effects of living in poor housing and eating less nutritious food, and the higher risks of accidents, ill health and problems with school work. Poverty can exclude children from the everyday activities of their peers and limit their opportunities to play safely. Poverty in childhood can prevent children from fulfilling their potential by leading to poorer educational attainment and higher chances of poverty and social exclusion in adult life.
Child poverty more than doubled between the mid 1970s and the mid 1990s in the UK and we had the highest rate in Europe. The Government are committed to halving child poverty by 2010 and eradicating it by 2020. We have already seen some success. By 200304 there were over half a million fewer children in relative low income households compared to 199899. The Department is working with partners within and beyond Government to meet the Government's target of eradicating child poverty.
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the budget for the Dance and Drama Awards scholarships funded by the Learning and Skills Council is in 200506. [10094]
Bill Rammell: The Dance and Drama Awards scholarship budget for 200506 is £10,330,000. The Dance and Drama Award provides a non-means tested contribution towards fees which is paid directly to the school by the Learning Skills Council (LSC).
Students in receipt of a Dance and Drama award can also apply for means tested 'fees and maintenance' support, where the amount of support that a student receives is dependent on their household income. Students from England, Scotland and Wales apply to Manchester LEA (who operate the means tested element of the programme on behalf of the LSC, the Scottish Executive and the National Assembly for Wales).
In April 2005, responsibility for the management of the Dance and Drama Award programme passed from the DfES to the LSC.
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the budget is in 200506 for the Dance and Drama Fees and Maintenance Fund. [10720]
Bill Rammell: The budget for the Dance and Drama Fees and Maintenance Fund for students from England in 200506 is £3,070,000. The National Assembly for Wales holds the budget and is responsible for the student support costs for Welsh students and the Scottish Executive holds the budget and is responsible for the student support costs of Scottish students. Students from England, Scotland and Wales apply to Manchester LEA (who operate the means tested element of the programme on behalf of the Learning Skills Council (LSC), the Scottish Executive and the National Assembly for Wales).
In April 2005, responsibility for the management of the Dance and Drama Award programme passed from the DfES to the LSC.
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Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent discussions she has had with examination boards about the criteria used to decide whether dyslexic students are allowed extra time during examinations. [13358]
Maria Eagle: The Secretary of State has had no recent discussions with awarding bodies about access arrangements or adjustments in examinations.
Any decision on the criteria to be used in determining extra time for examinations is a matter for the awarding bodies.
The Regulators (QCA, ACCAC and CEA) produce a code of practice requiring awarding bodies to ensure that there are no unnecessary barriers to assessment which prevent candidates from effectively demonstrating their attainment. The code specifies that access arrangements must include additional time except in those instances where performing a task in limited time is an assessment objective.
The code also requires the awarding bodies to publish details of special arrangements. The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), on behalf of the awarding bodies, publishes these details every year. Their current guidance (1 September 2004 to 31 August 2005) is published in the document 'Regulations and Guidance Relating to Candidates who are eligible for Adjustments in Examinations'. That guidance states that centres can allow up to a maximum of 25 per cent. extra time for candidates with a Statement of Special Educational Need, or a psychological assessment carried out by a qualified psychologist, or specialist assessment carried out by a specialist teacher.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions she has had with organisations dealing with dyslexia on the needs of students taking examinations. [13360]
Maria Eagle: The Secretary of State has held no discussions with organisations dealing with dyslexia on the needs of students taking examinations. Arrangements for candidates with particular assessment requirements are a matter for the Regulators and the awarding bodies.
Officials within the Department are currently consulting with stakeholders, including a range of disability organisations, about the extension of the Disability Discrimination Act to general qualifications bodies.
Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2005, Official Report, columns 83639W, on education, (1) what methodology was used to calculate the area cost uplift for each area; [12699]
(2) on what basis the zero area cost uplift for the West Midland conurbation, Warwickshire and Gloucestershire was calculated. [12832]
Bill Rammell
[holding answer 18 July 2004]: The Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) National Rates Advisory Group (NRAG), which advises the LSC on
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post-16 funding rates and related issues, commissioned the research which helped inform the LSC's area costs uplift. The research was carried out by independent consultants contracted by the LSC and was based on an analysis of differential salary data from the Labour Force Survey and the New Earnings Survey across England. The results were adjusted for affordability and generated the published area costs funding uplifts provided in my Answer of 11 July to Question reference 11107. The work generated a zero per cent area costs rate for the West Midlands Region, including Warwickshire, and for Gloucestershire. A summary of the NRAG recommendations is available on the LSC's website at http://www.lsc.gov.uk/National/Documents/SubjectListing/FundingLearning/FurtherEducation/default.htm, entitled Funding: Indicative Rates for Further Education, Work-Based Learning and School Sixth Forms in 200304.
Derek Wyatt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how much funding has beenallocated to Kent county council for the financial years (a) 200506 and (b) 200607 for Sure Start schemes; [13102]
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(2) what the total budget allocated by Kent county council is to Sure Start schemes in Kent in (a) 200506 and (b) 200607. [13103]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 18 July 2005]: Kent county council has been allocated revenue funding of £6,777,085 in 200506 and £6,609,809 in 200607 for the Sure Start local programmes element of the council's children and families funding block of the local area agreement pilot of which the council is participating. The county council has also been allocated a total of £23,336,774 in the 200506 General Sure Start Grant (GSSG). This is made up of £5,415,544 capital and £17,921,230 revenue. The GSSG for 200607 will be communicated to local authorities around November 2005.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many established full-time equivalent posts for educational psychologists there are in (a) each local education authority and (b) England; how many such posts are vacant; and if she will make a statement. [12385]
Maria Eagle: The following table provides the information requested for January of 2004, the latest information available at LEA level.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when her Department (a) planned to let and (b) let the contract for the review of the functions and contribution of educational psychologists. [13531]
Maria Eagle: The written ministerial statement, issued on 1 February 2005, Official Report, column 52WS, announcing the proposed review indicated that its precise terms of reference would be agreed with the local authority employers' side, and that we expected the bulk of the work to be completed in 2005. We have had comments from representatives of the Local Government Association and the Employers' Organisation and would expect to issue invitations to tender for the work shortly. A contract with the successful applicant will be agreed as soon as is practicable thereafter.
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