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Tax Returns (MPs)

Mr. Robathan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons hon. Members are not able to file their tax returns via the internet. [14027]

 
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Dawn Primarolo: The vast majority of Self Assessment taxpayers can take advantage of HMRC's online services to file their tax return via the internet. However, a small proportion of SA taxpayers (including MPs) need to complete special dedicated pages. These forms are not available online since it would be disproportionately costly to develop the links to departmental computer systems.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Adult Education Colleges

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what criteria were used for distributing funds to adult education colleges in 2004–05; [10707]

(2) whether she plans to change the (a) criteria and (b) method for allocating funding for adult education colleges in the next academic year; [10708]

(3) for what reasons funding for adult education colleges has been allocated for only one year; [10709]

(4) what factors affected the timing of the announcement of decisions on allocations of funding for adult education colleges; [10862]

(5) when she expects decisions on allocations of funding for adult education colleges for 2006–07 to be made. [10863]

Bill Rammell: The Department allocates funds for post-16 education and training to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the body that plans provision and allocates resources to colleges and other providers. Our Grant Letter of 15 November 2004 to the LSC and the White Paper Skills: Getting on in Business, getting on at work" published in March set out our priorities and the LSC allocate resources to providers to meet our priorities of a place in school, college or on an apprenticeship for all young people, and a focus on adults without a solid foundation of employability skills. Funding is allocated to colleges and other providers on the basis of proven performance in meeting these priorities. Later this year we will publish our annual grant letter outlining our priorities for 2006–07. The notification by the LSC to further education providers of their 2005/06 allocations was in line with the planning timetable set out earlier in the year. We expect the timetable for the planning and budgeting process for 2006/07 to be broadly similar to this year although the LSC expects to begin initial discussions with education providers in September 2005. and other providers. Our Grant Letter of 15 November 2004 to the LSC and the White Paper Skills: Getting on in Business, getting on at work" published in March set out our priorities and the LSC allocate resources to providers to meet our priorities of a place in school, college or on an apprenticeship for all young people, and a focus on adults without a solid foundation of employability skills. Funding is allocated to colleges and other providers on the basis of proven performance in meeting these priorities. Later this year we will publish our annual grant letter outlining our priorities for 2006–07. The notification by the LSC to further
 
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education providers of their 2005/06 allocations was in line with the planning timetable set out earlier in the year. We expect the timetable for the planning and budgeting process for 2006/07 to be broadly similar to this year although the LSC expects to begin initial discussions with education providers in September 2005.

Apprenticeships

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the (a) companies in receipt of funds from the Learning and Skills Council for participating in the Apprenticeship scheme and (b) amounts received in each year for which figures are available. [14843]

Phil Hope: The Learning and Skills Councils contracts with learning providers, some of whom are employers, to deliver work based learning programmes including Apprenticeships. The full list of all providers for the 2004/05 academic year and the amount of their funding has been published on the LSC website at:

www.lsc.gov.uk/National/Documents/SubjectListing/FundingLearning/FurtherEducation/WBL_allocations.htm.

Details for previous years are not available.

Bullying

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many incidents of bullying of children have been reported in (a) Essex and (b) the Metropolitan Police area of London (i) at primary schools and (ii) in post-primary education in the last three years, broken down by (A) local authority and (B) category of bullying; and how many incidents tookplace on public transport to or from school in each case. [14131]

Jacqui Smith: As data on bullying is not collected centrally we do not have statistics relating to the incidence of bullying at primary or post-primary level in Essex and London. Bullying cases appear to be reported more often now than previously but we have no hard evidence that bullying is increasing or that it is affecting more children. Indeed, as children and young people increasingly feel safe at school to report bullying, and confident that it will be tackled effectively and sensitively, it is likely reporting will rise. However, any level of bullying is too high and we are determined to help schools tackle the problem. Our guidance pack Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence", the anti-bullying Charter and the anti-bullying website www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying offer detailed advice on preventing and addressing bullying. We also offer specific advice to schools on tackling homophobic bullying and are developing advice on racist bullying.

We have raised awareness of the importance of children who are being bullied telling an adult about what is happening, through our public information film Tell Someone" and our leaflets and postcards for children and their parents. Our recent Beat Bullying" blue wristband campaign was launched in partnership with Radio One, during the first national anti-bullying week in November 2004. By the end of December, one million children and young people had answered our
 
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call to Make a Stand, Wear a Band" and make a visible commitment that they are not prepared to tolerate bullying and will stand by their friends.

Children's Academic Achievement

Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research she has evaluated on whether there is a relationship between the number of hours spent watching television and children's academic achievement. [12621]

Beverley Hughes: The Department has not commissioned any research on the relationship between the number of hours spent watching television and children's academic achievement However, current international research evidence points to the following:

Watching good quality educational programming in the early years can benefit children's language development, in the right conditions.

Conversely, extensive viewing of age-inappropriate or entertainment programming can hinder language development.

In addition, television viewing before age three has been shown to have a modest adverse effect on cognitive outcomes at age six and seven.

Increased television viewing by children has a long-lasting association with a higher chance of having no formal qualifications by the age of 26.

Other learning activities such as reading may be displaced by television viewing.

Having a television in the bedroom is negatively associated with test scores for children aged 8.

The American academy of paediatrics recommends that children watch a maximum of two hours of quality programming per day. The National Literacy Trust's Talk To Your Baby" campaign recommends no more than half-an-hour for under twos, and one hour for three to five-year-olds.

Classroom Behaviour

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assistance her Department (a) is giving and (b) plans to give during the next 12months to schools in Southend to promote good behaviour in the classroom. [14305]

Jacqui Smith: Our Secondary Strategy will continue to give all secondary schools in Southend access to high-quality behaviour management training materials and support from a DFES-funded behaviour management consultant. Our Primary Strategy will continue to give all primary schools in Southend access to high-quality training and curriculum materials to improve children's social, emotional and behavioural skills. In addition:

our Excellence in Cities programme will continue to provide Southend with extra funding (£1.6 million for the 2005–06 school year), about half of which can be used to fund Learning Mentors and Learning Support Units in schools in the Southend Excellence Cluster; and

our Behaviour Improvement Programme is now providing Southend with further additional funding (£780,000 for the 2005–06 school year) to support selected schools facing the greatest behaviour challenges.

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