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17 Oct 2005 : Column 689W—continued
EDUCATION AND SKILLS
Adoptions
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will assess the impact of the post-adoption support rules on access of adopted children and their parents to social services. [18928]
Maria Eagle: The Government recognise the importance of providing support to adoptive children and their adoptive families. The Adoption and Children Act 2002 introduced, for the first time, a clear duty on local authorities to arrange for the provision of adoption support services in their area. The new duty has also been accompanied by a ring-fenced grant to local authorities totalling nearly £70 million between 2003–04 and 2005–06. The first phase of adoption support services for adopted children and their families was implemented on 31 October 2003. Adoptive children and their families have a right to an assessment of their needs for adoption support services. Regulations set out a transparent procedure for making decisions about the services to be provided in individual cases. This should ensure greater and more consistent access to adoption support services for adopted children and parents.
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the co-ordination of support services for adopted children with psychological and behavioural difficulties. [18929]
Maria Eagle:
The Government recognise the importance of providing support to adoptive children and their adoptive families. The Adoption and Children Act 2002 introduced, for the first time, a clear duty on local authorities to arrange for the provision of adoption support services in their area. This new duty has been accompanied by a ring-fenced grant to local authorities totalling nearly £70 million between 2003–04 and
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2005–06. The first phase of adoption support services for adopted children and their families was implemented on 31 October 2003. It included therapeutic services for adoptive children and training for adoptive parents to meet any special needs of the adoptive child. These services will clearly benefit adopted children with psychological and behavioural difficulties. Furthermore, each local authority is required to appoint an Adoption Support Services Adviser to ensure that suitable inter-agency working arrangements are in place between social services, education, local health trusts and other agencies.
Adult Education
Mr. Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the impact on the number of adult education courses of the recent change to the funding regime for the Continuing Education and Training Service. [17574]
Phil Hope: We are committed to safeguarding the continued availability of a wide range of learning opportunities for adults for personal and community development. We said in the White Paper Skills: 'Getting on in Business, Getting on at Work', published in March this year, that the DfES and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) would agree each year an overall indicative budget for such learning programmes. In 2004/05 nationally we provided over £207 million to the Learning and Skills Council in support of this learning. This has risen to £210 million in 2005/06. Announcements about the budgets for 2006/07 and 2007/08 will be made shortly.
The Learning and Skills Council for London South plans, funds and monitors the provision of Adult Learning in Croydon on behalf of the Secretary of State. The total Further Education and Adult and Community Learning budget for Croydon's Continuing Education and Training Service has increased between 2004/05 and 2005/06 by £260,304. Their agreed development plan gives no indication of reduction in provision as a result of any change to the funding regime.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students have participated (a) in adult education courses and (b) in courses for people with learning disabilities in further education colleges in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [17796]
Bill Rammell: The following table shows the number of learners in further education (FE) provision funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for each year from 2001/02 to 2003/04:
| Academic year(5) | Number (Thousand) |
|---|---|
| 2001/02 | 3,868.0 |
| 2002/03 | 4,197.3 |
| 2003/04 | 4,114.2 |
(5)The figures for 2002/03 onwards are on a different basis from those for earlier years, so are not directly comparable with the figures for 2001/02. The figures from 2002/03 onwards are more comprehensive as they include some institutions (such as specialist designated institutions) previously excluded from statistical publications, and also take into account changes to funding arrangements made by the LSC since taking over responsibility for FE funding. The impact of these changes is estimated to have increased learner numbers by around 250,000 between 2001/02 and 2002/03.
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It is not possible to identify courses specifically designed for students with learning disabilities from the Individual Learner Record (ILR) data collection. However, it is possible to identify whether students self-declare themselves as having a learning difficulty and/or disability (LLDD), and numbers for the last five years have been given in answer to the hon. Member's related parliamentary question, number 17821.
Provision for learners with LLDD remains a priority and the LSC's expectation is that the overall proportion of such learners will be maintained.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students with learning disabilities have enrolled in adult education courses in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [17821]
Bill Rammell: The following table shows the number of learners in further education (FE) provision funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) with a self-declared learning difficulty and/or disability (LLDD). Figures are given for each year from 1999/2000 to 2003/04:
Academic year(6) | Students self-declared as LLDDin FE colleges andexternal institutions |
|---|---|
| 1999/2000 | 157.4 |
| 2000/01 | 213.1 |
| 2001/02 | 272.8 |
| 2002/03 | 325.4 |
| 2003/04 | 349.3 |
(6)The figures for 2002/03 onwards are on a different basis from those for earlier years, so are not directly comparable with the figures up to 2001/02. The figures from 2002/03 onwards are more comprehensive as they include some institutions (such as specialist designated institutions) previously excluded from statistical publications, and also take into account changes to funding arrangements made by the LSC since taking over responsibility for FE funding. The impact of these changes is estimated to have increased overall learner numbers by around 250,000 between 2001/02 and 2002/03, but the effect on numbers of LLDD in particular has not been estimated.
After-school Care
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether she plans to run pilot schemes for Children First clubs as part of the Department's plans for provision for children out of school hours; and if she will make a statement. [17105]
Maria Eagle
[holding answer 13 October 2005]: We are committed to ensuring access for all children to a variety of activities beyond the school day. As part of our extended schools strategy, we recently announced funding of £680 million to support schools, through their local authorities, towards developing extended services, including breakfast and after school clubs. By 2010, extended services will be accessible through all our schools; and in half of primary schools and a third of secondary schools by 2008.
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We do not endorse individual organisations and so will not be running pilot schemes with Children First. It will be for schools, in consultation with parents and their communities, to decide how to roll out such activities. Some may choose to deliver them direct, or through voluntary or private sector providers like Children First.
CAFCASS
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding has been allocated for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service computer system in each year since its foundation. [18742]
Maria Eagle: No separately identifiable funding has been allocated to the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in respect of its computer system, and it is not usual to do so. However, CAFCASS has outlined its future IT requirements and discussed them with my officials, who have advised on the options available and on how the procurement should be approached. I have asked CAFCASS to provide a business case, for departmental approval, when it is ready.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding has been given to Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in each of the last five years; and how much is planned for (a) 2005–06 and (b) 2006–07. [18743]
Maria Eagle: The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) was established in April 2001. Funding allocations in the previous four years were as follows:
2003–04: £97.5 million on a resource basis (provision of £2.5 million was also made for 2002–03 debts in the transition from cash to resource accounting)
Resource budgets for CAFCASS have been earmarked as follows:
(a) 2005–06: £101 million (£6 million of the £107 million baseline was transferred to the National Assembly for Wales on the devolution of CAFCASS Cymru)
I am monitoring the current financial position of CAFCASS and I am discussing the budget pressures with the chair and chief executive.
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