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Classroom Assistants

Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many classroom assistants have been employed in (a) the Kingston and Surbiton constituency and (b) London in each year since 2001. [23879]

Jacqui Smith: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants in service in Kingston and Surbiton constituency and London Government Office Region in each January since 2001.
 
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Full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants⁽³⁸⁾ in maintained sector schools⁽³⁹⁾ and pupil referral units

	Kingston and Surbiton	London
2001	140	14,380
2002	180	15,390
2003	200	17,590
2004	240	19,880
2005	280	22,230

⁽³⁸⁾ Includes teaching assistants, special needs support staff and ethnic minority support staff.
⁽³⁹⁾ Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
Note:
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Annual School Census.

Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) classroom assistants and (b) full-time equivalent classroom assistant posts there were in schools in the Kettering constituency in each year since 1997. [24189]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 2 November 2005]: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants in maintained sector schools ² , including pupil referral units, in Kettering constituency in January of each year.

The number of full-time equivalent teaching assistant posts in Kettering is not collected centrally.
Full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants⁽⁴⁰⁾ in maintained sector schools⁽⁴¹⁾, including pupil referral units, in Kettering constituency

	Teaching assistant FTE
1997	150
1998	160
1999	180
2000	200
2001	(42)260
2002	220
2003	240
2004	230
2005	250

⁽⁴⁰⁾ Includes teaching assistants, special needs support staff and ethnic minority support staff.
⁽⁴¹⁾ Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
⁽⁴²⁾ Data for 2001 may be affected by misclassification of support staff roles following major changes to information systems.
Note:
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Annual School Census.

Departmental Spending

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding was allocated by her Department to Milton Keynes for (a) capital projects and (b) revenue funding in each of the last five years. [23509]

Jacqui Smith: The information requested, in cash terms and in £ million, is set out in the following table.
 
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	Capital Allocations	Revenue
2001–02	9.9	114.9
2002–03	20.3	124.4
2003–04	29.1	138.7
2004–05	39.1	152.4
2005–06	30.8	164.0

Notes:
1. Capital allocations to local authorities may differ, in a particular year, from local authority expenditure. This is due to timing differences and to decisions made locally. Figures for 2005–06 are provisional.
2. Revenue allocation figures, from 2003–04, include the pensions transfer to Education Formula Spending and the Learning and Skills Council; the figures prior to 2003–04 have not been adjusted. Total funding includes all revenue grants in the DfES budget relevant to pupils ages three to 19, and excludes Education Maintenance Allowances and grants not allocated at local authority level. Figures for the years 2003–04 to 2005–06 are provisional as some grants have not yet been finalised/audited.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what checks the assessment and payment body carry out in respect of claimants of education maintenance allowance on (a) declared income and (b) attendance on the relevant courses. [25531]

Maria Eagle: The assessment and payment body (APB) accepts a range of income source documents as proof of income, such as the Tax Credit Award Notice/P60. Documents must be originals and these are scrutinised for signs of amendment or tampering as part of the assessment process. The APB also sample completed applications using random selection criteria. These applicants are written to and asked to provide further evidence to confirm the original details.

We obtained powers in the Education Act 2005 to share income and benefit data with HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions. Operational policy responsibility for education maintenance allowances (EMA) lies with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) which works with these two Departments to help operate EMAs.

Schools and colleges must record attendance, ensure their systems capture EMA student attendance accurately and initiate stopping payments for unauthorised absences. The LSC conducts regular audits on schools/colleges and checks on attendance form part of those audits.

Education White Paper

Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) spelling mistakes and (b) grammatical errors in the Education White Paper were identified by her Department after publication. [24081]

Jacqui Smith: Since publication, we have focussed on disseminating the policy ideas in the White Paper and planning their implementation rather than proof-reading again. As with any document of this size, it is inevitable that some minor errors will remain and a small number have been noted that are not significant enough to require clarification.
 
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Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) powers, (b) funding and (c) responsibilities that are currently within the remit of local education authorities she expects (i) the Learning and Skills Council and (ii) local Learning and Skills Councils to hold following the implementation of the proposals in the Education White Paper. [24597]

Jacqui Smith: There are no proposals to transfer powers, funding or other responsibilities from local authorities to the Learning and Skills Council made in the 'Higher Standards Better Schools for All' White Paper.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) powers, (b) funding and (c) responsibilities the proposed (i) School Improvement Partners and (ii) Office of the Schools Commissioner will hold that are currently within the remit of local education authorities. [24602]

Jacqui Smith: The School Improvement Partner of a maintained school works under contract to the local authority that maintains the school. She or he has no powers independent of the local authority and controls no funding. Although there is a degree of central specification of the responsibilities of the School Improvement Partner, no responsibilities are taken from the local authority's remit by the introduction of the School Improvement Partner. Similarly, the Schools Commissioner will hold no powers, funding or responsibilities that are currently within the remit of local education authorities. The Schools Commissioner's role in relation to local authorities will be to support and challenge them in carrying out their new duties to promote choice, diversity and fair access; and to advise the Secretary of State on the exercise of her powers of intervention if they are failing in those duties.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the likely effects of the reforms proposed in the Education White Paper on (a) local government finance and (b) the budgets of local authorities; and if she will make a statement. [24603]

Jacqui Smith: There will be additional costs to local authorities for some elements of the proposals set out in the Education White Paper and we will make resources available to fund them, so as not to create unfunded new burdens for local authorities, or put any pressure on council tax. We will consider with key stakeholders, including local government, the costs and the best methodology and route for distributing funds as policies are developed further.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the likely effects of the reforms proposed in the Education White Paper on local councils appointing school governors; and if she will make a statement. [24604]

Jacqui Smith: Local authorities will continue to appoint some governors to all categories of maintained schools. As now, the governing bodies of all maintained schools—including the new trust schools—will be responsible for the strategic leadership of their schools. As now, local authorities will not appoint the majority of governors to any category of maintained school.
 
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