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6 Dec 2005 : Column 1165W—continued

Literacy

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people in (a) Southend, (b) Essex, (c) Hertfordshire, (d) each London borough and (e) England she estimates were illiterate (i) at the last date for which figures are available and (ii) in each year since 2000. [34219]

Bill Rammell: The Skills for Life Survey: A national needs and impact survey of literacy, numeracy and ICT skills (DfES, October 2003) provides the latest estimates of literacy levels across England. The survey assessed the literacy, numeracy and ICT skills of around 8,000 adults aged 16 and above in England. The estimates are available to individual education authority area; however they are only available for 2003 and not every year since 2000.

The survey findings are shown in the tables following for the regions requested. The assessment levels correspond to the literacy and numeracy National
 
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Standards: these were introduced in 2002 to provide a framework for all adult screening tests, diagnostic tools, programmes of study and qualifications. Learners are assessed for levels of literacy from Entry Level 1 to Level 2. Level 2 is broadly equivalent to a higher grade GCSE (A*-C).'
(a) Southend-on-Sea

Overall literacy
16 to 65-year-olds
PercentageNumber
All entry level or below1111,070
Level 14341,400
Level 2 or above4644,410
10085,920




Source:
For population figures: Census 01 Skills for Life survey, 2003





(b) Essex

Overall literacy
16 to 65-year-olds
PercentageNumber
All entry level or below10105,600
Level 141414,700
Level 2 or above49490,900
1001,011,200




Source:
For population figures: Census 01 Skills for Life survey, 2003





(c) Hertfordshire

Overall literacy
16 to 65 year olds
PercentageNumber
All entry level or below742,750
Level 143281,800
Level 2 or above50330,900
100655,450




Source:
For population figures: Census 01 Skills for Life survey, 2003





(d) London

Overall Literacy
All entry level or below
Level 1
Level 2 or above
16 to 65-year-olds
NumberPercentageNumberPercentageNumberPercentage
Barking and Dagenham19,3401947,6904733,80034
Barnet20,6701083,2504199,72049
Bexley8,695671,5305257,55042
Brent34,4001962,3603582,95046
Bromley20,5001160,00032105,50057
Camden9,210747,4903578,96058
City of London21541,560303,49566
Croydon27,5001396,4104590,29042
Ealing26,9801386,7304291,42045
Enfield26,5001575,5104374,31042
Greenwich22,3801661,0704454,95040
Hackney24,5201846,4303464,41048
Hammersmith and Fulham7,515643,1003668,44057
Haringey26,6201849,2303373,47049
Harrow17,4401353,3904063,68047
Havering12,730961,3304465,67047
Hillingdon22,8701555,6003676,08049
Hounslow21,4001558,4304163,38044
Islington9,395848,7204064,29053
Kensington and Chelsea5,620534,9203171,58064
Kingston upon Thames8,940931,3203257,09059
Lambeth22,2001270,2503795,94051
Lewisham25,4401560,1603681,90049
Merton11,870951,7004163,19050
Newham59,9003844,1702853,33034
Redbridge23,7501663,7204265,55043
Richmond upon Thames8,990831,2102774,42065
Southwark30,7401957,0103477,50047
Sutton14,1001239,3503461,88054
Tower Hamlets24,2401848,3003758,68045
Waltham Forest22,6901666,5104655,92039
Wandsworth10,860658,73031118,00063
Westminster12,2901041,0603275,44059
London925,975191,640,600342,204,97046

 
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(e) England

Overall Literacy
16 to 65-year-olds
PercentageNumber (million)
All Entry level or below165.2
Level 14012.6
Level 2 or above4414.1
10031.9




Source:
For population figures: Census 01 Skills for Life survey, 2003




A copy of the survey report is in the House of Commons Library and on the DfES website: www.dfes.gov.uk

Oral Hygiene (Children)

Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) if the Government will fund the provision of toothbrushes and toothpaste to Sure Start nurseries in deprived areas; [34234]

(2) if the Government will support the Stop-the-Rot campaign to encourage nurseries to help prevent tooth decay in small children. [34237]

Beverley Hughes: Many Sure Start settings offer a diverse range of activities to improve oral health in very young children, for example, by issuing free toothbrushes and toothpaste packs to families, free information leaflets and advice sessions. This is in addition to the Department of Health's pilot scheme 'Brushing for Life ' where Health Visitors are giving free packs containing a tube of fluoride toothpaste, toothbrushes and a leaflet on oral hygiene to families with children aged eight and 18 months living in
 
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areas with the highest level of tooth decay and in areas served by a Sure Start Local Programme where fluoride is not added to the water supply.

The pilot scheme has been the subject of a positive evaluation and, when the pilot concludes, primary care trusts wishing to participate in the scheme will be able to

order packs through the NHS purchasing and supply authority's catalogue.

The Stop-the-Rot scheme and associated website was publicised in the November edition of Sure Start News which is a regular newsletter e-mailed to all Sure Start settings and other early years providers.

Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to encourage primary school children to brush their teeth at lunchtime. [34235]

Jacqui Smith: Promoting oral hygiene in children is a responsibility for the Department of Health, with whom we liaise and seek advice from in health matters. The Department of Health has not recommended that it is necessary for primary schools to encourage all pupils to clean their teeth at lunch.

Middle Schools

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which local education authorities operate a middle school system; how many middle schools there are; and which of these are for children aged nine to 13 years. [34604]

Jacqui Smith: As at January 2005 there were 24 local authorities in England that had a total of 367 middle schools, 235 of which were for children aged 9 to 13. The table lists the 24 local authorities and details of numbers of schools for each.
Maintained primary, middle and secondary schools: number of schools—January 2005—local authorities with middle schools

Maintained primary, middle and secondary schools
Number of primary and secondary schoolsNumber of middle schools1of which: middle schools 9–131Total number of schools
820Bedfordshire1634040203
873Cambridgeshire23211233
835Dorset1581616174
310Harrow4719066
919Hertfordshire49266498
921Isle of Wight51161667
886Kent57533578
382Kirklees17775184
855Leicestershire270100280
826Milton Keynes8217099
391Newcastle upon Tyne836489
926Norfolk388490437
392North Tyneside674471
815North Yorkshire37420376
928Northamptonshire31022312
929Northumberland1564444200
836Poole299138
933Somerset25499263
860Staffordshire3631414377
935Suffolk2924040332
938West Sussex268140282
865Wiltshire24532248
868Windsor and Maidenhead554459
885Worcestershire2173224249


(14) School types derived from returns made by schools to the Department in the Annual Schools' Census.
Source:
Annual Schools' Census





 
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