| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
8 Dec 2005 : Column 1535W—continued
Employer Training
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 2056W, on employer training, what definition she uses of a fair contribution for employers to pay towards the cost of wider employee training. [35823]
Phil Hope: We do not expect employers to pay for employees to attain the skills they need to give them a sound basis for sustainable employment in the economy. That is why we have introduced an entitlement to free training for adults who lack basic skills or a first full level 2 qualification. Beyond this, where there are tangible returns to business, the Government believe it is right that employers make an appropriate contribution to the cost of training provided through the further education system. We expect this contribution to grow to 50 per cent.—of course fees costs—by 2010. This is what we stated in the LSCs 'priorities for success' in October 2005.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of (a) employers and (b) employees who were eligible signed up for employer training pilots in the last year for which figures are available. [36047]
Phil Hope:
A report by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) published in March 2005, Platform for Progression: Employer Training Pilots Year 2 Evaluation Report" found that at the end of the second year of the pilots almost 12,000 workplaces were involved in the 12 phase 1 and 2 pilots. Some 10 per cent. of eligible employers were involved—12 per cent. in the phase 1 pilots and 8.5 per cent. in phase 2. Take-up had been stronger in the second year of the pilots than the first and take-up levels varied significantly by pilot area. 80,000 learners had signed up, around 4 per cent. of the eligible population.
8 Dec 2005 : Column 1536W
These figures will be updated in the IES Evaluation Report of Year 3 of ETP which we expect to publish early in 2006.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the National Employer training programme will continue with the Employer Training Pilot model of weighting funding towards the successful completion of qualifications by participating employees. [35614]
Phil Hope: Yes. The new national employer training programme—which will be known as Train to Gain"—will pay 50 per cent. of the tuition costs on successful completion of the qualification by the learner. This is the same approach as currently operates in the Employer Training Pilots.
Every Child Matters Youth Board
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the Every Child Matters Youth Board. [33855]
Beverley Hughes: The Government committed to forming a Children and Youth Board in Every Child Matters: the Next Steps". The Board was set up so that children and young people could gather the views of their peers on the issues that affect them. These views are then used to provide direct advice on the development of national policy and the design of services to the Minister for Children Young People and Families and to officials in the department.
The 2005/06 Board consists of 25 children and young people aged between 8–19, with five under 12-years-old. The children and young people are from the nine Government office regions and also include two representatives from each of the two devolved Administrations. The Minister for Children, Young People and Families meets the Board regularly.
Free Nursery Places
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many three and four-year- olds in Leeds West constituency are in free nursery places. [35141]
Beverley Hughes: All four-year-olds have been entitled to a free early education place since 1998 and from April 2004 this entitlement was extended to all three-year-olds. The free entitlement consists of a minimum of five two and a half hour sessions per week for 33 weeks of the year for six terms before statutory school age, which is the term following their fifth birthday.
Some local authorities may additionally offer subsidised childcare places but this information is not collected centrally.
Figures for January 2005 show that all four-year-old children receive some form of free entitlement. The figure for three years olds is 96 per cent. This covers all maintained, private, voluntary and independent providers and represents 535,100 three-year-olds and 568,300 four-year-olds.
8 Dec 2005 : Column 1537W
In January 2005 in Leeds local authority there were 7,100 free nursery places taken up by three-year-old children. The equivalent figure for four year olds was 7,600. Information for private and voluntary providers is not currently available for Leeds West constituency in 2005.
The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 43/2005 Provision for children under five years of age in England-January 2005 (final)" in September, which is available on my Department's website:
Noise Pollution
Alan Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the exposure of children to aircraft noise (a) during the school day, (b) in the evening and (c) at weekends. [33958]
Jacqui Smith: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has not had discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on this subject. I have however met with Cllr Ruth Cadbury from the London borough of Hounslow and expressed my concern that the challenges faced by schools under or near the flight path approach of Heathrow and its new runway are fully addressed.
Ofsted Reports
Ms Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will take steps to enable state schools to have a right of appeal to the parliamentary ombudsman in relation to Ofsted reports. [35641]
Jacqui Smith: Where a school is dissatisfied with the outcome of Ofsted's internal consideration of a complaint about an inspection, it has the right to have the case re-examined by the Independent Complaints Adjudicator, appointed by the Secretary of State.
The role of the parliamentary ombudsman is to protect private persons in their relations with the Executive. As a consequence, complaints from bodies constituted for purposes of the public service fall outside the remit of the ombudsman. However, there may be specific circumstances in which those involved in a school inspection may appeal to the ombudsman, in particular, where it can be demonstrated that maladministration has caused them a personal injustice.
Online Message Boards
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her Department's policy is on the use of online message boards for public consultations. [36022]
Phil Hope: My Department does not have a specific policy on the use of online message boards for public consultations.
The Department uses an online consultation systemto enable respondents to contribute to public consultations.
8 Dec 2005 : Column 1538W
Positive Action for Young People (Croydon)
Mr. Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of the Positive Action for Young People funding stream from the Government office for London was made available to the London borough of Croydon in 2004–05. [33875]
Maria Eagle: In 2004–05, £213,662 was made available from the Positive Activities for Young Peopleprogramme (PAYP) to the London borough of Croydon. Total expenditure in the London region in 2004–05 was £13,471,088.
Prison Service (Learning and Skills)
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was paid to HM Prison Service by her Department for the post of Head of Learning and Skills for the last three years; what the projected expenditure is for these posts over the next five years; and what the projected costs over the next five years are for the Learning and Skills Co-ordinator posts in prisons in the south-west. [35615]
Phil Hope: The following table sets out the budget allocated to the Prison Service by the Department for Education and Skills for Heads of Learning and Skills posts for the last three years.
| Budget | |
|---|---|
| 2003–04 | 1.96 |
| 2004–05 | 7.00 |
| 2005–06 | 7.56 |
Expenditure for 2006–07 is expected to be the same as 2005–06. Budgets for future years have not yet been set.
Expenditure for the Learning and Skills Co-ordinator posts in the south-west is £455,000 for 2005–06. Budgets for future years have not yet been set.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |