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School Teachers Review Body
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made in requiring the School Teachers Review Body to consider local pay; and if she will make a statement. [44947]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 23 January 2006]: The School Teachers' Review Body considered the matter of local approaches to pay in detail in their 13th report (part 2) in March 2004. Following further evidence from statutory consultees, their 14th report in February 2005 noted that additional evaluation of the operation of existing pay bands should take place prior to further consideration of local pay. Their 15 report, published in December 2005, recommended no change at present, but that the principal response to a range of pay matters should be to encourage the using of existing local discretions.
School Travel Plans
Mr. Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what national target she has set for the percentage of schools with travel plans by 2009. [44859]
Jacqui Smith:
The joint Department for Education and Skills and Department for Transport travelling to school project includes targets for 10,000 schools to have a travel plan in place by March 2006, and every school in England to have one by the end of the decade. We are currently on target to achieve that.
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Specialist Industry Sectors
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what financial support her Department provides to enable specialist industry sectors to meet their training needs. [44258]
Phil Hope [holding answer 20 January 2006]: The Government funds the Sector Skills Development Agency which is responsible for funding, supporting and monitoring the network of 25 Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) which cover 85 per cent. of the employed population. SSCs are led by employers and work to reduce skills gaps and shortages; improve productivity, business and public service performance, increase opportunities to boost the skills and productivity of everyone in the sector's workforce and improve learning supply including apprenticeships, higher education and National Occupational Standards (NOS).
In 2005–06 the Department for Education and Skills allocated £67.7 million to the Sector Skills Development Agency.
State-funded Education
Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Croydon, Central (Mr. Pelling) of 16 January 2006, Official Report, column 1030W, on state-funded education, if she will express the figures in cash terms at 2005 prices. [45375]
Jacqui Smith: The following table shows the UK education expenditure and gross domestic product (GDP) cash figures used as the basis for my answer to the hon. Member for Croydon, Central.
| 1979–80 | 1987–88 | 1997–98 | 2004–05 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education spend | 10,500 | 20,400 | 37,400 | 63,900 |
| GDP | 207,608 | 431,246 | 824,044 | 1,177,760 |
| Percentage | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 5.4 |
Note:
1. Figures on UK education spend for the years shown were obtained from the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses.
2. The GDP figures used are the latest available and were updated at the end of December 2005.
3. The international definition of education expenditure used to produce the figures for the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses has changed overtime; therefore, the figure for 1979–80 is not directly comparable with the other years. The figures for 1987–88, 1997–98 and 2004–05 have been produced to the same definition and so are comparable.
The figures for percentage of GDP spent on education remain the same whether cash or 2004–05 prices are used. This is because the same price deflator is used for education spend and GDP when calculating real terms figures.
Student Finance
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to ensure that students who wish to enter higher education are aware of the types of financial support available to them. [45214]
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Bill Rammell: In October 2005 we began a publicity campaign aimed at potential students and their parents to raise awareness of student finance messages. This campaign is planned to continue until March 2006.
We also continue to produce a range of targeted literature for potential students, and offer information and advice through a telephone helpline, internet websites, and events for prospective students.
In addition, we are working with local authorities, universities, the schools and FE sectors, and a range of national organisations to ensure that they are able to offer accurate information and advice.
Sure Start
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many (a) children and (b) adults have participated in Sure Start programmes in each year for which figures are available; [43786]
(2) how many Sure Start programmes have been established in each year for which figures are available; [43787]
(3) what target she has set for expanding the number of Sure Start programmes; and what progress has been made in meeting this target. [43788]
Beverley Hughes: There are 524 Sure Start local programmes. These were approved in the following years:
We do not collect information on the total number of children and adults who have accessed all Sure Start local programme services. As of March 2005, there were 420,149 children aged 0–3 living in areas covered by Sure Start local programmes. These children and their parents are able to access a wide range of Sure Start services.
There are no plans to develop further Sure Start local programmes. We expect all 524 local programmes to develop into Sure Start children's centres. By March 2006 we expect around 90 per cent. of these local programmes to have developed into children's centres; the remainder will become children's centres by March 2008. We expect to have developed 3,500 children's centres by 2010.
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in which constituencies Sure Start programmes are located. [43844]
Beverley Hughes: We do not hold information on all the constituencies covered by Sure Start local programmes. However we are able to provide a breakdown by local authority area and this is as follows.
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