| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
30 Jan 2006 : Column 86W—continued
National Training Programme
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the national training programme, referred to on page 10 of the White Paper, Higher Standards, Better Schools for All", will be funded. [46439]
Jacqui Smith: Through our existing National Strategies Programme, we will be delivering a national training programme free of charge to schools, to train leading professionals to help develop personalised learning in schools.
In addition, we will be investing £565 million by 2007–08 to support personalisation in primary and secondary schools and a further £60 million in each of the next two years to provide effective one-to-one and small group tuition for the lowest attaining pupils in targeted schools.
Neighbourhood Nurseries
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which (a) private, (b) voluntary sector and (c) public sector organisations participated in the delivery of (i) Neighbourhood Nurseries, (ii) the extended schools programme, (iii) children's trusts and (iv) early excellence centres in each year for which information is available. [43934]
Beverley Hughes: The Department works closely with all sectors and maintains strong links with local authorities, schools, Primary Care Trusts, and other public sector bodies, as well as a wide range of private and voluntary organisations. This enables us to establish and sustain high quality provision that meets children's needs, and offers parents real choice and diversity. We also encourage organisations from different sectors to act together, pooling resources and expertise.
Data are not available on the private, voluntary and public sector organisations that have been involved in the delivery of Neighbourhood Nurseries, the extended schools programme, children's trusts and Early Excellence Centres.
New School Providers
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills who will be authorised to approve or reject the establishment of new schools as proposed in the White Paper, Higher Standards, Better Schools for All". [46443]
Jacqui Smith:
We propose that the decision-maker for proposals for new schools should normally be the local authority in its modernised role as the commissioner, rather than direct provider, of education. There will however be a range of circumstances in which proposals may be referred to schools adjudicator for decision.
30 Jan 2006 : Column 87W
North Somerset
John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will take steps to increase the average funding per schoolchild in North Somerset to the average level of funding in (a) the West Country and (b) England. [46173]
Jacqui Smith: The level of funding per pupil received through the dedicated schools grant (DSG) reflects the characteristics of children in each authority: authorities receive more funding if they have higher numbers of children living in deprived circumstances. That is because pupils from more deprived backgrounds are likely to have additional educational needs, and to require additional help if they are to have an equal chance to succeed. North Somerset's average level of funding per pupil mainly reflects the authority's lower than average level of deprivation. The Government will review the operation of a number of aspects of the new school funding arrangements, including the DSG distribution, but in doing so it will continue to aim to give all pupils an equal opportunity in life.
One-to-One Tuition
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of pupils she estimates will be eligible for targeted one-to-one tuition in (a) English and (b) mathematics; and what estimate she has made of the cost of the proposed provision. [46445]
Jacqui Smith: Our recent White Paper—Higher Standards, Better Schools for All—sets out this Government's determination to ensure every child masters the basics of literacy and numeracy. There will be an extra investment of £565 million by 2007–08 to support personalisation in primary and secondary schools, focusing particularly on helping children who have fallen behind in English and mathematics. A further £60 million will be available in each of the next two years to provide effective one-to-one and small group tuition for the lowest attaining pupils in targeted schools.
It will be for each school, with support from the National Strategies, School Improvement Partners and other local authority school improvement staff, to decide the type and pattern of provision they need to meet the learning needs of their pupils, and how to make the best use of small group and one-to-one tuition.
Overcrowded Housing
Mr. Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the impact of overcrowded housing conditions on the educational prospects of children. [42915]
30 Jan 2006 : Column 88W
Maria Eagle: A research review commissioned by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 2003 found some indication that there is a relationship between overcrowding and children's educational attainment, and between overcrowding and children's social and emotional development. However, the research evidence on the effects of overcrowding on attainment is limited. It is also hard to separate any direct effect of overcrowding from the effect of other associated factors, such as poverty and degree of parental involvement in education. Current evidence suggests that any direct effect of overcrowding on attainment is likely to be small.
Parent Councils
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will prescribe the powers of parent councils in (a) trust schools and (b) non-trust schools. [46448]
Jacqui Smith: We will require foundation schools with a foundation (trust schools), where the trust appoints the majority of governors, to establish a parent council. Parent councils will have a consultative and advisory role. We will encourage other schools to have a parent council but will not require them to do so.
Parenting Contracts/Orders
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many parenting (a) contracts and (b) orders have been applied in schools in each of the last five years. [46626]
Jacqui Smith: My Department started to collect data regarding parenting contracts and parenting orders (in cases of non-attendance and exclusions from school) from September 2004. The data are provided at local authority level.
Between September 2004 and 31 July 2005 local authorities in England reported that 6,135 education-related parenting contracts were agreed with parents and 427 education-related parenting orders were imposed by the courts. Data for autumn 2005 will be published in March 2006.
Pension Contributions
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by (a) her Department, (b) each (i) non-departmental public body, (ii) executive agency and (iii) other public body for which she is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06. [39999]
Maria Eagle: The actual cost of the employer pension contributions incurred by the Department for Education and Skills and their Non-Departmental Public Bodies for the last three financial years is set out in the following table:
30 Jan 2006 : Column 89W
For 2005–06, employers' contributions are payable to the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) at one of four rates in the ranges 16.2 per cent. to 24.6 per cent. of pensionable pay, based on salary bands. The Scheme Actuary reviews employer contributions every four years following a full scheme valuation; last carried out as at 31 March 2003. The contribution rates reflect the cost of benefits as they accrue (net of employee contributions), not the costs as they are actually incurred, and reflect past experience of the scheme.
The planned estimated costs for 2005–06 are:
| Amount (£) | |
|---|---|
| DfES | 18,549,000 |
| All | 2,212,000 |
| HEFCE | 1,566,000 |
| LSC | 22,525,000 |
| P4S | 104,000 |
| QCA | 4,000,000 |
| TDA | 1,271,000 |
| SSDA | 358,000 |
| GTC | 692,000 |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |