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27 Feb 2006 : Column 591W—continued
Special Measures
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Norfolk have been in special measures in each of the last five years; and how many of them have come out of special measures. [51150]
Jacqui Smith: The following table shows the number of primary and secondary schools in Norfolk local authority that were in special measures at the end of the academic years 2000/01 to 2004/05. It also shows the number of Norfolk primary and secondary schools that came out of special measures during the same years.
(159) Includes one middle deemed primary school.
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in West Lancashire were in special measures in each of the last five years; and how many of them have come out of special measures in each year. [52781]
Jacqui Smith:
The following table shows the number of primary and secondary schools in the West Lancashire constituency that were in special measures at the end of the academic years 2000/01 to 2004/05. It also
27 Feb 2006 : Column 592W
shows the number of West Lancashire primary and secondary schools that came out of special measures during the same years.
Specialist Schools
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations she has received relating to the specialist school achievement, Immersion programme. [53124]
Jacqui Smith: The Department has not received (a) feedback or (b) other representations relating to the Specialist Schools Achievement programme: Immersion programme.
Sprinkler Systems
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what is her Department's policy on the inclusion of sprinkler systems in new schools; [52592]
(2) if she will make regulations to ensure that newly built schools have sprinkler systems. [52594]
Jacqui Smith: Since April 2001, all new building work at schools has been subject to the Building Regulations, which are the responsibility of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). These regulations do not currently require the installation of sprinklers in schools, but that does not prohibit local education authorities from specifying their use.
We believe that the decision on whether to install sprinklers is best taken locally. For example, in our Managing School Facilities Guide 6, Fire Safety", we give the example of a school in an area of high arson risk as being a suitable candidate for having sprinklers installed. However, we recognised the need to provide more detailed advice than before. Liaising with ODPM, we therefore produced new draft guidance on fire safety—Building Bulletin (BB) 100, Designing and Managing Against the Risk of Fire in Schools". It stresses the value of using risk assessments to determine what sort of fire detection and alarm systems should be used in each school, and whether or not sprinklers should be installed. Public consultation on the draft of BB 100 was completed in November last year and an analysis of the responses should be finalised next month. We expect to be able to publish the final version by September this year.
Concurrently ODPM is carrying out a review of the fire safety aspects of the Building Regulations, Part B, and its accompanying guidance Approved Document B (ADB). Public consultation on draft revised versions of these was also completed in November. An analysis of responses should be finalised around the end of March.
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Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what proportion of new schools built in each year since 1996 had sprinkler systems; [52593]
(2) what estimate she has made of the number of schools fitted with (a) an automatic sprinkler system, (b) a fire detection system linked to the fire service, (c) a monitored intruder alarm and (d) CCTV. [52595]
Jacqui Smith: We do not have information on, or estimates of, the numbers of schools fitted with any of these systems, but we have issued advice on their use. Our Managing School Facilities Guide 6, Fire Safety", includes guidance on the installation of fire detection and alarm systems, and sprinklers (see www.teachernet.gov.uk/fire). More detailed information and advice will be included in our forthcoming fire safety guide for schools, Building Bulletin 100, Designing and Managing Against the Risk of Fire in Schools." This will stress the value of using risk assessments to determine what sort of systems should be used.
Guidance on the installation and operation of intruder alarms and CCTV, and on a range of other security measures in schools, are included in our Managing School Facilities Guide 4, Improving Security in Schools".
Staffing
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the target level of employment, expressed as full-time equivalents, is in her Department by April 2008 in order to meet her Department's Civil Service workforce reductions target set out in the 2004 Spending Review. [52854]
Bill Rammell: The target level of employment for April 2008 for my Department, to meet its workforce reductions set out in the 2004 Spending Review, is 3,200 fte.
Standards Fund
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much from the Standards Fund was (a) spent by local education authorities and (b) devolved to schools in 2004–05; and what the budgeted expenditure from the fund is for (a) 2005–06 and (b) 2006–07. [52044]
Jacqui Smith: The following table shows how much was spent by local authorities from grants paid through the Standards Fund in 2004–05, and how much of that amount was devolved to schools.
Notes:
1. Figures for the Standards Fund include government grant and local authority contributions.
2. Schools and local authorities had until 31 August 2005 to spend their Standards Fund allocation.
3. Figures for Standards Fund and School Standards Grant are based on information reported by local authorities.
4. School Standards Grant is paid to local authorities and must be devolved in full to schools.
5. Schools can carry forward their School Standards Grant into future financial years.
6. The figure for Teachers Pay Reform Grant is the amount paid to local authorities. Data on the amount devolved to schools was not collected for 2004–05. The figure shown is an estimate based on information from local authorities on the amount devolved to schools in 2005–06.
7. The figure for Transitional Support Grant is the amount paid to local authorities. The grant must be fully devolved to schools based on plans submitted to the Department by local authorities.
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The following table shows the budgeted amounts for grants paid through the Standards Fund for 2005–06 and 2006–07.
Notes:
1. Figures for the Standards Fund include government grant and local authority contributions.
2. All figures are provisional.
3. Teachers Pay Reform Grant will be transferred into Dedicated Schools Grant from 2006–07.
4. Transitional Support Grant does not continue beyond 2005–06.
5. Allocation figures for 2005–06 and 2006–07 are still subject to change.
6. Final allocation figures for 2006–07 will depend on pupil numbers reported in the January 2006 School Census.
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