| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
9 Mar 2006 : Column 1707W—continued
Extended School Hours
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding has been given to Barnet for extended school hours initiatives; and if she will make a statement. [56991]
Beverley Hughes: Over 2005–08 we are making available £790 million to support the development of extended services accessed in or through schools. £110 million of this was allocated in 2005–06 and Barnet local authority received £561,891. Of the £680 million to be allocated across 2006–08, £250 million will go direct to schools through the School Standards Grant and the formula for announcing each school's allocation for 2006–07 was announced on 7 December. The remaining £430 million will be distributed to local authorities through the Standards Fund and the General Sure Start Grant. Of this, Barnet local authority will receive £964,178 in 2006–07 and £1,196,661 in 2007–08. Funding will be released to schools in accordance with each local authority's strategy for extended services.
Free Nursery Education
Mr. Paul Goodman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will publish a summary of findings and recommendations following the
9 Mar 2006 : Column 1708W
consultation in the code of practice on the provision of free nursery education places for three and four-year-olds. [56793]
Beverley Hughes: The code has been revised in the light of views expressed during consultation and. is now available on the Sure Start website at www.surestart.gov.uk. It was e-mailed to local authorities on Wednesday 22 February and hard copies are being despatched to early years providers delivering the free entitlement for three and four-year-olds. Copies will also be placed in the House of Commons Library. The code will come into force with effect from 1 April. A detailed report on the consultation, including a summary of responses, is currently being finalised and will be placed on the Sure Start website shortly.
Learning Outcomes
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress her Department has made in consultation with professional interests in improving the transparency and recognition of learning outcomes (a) within the EU and (b) in the wider international community. [56337]
Bill Rammell: The Department for Education and Skills consults with professional interests in improving the transparency and recognition of learning outcomes on a number of EU initiatives.
(i) Mutual recognition of professional qualifications in the regulated professions
We are actively working with the regulatory authorities (statutory and professional bodies) to secure effective and timely implementation of Directive 2005/36/EC, on the recognition of professional qualifications.
(ii) UK National Reference Point
The UK National Reference Point for vocational qualifications was established in response to EU Council Recommendation 2001/613/EC. It provides information and advice to individuals, institutions and employers on matters relating to European vocational education and training systems, qualifications and certificates.
Council Decision 2241/2004/EC established a single Community framework for achieving the transparency of qualifications and competences by the creation of a personal, coordinated portfolio of documents to be known as Europass. Europass consists of the common European CV, the Diploma Supplement, Europass Mobility, the Certificate Supplement, and the European Language Portfolio. Each member state has designated a National Europass Centre (NEC) responsible for the setting up of an Internet site and information system; and providing an electronic link to the European Commission's website which contains the portfolio.
The National Academic Recognition and Information Centre (NARIC) network was first established by the EU SOCRATES programme in 1995. The UK's NARIC gives independent information and advice on the comparability and mutual recognition of UK and international qualifications and promotes UK qualifications internationally.
UK participates fully in the Bologna Process, which includes more countries than the 25 EU member states. One of the key objectives of the Bologna Process is to make degrees more easily comparable. Ministerial communique"s have recognised the
- importance of learning outcomes in achieving comparability. The Bologna Process also recognises the important role that the NARIC networks have to play in recognition of degrees.
(vi) Commission consultation on a European Qualifications Network
The European Commission launched its Europe-wide consultation on a European Qualification Framework in July 2005. The European Qualifications Framework (EOF) is designed to act as a translation device to enable different qualification frameworks to be related to each other across national boundaries. The Department for Education and Skills launched a UK-wide consultation on this proposal on 2 September 2005. 153 organisations were alerted to the consultation, and responses were received from professional bodies and business organisations, trades unions, awarding/examination bodies, sector skills organisations, higher education institutions and a local authority.
There are no similar initiatives in the wider international community.
List 99
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on how many occasions people on List 99 have been allowed to teach children in each of the last 10 years. [43930]
Ruth Kelly: Anyone who is on List 99 on the grounds that they are unsuitable to work with children is barred from working in any school.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to paragraph 27 of her Review of the List 99 decision-making process and policy implications document published on 19 January, whether the view of the police that Paul Reeve does not pose a current risk takes into account the concern expressed by Chief Constable Carole Howlett in her letter to the Home Office of 12 December 2005. [46627]
Ruth Kelly: As paragraph 27 of the referenced document made clear, none of the individuals referred to in that paragraph is judged by the police to pose a current risk. The police judgment was based on the very latest intelligence gathered by police through a range of enquiries and personal visits to each individual. Local risk assessment mechanisms remain in place, and further action would be triggered if the police judgment changed.
Protection of Children Act
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria are used to decide who is (a) placed on and (b) removed from the Protection of Children Act List; who is responsible for deciding who is placed on it; and if she will make a statement on the operation of the list. [44812]
Ruth Kelly:
The Protection of Children Act list is a referrals-based system. Following disciplinary action for misconduct, if certain conditions are satisfied, child care organisations must refer the names of individuals employed in child care positions to the Secretary of State (these are usually employers but a small number of other organisations have the power to refer names). To place
9 Mar 2006 : Column 1710W
an individual on the Protection of Children Act List providing I am satisfied that the referral is a valid one, my Department must form the opinion that:
(1) the referring organisation reasonably considered the person to be guilty of misconduct which harmed a child or placed a child at risk of harm, (whether or not in the course of employment), and;
Individuals who are confirmed on the Protection of Children Act List have the right of appeal to the Care Standards Tribunal if they do so within three months of the date of that decision. The Secretary of State has discretionary powers to remove names from the PoCA List in limited circumstances (for instance where a conviction has been quashed on appeal or where a malicious referral is uncovered following the production of new evidence).
Sex Offenders
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether any registered sex offenders have been approved by her Department to work in Wokingham local education authority schools. [46493]
Ruth Kelly: My statement and the accompanying report of 19 January set out clearly the Government's analysis of, and response to, issues concerning child protection and List 99, together with the action we are currently taking.
My Department does not approve" people to work in schools. These decisions are a matter for the employer having taken into account the relevant CRB check.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |