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6 July 2006 : Column 1386W—continued
New Schools
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many new schools commissioned by the local authority have been built since 2001. [82458]
Jim Knight: Information on the number of schools commissioned by Coventry local education authority that have been built since 2001 is not held by the Department.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many applications he is considering from local authorities to build new community schools. [82459]
Jim Knight: The Secretary of State does not normally consider individual proposals for new schools. Proposals for additional secondary schools in a competition under the Education Act 2002 would fall to be decided by the Secretary of State, but there have been no such competitions. Following consultation and the publication of a notice followed by a representation period, proposals would normally be decided under local decision-making arrangements. The Department has been informed that currently 24 proposals for new community schools are outstanding. These are all for merged schools following reorganisation.
Local authorities receive support for capital investment through our main capital programmes. Investment decisions are largely taken locally.
Under the Education and Inspections Bill currently before Parliament, there will normally be a competition for all new schools, and the publication of proposals for new community schools from most authorities will require the consent of the Secretary of State. The proposals will be decided by the local authority or the schools adjudicator.
Personal Finance Education
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what measures are (a) in place and (b) under consideration for teaching secondary school pupils about the management of personal finances; and if he will make a statement; [82903]
(2) how much has been allocated to programmes to educate secondary school children about how to manage personal finances; and if he will make a statement. [82904]
Mr. Dhanda: The Government recognise the importance of personal finance education for all young people. The National Curriculum for Citizenship, which is compulsory at key stages 3 and 4 (11 to 16-year-olds), includes teaching pupils about how the economy functions, including the role of business and financial services. In addition, the DfES has asked the QCA, as part of the wider review of GCSE maths and the emphasis on improving functional skills, to consider including financial capability more explicitly in the maths curriculum. QCA has also developed a package of guidance for teachers of PSHE which includes two units of work on financial capability. In September 2004, we made work-related learning a statutory element of the curriculum, and from September 2005 are funding schools to develop a new focus on enterprise education, defined as enterprise capability supported by better financial capability and economic and business understanding. We are also working closely with the Financial Services Authority to take forward its Financial Capability Strategy which includes support for schools to deliver better personal finance education.
It is for schools and local authorities to decide the level of resources required to support their personal finance education programmes.
School Discipline
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what counselling services are provided for teachers who develop stress-related illnesses as a result of dealing with persistently badly behaved pupils. [82722]
Jim Knight: It is employers who have the responsibility for the health and safety of their staff and this includes access to Occupational Health Services. In addition, governing bodies and head teachers are encouraged to adopt or participate in health awareness programmes so that their staff can make full use of the welfare and counselling services available. The Department is also implementing a wide range of programmes for schools to manage pupil behaviour more effectively.
School Opt-outs
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools he estimates wish to opt out of local authority control. [82457]
Jim Knight: The Government have no proposals to allow schools to opt out of local authority control, and therefore no estimates of the number of schools which might wish to do so.
Student Safety
Mr. Andrew Turner:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) education is provided in schools and colleges, (b) information his Department
issues and (c) grants are available for the purpose of advising sixth form and college students on personal safety issues. [81470]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 3 July 2006]: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for funding post-16 education and training in schools and colleges. The LSC does not stipulate the training that is required by each funded learner to ensure their health and safety. Each learner’s complete learning programme should contain the appropriate personal health and safety training. It is a contractual responsibility of each school or college to determine what training is required and to ensure that this is delivered. Training should be in line with the result of risk assessment taking into account the environment, task, and the learner’s age, experience and any special requirements.
The LSC carries out “seeking assurance” activities to satisfy itself that every funded organisation that recruits learners is fulfilling their responsibilities with regard to health and safety. In addition and to spread good practice in health and safety, the LSC maintains a good practice website—where information and teaching materials are available on ensuring learner health and safety www.safelearner.info
Sure Start
Mr. Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding was allocated to Sure Start in Swindon in each year between 2002-03 and 2005-06. [82837]
Beverley Hughes: Swindon receives Sure Start funding to support the Pinehurst and Penhill Sure Start local programme (SSLP) and, as part of the General Sure Start Grant, they also receive funding to support Sure Start Children's Centres.
Allocated revenue funding for the SSLP was as follows:
| Sure Start local programme revenue (£) | |
In addition, the SSLP was allocated capital of £1,079,625, which was not allocated to specific financial years.
Funding for Sure Start Children's Centres began in 2004 with local authorities receiving a two year capital and revenue allocation for the period 2004-06. For this period Swindon's allocation was:
| £ | |
Teachers
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many foreign teachers, excluding language assistants, are working in maintained (a) primary and (b) secondary schools, broken down by nationality. [81853]
Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Tuition Fees
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which undergraduate university courses charge a tuition fee of less than £3,000; and how many students are attending such courses in academic year 2005-06. [82450]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 4 July 2006]: In 2006/07, institutions with an access agreement with OFFA can charge variable tuition fees of up to £3,000. Those without an access agreement can only charge the standard fee rate which will be £1,200. The following institutions are those that have an access agreement to charge variable fees and who will be charging less than £3,000:
Askham Bryan college
Barking college
Bishop Burton college
College of St. Mark and St. John
Hull college
Leeds Metropolitan university
Loughborough college
New College, Durham
New College, Nottingham
Newcastle college
Northbrook college, Sussex
Sparsholt college, Hampshire
Thames Valley university
The Grimsby Institute of further and higher education
Trinity and All Saints
University college Northampton
University of Greenwich
West Thames college
Wigan and Leigh college
Worcester college of technology
Writtle college
York St. John college
Details of access agreements are only available at an institutional level. Data are not available at an individual course level. It is therefore not possible to provide details of specific courses which will charge a tuition fee of less than £3,000 or the associated student numbers on these courses in academic year 2005/06.
Information on the amount of fees charged per student and course will be available from the Student Loans Company after the start of the 2006/07 academic year.
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of students are exempt from paying tuition fees in each (a) London borough and (b) constituency; and if he will make a statement. [82982]
Bill Rammell: The percentage of students from each London borough making no contribution to their tuition fees in 2004/05 is given in the table.
| London borough | Percentage of students making no contribution to fees |
| (1) A figure for all English local authorities has been included in the table for comparison purposes. Source: Student Loans Company (SLC) | |
Data are not available at the constituency level.
Students on full-time undergraduate courses and their families are expected to make a contribution towards the cost of their tuition based on household income. Students from lower income backgrounds are wholly or partially exempt from paying tuition fees.
From 2006/07 upfront fees are abolished and full-time students will be eligible for tuition fee loans of up to £3,000. In addition, we expect around 30 per cent. of students to receive a maximum maintenance grant of £2,700 and an HE institution bursary of at least £300.
Overall, we expect around half of all eligible students to receive at least some maintenance grant.
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