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25 July 2006 : Column 1430W—continued
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what flexibility is available for bidders under Workplace 2010 to provide alternative locations for civil service employment. [87274]
Mr. Hanson: The geographical location of civil service employment is not a matter for bidders and as such they will not be invited to provide alternative locations. They will, however, be required to provide flexibility within the terms of the contract to respond quickly and efficiently in the event of future decisions on the location of civil service jobs.
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has been made of the potential for decentralising Civil Service employment under the Government’s plans for Workplace 2010. [87275]
Mr. Hanson: The potential for the decentralisation of civil service jobs has been a key consideration in the development of Workplace 2010. The programme is therefore being progressed on a phased basis. This will ensure that there is sufficient scope and flexibility to relocate civil service jobs within the terms of the contract and as part of a second phase as and when decisions are made.
Young Farmers
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the (a) Scottish Executive and (b) Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have contacted him regarding the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland’s New Entrant Scheme for young farmers. [88596]
David Cairns: There have been no formal approaches from either the Scottish Executive or the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since the New Entrant Scheme was introduced. However there is regular contact among officials in the rural affairs departments across the UK. The scheme and a wide range of other topics on rural development have been covered in these discussions.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress of the New Entrant Scheme for young farmers. [88597]
David Cairns: Since the launch of the scheme on Monday 6 June 2005, there has been considerable interest from potential applicants. Up to the end of June 2006, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development received 139 applications, which exceeds the first year target. Records show that over half of approved applicants accessed the maximum amount of funding allowed under the scheme. The value of individual projects ranges from £20,000 to £400,000. A total of £4.5 million has been allocated to the scheme.
Education and Skills
Adult Education
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Government are taking to encourage and expand the number and variety of classes available to adults in non-examination and non-vocational courses in further education. [88809]
Bill Rammell: We are broadly maintaining the overall funding available to support adult learning through to 2007-08 at around £2.9 billion. As I announced last October we have clear priorities for public finding of adult learning. These are to help those without basic literacy and numeracy skills and without the platform of employability represented by a full level 2 qualification. This includes courses which genuinely lead to progression including non vocational and non examination courses. For this reason the then Secretary of State said in her Grant letter to the LSC in October 2005 that she wanted to see a good balance of learning opportunities in every area.
In addition we remain committed to supporting for its own intrinsic value. We have established a safeguard budget of £210 million per annum in each of 2006-07 and 2007-08 for learning for personal and community development. We have asked the LSC to convene local partnerships to plan and co-ordinate this provision so that i) there is a wide range of such good quality learning opportunities in every area ii) there is wider participation in this type of learning and iii) areas of deprivation do not lose out.
Assaults on School Staff
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many assaults on school staff were recorded in East Riding of Yorkshire local education authority in each of the last nine years; and if he will make a statement. [86334]
Jim Knight: The number of assaults on school staff is not collected centrally.
For the academic years 2003/04 and 2004/05, information is available on the reasons for pupil exclusions. These reasons include “physical assault against an adult”. A local authority breakdown for East Riding of Yorkshire of the number of pupils who have been excluded from school (permanently or for a fixed period) for physical assault against an adult, together with total numbers of exclusions, is given in the table.
Background Reading
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what publications have been provided by his civil servants as background reading for his ministerial duties since taking office; and if he will make a statement. [87592]
Mr. Dhanda: On taking up my current ministerial post I received background reading material on the policy areas of my Department. I continue to receive reading material on all policy areas as appropriate.
Building Schools for the Future
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many new (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools will (i) start construction and (ii) be completed in each of the next three financial years under the Building Schools for the Future programme; and what proportion of those schools will be (A) new build and (B) refurbished or remodelled. [89104]
Jim Knight: Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is a core part of the DfES’ capital strategy, providing a new approach to capital investment in secondary schools.
BSF aims to create world-class, 21st-century schools—environments which will inspire learning for decades to come and provide exceptional assets for the whole community. Subject to future public spending decisions, the intention is to achieve this aim for every secondary school pupil within 15 waves from 2005-06.
In financial year 2007/08, 13 new schools will open, of which two will be refurbished, and a further 118 will start construction.
In financial year 2008/09, 34 new schools will open, of which 24 will be refurbished, and a further 200 will start construction.
In financial year 2009/10, 52 new schools will open, of which 93 will be refurbished, and a further 164 will start construction.
The figures for 2009/10 are indicative as this includes Wave 4 projects which will not be selected until December 2006, and certain Wave 2-3 projects where authorities have not yet finalised their plans.
Primary schools are not covered under the BSF programme. A separate Primaries programme will commence in 2008.
Certificate of Financial Skills
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students have completed the Certificate of Financial Skills in each of the last five years for which records are available. [87768]
Jim Knight: The information requested is not available.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what factors were taken into account by the Learning and Skills Council in its decision not to fund the Certificate of Financial Skills. [87769]
Bill Rammell: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) determines which qualifications are eligible for funding in school sixth forms. Certificates in Financial Studies have not previously been eligible for LSC funding in school sixth forms and that decision was continued for 2006-07. The LSC may determine that a qualification is ineligible if it is a subsidiary qualification to a main programme, as funding of the main programme would be expected to cover subsidiary qualifications. Funding is also not available for qualifications that are regarded as being part of a pupil’s entitlement—such as Key Skills or CLAIT. The LSC provides per pupil entitlement funding for 16-19 year-olds that can be used for such courses.
The LSC reviews the eligibility of qualifications on a yearly basis and they have recently met with the Institute of Financial Studies to explain the position for 2006-07 and consider the arrangements for 2007-08.
Child Abuse
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the percentage of abuse of children in the home which is committed by (a) men and (b) women; and what assessment has been made of the extent to which such abuse involves (i) a step-parent and (ii) someone in a transient relationship with the child. [88628]
Beverley Hughes: The information required for such an estimate is not collected centrally.
Child Deaths
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what public inquiries into the deaths of children in educational establishments have taken place in the past 30 years. [86231]
Jim Knight:
The Department for Education and Skills has established no public inquiries into child deaths in educational establishments in England since
1976, nor into child deaths in childcare settings in England, which became the responsibility of the Department for Education and Skills in 2002. The Department does, however, provide joint guidance for serious case reviews, which should be held, at local level, where a child has died and abuse or neglect may have been a factor in the child’s death.
Children's Health
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how he plans to collect data on performance against national targets for (a) eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and (b) take-up of sporting opportunities by five to 16-year-olds. [88045]
Mr. Dhanda: The 5 A DAY Programme does not set specific targets for different population groups. The aim of the programme is to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among the population as a whole, and promote awareness of the 5 A DAY message within a range of settings including schools.
The FSA Consumer Attitudes Survey 2005 showed that 67 per cent. of people are now aware that they should eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, up from 43 per cent. in 2000. Our new nutritional standards for school food will also encourage the consumption of fruit and vegetables by our children as these state that at lunch time, there should be at least one portion of fruit and at least one portion of vegetables per child per day, and that at other times of the day a variety of fruit and vegetables should be available in all school food outlets.
The annual school sport survey—carried out on the Department’s behalf by an independent market research company—collects data on the take of physical education and school sport by 5 to 16-year-olds in school within a school sport partnership.
Citizenship Education
Sir Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what analysis he is making of the effects of the introduction of citizenship education into the National curriculum. [87326]
Jim Knight: The Department commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research in 2001 to carry out an eight year longitudinal study of the impact of citizenship education on young people. The aims of the study also include identifying, measuring and evaluating the extent to which effective practice in citizenship education develops in schools so that such practice can be promoted widely. The Foundation publishes annual reports tracking the progress of the subject. In addition, citizenship is also covered alongside other subjects in Ofsted inspections.
Classroom Temperature
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what discusssions his Department has had with the Health and Safety Executive on minimum and maximum temperatures on school buses; [88787]
(2) what discusssions his Department has had with the Health and Safety Executive in the past 12 months on minimum and maximum temperatures within (a) primary and (b) secondary school classrooms. [88788]
Jim Knight: Minimum temperatures for classrooms are given in the Education (School Premises) Regulations, SI No2,1999 as 18C. My Department has had no discussions with HSE but has recently issued guidance about maximum and minimum temperatures in classrooms on the popular questions website(1). There are also Regulations applying to staff employed at the school, known as The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. Regulation (1) states: “During working hours, the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings shall be reasonable.” The guidance and Approved Code of Practice accompanying the Workplace Regulations do not specify maximum temperatures. This is because there are a range of factors which contribute to a person’s thermal comfort and more vulnerable people can suffer heat stress and dehydration at much lower temperatures than others.
The Department of Health publishes the Heatwave Plan that provides guidance and advice aimed at the public and ensures those organisations involved in providing health and social care services know what actions to take in preparation for, and in the event of, a heat wave. The Met Office website publishes the latest heat wave alert and forecast threshold temperatures for days ahead. There are certain groups that are particularly at risk during a heat wave and this includes young children especially those less than four years old.
The Department is not aware of any minimum or maximum temperatures that apply to school buses and have had no discussions with HSE about that.
I would also refer the hon. Member to the responses given today to her questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
(1 )http://www.dfes.gov.uk/popularquestions/
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