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28 Feb 2007 : Column 1380W—continued
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what percentage of school age children access formal child care (a) in each region, including London, and (b) in West Ham constituency; [122959]
(2) what percentage of pre-school age children access formal child care (a) in each region, including London, and (b) in West Ham constituency; [122960]
(3) what the percentage take-up of formal child care by lower income working families, as defined by his
Department and the Department for Work and Pensions public service agreement, is (a) in each region, including London, and (b) in West Ham constituency; [122961]
(4) by what percentage take-up of formal child care has changed among (a) lone parents and (b) working couples (i) in each region, including London, and (ii) in West Ham constituency since 2001. [122962]
Beverley Hughes: The information requested at regional level is detailed as follows. However, the sample size of the Department’s survey(1) on parents’ data used to produce the figures is not large enough to enable analysis at constituency level.
(1 )DfES Survey Childcare Early Years provision: A Study of parents’ Use, Views and Experiences 2004-05.
| Percentage of school age children who used a formal child care provider in the last week by Government office region | |
| Percentage | |
| Notes: 1. Rounded to the nearest percentage point. 2. These figures should be treated with care as some rely on relatively small sample sizes. 3. Lower income working families are defined as those on an annual family income of under £20,000. | |
| Percentage of pre-school age children who used a formal child care provider in the last week by Government office region | |
| Percentage | |
| Notes: 1. Rounded to the nearest percentage point 2. These figures should be treated with care as some rely on relatively small sample sizes. 3. Lower income working families are defined as those on an annual family income of under £20,000. | |
| Percentage change in the proportion of children in lone parent families who used formal child care in the last week by Government office region | |||
| 2001 (percentage) | 2004 (percentage) | Percentage change | |
| Notes: 1. Rounded to the nearest percentage point. 2. These figures should be treated with care as some rely on relatively small sample sizes includes both working and non working lone parent families. 3. Lower income working families are defined as those on an annual family income of under £20,000. | |||
| Percentage change in the proportion of children in working couple families who used formal child care in the last week by Government office region | |||
| 2001 (percentage) | 2004 (percentage) | Percentage change | |
| Notes: 1. Rounded to the nearest percentage point. 2. These figures should be treated with care as some rely on relatively small sample sizes. 3. Lower income working families are defined as those on an annual family income of under £20,000. | |||
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) if he will make a statement on the Government’s policy of paying nursery providers and childminders £250 to issue business plans; [123915]
(2) what representations he has received on the Government’s policy of paying nursery providers and childminders £250 to issue business plans. [123916]
Beverley Hughes: The Government have no such policy and have received no representations on the subject. Funding is, however, available through the General Sure Start Grant to local authorities to support the sustainability of child care in ways that they consider appropriate.
Ensuring that child care provision is sustainable and able to meet the needs of parents and children is an important aspect of local authorities’ role, and will be vital in relation to their new duty in the Childcare Act 2006 to ensure the sufficiency of child care for working parents. Authorities are free, if they choose, to use some of their General Sure Start Grant funding for business development support and training, in order to ensure that settings are viable over the longer term. This could include support and encouragement in relation to the production of business plans.
Child Protection
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received on (a) section 47 core assessments and (b) the processes for investigations into perpetrators of child abuse; and if he will make a statement. [117708]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 30 January 2007]: The way in which professionals should inquire into and take action to tackle cases of suspected child abuse or neglect is set out in the core statutory guidance document “Working Together to Safeguard Children”. The Government received representations on these issues during the consultation process carried out in 2005 on draft revised guidance, when 302 written responses were received. Specifically, the consultation asked if social service functions under the Children Act 1989 such as section 47 inquiries should be led by qualified social workers rather than other professionals such as health visitors, teachers, or school nurses. The majority of respondents agreed that section 47 inquiries should be led by qualified social workers rather than other professionals. A substantial majority of respondents also agreed that the Working Together guidance should specify that social workers carrying out section 47 inquiries should be suitably trained and qualified.
Departmental Expenditure: Pendle
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what expenditure is planned to be carried out in Pendle by his Department in the years up to 2010; and if he will make a statement. [120611]
Alan Johnson: My Department’s expenditure from the 2008-11 financial years is currently subject to the Comprehensive Spending Review process.
The Department maintains central records on allocations to local authorities, not to constituencies. Pendle constituency falls within the local authority area of Lancashire. Table 1 sets out the level of funding allocated to Lancashire county council in 2007-08. No money is allocated directly to Pendle borough council.
| Table 1: Funding allocated to Lancashire county council, 2007-08 | |
| Programme | Amount (£000) |
| (1) These are provisional allocations. Final DSG allocations for 2007-08 will be calculated by multiplying actual full-time equivalent pupil numbers from the January 2007 pupil count by the DSG per pupil Guaranteed Unit of Funding. Standards Fund figures will also change to reflect final pupil numbers. (2) Includes both grants and supported borrowing. | |
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