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6 Jun 2007 : Column 489W—continued
The numbers of active members under training is smaller than the enrolled numbers.
Education and Skills
Building Schools for the Future Programme: Leicester
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what the reasons are for delays in the rebuilding of schools in Leicester under the building schools for the future scheme; and if he will make a statement; [138151]
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the costs by delays in the building schools for the future projects in Leicester; [138154]
(3) when he expects work to begin on the rebuilding and refurbishment of (a) Soar Valley, (b)
Judgemeadow and (c) Beaumont Leys schools; and if he will make a statement; [138155]
(4) what discussions he plans to have with Leicester city council on the Leicester building schools for the future projects; [138156]
(5) what discussions officials from his Department have had with (a) Leicester city council and (b) Centerprise on the decision by Centerprise not to provide computer equipment for schools in Leicester. [138153]
Jim Knight: The Leicester city council's building schools for the future (BSF) project is part of the first wave of projects to be procured and as such has led the way in dealing with issues that will assist and inform the approach of BSF projects in later waves. It has become necessary to take time to get right the design of two of the schools, to ensure that this investment delivers value for money and transforms the education of pupils there. In addition, the withdrawal from the supply chain of the preferred bidder's ICT partner, and the subsequent process of appointing a replacement, has required careful management to ensure the authority's ICT specification would still be met by the new provider on the same or better commercial terms.
Following a delay in signing the contract beyond the date up to which the original bid price was fixed, the preferred bidder requested approximately £700,000 to cover their estimated additional inflation costs. Following negotiations between the council and the preferred bidder, the majority of this will be borne by the preferred bidder.
Work on the three schools named is expected to start in July 2007.
While there have been delays on the project, as it is now making good progress, I currently have no plans to have discussions with Leicester city’s officials on BSF. My officials and Partnerships for Schools will continue to lead communications with the authority.
The decision by Centerprise to withdraw from the preferred bidder's supply chain was entirely an issue for those parties, although Partnerships for Schools, on behalf of the Department, has been closely involved in discussions with regard to this development. Partnerships for Schools continue to assist the council to ensure the best outcome for the authority, its pupils, teaching staff, parents and others.
Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what action is planned to be taken on (a) workforce satisfaction with management and (b) workloads following the 2006 Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service staff survey; [140264]
(2) whether he plans to publish statistics on the ethnicity of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service caseload; [140265]
(3) how many vacancies there are in each Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service region in both (a) public and (b) private law; [140266]
(4) how many parents in 2005-06 were referred to the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service following an application of the court; and how many had already participated in mediation; [140269]
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the policy of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service is on co-parenting. [140272]
Mr. Dhanda: These are matters for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass). Anthony Douglas, the Chief Executive, has written to the hon. Member with this information and a copy of his letter on will be placed in the House Library.
Letter from Anthony Douglas, dated 5 June 2007:
I am writing to you in response to the five of the seven Parliamentary Questions that you tabled recently:
140264—To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what action is planned to be taken on (a) workforce satisfaction with management and (b) workloads following the 2006 Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service staff survey.
An action plan is being prepared in response to the recent Cafcass staff survey including a stronger staff engagement strategy. There are no plans to change existing guidance on workloads, which has been in place for 3 years, and which has been agreed with Cafcass’s trade unions. Cafcass believes it does have to take additional steps to increase workforce satisfaction with some aspects of the way in which the organisation works, and will be seeking the views of staff and trade unions about how this can best be done. Cafcass is determined to provide its service users with the very best possible service it can within the resources available.
140265—To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether he plans to publish statistics on the ethnicity of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service caseload.
Cafcass has been implementing a new Case Recording System during the year. As a result diversity data is not yet complete or robust enough to publish this data in its annual report. For 2006/07 Cafcass intends to publish this data in future years, starting in its annual report for 2007/08.
140266—To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many vacancies there are in each Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service region in both (a) public and (b) private law.
The table below indicates the vacancies as at 31 May 2007. Cafcass does not categorise practitioners into private and public law.
| Region | FCA vacancies (whole time equivalents) | Support worker vacancies (whole time equivalent) |
140269—To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many parents in 2005-06 were referred to the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service following an application of the court; and how many had already participated in mediation.
In 2005-06 we received 26,144 applications for section 7 reports and 645 applications for Family Assisted Orders. Neither Cafcass nor Her Majesty’s Courts Service keep statistics on how many of these had participated in mediation prior to application.
140272—To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the policy of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service is on co-parenting.
Cafcass policy is to consider all options, including co-parenting. It will recommend co-parenting to a court if in a specific case, it considers that it would be in the best interests of the child or young person concerned.
A copy of this reply will be placed in the House Library.
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding has been allocated to specialist assessment teams within the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service to work with children's cases involving allegations of sexual abuse for 2007-08. [140386]
Mr. Dhanda: This is a matter for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS). Anthony Douglas, the chief executive, has written to the hon. Member with this information and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.
Letter from Anthony Douglas, dated 5 June 2007:
I am writing to you in response to Parliamentary Question 140386—To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much funding is allocated to specialist assessment teams within the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service to work with children's cases involving allegations of sexual abuse.
CAFCASS does not provide a specialist assessment service, which often involves medical practitioners, psychologists or psychiatrists. However, CAFCASS officers are all qualified and experienced social workers; they receive additional training and support on domestic violence and abuse issues and, in some cases, they might recommend to the court that a specialist assessment be commissioned.
A copy of this reply will be placed in the House Library.
Class Sizes
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) teacher to pupil ratio and (b) classroom assistant to pupil ratio was in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in (A) Peterborough constituency, (B) Peterborough city council area and (C) England in each year since 1997. [139247]
Jim Knight: The following table shows pupil to teacher ratios and pupil to teaching assistant ratios in maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools in Peterborough constituency, Peterborough local authority and England, January 1997 to 2007.
| Pupil:teacher ratios and pupil:teaching assistant ratios( 1) in maintained primary and secondary schools in Peterborough constituency, Peterborough local authority and England, January 1997 to 2007( 2) | ||||||
| Peterborough constituency | Peterborough local authority( 3) | England | ||||
| Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | |
| n/a = Not available. (1) Teaching assistants include teaching assistants, special needs support staff and minority ethnic pupil support staff. (2) 2007 local authority and parliamentary constituency level data will be available in September 2007. (3) Peterborough became a new authority in 1999 and is therefore not included in the 1997 and 1998 figures. (4) Provisional. Source: Annual School Census | ||||||
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