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26 July 2007 : Column 1369W—continued
Westmoreland General Hospital
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will consider upgrading Westmorland General Hospital to full district general hospital status; [152872]
(2) if he will consider supporting the provision of full consultant-led acute admissions services at Westmorland General Hospital. [152873]
Ann Keen: It is the responsibility of primary care trusts (PCTs) locally to plan and commission services to meet the needs of its residents and in line with the resources available.
Proposals relating to the Westmorland General Hospital, which is managed by the University Hospitals of Morecambe Hospital Trust, were consulted on between June and September 2006. The preferred option has since been subject to further work and will now be taken forward as part of the Cumbria whole systems review. Consultation is due to begin in September.
Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 26 July 2007
Children, Schools and Families
Parental Separation
6. Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans his Department has for ensuring the provision of information and guidance for families where parents have separated. [152583]
Kevin Brennan: In March 2006, we published the ‘Parenting Plan’. This easily accessible guide for separating parents helps them work out the best possible arrangements for their children, whether or not they then make court applications. CAFCASS distributes the plans, and it provides further information and support to those families involved in family court proceedings. From September 2007, the Legal Services Commission will be testing demand for giving advice over the telephone to people experiencing relationship breakdown.
Admissions
7. Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the school admissions code, with particular reference to places offered for academic year 2007-08. [152585]
Jim Knight: Admission arrangements for 2007-08 were determined before the School Admissions Code came into force, but those for 2008-09 will have been determined in accordance with the new code.
However, the code does require all local authorities to have protocols in place from September 2007, to ensure that all unplaced children and late applicants, including some of our most vulnerable, are offered a place at a suitable school as quickly as possible.
Youth Services
9. John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has for expenditure on youth services in Greenwich and Bexley. [152588]
Beverley Hughes:
It is for each local authority to decide how much to spend on the provision of youth services. They have the freedom to decide the best way of delivering while taking account of Government policy, local priorities and the resources available. The Government do not set a limit on the amount of funding that can be spent from the resources available.
Sure Start
10. Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent progress has been made on Sure Start programmes. [152589]
Kevin Brennan: 1,355 Sure Start Children's Centres are now providing integrated services to over one million children under five. We are on track to meet our target of delivering 2,500 centres by 2008. By 2010 there will be at least 3,500 centres serving every community in England, making a vital contribution to our objective of improving outcomes for young children and bringing an end to child poverty.
School Transport: Kettering
11. Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will revise departmental guidelines to local education authorities so that the school bus service from Burton Latimer to Latimer Community Arts College in Barton Seagrave, Kettering can be maintained. [152590]
Jim Knight: There are no plans to revise the guidelines to local authorities in relation to school bus provision as the statutory requirements are set out in the Education and Inspections Act 2006. However, from September 2008 any children from low income families who wish to attend Latimer community arts college will have to have free transport provided if it is one of the three nearest qualifying schools to their home and the journey to school is between two and six miles in length.
Family Policy
13. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he plans to take to develop a cross-government strategy on families policy; and if he will make a statement. [152592]
Beverley Hughes: On 29 June 2007, this Government published “Machinery of Government: Departmental Organisation”. It announced our intention to develop a cross-Government strategy on family policy covering both services that support families directly and those that deal with issues of family dysfunction and breakdown. This strategy will be led by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Its aim will be to ensure consistent policy across Government that works together in the best interests of the child.
Children in Care
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to improve the educational achievement of children in local authority care. [152591]
Kevin Brennan:
‘Care Matters: Time for Change’ sets out an ambitious agenda for improving the lives of children in care, with an additional investment of over £305 million. It includes proposals to improve the education of children in care through a £500 educational allowance for each child in care falling
behind at school; putting the ‘designated teacher’ on a statutory footing to improve provision in schools; appointing ‘virtual school heads’ to oversee their education; an extra £100 paid into their child trust fund for every year a child is in care; and a £2,000 university bursary.
Fathers
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will bring forward proposals to promote the involvement of fathers in decisions on educating their children; and if he will make a statement. [152587]
Beverley Hughes: We recognise that a father’s involvement in their child’s life can lead to positive educational achievement and emotional well-being. We are committed to enabling fathers and mothers (whether or not they live with the child) to be involved with their children’s education—and our guidance to schools is clear on this. More widely, my Department is currently leading a drive to look at how services across Government can engage with fathers more effectively.
Academies
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2007, Official Report, columns 288-90W, on academies, what the contribution from private investors was to each academy’s capital costs; and if he will make a statement. [151946]
Jim Knight: Sponsorship in the form of contributions from private investors was provided for the first Academies in the form of a financial contribution towards the capital cost of buildings. The amount of sponsorship pledged to each Academy, as recorded in its funding agreement where one has been signed, is set out in the table below together with the actual or estimated capital cost of buildings. The following table does not include academies where a sponsor will contribute to capital costs but the funding agreement has not been signed and consequently the sponsorship amount has not been formalised.
We have now changed the sponsorship model and sponsors will now, in most cases, establish an endowment fund.
| £000 | ||
| Academy with signed funding agreement | Cost | Total sponsorship pledged |
| (1 )Costs not yet established | ||
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