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24 Oct 2007 : Column 418W—continued
Schools: East of England
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department plans to spend per school pupil in each local education authority in the East of England in 2007-08; and how much was spent in each academic year since 1997-98. [159215]
Jim Knight: The revenue funding figures per pupil aged 3-19 for each local authority in the East England for years 1997-98 to 2005-06 are as follows. These figures are in real terms:
| Local a uthority | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999- 20 00 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 |
| Notes: 1. Price Base: Real terms at 2005-06 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 27 September 2006. 2. Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of standard spending assessment/education formula spending (EFS) settlements and exclude the pensions transfer to EFS and LSC. 3. Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DFS departmental expenditure limits relevant to pupils aged 3-19 and exclude education maintenance allowances (EMAs) and grants not allocated at LEA level. For those authorities in receipt of advance of grant under the transitional support arrangements for 2004-05, advance grant funding is included in the year of payment (2004-05). There will be a consequential reduction in DFS grant for these LEAs in future years (either 2006-07 and 2007-08 or 2006-07 to 2008-09, depending on the terms on which the advance was given to the LEA). 4. The pupil numbers used to convert £ million figures to £ per pupil are those underlying the SSA/EFS settlement calculations plus PLASC three year old maintained pupils and estimated 3 to 4 year-olds funded through state support in maintained and other educational institutions where these are not included in the SSA pupil numbers. 5. Rounding: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 6. Some of the grant allocations have not been finalised. If these do change, the effect on the funding figures is expected to be minimal. 7.1997-98 figures for authorities subject to local government reorganisation in that year have been estimated, pro-rata to their post LGR figures. | |||||||||
The revenue per pupil figures shown in the following table is taken from the new dedicated schools grant (DSG) and is in cash terms. They are not comparable with those for the years 1997-98 to 2005-06 because the introduction of the DSG in 2006-07 fundamentally changed how local authorities are funded.
The 1997-98 to 2005-06 figures are based on education formula spending (EPS) which formed the education part of the local government finance settlement, plus various grants. This was an assessment of what local authorities needed to fund education rather than what they spent. The DSG is based largely on an authority's previous spending. In addition, the DSG has a different coverage to EFS. EFS comprised a schools block and an LEA block (to cover LEA central functions) whereas DSG only covers the school block. LEA block items are still funded through DCLG's local government finance settlement but education items cannot be separately identified. Consequently, there is a break in the Department's time series as the two sets of data are not comparable. An alternative time series is currently under development.
To provide a comparison for 2006-07 DSG, the Department have isolated the schools block equivalent funding in 2005-06; as described above this does not represent the totality of ‘education’ funding in that year. Further the revenue grants figure is provisional and does not include grants allocated by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).
The figures are for all funded pupils aged 3 to 15 and are in cash terms:
| £ | |||
| Local a uthority | 2005-06 DSG Baseline plus grants | 2006-07 DSG plus grants | 2007-08 DSG plus grants |
| Notes: 1. The revenue funding per pupil figures only run to 2005-06 because we cannot provide a consistent time series beyond that year as the introduction of the dedicated schools grant (DSG) in 2006-07 fundamentally changed how local authorities are funded. The 1998-99 to 2005-06 figures are based on education formula spending (EPS) which formed the education part of the local government finance settlement, plus various grants. This was an assessment of what local authorities needed to fund education rather than what they spent. In 2006-07 funding for schools changed with the introduction of the DSG which is based largely on an authority's previous spending. 2. In addition, DSG has a different coverage to EFS: EFS comprised a schools block and an LEA block (to cover LEA central functions) whereas DSG only covers the school block. LEA block items are still funded through DCLG's local government finance settlement but education items cannot be separately identified. This means we have a break in our time series as the two sets of data are not comparable, an alternative time series is currently under development. 3. To provide a comparison for 2006-07 DSG, we have isolated the schools block equivalent funding in 2005-06; as described above this does not represent the totality of ‘education’ funding in that year. | |||
Schools: Nurses
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many vacancies for school nurses there are in each local education authority; and how many of those vacancies are for full-time positions. [160095]
Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.
The Government are committed to resourcing Primary Care Trusts to provide at least one full-time, year round, qualified school nurse working with each cluster or group of primary schools and the related secondary school, taking account of health needs and school populations. It is for the Primary Care Trust to determine the numbers of school nurses required in each area and to recruit people to those posts. In 2006 there were nearly 3,000 School Nursing Service Nurses employed by PCTs to work in schools in England. Of these nurses, 1,129 had a school nurse qualification. This is an increase of 186 (19.7 per cent.) on 2005. (Latest available figures—full figures available from the NHS Information centre).
In addition to the PCT nurses, schools and local authorities sometimes employ their own medical staff directly. In January 2007 the School Census showed there were around 1,600 “matrons/nurses/medical staff” in local authority maintained schools. However, it is not possible to separate out the number of nurses from this combined total. Local authorities and
schools that wish to make such appointments determine for themselves what kind of health practitioners they need and in what numbers and these figures are not collected centrally.
Schools: Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many complaints his Department received in each of the last 12 months on private finance initiative arrangements in schools. [159888]
Jim Knight: The Department does not centrally collate correspondence received specifically into different categories.
Schools: Renewable Energy
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what advice he has received from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on the installation of renewable energy generation in new schools; and if he will make a statement. [159390]
Jim Knight: The Department is working closely with BERR and a number of other Government Departments on the installation of renewable energy in all schools, including new school buildings.
The Department has received specific advice from the Biomass Implementation Advisory Group, a joint DEFRA/BERR initiative, on technical issues surrounding the use of biomass and the availability and use of wood fuels and other energy crops as a source of renewable heat.
We have also recently worked with BERR in developing their Draft Strategy for Sustainable Construction (currently out to consultation) which proposes a timetable for carbon reductions from new buildings which will require a significant contribution from renewable and other low carbon sources of energy. We have also been advised of the opportunities to invest in projects to help meet these targets through the BERR funded Low-Impact Buildings Innovation Platform.
BERR have previously developed programmes for primary and secondary schools to provide information and teaching resources about eight key renewable energy sources, and in 2006 DCSF and BERR jointly hosted a workshop to explore how Low Carbon Buildings Programme funding could be utilised within school buildings.
Schools: Shropshire
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will increase funding for schools in Shropshire to the national average. [159164]
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