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30 Oct 2007 : Column 1133W—continued
Educational Visits
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many school trips were made by (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in each (i) Government region and (ii) local education authority in each of the last 10 years; [153835]
(2) how many school trips abroad were made by schools in each (a) Government region and (b) local education authority in each of the last 10 years; [153836]
(3) what the average cost of insurance for school trips was in each year since 1997. [153837]
Kevin Brennan: Information is not collected centrally on school trips made by primary and secondary schools either in the UK or abroad. Information on insurance costs is also not held centrally.
Headteachers: Stockport
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of headteachers in Stockport metropolitan borough are within (a) one year, (b) two years, (c) three years, (d) five years and (e) 10 years of standard pension age. [160691]
Jim Knight: The normal pension age (NPA) of teachers who entered service before 1 January 2007 is 60. Entrants to the profession from that date have a NPA of 65. NPA is the age at which members of the teachers’ pension scheme can retire without any actuarial reduction to their pension benefits.
The following table provides the percentage of full-time head teachers in service in the maintained schools sector in England within 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 5 years and 10 years of the NPA 60, in March 2006, the latest information available.
Pupil Exclusions
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to following his predecessor’s Department’s research on school exclusions (a) to give schools clear targets to lower levels of exclusions, (b) to increase and expand mentoring schemes, (c) to help with the transition from primary to secondary school, (d) to provide support for teachers when dealing with difficult pupils and (e) to encourage early intervention with difficult pupils. [159717]
Kevin Brennan: We back a head teacher’s decision to exclude a pupil from school where their bad behaviour warrants it. We will not give schools targets for reducing exclusions. Rather, our aim is to ensure that misbehaviour is tackled early so as to reduce the need for exclusion. We have taken steps to help schools improve the management of behaviour in the classroom.
We are also carrying out a wide ranging programme of work to reduce disproportionate exclusions among black Caribbean and mixed white/black Caribbean pupils following the recommendations in last December’s report “Getting it. Getting it Right”.
Behaviour management is a central part of teacher training. Current standards for qualified teacher status require teachers to know a range of strategies for promoting good behaviour, setting high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and establishing a clear framework for classroom discipline. Our social and emotional aspects of learning curriculum programme tackles the causes of bad behaviour and bullying by helping children develop self-control and good relationships.
In line with the new Department’s wider responsibilities, we are increasingly emphasising the need for early intervention with young people across a range of issues. From September 2007 secondary schools have been working in partnership to improve
behaviour and tackle persistent absence with a strong emphasis on early intervention, and managing the transition from primary to secondary school, to reduce the need for exclusion.
Pupils: Intimidation
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2007, Official Report, column 1092-94W on pupils: intimidation, if he will list all other prompts the national strategies use to assess whether a school needs additional support with its anti-bullying work; and what percentage of (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools are tackling bullying effectively, according to each prompt. [159838]
Kevin Brennan: Further to the answer given to question 147174 on 4 July, the other prompts which the national strategies used during 2006-07 to assess whether a school needed additional support with its anti-bullying work were: (a) strategies to improve attendance; (b) the effectiveness of leadership and management; and (c) schools' effective use of the range of local authority (LA) support services to reduce low level disruption. Any of those prompts may have triggered a discussion between the LA behaviour and attendance consultant, national strategies regional adviser and/or the school about bullying and appropriate follow-up taken. But only the specific anti-bullying prompt referred to in the answer given on 4 July triggered the return of data to the Department relating to bullying.
However, two additional prompts specifically relating to bullying were introduced from autumn 2007. These were:
School impact prompt: Leadership and management of schools and settings
Schools are able to demonstrate a rigorous process that has resulted in the development of an anti-bullying policy that includes all types of bullying, and informs effective practice based on the DCSF anti-bullying guidance and the principles of the DCSF “Bullying—A Charter for Action”. This is supported by evidence from Ofsted reports, pupil surveys, school self evaluation and other evidence that reports schools have a positive climate for learning where all pupils feel safe and secure.
LA impact prompt: Strategic leadership and management of LAs
The LA supports and challenges schools effectively to ensure a reduction in incidents of bullying. This includes:
opportunities to share effective practice;
guidance for policy development, recording and monitoring;
support to all schools in following the good practice advice in the DCSF anti-bullying guidance and the principles of the DCSF “Bullying—A Charter for Action” as a basis for their anti-bullying policies and practice.
Data will be available on both of the above prompts from November 2007.
Teachers: Training
Mr. Laws:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the (a) target and (b) outturn numbers of recruits to initial teacher training
in each secondary school subject were in each year since 2001-02; what the target is for 2007-08; and if he will make a statement. [153945]
Kevin Brennan: Data on targets set for recruitment to initial teacher training in each secondary subject for each academic year between 2001-02 and 2007-08 were published in January 2007 in the school workforce in England (including pupil: teacher ratios and pupil: adult ratios), January 2006 (revised) volume. These figures are available from the following link:
The table of interest is table A3 within ‘(Additional tables giving information on initial teacher training. (added January 2007))’
Recruitment figures to ITT courses in each secondary school subject each academic year between 2001/02 and 2006/07 can also be found in this volume. The table of interest is table A1 within ‘(Additional tables giving information on initial teacher training. (added January 2007))’
Justice
Bullwood Hall Prison: Foreigners
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) on what date the decision was taken to use HMP Bullwood Hall and HMP Canterbury primarily for detention of foreign national prisoners; [161819]
(2) on what date the decision was taken to use HMP Bullwood Hall and HMP Canterbury primarily for detention of foreign national prisoners. [161821]
Mr. Hanson: The decision was taken in May 2006 (Canterbury) and June 2006 (Bullwood Hall). These prisons are used to hold foreign national prisoners who are being considered by the Borders and Immigration Agency for removal from the United Kingdom, in order to streamline caseworking procedures between BIA and the prison service.
Children: Protection
Mr. Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he next expects to meet his counterparts in the Scottish Executive to discuss cross-border co-operation on the protection of children from sex offenders; and if he will make a statement. [161844]
Maria Eagle: Consultation is currently taking place between officials in the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Executive. The revised multi-agency public protection arrangements guidance is scheduled for distribution to probation areas in England and Wales on 31 October 2007. This guidance includes material on how effectively to manage the transfer of cross-border cases. Further consultation at official level is planned, after which advice will be provided to Ministers on strengthening cross-border co-operation.
Departments: Assets
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the (a) description and (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is; [160349]
(2) whether any of his Department’s special advisers have declared a conflict of interest. [160786]
Maria Eagle: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Departments: Civil Proceedings
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many civil law suits have been brought against his Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many were settled out of court, before a court judgment was delivered; and how much such settlements cost the public purse since 1998. [160695]
Mr. Wills: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Human Rights Act 1998 allows the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights to be argued in any case before any court or tribunal.
Departments: Disabled
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which buildings occupied by his Department (a) are and (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if he will make a statement. [161166]
Maria Eagle: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Departments: Ministerial Red Boxes
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 19 July 2007, Official Report, column 570W, on Departments: ministerial red boxes, on what basis he decided that the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. [159573]
Maria Eagle: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Departments: Pay
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what criteria were used for determining pay hotspots for his Department’s employees. [159706]
Bridget Prentice:
A new pay system has recently been introduced for employees in the former Department for Constitutional Affairs now employed in the Ministry of Justice, with five regional pay ranges. Courts and offices were allocated to the Hotspots pay ranges following economic research and analysis of earnings and salary
survey data, analysis of internal departmental data on key retention indicators such as turnover rates, as well as consultation with local senior managers. This was the case with all of the pay ranges introduced as part of the new pay arrangements. There will be an annual review of the operation of the pay system, including the criteria used to allocate offices to pay ranges.
Departments: Policy
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what policy changes his Department has implemented since 27 June 2007. [159287]
Maria Eagle: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Departments: Public Expenditure
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what dates his Department breached its (a) resource, (b) near-cash, (c) administration and (d) capital budgets; what the total value of each breach was; and what the reason was for each breach. [160312]
Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice was created on 9 May 2007 through the merging of the Department for Constitutional Affairs and part of the Home Office (the National Offender Management Service and the Office for Criminal Justice Reform). As a result of the machinery of government change, there are no formal historic budgets for resource DEL, administration and capital DEL against which to compare outturn.
Details for the Ex-DCA and ex-HO Departments can be found in the relevant HM Treasury provisional expenditure outturn publications:
PEOWP 2001-02 (Cm 5574)
PEOWP 2002-03 (Cm 5884)
PEOWP 2003-04 (Cm 6293)
PEOWP 2004-05 (Cm 6639)
PEOWP 2005-06 (Cm 6883)
PEOWP 2006-07 (Cm 7156)
These are available in the Libraries of the House.
PEOWP reports provisional outturn figures for the year against the final HM Treasury control totals on the basis of the budgeting regime that applied in-year. Spending is reported for Departments as they were constituted at the end of the relevant year.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in which financial years since 2001 his Department’s outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the (a) value and (b) reason for the underspend was in each case. [160331]
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