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10 Dec 2007 : Column 223W—continued
| Local authority | Indicative funding (capital value £ million) |
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when waves 7 to 14 of the Building Schools for the Future programme will be completed. [169124]
Jim Knight: Building Schools for the Future aims to renew all secondary schools in England where there is need, in fifteen waves of investment which started in 2005-06. We have now launched six waves of Building Schools for the Future projects, which include 72 authorities, allocating funding until 2010-11.
We are reviewing the roll-out of waves 7-15 of Building Schools for the Future and will consult on this shortly. Following the consultation, local authorities will be able to resubmit their expressions of interest, and we will publish the revised national programme for waves 7-15 later in 2008. This will give schools, planning authorities and the private sector good time to get themselves ready to deliver waves 7 and 8.
Building Schools for the Future Programme: Closures
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many (a) secondary and (b) primary schools built under the Building Schools for the Future programme closed in each local authority area in each year since 2004; [171946]
(2) how many (a) secondary and (b) primary schools built under the Building Schools for the Future programme are planned for closure in each local authority area. [171947]
Jim Knight: No schools which have been built or improved through Building Schools for the Future investment have closed or are planned for closure. Building Schools for the Future aims to renew all secondary schools in England where there is need in 15 waves of investment which started in 2005-06. Primary schools are not included in the Building Schools for the Future programme but in the Primary Capital Programme which starts in 2008-09 with 23 pathfinder authorities, and includes all authorities from 2009-10. Its aim is to improve at least 50 per cent. of all primary schools in 14 years, subject to future public spending decisions.
As authorities plan their investment in either of these programmes, they may include the closure of existing schools, for instance to reflect population movement. School organisation is a local matter, and there are clear statutory procedures including local consultation where changes to schools are proposed.
Children: Disabled
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions he has had with European Union counterparts on the treatment of children with physical and mental disabilities; and if he will make a statement. [171222]
Jim Knight: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had any discussions specifically on this topic with his European Union counterparts.
This is an area of policy where the European Union does not have any formal competence and which is normally reserved to member states. However member states may agree to cooperate and share good practice where this adds value. UK Ministers and officials do take part in discussions on a variety of issues affecting children and young people, including disability, within the European Union, for example by responding to the Commission’s recently published Communication on the Rights of the Child.
Children: Hyperactivity
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what support is available to parents whose children have attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder; and if he will make a statement. [170789]
Jim Knight: Agencies addressing children's needs are encouraged to work closely with parents and carers. For example, schools and local authorities are statutorily required to have regard to the special educational needs (SEN) code of practice; among other things, the code stresses the importance of all professionals (in schools, local authorities and other agencies) actively seeking to work with parents, valuing the contribution they make. The code also reminds local authorities that section 332A of the Education Act 1996 requires them to arrange for the parent of any child in their area with special educational needs to be provided with advice and information about matters relating to those needs.
The Children Act 2004 provides a statutory framework for cooperation between local authorities, partner agencies and other relevant organisations to improve outcomes for all children including those who have been diagnosed as experiencing an attention
deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Given that this disorder often entails difficult or challenging behaviour, supporting the child to address his or her behaviour is in itself helpful to his or her parents.
Drug treatment for ADHD should only be initiated by an appropriately qualified health care professional with relevant expertise and should be based on comprehensive assessment and diagnosis. Continued prescribing and monitoring of drug therapy may be performed by general practitioners, under shared care arrangements.
Health care professionals are encouraged to work closely with education and social care services to ensure appropriate interventions are offered. These interventions should include focusing on the child's behaviour in the context of his or her relationships at home and in the classroom.
If there are concerns that a child may have additional needs which require a range of services, or it is unclear what his or her needs are, agencies are increasingly using the common assessment framework (CAP) to identify appropriate ways forward. Within the CAP and its associated guidance, there are prompts for practitioners to consider a wide range of factors and the potential role of other agencies.
Children: Literacy
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government has taken to encourage parents to assist their children with learning to read at home. [167896]
Jim Knight [holding answer 26 November 2007]: The Department is currently supporting a range of initiatives that are designed to encourage parents to become more actively involved in supporting their children with learning to read at home:
the provision of Bookstart and Booktime book packs to parents of all children in England aged between six-nine months, 18 months, and three years and at reception age, that encourages the sharing of books and reading aloud to their children;
the Family Reading Campaign with a focus on reaching homes where reading is not part of the family culture;
the Primary National Strategy’s Communication, Language and Literacy Development (CLLD) programme that offers parents information sheets called ‘Helping your child with speaking, listening, reading and writing’;
family literacy, language and numeracy (FLLN)—a programme that is designed to enable parents and their children to improve their literacy, language and numeracy skills together.
Looking ahead, the 2008 National Year of Reading will create a powerful focus for these initiatives so that parents and children better understand how reading can benefit their lives.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will commission research into the underlying biomedical cause of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome; and if he will make a statement. [170254]
Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
The Department for Innovation, University and Skills does not commission medical research. The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a strategic priority area for the MRC and the council is continuing to promote research in this area.
City Technology Colleges: Free School Meals
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of children at each city technology college established prior to 1 May 1997 are eligible for free school meals at each such school. [169837]
Jim Knight: The latest available information relates to January 2007 and is shown in the table.
| City technology colleges( 1) , number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals( 2) , as at January 2007 | ||||
| Pupil achievement and attainment tables( 2) | ||||
| LEA number | School name | Number of pupils | Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals |
| (1) City technology colleges established prior to 1 May 1997. (2) Includes pupils with sole and dual registration who are full-time and aged 0 to 15 (inclusive) and those who are part-time and aged five to 15 (inclusive). Source: School Census. | ||||
Class Sizes
Mr. Randall:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the ratio of teachers to children in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) the Uxbridge constituency, (ii) each
London borough and (iii) England was in each year since 1997. [169975]
Jim Knight: The following tables provide the pupil:teacher ratio in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in Uxbridge constituency, London local authorities and England in each January 1997 to 2007.
| Pupil:teacher ratio in local authority maintained primary schools in Oxbridge constituency, each London local authority and England, January 1997 to 2007 | |||||||||||
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
| (1) Nil or not applicable. Source: School Census | |||||||||||
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