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14 Jan 2008 : Column 822W—continued
Tourist Information: Rural Areas
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many tourism information centres in rural areas have been closed in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area. [178461]
Margaret Hodge: Figures on an annual basis by local authority area are not available.
Television Licensing
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioners over 75 years in Hendon have free television licences.[177500]
James Purnell: TV Licensing, which administers free television licences for people aged 75 or over as agents for the BBC, is not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, the number of households with at least one person aged 75 or over claiming the winter fuel payment in the Hendon constituency in 2006-07 was 5,820, according to the records of the Department for Work and Pensions.
Children, Schools and Families
Academies: Head Teachers
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the National Professional Qualification for Headship will be compulsory for all new head teachers of academies, including those changing schools; and if he will make a statement. [177013]
Jim Knight: The National Professional Qualification for Headship is not compulsory for new head teachers of Academies. However, we would expect all Academies to have robust policies in place for the performance management and continuing professional development of all staff.
Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many section 7 cases were completed by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in each of the last five financial years; and what the cost was of such work; [175760]
(2) which Children and Family Court and Advisory Support Service regions will be recruiting additional staff during the 2007-08 financial year; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such additional staff; [175759]
(3) what plans he has to recalculate workload measurements for Children and Family Court and Advisory Support Service staff; and whether this will involve additional expenditure; [175758]
(4) on how many occasions Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service staff were involved in early intervention or dispute resolution during the financial year 2007-08; and what the cost was of such work. [175761]
Kevin Brennan: These are matters for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS). Anthony Douglas, the Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with this information and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.
Letter from Anthony Douglas, dated 9 December 2007:
I am writing to you in response to the four Parliamentary Questions that you tabled recently:
175760—To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many section 7 cases were completed by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in each of the last five financial years; and what the cost was of such work.
175759—To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, which Children and family Court Advisory Support Service regions will be recruiting additional staff during the current financial year, and what the estimated cost is of such additional staff.
175758—To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what plans he has to recalculate workload measurements for children and Family Court and Advisory Support Service staff; and whether this will involve additional expenditure.
Another MP (Ms Julie Morgan, Parliamentary Questions 162332, 162296 and 162297) has asked similar questions for the above three parliamentary questions. A response was sent on 3 December 2007 and a copy can be found in the House Library.
175761—To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, on how many occasions Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service staff were involved in early intervention or dispute resolution during the financial year 2007-08; and what the cost was of such work.
We have provided figures from April 2007 to end of November 2007 in the table below. However, as Unit Costs are calculated at the end of each financial year we have used the Unit Cost figures
from 2006-07, therefore these figures should be considered as indicative only. The cost has been calculated by multiplying the number of hours spent on Dispute Resolution in the year by the Unit Cost(1) (2006-07) for an hour of practitioner activity. Statistics do not currently fully capture all case related support activity and we plan a diary survey in the spring which will enable us to make more accurate calculations and calculate averages in respect of time taken on such work. Related activity in screening cases coming before the courts prior to embarking on Dispute Resolution is also not included in these figures but plays an important part in ensuring appropriate safeguards are in place.
| Financial year | Total dispute resolution hours | Unit cost (£ per hour)( 1) | Total cost (£) |
| (1 )Unit costs are calculated at the end of each financial year dividing the total Direct(2) spend for the Organisation by the estimated number of hours spent on Public and Private Law cases completed in the year. As unit costs are not available for the period April to November 2007 we have used the unit cost for 2006/07. (2 )Direct spend only includes costs directly linked to practice e.g. Staff Salary, Training, Travel and Subsistence. It does not include indirect costs e.g. Accommodation, Recruitment and Utilities. | |||
Another MP (Ms Julie Morgan Parliamentary Question 162333) has asked a similar question for the above parliamentary question. A response was sent on 3 December 2007 and a copy can be found in the House Library.
A copy of this reply will be placed in the House Library.
Education: Isle of Wight
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2007, Official Report, column 630W, on education: Isle of Wight, for what reason the recent presentation by his Department's officials on challenges facing schools on the Isle of Wight described schools reorganisation as necessary; and if he will make a statement. [178049]
Jim Knight: The presentation given by DCSF officials on 15 November 2007 was given on the basis of existing proposals, then under consideration. The Department did not recommend the re-organisation of schools on the Isle of Wight but it was stated that re-organisation on its own would probably not be sufficient to raise the standards of attainment in the authority's schools. It was made clear that any decision to reorganise would be entirely for local decision within the Isle of Wight, but that the problems in relation to school under-performance were immediate and re-organisation alone will not be sufficient to resolve them.
Pupils: Assessments
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of school pupils in Hendon achieved (a) level 4 or above at key stage 2 and (b) level 5 or above at key stage 3 in (i) English, (ii) mathematics, (iii) science and (iv) English, mathematics and science in 2007. [177731]
Jim Knight: The latest available information is set out in the following tables:
| Percentage of school pupils achieving level 4 or above at key stage 2, 2007 | ||||
| Percentage of pupils achieving level 4 plus | ||||
| English | Mathematics | Science | English, mathematics and science | |
| Notes: 1. Revised data. 2. England figures are based on all schools. | ||||
| Percentage of school pupils achieving level 5 or above at key stage 3, 2006 | ||||
| Percentage of pupils achieving level 5 plus | ||||
| English | Mathematics | Science | English, mathematics and science | |
| Notes: 1. Final data. 2. England figures are based on all schools. | ||||
Key stage 3 2007 revised data are scheduled for publication in February 2008.
Schools: Admissions
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many appeals were lodged by parents against non-admission of their children to schools in Barnet in the last year for which figures are available; what percentage of appeals were successful; where Barnet ranks in each case in relation to other local education authorities in (a) London and (b) England; and if he will make a statement. [177496]
Jim Knight: Information from the School Census and Admission Appeals Survey shows that in 2005/06, the latest year for which data is available, there were 66 appeals lodged by parents against non-admission to primary schools in Barnet local authority, 42.9 per cent. of which were successful; and 704 appeals lodged by parents against non-admissions to secondary schools in Barnet local authority, 24.9 per cent. of which were successful.
In terms of the numbers of appeals lodged, Barnet local authority ranks: (a) 20(th) out of 33 at primary and 4(th) out of 33 at secondary when compared with all London authorities; and (b) 50(th) out of all 150 at primary and 18(th) out of all 150 at secondary when compared with all local authorities in England, where the authority ranked 1 has the highest number appeals lodged.
In terms of the percentage of successful appeals, Barnet local authority ranks: (a) 2(nd) out of 33 at primary and 4(th) out of 33 at secondary when compared with all London local authorities; and (b) 50(th) out of 150 at primary and 105(th) out of 150 at secondary when compared with all local authorities in England, where the authority ranked 1 has the highest percentage of successful appeals.
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