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19 Feb 2008 : Column 501W—continued
| Table B: Capital grants made available to Kent county council by DCSF in 2007-08 | |
| £ | |
| Table C: Supported borrowing made available to Kent county council by DCSF in 2007-08 | |
| £ | |
Educentre Ltd: Academies
Mr. Purchase: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what support his Department is giving to Educentre Ltd. to build academies; and if he will make a statement. [175658]
Jim Knight: The Department has informed Educentre Ltd. about the Building Schools for the Future programme. The Department has also included Educentre Ltd. on its list of potential providers to which it circulates details of new school competitions, so that they are aware of projects for which they could enter a bid.
Family Planning: Finance
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what grants his Department made to (a) Brook, (b) the Family Planning Association, (c) Marie Stopes International, (d) the British Pregnancy Advisory Service and (e) Education for Choice in each of the last five years; what the (i) value and (ii) purpose of each such grant was; what restrictions apply to the ways in which funds from each grant may be spent; and if he will make a statement. [186372]
Beverley Hughes: The amounts paid by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to the organisations listed in the question, along with a summary of the purpose for which the payments were made, are included in the following table. There no restrictions on the way that funding may be spent other than those that apply to all funding under the programmes listed in the table and that it should be used for the purpose intended. The Department has not provided funding to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) or Marie Stopes International.
Finance
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the role of the finance director in his Department is in relation to authorising policies with significant financial implications for the Department. [164966]
Kevin Brennan: The Department operates a devolved financial framework in which budget responsibility for policy initiatives is delegated to those charged with administering and delivering the policy. The specific role of the Finance Director within this delegated framework is to ensure that line managers within policy areas are supported with professional accountancy and financial advice when considering the financial implications of policy proposals. In line with the Treasury's guidance within “Managing Public Money” (October 2007) the Finance Director is responsible for providing financial leadership within the Department by setting the financial governance framework, establishing the internal financial controls and maintaining the essential external links with Treasury and the National Audit Office.
The Department has a qualified accountant as Director General of Corporate Services who sits on the board and has overall strategic responsibility for all operational matters and for directly supporting the Accounting Officer. On a day-to-day basis many of the key financial tasks are delegated to a professionally qualified Finance Director who manages the Department's central finance function, is responsible
for improving financial literacy of budget managers and ensuring that the Department meets all its statutory financial reporting obligations.
Forced Marriage
Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will ensure that information on helplines and access to support for victims of forced marriage or persons in fear of forced marriage is available in secondary schools to teachers and pupils; and if he will make a statement. [184353]
Jim Knight: Schools have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of their pupils, and we have encouraged them, through guidance, to make available information about helplines and access to support for victims or people in fear of forced marriage. School staff should also be alert to the risk of forced marriage, as with other potential risks of harm to their pupils. They should not attempt to mediate in suspected cases, but should contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Forced Marriage Unit where experienced caseworkers are able to offer support and guidance.
Foster Care
Ms Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average time was that local authorities took to interview and process an application form from couples and individuals wishing to (a) foster and (b) adopt a child or children in the last 12 month period for which figures are available. [183552]
Kevin Brennan: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to her on 25 June 2007, Official Report, column 532W.
Free School Meals
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools have eligibility levels for free school meals of 20 per cent. or more in local authorities with overall eligibility levels for that type of school of less than 15 per cent.; and if he will make a statement. [163314]
Jim Knight: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of secondary schools with free school meal eligibility of between 35 per cent. and 50 per cent. are not specialist schools; and what the estimated annual revenue cost to these schools is as a consequence of their non-specialist status. [164021]
Jim Knight: The information requested in the first part of this question could be provided only at disproportionate cost. No information is readily available to meet the second part of this request.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children (a) were entitled to and (b) claimed free school meals in each of the last 10 years. [164243]
Jim Knight [holding answer 14 November 2007]: The available information is given in tables 3A, 3B and 3C of SFR30/2007 (Schools and Pupils in England, January 2007 (Final)) which can be found at
Information for earlier years cannot be provided within the time scale required by Parliament.
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