House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 04 Mar 2008 (pt 0045)

4 Mar 2008 : Column 2450W—continued

4 Mar 2008 : Column 2451W

Departmental Written Questions

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of parliamentary questions from hon. Members for answer on a named day to his Department and its predecessor received a (a) holding and (b) substantive answer on the named day in each year since 2001. [190291]

Kevin Brennan: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Domestic Violence

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what (a) guidance and (b) support his Department gives to children's centres, nurseries and other forms of early years providers in respect of (i) domestic violence and (ii) forced marriage. [189910]

Beverley Hughes: ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’, the main interagency guide to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, contains information for practitioners about domestic violence and forced marriage. It makes clear that those who work with children should know how to recognise and respond to the possible abuse or neglect of a child. This will include childminders and everyone working in early years provision. ‘Working Together’ advises that if anyone has concerns that a child is in danger of a forced marriage, they should contact the Forced Marriage Unit. The guidance also asks Local Safeguarding Children Boards to involve children’s centres in their work to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in their local areas. The Government have also published a shorter guidance document, ‘What To Do If You’re Worried A Child Is Being Abused’, which is used widely by those who work with children and which provides an accessible guide to the steps to take when someone has concerns about a child.

The Sure Start Children’s Centres Practice Guidance highlights families experiencing domestic violence among those groups of families that find it hardest to access the services they need. It encourages children’s centres to ensure that parents or other family members have access to appropriate support. The statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, which will be statutory from September 2008, makes clear that all practitioners should have an up-to-date understanding of safeguarding children issues and be able to implement the safeguarding children policy and procedure appropriately. Policies should be in line with LSCB local guidance and procedures.

4 Mar 2008 : Column 2452W

Faith Schools: Liverpool

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects work to begin on the new faith primary school in Liverpool; and if he will make a statement. [184460]

Jim Knight [holding answer 4 February 2008]: This Department has fully supported the plans for the proposed new faith school in Liverpool, and have worked closely with the local authority and the Archdiocese of Liverpool to move the project forward. The delays are due to issues surrounding local organisation. The local authority has just confirmed that it will now carry out a rationalisation review in the area and will be able to advise us, by September 2008, whether they wish to proceed with plans to build the new faith school.

Family Intervention Projects

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what funds have been allocated to family intervention projects for each of the next three financial years. [191386]

Beverley Hughes: The Secretary of State announced on 5 October 2007 that the Department for Children, Schools and Families would provide on-going funding of up to £18 million over the next three years to sustain the recently established network of 53 Family Intervention Projects. Projects will get ongoing tapered funding over 2008-11 based on current allocations. Evaluation evidence from the 53 projects shows that families who in the past may have been written off by agencies are now being offered the right help and incentives to become decent members of their community and provide their children with life chances.

Nursery Schools: East of England

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many free early years education places have been available in (a) Suffolk, (b) Norfolk, (c) Essex and (d) Cambridgeshire in each year since 1997. [169962]

Beverley Hughes: The available information on the number of part-time funded places filled by three and four-year-olds in Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire local authority areas is shown in the tables.

Since April 2004 all three and four-year-olds have been entitled to a free part-time early education place for 12.5 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year. From 2010, this offer will be extended from 12.5 to 15 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year.

4 Mar 2008 : Column 2453W

4 Mar 2008 : Column 2454W

Number of part time funded places^{( 1,2)} filled by three and four-year-olds—local authority: Suffolk
Position in January each year
	Part-time funded places filled by three-year-olds			Part-time funded places filled by four-year-olds
	Maintained nursery and primary schools^{( 3)}	Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers	Total three-year-olds	Maintained nursery and primary schools^{( 4)}	Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers	Total four-year-olds
1997	610	n/a	610	n/a	n/a	⁽⁵⁾7,400
1998	560	n/a	560	n/a	n/a	⁽⁵⁾7,600
1999	720	n/a	720	n/a	n/a	⁽⁵⁾8,000
2000	630	⁽⁶⁾0	630	n/a	n/a	⁽⁵⁾8,000
2001	860	⁽⁶⁾480	1,300	n/a	n/a	⁽⁵⁾7,600
2002	1,000	⁽⁶⁾3,200	4,200	6,300	⁽⁵⁾1,600	7,900
2003	1,100	⁽⁶⁾3,300	4,400	6,100	⁽⁷⁾1,700	7,800
2004	1,300	⁽⁸⁾4,300	5,600	5,800	⁽⁹⁾1,600	7,300
2005	1,300	⁽⁸⁾4,400	5,700	5,800	⁽⁹⁾1,500	7,300
2006	1,300	⁽⁸⁾4,400	5,700	5,500	⁽⁹⁾1,500	7,000
2007	1,400	⁽⁸⁾4,800	6,200	5,600	⁽⁹⁾1,400	7,000
n/a = Not available. ⁽¹⁾ A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. ⁽²⁾ Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. ⁽³⁾ Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. ⁽⁴⁾ Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. ⁽⁵⁾ Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. ⁽⁶⁾ Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. ⁽⁷⁾ Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the School Census, ⁽⁸⁾ Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. ⁽⁹⁾ Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census.

Number of part time funded places^{( 1,2)} filled by three and four-year-olds—local authority: Norfolk
Position in January each year
	Part-time funded places filled by three-year-olds			Part-time funded places filled by four-year-olds
	Maintained nursery and primary schools^{( 3)}	Other maintained and private voluntary and independent providers	Total three-year-olds	Maintained nursery and primary schools^{( 4)}	Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers	Total four-year-olds
1997	1,500	n/a	1,500	n/a	n/a	⁽⁵⁾8,200
1998	1,800	n/a	1,800	n/a	n/a	⁽⁵⁾8,400
1999	1,900	n/a	1,900	n/a	n/a	⁽⁵⁾8,500
2000	1,900	⁽⁶⁾0	1,900	n/a	n/a	⁽⁵⁾8,900
2001	1,900	⁽⁶⁾130	2,100	n/a	n/a	⁽⁵⁾8,400
2002	1,800	⁽⁶⁾3,000	4,700	6,600	⁽⁵⁾1,900	8,400
2003	1,800	⁽⁶⁾4,300	6,200	6,500	⁽⁷⁾1,900	8,400
2004	2,100	⁽⁸⁾4,400	6,500	6,300	⁽⁹⁾1,800	8,200
2005	2,000	⁽⁸⁾4,100	6,100	6,200	⁽⁹⁾1,700	7,900
2006	2,200	⁽⁸⁾4,700	6,900	5,900	⁽⁹⁾1,800	7,700
2007	2,100	⁽⁸⁾4,900	7,100	5,900	⁽⁹⁾1,800	7,700
n/a = Not available. ⁽¹⁾ A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. ⁽²⁾ Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. ⁽³⁾ Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. ⁽⁴⁾ Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. ⁽⁵⁾ Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. ⁽⁶⁾ Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. ⁽⁷⁾ Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the School Census. ⁽⁸⁾ Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. ⁽⁹⁾ Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census.

Next Section

Index

Home Page