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21 Apr 2008 : Column 1544W—continued
Departmental Pensions
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of staff in his Department were making additional voluntary contributions to their pensions in each of the last two years. [193551]
Kevin Brennan: In February 2007, there were 33 members of staff making additional voluntary pension contributions through deductions from their pay, representing 0.9 per cent. of the total number of staff employed by the Department.
In February 2008, the number of staff making additional voluntary pension contributions through deductions from their pay was reduced to 22 people, representing 0.8 per cent. of total number of staff employed by the Department.
Departmental Sustainable Development
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether his Department is working towards an accredited certified environmental management system (a) for its whole estate and (b) in some of its buildings. [198044]
Kevin Brennan: The Department is working towards an ISO 14001:2004 accredited environmental system for all its headquarters buildings.
Departmental Video-Conferencing
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will set a target to increase the use of video-conferencing by his Department to reduce the need to travel to meetings. [195895]
Kevin Brennan: We have no target to increase the use of video-conferencing by this Department to reduce the need to travel to meetings, but actively encourage staff to use video links for meetings involving staff from different sites rather than travel to a central point.
Education: Devon
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much he has allocated to (a) expand facilities for 16 to 19 year-old learners and (b) deliver learning and skills for adults in East Devon to meet his targets in each case. [196398]
Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
The 2008-09 Grant Letter to the Learning and Skills Council sets out a record level of investment for post- 16 education and training over the next three years, with some £11.5 billion in 2008-09, rising to over £12 billion in 2009-10, and over £12.5 billion in 2010-11. This investment includes year-on-year increases in capital funding, and will ensure that we can continue to deliver a significant improvement in participation and attainment across all areas of the country, giving both young people and adults the skills and qualifications they need to succeed.
Decisions about allocations to specific areas are made by the LSC, based on overall learner numbers and strategic discussions with local partners about the range of provision that is needed. The allocations process for 2008/09 is currently under way, and Mark Haysom, the chief executive of the LSC, wrote to the hon. Member setting out the funding allocations for East Devon as soon as they were confirmed. A copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.
Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 9 April 2008:
I refer to your recent question to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to which I was asked to respond setting out the LSC funding allocations for 16-19 learning and to deliver learning and skills for adults in East Devon.
Please find below the allocations in respect of school sixth forms in the East Devon District Council area for the 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 academic years. The variations in particular allocations are mostly as a result of fluctuating pupil numbers.
| LSC funding allocations in East Devon | |||
| £ | |||
| East Devon schools | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
| (1) No allocation yet. (2) Not yet available. | |||
As you know, there are complex patterns of 16-18 learner participation in the East Devon Area with many students choosing to access courses at Richard Huish College in Taunton, Exeter College or elsewhere. The designated further education institute for the area is East Devon College in Tiverton and LSC funding information is provided for this College. The 2008-09 academic for funding is provisional at the moment but is a guaranteed minimum and, in reality, is unlikely to change. A proposal is being developed currently for North Devon and East Devon Colleges to merge on 1 August 2008.
The allocations of LSC funding for 19+ learners at East Devon College are also included for the 2006-07 and 2007-08 academic years. The allocation for 2008-09 is not yet finalised and I will write again to notify this during the coming weeks.
I have also included an indication of Train to Gain LSC investment in the East Devon area. A range of training providers operate in the area and respond to employers’ needs for training. The figures I have quoted are notional amounts apportioned to the consortium of Exeter, East Devon and Bicton Colleges.
Bicton College, a specialist land based FE provider, is based in the East Devon District Council area. As it draws learners from throughout the South West Region and beyond, LSC financial allocations at this College do not relate easily to investment in learning and skills in the immediate vicinity.
However, I would be pleased to provide details of LSC investment at this College if this would help.
The LSC also invests significantly in the delivery of apprenticeships training but financial details related to specific home postcodes of apprentices are difficult and expensive to produce. However, if this is required for apprentices who live in East Devon District Council postcode areas, it could be produced.
I hope this information meets your requirements but please let me know if more is needed. I shall write again later in the year with details of 19+ funding allocations at East Devon College and for Train to Gain.
Education: Finance
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions he has had with the F40 group on the issue of education funding for local authorities in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [199251]
Jim Knight: No Ministers from this Department have met the F40 group in the last 12 months. Senior officials of the Department attended and spoke at the group's national conference in late March last year and will do so again in May this year, looking at the key issues for the current review of the distribution of school funding from 2011-12. I have had occasional discussions with the hon. Member for Stafford (Mr. Kidney), an office holder with F40, regarding school funding.
General Certificate of Secondary Education
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of schools had less than 30 per cent. of pupils obtaining five A* to C GCSEs including English and mathematics in 2007, broken down by index of multiple deprivation decile. [198658]
Jim Knight: The information requested is set out in the following table.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of (a) pupils eligible for free school meals and (b) all eligible pupils did not sit five GCSEs in 2007. [199415]
Jim Knight: A total of 32,819 pupils sat fewer than five GCSE or equivalent examinations in 2006/07. This was 5.5 per cent. of all pupils. 9,603 pupils eligible for free school meals sat fewer than five GCSE or equivalent examinations in 2006/07, This was -12.6 per cent. of pupils eligible for free schools meals.
The figures relate to pupils in maintained schools at the end of Key Stage 4.
General Certificate of Secondary Education: Disadvantaged
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils eligible for free school meals did not sit five GCSEs in 2007. [198660]
Jim Knight: A total of 9,603 pupils eligible for free school meals sat fewer than five GCSE or equivalent examinations in 2006/07. This was 12.6 per cent. of pupils eligible for free schools meals.
The figures relate to pupils in maintained schools at the end of key stage 4.
General Certificate of Secondary Education: Enfield
Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of children in Enfield North achieved more than eight A to C grades in GCSE examinations in (a) 1997 and (b) 2007. [178809]
Jim Knight: The percentage of pupils in Enfield North who achieved more than eight A*-C grades in GCSE examinations in 1996/97 was 15.8 per cent. The figure for 2006/07 was 31.7 per cent.
The figure for England in 1996/97 was 21.8 per cent. and the 2006/07 figure was 39.3 per cent.
These figures relate to 15-year-olds (age at the start of the academic year, i.e. 31 August) in maintained schools. The 2006/07 figures include a wider range of qualifications (on a basis equivalent to GCSEs).
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