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21 Apr 2008 : Column 1561W—continued
Pupils: Languages
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what are the 10 most common first languages spoken among pupils who have English as an additional language are in (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools and (c) sixth form colleges in (i) Basingstoke, (ii) Hampshire and (iii) England. [199360]
Jim Knight: Where a pupil’s first language is not English, schools may record the specific languages. Provision of this level of information is not compulsory. In January 2007, specific language data were provided for just over half the pupils in maintained primary and secondary schools. The Department does not hold complete data for the specific language categories.
The requested information is not collected from sixth-form colleges.
Pupils: Railways
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make it his policy to liaise with the Secretary of State for Transport and others to create a scheme whereby groups of schoolchildren may use the rail network at reduced rates in peak periods in order to travel to London to undertake activities with the Parliamentary Education Service. [197299]
Jim Knight: Learning outside the classroom is a key part of the new secondary curriculum. We are encouraging schools to plan their curriculums to meet the needs of all their pupils, including engaging and relevant learning to bring the curriculum to life.
It is schools which are best placed to decide which specific learning experiences outside of the classroom meet the curriculum and personal development needs of their pupils. That is why the Department for Children, Schools and Families launched the Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto in November 2006, asking organisations that offer such experiences to pledge their support to schools wanting to provide
them. Nearly 1,000 organisations have signed up to support the Manifesto vision so far.
Train operators already offer discounted travel for children under the age of 16 and group travel discounts, which are very popular with school parties and available to passengers of all ages.
Rackspace
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the value was of each contract awarded to Rackspace by his Department and its predecessors in each of the last nine years. [197512]
Kevin Brennan: Our financial records show that the Department and its predecessor has not made any payments to the company Rackspace in the last nine years.
School Leaving
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the likely cost to the public purse of raising the education and training leaving age in each of the first 10 years of its implementation. [200133]
Jim Knight: The Department has not estimated the costs of raising the participation age (RPA) to 18 in precisely the form requested.
However, as part of the impact assessment (IA) which was published alongside the Education and Skills Bill on 29 November 2007, the costs ‘per cohort of young people’ were set out alongside the benefits. The costs were estimated to be around £800 million per cohort once a steady state had been reached (in 2016-17), while the economic benefits were estimated to be around £2,400 million on the same basis.
and I have placed a copy in the Library of the House.
Schools
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of children gained five A* to C grades in schools that had (a) up to 1,000, (b) between 1,000 and 1,999 and (c) over 2,000 pupils in 2006-07. [188579]
Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 20 February 2008, Official Report, columns 767-68W.
Schools: Admissions
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils in each London borough did not have a school placement at the start of the 2007-08 academic year, broken down by age. [196412]
Jim Knight: This is the first year that local authorities have been required to supply data to the Secretary of State on secondary school offers. Data on offers made to parents on national offer day for the 2008-09 academic year were published on the DCSF research gateway (www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway) on 11 March at local authority, regional and national levels. The Department does not require local authorities to provide the secondary school offers data by age or collect data relating to primary school offers.
Schools: Carbon Monoxide
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many and what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools had audible carbon monoxide alarms fitted in each year since 1997; [200180]
(2) if he will place in the Library all guidance issued by his Department to schools on the use of carbon monoxide alarms. [200182]
Jim Knight: We do not know how many schools have been fitted with carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon monoxide detectors are not required under any statutory regulation, but a number of local authorities have installed CO detectors in some or all of their schools following risk assessments. They have been installed in locations such as boiler rooms, kitchens and other areas containing gas-fired appliances. They have been installed in primary and secondary schools and in both new and existing schools.
The DCSF, the Health and Safety Executive, the Health Protection Agency and the Confederation of Registered Gas Installers encourage the use of carbon monoxide detectors as part of a strategy for safe combustion in schools. However, regular maintenance, testing and inspection of gas and fossil fuel fired appliances are of paramount importance. The principles of gas safety, enforced by the gas safety regulations, rely on thorough testing at initial commissioning and regular maintenance by certified engineers thereafter. It is good practice to inspect and test all gas, oil and solid fuel fired appliances every year. As far as we know, no official guidance has been issued to schools on the use of carbon monoxide alarms.
Schools: Closures
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools closed in (i) Cambridgeshire, (ii) Cumbria, (iii) Devon and Cornwall, (iv) Durham, (v) Dyfed-Powys, (vi) Gloucestershire, (vii) Lincolnshire, (viii) Norfolk, (ix) North Yorkshire, (x) West Mercia and (xi) Wiltshire in each of the last nine years. [192456]
Jim Knight:
The following tables set out the numbers of primary and secondary maintained mainstream schools which have closed in Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Devon and Cornwall, Durham, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, West Mercia and Wiltshire. The tables include cases in which decisions were taken under the local decision-making arrangements which
were introduced in September 1999. Information held on proposals that were decided under the arrangements that operated prior to September 1999 is not reliable and has therefore been excluded. The National Assembly for Wales is responsible for schools in Dyfed and Powys.
The tables include the reasons for closure. The numbers shown in the column headed ‘Cease to Maintain’ indicate closures where the schools have not been replaced by new schools. In all other cases a replacement school will have been established (sometimes on the site of a closing school), or an amalgamating school altered, to accommodate displaced pupils.
| (i) Cambridgeshire | |||
| Due to amalgamation | For fresh start | Total | |
| (ii) Cumbria | |||
| Cease to maintain | Due to amalgamation | Total | |
| (iii) Devon and Cornwall | |||
| Cease to maintain | Due to amalgamation | Total | |
| (iv) Durham | |||
| Cease to maintain | Due to amalgamation | Total | |
| (vi) Gloucestershire | ||||
| Cease to maintain | Due to amalgamation | Change religious character | Total | |
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