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6 May 2008 : Column 809W—continued
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Departmental Public Participation
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what (a) surveys, (b) questionnaires and (c) other services were provided by polling companies for his Department in financial year 2007-08, broken down by company. [200008]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created as a result of machinery of government changes on 28 June, 2007.
From that date to the end of the financial year, the following services have been provided by polling companies for the Department. The research has informed the Department's information campaign to ensure potential students are aware of the financial support that is available.
In addition to this SHM Ltd. organized five small “Student Jury” events (14-15 students per event) with current students to inform the work of the National Student Forum.
Departmental Written Questions
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills with reference to the letter of 14 April 2008 to the hon. Member for Portsmouth South from his Department's Parliamentary Section, regarding the question tabled by the hon. Member on 1 April 2008 (198340), for what reason the question tabled by the hon. Member on 28 January 2008 (183633) on midwifery students, was not transferred to the Department of Health. [201944]
Mr. Lammy: The parliamentary team confirmed that they issued a notification of transfer to the hon. Member for PQ 183633 as with PQ 198340. Both of these PQs were transferred to the Department for Health and a response was sent to the hon. Member on 24 April, Official Report, columns 2084-86W.
Energy and Utility Skills Sector Skills Council
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps the Energy and Utility Sector Skills Council is taking to ensure that the UK has an adequate supply of people with the skills needed for the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors. [202630]
Mr. Lammy: Energy and Utility Skills (E&U Skills) is one of several Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) which have a particular interest in the supply of skills needed for energy efficiency and renewable energy. E&U Skills is taking a number of steps which will help ensure that the skills needed in these areas are met.
In common with all SSCs, E&U Skills has developed a Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) which identifies the sector's current and future skills needs. The SSA, which is UK wide, provides a clear platform for education and skills agencies and providers to work with the sector on helping meet those needs. Following on from the SSA, E&U Skills, working with leading employers, are considering the case for a possible national skills academy for environmental industries, with initial discussions focussing on waste management and water. E&U Skills has also brokered the setting up of an employer-led Power Sector Skills Strategy Group, chaired by a senior manager from EOF Energy. Through these initiatives, EU Skills is engaging and consulting with its sector on developing arrangements that will lead to the renewable energy agenda being addressed throughout these industries.
On energy usage, E&U Skills is taking steps such as working with the Health and Safety Executive to ensure that the re-licensing of the gas registrar (currently CORGI) takes account of all the skills needs of gas installers. It is anticipated that the new registrar will be announced in the next few months.
Further Education: Finance
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether he plans to make intervention funding available to the Learning and Skills Council to support (a) further education colleges and (b) proposed mergers of further education colleges between 2008-09 and 2010-11; and if he will make a statement. [202977]
Mr. Lammy: As the statutory planning and funding body for further education, it is for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to consider how it uses the funds it receives in line with stated priorities. The Department does not propose to make an additional budget available specifically for intervention at this point. Where it has been identified that a college may be underperforming, LSC will normally issue a notice to improve and support is provided to address the areas of weakness. This may be an improvement advisor appointed by the new FE improvement body or another support package drawn from other improvement services, depending on the circumstances. Strategic options, which may include formal collaboration with another institution, may also be explored. Intervention powers will apply only in the most serious cases of underperformance where a college has not made the required progress against the notice to improve, and the LSC and the governing body cannot agree a way forward.
While there is no specific fund to support merger proposals, the LSC may decide to support the development of proposals in a number of ways e.g. support for feasibility studies.
Ipsos MORI
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer of 2 April 2008, Offi cial Report, columns 998-9W, on Ipsos MORI, what proportion of his Department's consultancy expenditure to date has involved payments to Ipsos MORI. [203110]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) was created as a result of Machinery of Government changes in June 2007. The Department is in the process of producing the 2007-08 Resource Accounts. The accounts report both the 2007-08 outturn and 2006-07 comparatives. Until the accounts are completed we are unable to provide the proportion that Ipsos MORI expenditure accounted for as the total of consultancy expenditure for the Department, to do so would be at disproportionate cost.
Land Use
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether the Foresight Land Use Futures project will review (a) Green Belt protection, (b) other land use designations and (c) rural re-rating. [203134]
Ian Pearson: The Foresight Land Use Futures project will take a long-term (25 to 50 years), system-wide view, to explore how our use of land may need to evolve to meet future challenges and how it can deliver economic, social and environmental benefits sustainably.
By combining the most up to date scientific evidence with well-informed exploratory futures work it will assist policymakers in developing robust and resilient strategies, policies and priorities.
The project was announced by Professor John Beddington earlier this month and its detailed scope will be confirmed in June. It is a futures project and, as such, will not scrutinise specific existing policies or immediate policy questions. It will focus on developing
an understanding of land use systems, the factors that may drive future changes and the opportunities and risks associated with those futures.
Further information as and when it becomes available will be posted at
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what (a) processes and (b) criteria will be used to select the (i) high level stakeholder group and (ii) expert advisory group for the Foresight Land Use Futures project. [203135]
Ian Pearson: The information requested is as follows:
(i) Foresight Land Use Futures high level stakeholder group
The Foresight Land Use Futures project covers a wide range of issues. The process for selecting members for the high level stakeholder group has included consideration of the issues and range of interests potentially involved, consultation with the sponsoring Departments, DEFRA and CLG, consultation with expert and professional communities and UK Research Councils. The criteria were designed to ensure a balance of interests such as rural and urban, environmental and commercial, public and private sector. Details of membership will be posted on the website in due course.
There are a large number of other organisations who will contribute to and be communicated with on a regular basis as a wider stakeholder community for the project
(ii) Foresight Land Use Futures lead expert group
Foresight projects draw upon a large network of leading experts in the UK and internationally, from a wide range of scientific and other disciplines, in order to ensure that the work is of the highest technical and scientific standard. A small lead expert group, will work closely with the Foresight team throughout the life of the project to steer the technical work and contribute to the analysis. Members of the lead expert group demonstrate high academic standing in the relevant discipline areas and have capacity to commit up to four days per month to the project. Experience of bringing academic evidence to bear on public policy is also desirable.
The lead expert group for this project has not yet been constituted. The Government's Chief Scientific Adviser will invite individuals to join this group once the formal project scope has been confirmed by the high level stakeholder group and the key disciplines agreed. Again, the membership of the group will be posted on the website.
Learning and Skills Council for England: Finance
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much intervention funding he plans to make available to each regional and sub-regional learning and skills council to support further education college mergers and other exceptional circumstances in each of the years of the current comprehensive spending review period. [203390]
Mr. Lammy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer to his question 202977. As stated in that answer, the Department does not propose to make an additional budget available specifically for intervention at this point and there is no specific fund to support merger proposals.
Children, Schools and Families
Academies: Admissions
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many academies use selection by (a) aptitude, (b) local banding and (c) area banding in admissions; and if he will make a statement. [201047]
Jim Knight: Academies must abide by the schools admissions code as it applies to maintained schools, which includes statutory requirements on selection by aptitude and selection using banding.
Over-subscription criteria are included in each academy’s funding agreement. Of the 83 open academies, if over-subscribed, 17 academy funding agreements allow for selection of 10 per cent. of pupils by aptitude in a relevant specialism; 26 allow for banding by reference to the ability range of applicants and three allow for banding with reference to the national ability range. There are no funding agreements that allow for banding with reference to the ability range of pupils in the local area.
Children: Day Care
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of children aged (a) three and (b) four years old were in daycare settings for more than 12.5 hours a week in (i) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (ii) Bexley borough in each of the last 10 years. [203565]
Beverley Hughes: Information on the number and proportion of children aged three and four years old attending private, voluntary and independent settings for more than 12.5 hours a week was not collected prior to 2004. From 2004, data are available for four-year-old children only.
The available information about the number of three and four-year-olds in free early education, in private, voluntary and independent providers, by number of sessions and local authority area were published in Statistical First Release (SFR) 19/2007 “Provision for children under five years of age in England: January 2007”, available on my Department’s website at: www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000729/index .shtml The number of four-year-olds accessing five or more sessions can be found in table 6. Information for 2004-06 can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities have not completed a sufficiency assessment of childcare provision; and if he will make a statement. [202139]
Beverley Hughes: I am advised that all local authorities have completed sufficiency assessments of childcare provision in their areas and have published them, as the Childcare Act 2006 requires, on their websites. I understand, however, that three local authorities have not yet published their assessments in final form because they are still awaiting formal clearance from the appropriate council body.
Children: Employment
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when the Government plans to publish new guidance on child employment. [201865]
Beverley Hughes: We plan to publish new guidance on child employment later this year.
Children's Centres
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many children aged (a) under one, (b) one year old, (c) two years old, (d) three years old, (e) four years old, (f) five years old and (g) more than five years old attended children's centres in each year for which figures are available; [202828]
(2) how many children attended each children's centre in each year for which figures are available; [202829]
(3) how many and what proportion of children attending children's centres were in the care of a local authority in each year for which figures are available; [202830]
(4) how many and what proportion of children attending children's centres were from socio-economic groups four to seven in each year for which figures are available; [202831]
(5) how many and what proportion of children attending children's centres were from black, minority or ethnic backgrounds in each year for which figures are available. [202833]
Beverley Hughes: Sure Start Children's Centres offer a wide range of services to children and families, including childcare, health and family support services. The Department does not collect data on all children attending children's centres. However the Childcare and Early Years Providers survey does provide some data on children attending full day care provision in children's centres.
The 2006 Childcare and Early Years Providers survey estimated that there were 40,050 children attending full day care provision in Sure Start Children's Centres in England. At 31 March 2006 there were 836 designated children's centres.
The proportion of children attending, by age is shown in the following table.
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