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7 May 2008 : Column 948W—continued
Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has made to the UNAMID force in Darfur on the numbers of women peacekeepers. [202498]
Dr. Howells: I have been asked to reply.
We have made representations to the UN and the African Union on the importance of an integrated mission plan to ensure that the civilian, police and military elements of the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) work closely together, including on gender issues. We have raised with international partners and the UN the need for the police component of UNAMID to be trained on community policing and gender-based violence. We continue to press all parties for the rapid deployment of an effective mission, and we welcome an increased representation of women peacekeepers within UNAMID.
Sudan: Sexual Offences
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports he has received of the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in Darfur. [202497]
Dr. Howells: I have been asked to reply.
John Holmes, UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, briefed the UN Security Council on 22 April that there was evidence of high levels of sexual violence in West Darfur over the past two months.
The UK has called on the Government of Sudan, and the armed groups, to end the human rights abuses in Darfur. We are supporting the rapid and effective deployment of the UN African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) to protect internally displaced persons (IDP) and address the issue of violence against women. UNAMID has increased patrols to protect IDP gathering firewood and increased policing of IDP camps. We have raised with international partners and the UN the need for the police component of UNAMID to be trained on community policing and gender-based violence.
Children, Schools and Families
Antisocial Behaviour: Young People
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what authority police forces have to issue penalty notices for disorder to persons under 16 years of age. [203258]
Beverley Hughes: The following legislation provides authority to police forces to issue penalty notices for disorder (PND) to persons under 16 years of age. Sections 1 to 11 Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 introduced PNDs. Section 87(2) Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 extended PNDs to 16 to 17-year-olds. Section 87(3) provided an order making power to extend the age range to no lower than 10 years of age. That power was exercised by statutory instrument 2004 No. 3166.
Assessments: Absenteeism
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools had over 5 per cent. absence levels from Key Stage 3 tests in the years 2005 to 2008; and if he will make a statement. [203145]
Kevin Brennan: Information on schools’ Key Stage 3 (KS3) test absence levels for the years 2005-07 can be found on the Department’s Achievement and Attainment Tables website at:
Information on schools’ KS3 test absence levels for the KS3 2008 tests will be published on the Achievement and Attainment Tables website in February 2009.
Cadets: Armed Forces
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many cadet forces were operating in maintained schools in the latest period for which figures are available. [201697]
Derek Twigg: I have been asked to reply.
There are currently 188 single Service Cadet Units, and 60 Combined Cadet Force (CCF) Contingents, in State (maintained) schools. The 60 CCFs represent 23 per cent. of the overall number of CCF contingents in schools.
Children in Care
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his most recent estimate is of the number of children in care in each local authority area (a) in total and (b) as a proportion of all children in the local authority area; and if he will make a statement. [201190]
Kevin Brennan: Information on the number of children in care in each local authority area (a) in total and (b) as a proportion of all children in each local authority area has been placed in the House of Commons Library (table LAA1).
Table LAA1 is taken from the Statistical First Release entitled “Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2007”, which is located at:
and table LAA1 can be found within the first set of 10 additional tables supplementing SFR27/2007 on the website.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many cases of self-harm were diagnosed in children in care in each of the last 10 years; [203593]
(2) how many children in care were identified as gifted and talented in each year for which data is available; [203595]
(3) how many children in care had been separated from their siblings in each of the last 10 years. [203596]
Kevin Brennan: Data on (a) the number of cases of self-harm that were diagnosed in children in care, (b) the number of children in care who were identified as gifted and talented and (c) the number of children in care that have been separated from their siblings are not collected centrally by the Department.
Local authorities have a legal duty to safeguard the children they look after and to promote their welfare. Discharging this duty includes making a full assessment of each individual child’s needs and ensuring that provision is put in place via the child’s care plan to meet those needs. This includes in relation to education and to mental health issues.
Local authorities are required by law to make arrangements for a looked-after child to live with their relatives (including siblings), so long as it is reasonably practicable and consistent with the child’s welfare to do so. Authorities are also required to promote contact between the child and their siblings, unless it is not reasonably practicable or consistent with their welfare to do so.
Children: Disabled
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when the implementation guide for Aiming High for Disabled Children's core offer will be published. [203689]
Kevin Brennan: The implementation materials for the core offer, together with the national core offer, will be published on 15 May as part of the re-launch of the ‘Aiming High for Disabled Children’ section of the Every Child Matters website. The implementation materials, which pull together sets of existing guidance and examples of service delivery, will help local authority and primary care trusts implement the core offer locally.
Children: Prisoners
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what support the Government offers for children of prisoners; and if he will make a statement. [202992]
Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
£5 million is spent each year to help offenders maintain positive ties with their children and families and to improve outcomes for the children of prisoners. Most prisons now have a visitor centre outside the gate, providing information and support for families. Over 100 prisons in England and Wales offer supervised play areas for some visits. Special visits are arranged which focus on the needs of the child. There is also provision for mothers to have young children with them in prison, where this is in the interests of the child.
Last year, the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Ministry of Justice conducted a priority joint review to improve support for the children of offenders. It concluded that parental imprisonment is a valuable opportunity to identify children at risk of poor outcomes and to offer them support. The findings, which were published in parallel
with the “Think Family: Improving the life chances of families at risk” review, on 10 January 2008, can be found at:
As part of the “Think Family” approach, which includes the £16 million Family Pathfinder programme, the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Ministry of Justice are exploring better ways to meet a child’s needs when a parent goes to prison.
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of children in (a) Basingstoke constituency, (b) Hampshire and (c) England had at least one parent who are in prison in each year since 1997. [202993]
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of children in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (b) Bexley borough had at least one parent in prison in each year since 1997. [203566]
Mr. Hanson: I have been asked to reply.
Information on the number of children having a parent in prison is not collected centrally.
A 2003 resettlement survey of 1,945 adult British national sentenced prisoners showed the average number of children per prisoner was 0.87. Using this information it was estimated that during 2005, 160,000 children had a British national parent in prison at some time.
More detail on the 2003 survey is available in Home Office Research Findings 248 which is available on the RDS website:
Departmental Contracts
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what contracts were awarded by his Department to (a) KPMG, (b) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) McKinsey, (e) Deloitte and (f) other consultancy firms in each of the last 12 months; and what the (i) purpose and (ii) value was of each of these contracts. [196590]
Kevin Brennan: The Department does not hold a comprehensive central record of contracts. Available records show the following contracts were awarded to the named organisations during the period April 2007 to January 2008. Further information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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