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9 May 2008 : Column 1203W—continued
Supply Teachers
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 28 April 2008, Official Report, column 240W, on supply teachers, what the reasons for the difference in spending on supply teachers between 2005-06 and 2006-07 were; and if he will make a statement. [203904]
Jim Knight: Following a review of the answer of 28 April 2008, Official Report, column 240W, and the data given, it appears that a clerical error was made in the response provided.
The correct value of spend on supply teachers in maintained schools in each year from 1997-98 was as follows:
| £ | |||
| Supply teaching staff | Agency supply teaching staff | Total | |
Prior to 2002-03 expenditure on supply teachers was not separately identifiable, so these data are not available. Data for the period 2007-08 are not yet available.
Teaching Methods
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will place in the Library (a) the latest data obtained by Ofsted on the extent of setting in schools, broken down by subject, age and pupil and (b) a copy of his Department’s guidance on setting. [202069]
Jim Knight: HM Chief Inspector Christine Gilbert has written to the hon. Member with regard to Ofsted’s latest data on setting. A copy of her reply has been placed in the Library. I have placed in the Library a copy of the Department’s guidance on pupil grouping, ‘Grouping Pupils for Success’, and the two pieces of independent research, commissioned by the Department, on which this guidance is based: ‘Pupil Grouping Strategies and Practices at Key Stage 2 and 3’ (published September 2006) and ‘Effective Teaching and Learning for Pupils in Low Attaining Groups’ (published September 2007).
‘Grouping Pupils for Success’ can be accessed at
‘Pupil Grouping Strategies and Practices at Key Stage 2 and 3’ can be accessed at
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/programmeofresearch/projectinformation.cfm?projectid=14415&;resultspage=1
‘Effective Teaching and Learning for Pupils in Low Attaining Groups’ can be accessed at
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/programmeofresearch/projectinformation.cfm?projectid=14659&;resultspage=1
Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 30 April 2008:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, for a response to part (a). The Department for Children, Schools and Families will respond separately to part (b).
Our current data do not enable us to count or estimate how many lessons in England are set by ability. The attached tables show the data Ofsted has on the proportion of lessons observed during inspections carried out in the academic year 2006/07, by subject, phase of education and year. Inspectors record whether classes are setted, streamed or banded, as one category, or are mixed ability in composition. A third category is used for lessons in which other forms of grouping are used. When a lesson observed is setted, streamed or banded by ability, a note is made of the ability level of the class concerned.
The data are based on the use of setting, streaming or banding in lessons observed during inspection. Some explanation of these figures may be helpful. Since September 2005, the recording of class organisation has been based either on discussions with the head teacher or teacher by reference to the lesson plan at the time of observation. A much smaller number of lessons is observed than would have been seen under the previous inspection framework. Lessons seen may therefore not represent pupil grouping in the school as a whole.
For clarity, setting is the term used to describe the organisation of pupils in classes on the basis of their prior attainment in the particular subject being taught. The term banding, which is very similar to streaming, is used when the decision as to which pupils are included in a class is based on the prior attainment in a range of subjects. Ofsted does not differentiate between setting, streaming and banding in the data collected during lesson observations.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the Library of both Houses.
Truancy: Fixed Penalties
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many parents have received (a) one, (b) two, (c) three and (d) four or more fixed penalty notices in relation to condoned absenteeism of pupils since 2004; and if he will make a statement; [203540]
(2) how many parents have received fixed penalty notices in relation to condoned absenteeism of pupils since their inception, broken down by index of multiple deprivation decile; and if he will make a statement. [203541]
Jim Knight: The information requested is not available. The Department only collects aggregate data at local authority level on the number of penalty notices issued to parents in respect of the offence of failing to ensure their children's regular school attendance.
Working Tax Credit
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of people claimed the child care element of the working tax credit in (a) the Basingstoke constituency, (b) Hampshire and (c) England in each year since records were available. [203152]
Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 21 November 2007, Official Report, column 916W.
Communities and Local Government
Council Tax: Valuation
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many dwellings in each local authority in England had council tax band amendments in 2007-08; how many involved properties moving up one or more bands; and how many moved down one or more bands in each local authority. [202624]
John Healey: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Eco-Towns
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in what regard her Department’s (a) policies and (b) public service infrastructure requirements for eco-town sites differ from the requirements for development at sites which are not designated as eco-towns. [202661]
Caroline Flint [holding answer 29 April 2008]: As set out in the consultation document “Eco-towns—Living a greener future” we have set challenging criteria, which build on policies and infrastructure requirements for development at sites which are not eco-towns. For example, in terms of sustainable transport we have said that the location of major facilities and services such as shops and community facilities should be located within a 10-minute walk of homes within eco-towns. Copies of the consultation document are available in the Library of the House.
Eco-Towns: Council Tax
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will commission research on the likely effect of eco-towns on levels of council tax over the next 25 years for (i) residents of the local authority areas in which each of the proposed 15 eco-towns is situated and (ii) residents of all adjacent local authority areas. [203198]
Caroline Flint [holding answer 1 May 2008]: We are still consulting on the locations and schemes on the shortlist I published on 3 April 2008.
Eco-Towns: Shops
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make it her policy only to allow town centre shops to be permitted in eco-towns to reduce levels of carbon dioxide emissions resulting from transportation. [201842]
Caroline Flint: A well designed eco-town will make it easy to travel more sustainably between homes, services and jobs within the settlement. This would include shops and services located within a 10-minute walk of homes within eco-towns and streets designed to accommodate the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. We will also need to provide for sustainable travel to nearby settlements.
Eco-Towns: West Sussex
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions (a) she and (b) her Department have had with Wates Developments Ltd on the proposed eco-town at Ford since 1 January 2005. [203809]
Caroline Flint [holding answer7 May 2008]: Neither the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government nor Ministers in her Department have held meetings with Wates Developments Ltd on the proposed eco-town at Ford since 1 January 2005. On 3 September 2007, officials met members of Wates Developments involved with the proposal for an eco-town at Ford. At the meeting they outlined their expression of interest for an eco-town, and officials confirmed the process and criteria for eco-towns as set out in the “Eco-towns Prospectus”, published on 23 July 2007.
Housing: Migration
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the proportion of projected household growth attributable to net migration in (i) London, (ii) the South East and (iii) the East of England. [201003]
Caroline Flint: None. Such information is available at the England level only from the Department’s Household Projections.
Waste Disposal
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the Government plan to respond to the Sixth Report of the Communities and Local Government Committee, HC 195, on Refuse Collection: Waste Reduction Pilots, published on 21 February 2008. [204470]
John Healey: The Government submitted their response to the Communities and Local Government Committee on 21 April.
Defence
Armed Forces: Deployment
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average tour interval for the (a) Army, (b) Royal Air Force, (c) Royal Navy and (d) Royal Marines was at the end of the 2007-08 financial year. [199475]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The information is not held in the format requested, as average tour intervals across the single services as a whole are not currently calculated.
Armed Forces: Manpower
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of force elements reported (a) no serious or critical and (b) no critical weaknesses against required peacetime readiness levels in each year since 1997. [203719]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: We have only been collecting and reporting such information since 2001-02. It has been published in the Department's Annual Report and Accounts and quarterly performance reports for the years since, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of force elements reported (a) no serious or critical and (b) no critical weaknesses against the ability to generate from peacetime readiness to immediate readiness for deployment on operations in each year since 1997. [203720]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: We have only been collecting such information since 2004-05 and reporting it since 2005-06. It has been published in the Department's Annual Report and Accounts and quarterly performance reports for the years since, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
Armed Forces: Pay
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of his Department’s manning evidence submitted to the Senior Salaries Review Board for each financial year from 1997-98. [185715]
Derek Twigg: All available information on the manning evidence submitted to the Senior Salaries Review Body from 1997-98 has now been collated and placed in the Library of the House.
Armed Forces: Personnel Management
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the effects on his Department's expenditure of the introduction of Joint Personnel Administration in each year since 2005. [202355]
Derek Twigg: The implementation costs for Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) by financial year were as follows.
| £ million | |
These costs include technical development and delivery costs, but exclude single service costs incurred in adjusting to the new system which were absorbed as part of business operating costs.
The benefits accrued by financial year were as follows.
| £ million | |
These figures include reduced costs within the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency and headcount reductions in each of the Services.
Consequently, the impact of JPA on departmental expenditure was broadly cost-neutral in 2005-06 and 2006-07, with a saving of some £40 million in 2007-08.
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