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21 July 2008 : Column 924W—continued
Trade Unions: Finance
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much has been spent on the Trade Union Modernisation Fund in each year since its establishment. [217362]
Mr. McFadden: The costs accrued are as follows:
| £ | |
Utilities: Billing
Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his policy is on compulsory payment of bills by direct debit; and if he will make a statement. [219024]
Malcolm Wicks: In general, companies offering goods and services are free to use whatever contractual terms and conditions they consider reasonable, including those involving methods of payment. If prospective customers are unhappy with these contractual terms and conditions they can attempt to renegotiate the terms in question or find an alternative provider.
Direct debit is often the most cost-efficient payment method for companies because, among other things, it
guarantees payment and reduces invoicing costs. Companies often offer a discount, therefore, on their standard charges for those paying by direct debit.
Children, Schools and Families
Building Schools for the Future Programme
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of GCSE results at grade A* to C were achieved by schools that have had (a) full and (b) partial refurbishment under the Building Schools for the Future programme in each of the last five years. [219284]
Jim Knight: There are currently 13 schools which have completed their full or partial refurbishment through the Building Schools for the Future programme and so the contribution made by these schools to the number of A*-C grades at GCSE is very small. Following is a table of the percentage of pupils achieving five or more A*-C GCSE grades (or equivalent) in each school.
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many Building Schools for the Future projects are planned to take place in schools which had fewer than 30 per cent. of their pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at grade C or above, including English and mathematics in 2007; and how much funding is due to be allocated to such schools for the programme; [219285]
(2) how many Building Schools for the Future projects are due to take place in schools that did not achieve 30 per cent. of their pupils obtaining five A* to C grades at GCSE in 2007; and what the expenditure on those projects will be. [219566]
Jim Knight: As explained in my response to the hon. Gentleman’s question 217564 on 15 July, Official Report, column 378W, Building Schools for the Future (BSF) funding is provided to local authorities as an ‘envelope’ to allow allocation of resources to individual schools reflecting the local view on priorities and needs. Details of allocations to BSF local authorities are included in the answer to his question 217532 on 15 July, Official Report, column 377W.
15 secondary schools, where in 2007 fewer than 30 per cent. of pupils attained five or more good GCSEs including English and mathematics, are expected to open in new or remodelled BSF buildings this financial year. A further 256 will benefit from funding as part of current Building Schools for the Future projects, either through Local Education Partnerships, the Partnerships for Schools National Framework or as One School Pathfinders. An additional 73 are included in pre-BSF private finance initiative projects, and 29 are being, or have been built under the DCSF Academies programme.
Building Schools for the Future Programme: Consultants
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the expenditure which has been incurred by schools and local authorities on consultancy services related to the Building Schools for the Future programme. [219578]
Jim Knight: We do not hold details of the expenditure schools and local authorities have made on consultancy services related to the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. The Department recommends that a local authority should set aside approximately 3 per cent. of the value of its BSF project for consultancy services to support the authority through the procurement process. In addition BSF funding includes an allowance for professional fees (including architects and other design consultants, as appropriate) of 12.5 per cent. of construction costs for new build projects and 15 per cent. of construction costs for refurbishment projects, It is for local authorities to manage all project costs, including fees.
Children in Care: Clinical Trials
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in care have taken part in drug trials in each of the last 10 years, broken down by pharmaceutical company involved. [220679]
Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
This information is not collected centrally.
Children: Disadvantaged
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of (a) all pupils and (b) pupils eligible to receive free school meals did not attain any GCSE grades higher than a D in 2007. [217329]
Jim Knight: 136,861 pupils did not attain any GCSE grades higher than a D in 2006/07. This was 23.7 per cent. of pupils at the end of key stage 4 in maintained schools.
33,909 pupils eligible to receive free school meals did not attain any GCSE grades higher than a D in 2006/07. This was 44.7 per cent. of eligible pupils at the end of key stage 4 in maintained schools.
Council for Learning Outside the Classroom
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) when the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom will be established; [219405]
(2) what research has been undertaken since 2004 to monitor the participation of young people in (a) music and (b) learning outside the classroom in the natural environment; [219406]
(3) how much his Department has spent on implementation of (a) the music and (b) the learning outside the classroom manifesto in each year since
2004; and what forecast expenditure is for such activity for (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10; [219408]
(4) how many children have had access to learning outside the classroom in the natural environment in each of the last five years; [219409]
(5) how many staff in his Department work on the implementation of (a) the music and (b) the learning outside the classroom manifesto. [219407]
Jim Knight: The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom will be established by March 2009. The Department does not routinely collect information on pupils' access to and participation in learning outside the classroom in the natural environment. In 2006 the Department commissioned “Education Outside the Classroom: An Assessment of Activity and Practice in Schools and Local Authorities”, which can be found at
The Department does not routinely collect information on young people's participation in music. In 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2007 the Department commissioned surveys of local authority music services, which collected data on the prevalence of music tuition. Survey reports are available at www.dcsf.gov.uk/research.
The Department has 1.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff working on learning outside the classroom policy and support for the Manifesto partnership's delivery of their agreed Action Plan. There are l.5 FTE staff working on music policy and the delivery of music education. The extent to which that resource is spent on the Music Manifesto is not readily quantifiable. Through the Manifesto for Learning Outside the Classroom partnership, we are encouraging schools, local authorities and visit providers, to sign up to the vision that “every young person (0-19) should experience the world beyond the classroom as an essential part of learning and personal development, whatever their age, ability or circumstances”. More than 1,000 have already done so. The Department is supporting the Manifesto partnership to realise this vision through funding of just under £4.5 million between 2006-07 and 2008-09. Funding is not yet allocated for 2009-10.
The Music Manifesto is a campaign to which over 2,000 signatories from every part of the music sector have signed up with joint aims to improve music education. The Department has funded the campaign since 2003. Since the Music Manifesto's second report "Making Every Child's Music Matter" in 2006, Government funding has been targeted on programmes arising out of the main recommendations of that report. Other Music Manifesto signatories are also making their responses to some of the report's recommendations, and their response is being led by the independent Music Manifesto Partnership and Advocacy Group. An announcement of £332 million government funding for music education over the next three years was made last November and further details set out in the announcement of 20 June.
Drama: Further Education
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many colleges listed drama as (a) a specialism, (b) a second specialism and (c) a combined specialism in each of the last three years. [218864]
Jim Knight: Schools specialising in drama will normally be designated as specialist Arts colleges. The Arts specialism covers performing arts, visual arts or media arts, or combinations of the three; we do not keep records of which particular strands individual schools focus on. The number of schools that have been designated with Arts college status in each of the last three years is listed in the following table:
| Specialism (a) | Second specialism (b) | Combined specialism (c) | Total | |
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