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1 Sep 2008 : Column 1610W—continued

Departmental Overtime

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost of overtime payments paid to staff in his Department was in each of the last 12 months, broken down by pay grade. [221301]

Jim Knight: The cost of overtime payments in my Department by grade is set out in the following table⁽¹⁾. Overtime is not payable to members of the senior civil service.

⁽¹⁾ specialist grades are included in their grade equivalent. Grades 6 and 7 are entitled to an extra hours’ discretionary payment for long hours working and a weekend attendance allowance subject to an overriding limit.

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1 Sep 2008 : Column 1612W

£
Month	Executive assistant	Executive officer	Higher executive officer	Senior executive officer	Grade 7	Grade 6	Total
June 2008	11,600	19,800	29,000	8,500	6,200	0	75,100
May 2008	12,200	18,900	27,300	6,800	9,000	2,500	76,700
April 08	13,300	24,700	26,200	14,100	9,200	4,300	91,800
March 2008	11,300	19,500	31,700	12,000	5,300	2,700	82,600
February 2008	11,200	19,200	30,300	13,700	13,800	900	89,100
January 2008	6,200	9,700	12,800	8,400	4,400	1,000	42,400
December 2007	9,100	14,900	28,800	10,900	7,300	800	71,700
November 2007	13,500	21,000	23,600	11,400	11,400	500	81,300
October 2007	9,500	8,400	11,800	7,400	500	1,100	38,600
September 2007	6,200	6,600	10,400	4,900	7,400	600	36,100
August 2007	10,700	11,600	13,400	11,000	5,400	1,000	53,100
July 2007	10,300	14,600	15,400	6,500	6,100	4,700	57,500
Total	125,100	188,700	260,600	115,700	85,800	20,100	796,100

Departmental Procurement

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his Department's policy is on requesting discounts from its suppliers in return for swift payment of invoices. [220440]

Jim Knight: It is departmental policy to ask tenderers, through our standard invitation to tender letter, to provide details of discounts for prompt payments.

Departmental Public Participation

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what (a) listening exercises and (b) public forums his Department has held in each of the last two years; what the (i) purpose and (ii) cost was in each case; and who the private contractor was and how much it was paid in each case. [221357]

Beverley Hughes: The Department for Children Schools and Families has regular engagement with its stakeholders, in addition to running formal consultation exercises, as a necessary part of its policy-making process. Over and above this, the more set piece listening events we have organised in the last two years are as follows:

The Department for Children, Schools and Families has conducted nine citizen's juries which provided an opportunity for a mix of stakeholders, including members of the general public, to engage with each other in small groups to debate important issues relating to the new Department's remit. The first jury was held in Bristol in September 2007 with a further four debates held in London, Leeds, Portsmouth and Birmingham. An additional four debates also took place in London, Leeds, Portsmouth and Birmingham in March 2008. The total cost of these was £820,000

The Department has run nine focus groups as part of the Time to Talk consultation in Sutton, Birmingham and Sheffield with children aged 11 to 16 to capture their views on the key issues and challenges. The total cost for the nine focus groups was £18,835.25 and this included the facilitation, analysis, and production of a short film of the events. Central Office of Information (on behalf of the DCSF) procured the services of Opinion Leader Research to design, recruit participants to, and facilitate all the events and procured Glasgows to arrange the locations, logistics and catering for events held in September 2007. All the agencies involved were appointed in line with standard Government practice on procurement.

The Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families jointly held deliberative events with children, young people and parents to discuss children and young people's health in June 2008. There were three strands to this piece of work:

focus group research with children aged between seven and 15;

a deliberative research event with 90 members of the public and 18 frontline health professionals; and

a deliberative workshop with parents/carers of children with long-term conditions/complex health needs.

The purpose was to inform the work on the Child Health Strategy, to be published this September and the total cost of managing and running the events was £217,743.75, shared between both Departments

The Central Office of Information (COI) project managed the exercise, and Opinion Leader were contracted to run the deliberative events themselves.

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what (a) reviews and (b) public consultations have been initiated by his Department since 27 June 2007. [221376]

Jim Knight: The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has initiated (a) 11 reviews and (b) 38 public consultations since 27 June 2007. These are listed in order of publication as follows.

Reviews initiated by DCSF since 27 June 2007

Byron Review—Call for Evidence Adult Version

Byron Review—Call for Evidence Children's and Young People's Version

Bercow Review of Speech, Language and Communication Needs

Call for Evidence—Youth Sector Support Arrangements

Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum—Call for Evidence

Review of Mathematics Teaching in Early Years Settings and Primary Schools: Interim Report

Assessing the Impact of the Commercial World on Children’s Wellbeing—A Call for Evidence (Interested Parties’ Version)

Assessing the Impact of the Commercial World on Children’s Wellbeing—A Call for Evidence (Parents’ Version)

Assessing the Impact of the Commercial World on Children’s Wellbeing—A Call for Evidence (Children and Young People’s Version)

1 Sep 2008 : Column 1613W

The CAMHS Review—Next Steps to Improving the Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health of Children and Young People Call for Evidence

Zero Carbon School Buildings

Public consultations initiated by DCSF since 27 June 2007

CFR Framework 2007-08

Schools Capital Consultation on Programme Proposals for 2008-11

Safeguarding Children who may have been Trafficked

Staying Safe

Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) consultation about the transfer of responsibility for the registration of independent schools and the regulation of independent and non-maintained special schools (NMSSs) to Ofsted

Consultation into the Definition of an Independent School

Staying Safe—Young Person version

Time to Talk

Time to Talk—Young People’s Version

Consultation On Draft Information As To Provision Of Education (England) Regulations 2008

Review of Implementation of Guidance on Handling Allegations of Abuse Against Those who Work with Children and Young People

Key Stage 3 Test Absence Collection

Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006: Independent Safeguarding Authority Scheme Consultation

Draft Guidance To Local Authorities and Registered Social Landlords On The Use of Parenting Orders and Parenting Contracts

Childcare Act 2006: Future Approach to Fees and Subsidies

Confidence in Standards: Regulating and developing qualifications and assessment (Joint DCSF/DIUS consultation)

Home Access to Technology

Independent School Inspectorates—a consultation document

Guidance on Child Trust Fund Top Ups for Looked After Children

Guidance on Personal Education Allowances for Looked After Children

Raising Expectations: Enabling the System to Deliver (Joint DCSF/DIUS consultation)

Consultation on Draft School Admissions (Alteration and Variation of, and Objections to, Arrangements) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2008

Consultation on Draft Education (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators) (England) Regulations 2008

Promoting Achievement, Valuing Success: a Strategy for 14-19 Qualifications

(Joint DCSF/DIUS consultation)

Statutory Guidance for Children’s Trusts on the Duty to Co-operate

The Management of Building Schools for the Future waves 7-15

Consultation on Proposals Relating to the Commencement of Section 37 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 - staffing at foundation and voluntary schools with a religious character

Consultation on Introducing Provisional Registration with the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) for Trainee Teachers, Unqualified Teachers and Instructors

Youth Alcohol Action Plan

Fair Play: A Consultation on the Play Strategy, A Commitment in the Children’s Plan

Fair Play—have your say (Children and Young People’s Version)

1 Sep 2008 : Column 1614W

Children and Adoption Act 2006—Children Act 1989 Contact Activity Directions and Conditions (Financial Assistance) (England) Regulations 2008

School Admissions Consultation 2008

School’s Role in Promoting Pupil Wellbeing Draft Guidance for Consultation Proposals for Revisions to Legislation for Schools Causing Concern

Delivering the Children’s Plan—Strengthening Children’s Trusts: legislative options Draft Apprenticeships Bill (Joint DCSF/DIUS consultation)

Safeguarding Children from Sexual Exploitation

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