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1 Sep 2008 : Column 1614W—continued
Departmental Retirement
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether his Department has a standard retirement age; and how many employees have been asked to retire on reaching 65 years of age in each year since 2000. [218216]
Kevin Brennan: The Department was established as part of the machinery of government changes of 28 June 2007. The Department has no mandatory retirement age for staff below the senior civil service and operate the civil service code policy at 65 for the senior civil service. No members of the senior civil service have been asked to retire at 65.
Departmental Sick Leave
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many sick days were taken by employees in (a) his Department and its predecessor and (b) the non-departmental bodies for which it has responsibility due to (i) stress and (ii) mental health and behavioural disorders in each of the last 10 years; what proportion of sick days taken this represented in each case; and if he will make a statement. [216094]
Jim Knight: Since the formation of the Department to 31 March 2008, the number of sickness days taken by employees due to mental disorder is (a) 5,407 days. 2,386 days were due to (i) stress and (ii) 3,021 days for other mental health illnesses which can be broken down into depression (2,139 days), anxiety (614 days) and other mental illnesses (268 days).
This amounts to a proportion of 27 per cent. of all sickness absence days due to stress and other mental disorder. The Department has a number of mainly small non-departmental public bodies (b) for which information on absences due mental disorders is not held centrally and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The Department was set up as part of the machinery of government (MoG) changes on 28 June 2007, so the percentage is based on figures from 1 July to 31 March 2008 (the latest information available). It is not directly comparable to the previous Department for Education and Skills (DFES) as many staff moved to the new Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) as part of the MoG changes.
The Department is committed to providing a safe working environment and has put in place a range of measures to support managers and employees on health and wellbeing issues, including the provision of professional counselling and support from the Department’s Employee
Assistance Provider, Right Corecare, a pilot Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Stress Questionnaire and Individual Stress Risk Assessments for employees who require them.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many staff in (a) his Department and its predecessor and (b) the non-departmental bodies for which it has responsibility have taken sick days due to (i) stress and (ii) mental health and behavioural disorders in each of the last 10 years; what proportion of staff of each body this represented in each year; and if he will make a statement. [216145]
Jim Knight: Since the formation of the Department up to 31 March 2008, 72 staff were absent due to stress, representing 2.6 per cent. of all staff. 66 were absent due to other mental disorders, representing 2.4 per cent. of all staff at 31 March. These figures do not include non-departmental public bodies as the information for them is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The Department was set up as part of the Machinery of Government (MoG) changes on 28 June 2007, so the figures apply from 1 July to 31 March 2008 (the latest information available).
The Department is committed to providing a safe working environment and has a range of measures in place to support managers and employees on health and wellbeing issues.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of staff in his Department have had more than two periods of sickness absence of less than five days in each of the last three years. [218726]
Jim Knight: Since the Department was formed in the 28 June 2007 Machinery of Government changes, 293 staff have had more than two periods of sickness of less than five days. This applies from the date of establishment of the Department to 31 March 2008 (the latest information available). This equates to 9.5 per cent. of staff in that period.
Departmental Sick Pay
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was paid in sick pay to staff in (a) his Department and its predecessor and (b) the non-departmental bodies for which it has responsibility in each of the last five years; what proportion of the staffing expenditure of each body this represented in each year; and if he will make a statement. [216099]
Jim Knight: Due to the wide range of posts and salary points in the Department and its non-departmental public bodies, the actual cost of sick pay to staff in each of the last five years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The Department’s general policy for full-time staff is to pay sickness absence on full pay for up to 182 days, followed by sickness absence on half pay for up to 183 days. Sickness absence is unpaid once entitlement to full or half pay has been exhausted, unless HR approves payment of sick pay at pension rate.
Departmental Written Questions
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how long on average his Department took to answer (a) ordinary written and (b) named day questions in each of the last three years. [215472]
Kevin Brennan: Information on the average number of days taken to answer parliamentary questions is not readily available in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Disabled
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of staff in his Department are disabled; and what the average salary in his Department is of (a) full-time disabled staff, (b) full-time non-disabled staff, (c) part-time disabled staff and (d) part-time non-disabled staff. [220192]
Jim Knight: In the Department, the number of employees who have declared a disability is 187 (6.9 per cent.).
Records on the numbers of disabled staff are also solely based on voluntary, self-declaration of being a disabled person as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act; and not connected in any way to a formal register of disability.
Information about average salaries is set out in the following table:
| Staff | Salary (£) |
The Department has no agencies.
Disabled: Respite Care
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to paragraph 3.11 of the Carers at the heart of 21st-century families and communities report, how much of the £150 million funding for breaks for carers of disabled children will be provided by his Department over each of the next two years. [220301]
Jim Knight: The £150 million mentioned in the report is to be provided by the Department of Health and paid to primary care trusts. Non of the £150 million referenced in paragraph 3.11 of that report will therefore come from the DCSF.
The DCSF is however providing £359 million to local authorities over the 2008-11 period to grow short break provision for disabled children. Funding allocations to local authorities can be viewed at:
Dyslexia
Dr. Kumar:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been allocated to provide further educational assistance to
those with dyslexia-related reading difficulties in 2008-09; and to how many people such assistance will be provided in 2008-09. [219856]
Jim Knight: Local authorities and schools are funded to provide special educational needs (SEN) services. The Education Act 1996 requires schools to use their best endeavours to make suitable provision available for all children with SEN, including those with dyslexia. Local authority and school planned spend on SEN (including for children with dyslexia) was £4.9 billion in 2007-08.
Latest figures for pupils in schools with specific learning difficulties (including dyslexia) show there are 77,090 pupils either with a statement of special educational needs (SEN) or supported at SEN School Action Plus. My Department does not collect data on the particular special educational needs of pupils at School Action, some of whom have specific learning difficulties.
In December 2007, the Government published the “Children's Plan” which announced we will spend £18 million over the financial years 2008-09 to 2010-11 to improve special educational needs provision. This includes £3 million for improving provision for children with dyslexia; the use of most of which will be decided in the light of Sir Jim Rose's recommendations on the identification and teaching of children with dyslexia. However, £150,000 is being provided over two financial years, to enable the British Dyslexia Association to develop their helpline, which provides advice about dyslexia to people including teachers and parents; and £250,000 is being provided over three financial years, to enable Dyslexia Action to run further Partnership for Literacy pilots.
In addition, we are providing around £1 million, over three years, to the No to Failure project.
No to Failure is trailblazing and evaluating the impact of specialist training for teachers and specialist tuition for children with dyslexia in some schools in three local authority areas. The final evaluation report will be published early next year.
Education Maintenance Allowance: Fraud
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many departmental staff were prosecuted for (a) attempting to defraud and (b) defrauding the education maintenance allowance system in each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement. [214510]
Jim Knight: No members of staff have been prosecuted for either attempting to defraud or defrauding the education maintenance allowance system in any of the years since 2003. The Department and its predecessor (former Department for Education and Skills) will not accept any level of fraud or corruption and any case will be thoroughly investigated and dealt with appropriately.
Education: Assessments
Mr. Laws:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what proportion of (a) key stage 2 and (b) key stage 3 (i) English, (ii) mathematics and (iii) science test papers had been marked and results entered into the computer system on each day
from 15 June 2008 to 7 July 2008; and if he will make a statement; [217693]
(2) what plans he has to impose financial penalties on ETS for the time taken to produce the key stage 2 and key stage 3 results in 2008; and if he will make a statement; [218161]
(3) how much is due to be paid to ETS for the administration and marking of the key stage 2 and 3 tests in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09, (c) 2009-10 and (d) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement. [217697]
Jim Knight: The administration and marking of national curriculum tests is a function of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) that is delivered independently of Government. The National Assessment Agency (NAA) manages the marking process within QCA. I have therefore asked David Gee, Managing Director of the NAA, to write to the hon. Member. A copy of his letter has been placed in the Library.
Letter from David Gee, dated 15 July 2008:
The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Rt Hon Ed Balls, has asked me to write to you to answer to a number of parliamentary questions you recently asked.
The questions you have asked pertain to information that the National Assessment Agency either does not currently hold in the form you have requested or which relate to information that may be subject to an obligation of confidentiality or may be commercially sensitive.
Some elements of the information you sought may be available when the test delivery cycle is complete. If that is the case, I will write to you again as soon as possible.
The total value of the contract over 5 years is £156 million.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether staff from the National Assessment Agency have been seconded to work with ETS on the key stage tests in 2008; and if he will make a statement. [217695]
Jim Knight: The National Assessment Agency (NAA) have informed us that there are no NAA employees seconded to ETS Europe. There are, however, approximately 70 QCA/NAA staff actively working with ETS to ensure the delivery of results to schools.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many complaints about the marking of the key stage tests have been received by (a) his Department, (b) the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, (c) the National Assessment Agency and (d) ETS in 2008; and if he will make a statement. [217698]
Jim Knight: By 16 July, the Department had received 204 letters and e-mails about national curriculum tests. Of the 82 that have received replies, 33 were about the administration of the marking process.
We are advised that, by 11 July, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) had received 58 complaints and the NAA 552 complaints.
Letter from David Gee, dated 9 July 2008:
The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Rt Hon Ed Balls, has asked me to write to you to answer parliamentary question 217698.
ETS Europe are not yet able to provide information on the number of complaints they have received as their resources are working to complete marking, data entry and communications to schools.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost of marking the key stage 2 and key stage 3 tests was in 2007; what he estimates it will be in 2008; and if he will make a statement. [217699]
Jim Knight: The administration and marking of national curriculum tests is a function of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) that is delivered independently of Government. The National Assessment Agency (NAA) manages the marking process within the QCA. I have therefore asked David Gee, managing director of the NAA, to write to the hon. Member. A copy of his letter has been placed in the Library.
Letter from David Gee to Mr Laws, dated 15 July 2008:
The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Rt Hon Ed Balls, has asked me to write to you to answer parliamentary question 217699.
The contracts that govern the delivery of national curriculum tests do not explicitly separate the cost of marking from other delivery related activities. It is therefore not possible to fully disaggregate the cost of marking from other contract costs for either 2007 or 2008.
While I cannot provide exact figures, the NAA estimates that the cost of marking is in the vicinity of £14 million for both 2007 and 2008. This figure incorporates estimates for the cost of marker fees, marker training and venue hire.
More information on the cost of marking for 2008 will be available after the conclusion of the marking cycle including the completion of marking reviews. I will be happy to give you a further update at this time.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) when he was first informed of problems with the marking of the 2008 key stage 2 and key stage 3 tests; and if he will make a statement; [218004]
(2) when his Department was first informed that the key stage 2 and 3 national test results would not be sent to schools by 8 July 2008; and if he will make a statement; [218224]
(3) when his Department was first informed that delays were occurring in the marking of key stage national test papers; and if he will make a statement. [218226]
Jim Knight: The National Assessment Agency (NAA), the division of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) which delivers the national curriculum tests alerted the Department to a number of issues with delivery of national curriculum tests during the test delivery period. We sought and received consistent and regular assurances that the action being taken would resolve those issues and keep the NAA on track for release of results to schools on schedule.
The Department was alerted to more significant delivery problems on 1 July. Ken Boston, the chief executive of QCA, wrote to me on 2 July confirming that he expected there would be delays in publishing national curriculum test results, both because marking would not be complete by 8 July, and because of technical issues around data transfer.
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