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23 Oct 2008 : Column 571W—continued
Academies: Sponsorship
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many private sponsors of (a) existing and (b) planned academies have had discussions with his Department about withdrawing from the programme; and if he will make a statement. [227723]
Jim Knight: One sponsor, Amey, has discussed withdrawing from an existing academy. We are not in similar discussions with any other sponsors of open or planned academies.
Since the first academies opened in 2002 one lead sponsor withdrew after signing a funding agreement, but before the academy opened. In this instance a new lead sponsor took over. There have also been two instances of co-sponsors withdrawing from projects after signing the funding agreement. On both occasions the other co-sponsors continued with the projects.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether any women have acted as individual sponsors of academy schools. [227749]
Jim Knight: There have not been any women acting as individual sponsors of academies, but there are a number of women who are part of a sponsorship team behind an academy, or who run the operations of sponsoring organisations.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what powers he has to dismiss any academy sponsor; and when those powers have been exercised. [227750]
Jim Knight: The Secretary of State may, at any time and in certain circumstances, by notice in writing, terminate the funding agreement with an academy sponsor. These circumstances include insolvency or if the academy trust has passed a resolution for its winding up. The Secretary of State may also terminate the funding agreement if the chief inspector gives a notice to the academy trust stating that in his opinion special measures are required to be taken in relation to the academy. However, he would usually only do so if the academy trust had not made and acted upon a written statement of the action the trust proposes to take, and the period within which it proposes to take such action. In all other circumstances the Secretary of State, or the academy trust, may give not less than seven academy financial years’ written notice to terminate the funding agreement.
The Secretary of State may appoint additional governors as he thinks fit if he has given the governors a warning notice in accordance with the articles of association and the governors have failed to comply with the notice to his satisfaction. With a majority of the governors, the Secretary of State would have the power to dismiss the sponsor, through amendments to the memorandum and articles.
The Department carry out rigorous checks to establish the suitability of individuals and organisations to become sponsors of academies. These include checking their financial viability to supply the funds pledged as well as their general suitability.
To date, the Secretary of State has not terminated a funding agreement with an academy trust, or flooded the governing body to dismiss an academy sponsor.
Adoption
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many adopted children waited longer than (a) 12, (b) 18, (c) 24, (d) 30, (e) 36, (d) 42 and (e) 48 months to be adopted following the decision that adoption was in their best interests in each of the last five years, broken down by ethnicity. [228707]
Beverley Hughes: Information on looked after children adopted during the year ending 31 March 2008 can be found in the following table. Information for earlier years can be provided only at a disproportionate cost. The figures shown for the time between the decision that adoption was in the child's best interest and the date of the making of the adoption order are cumulative.
| Looked after children adopted during the year ending 31 March 2008 by the time between the decision that adoption was in their best interest and the making of the adoption order: England | ||||||||
| Number | ||||||||
| Time between decisions that adoption was in the best interest and adoption | ||||||||
| Over 12 months | Over 18 months | Over 24 months | Over 30 months | Over 36 months | Over 42 months | Over 48 months | ||
| Source: SSDA903 return on children looked after. | ||||||||
Once the child has been placed for adoption with approved prospective adopters it is for them to decide when to apply to the court for an adoption order. However, the child has to live with the prospective adopters for 10 weeks preceding the application.
After School Clubs
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on (a) after-school facilities and (b) holiday clubs in each of the last 10 years. [228661]
Beverley Hughes: The Government have made a commitment that by 2010 all schools will be providing access to a core range of extended services, including a varied menu of activities from 8 am to 6 pm as well as provision during the school holidays. There are currently over 14,000 schools (65 per cent.) providing extended services.
In order to support delivery of extended schools, significant funding has been made available. £840 million was made available between 2003 to 2008 and an additional £1.3 billion has been committed for the period 2008 to 2011.
It is for each local authority, in consultation with schools and other children’s services partners, to make decisions on how best to use this funding to support schools develop extended services, based on local needs. The Department centrally does not hold a breakdown of how much funding has been spent on particular elements of the core offer, including after-school facilities and holiday clubs.
Building Schools for the Future Programme
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department is planning to spend on the Building Schools for the Future programme in each year from 2011-12 to 2021-22; and if he will make a statement. [229464]
Jim Knight: The Government are committed to the continued delivery of the Building Schools for the Future programme, as demonstrated by the recent consultation on future roll-out and our desire to bring new authorities into the programme as quickly as is practicable. However, planned spending on the programme from 2011-12 will be subject to future spending decisions.
Children: Asylum
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department gives to local authorities on the placement of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who are suspected to be victims of human trafficking. [228709]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government recognise the particular vulnerability of unaccompanied asylum seeking children who may have been trafficked into the UK. This is why in December 2007 we issued “Safeguarding Children who may have been Trafficked”, to supplement the statutory guidance, “Working Together to Safeguard Children”. Paragraphs 7.55 to 7.64 of this further guidance provides information for local authorities about the steps they will need to take to ensure that any potentially trafficked child that they look after is effectively safeguarded.
Crayford Academy
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress has been made on plans for the proposed Crayford Academy. [227823]
Jim Knight: The Crayford Academy is five months into the feasibility stage.
The funding agreement is due to be submitted to the Secretary of State for approval in March 2009. If the Secretary of State approves the funds to move into the implementation stage, the planned opening will be in temporary accommodation in September 2009. The final outline business case approval is planned for March 2009 which will allow the new building to be occupied by September 2010.
The LA statutory school closure has commenced and is due to be complete by 2 February 2009. The Academy's consultation commenced on 1 October and is due to complete by January 2009.
Departmental Civil Service Agencies
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many agencies were sponsored by his Department or its predecessors in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 1997-98. [228508]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The “Next Steps Report 1997” (Cm3889) provides information on all Executive agencies as at 31 December 1997. Copies are available from the Library of the House. The most up-to-date list of Executive agencies is published in the Cabinet Office publication “The List of Ministerial Responsibilities”. The latest version, incorporating recent ministerial changes, will be published shortly. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Departmental Information and Communications Technology
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on upgrading its IT in each of the last three financial years. [228415]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children Schools and Families has spent the following amounts upgrading its IT in each of the last three full financial years.
| Financial year | £ |
The Department has also spent £1,673,073 in the current financial year (2008-09) to date.
Departmental Publications
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which magazines and other publications his Department distributes to (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools on a regular basis. [228793]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department produces and distributes to (a) primary schools a copy of “Primary Teachers” magazine. It also produces and distributes to (b) secondary schools a copy of “Secondary Teachers” magazine.
The Department also produces “Governors” magazine and distributes this to both primary and secondary schools.
In addition, 10 issues of “Spectrum” are produced a year and distributed to all head teachers and chairs of governors. “Spectrum” provides schools with a summary of all the latest resources, publications, guidance and regulations.
Foster Care: Grandparents
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were fostered by a grandparent in each of the last 10 years, broken down by local authority. [228713]
Beverley Hughes: This information is not collected centrally by the Department.
However, table A3, taken from the Statistical First Release (SFR 23/2008) entitled ‘Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2008’ shows the number of children looked after by English local authorities, who were placed with a foster carer who was either a relative or friend at 31 March for each year from 2004 to 2008. The SFR is located at:
and table A3 can be found within the first set of Excel tables on the website.
Further Education
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what surveys his Department has conducted to estimate the proportion of the school student population which wishes to stay on in full-time education beyond the age of 16 years; and what the findings were. [227898]
Jim Knight: There are a number of surveys which have been conducted by the Department which have asked young people about their intentions after age 16:
Longitudinal Study of Young People in England
The Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE) is a longitudinal (panel) study of young people. In the first interview or ‘wave' of LSYPE (Spring 2004), sample members were asked at age 13/14 what their intentions were after Year 11. The results show that at age 13/14 78 per cent. of LSYPE respondents intended to stay on in full-time education either at the school they were currently attending or somewhere else. LSYPE did not ask about intentions to other learning routes.
Tellus2 and Tellus3 were national online surveys of pupils in years 6, 8 and 10, carried out to gather the views of children and young people on topics relating to the five Every Child Matters outcomes. The relevant question asked: What do you hope to do when you leave school? (Years 8 and 10 only). The results are as follows:
| Percentage | |||||
| Get a j ob at 16 | Study and get a job at 18 | Study and go to university | Something else | Don't know | |
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