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26 Nov 2008 : Column 1842W—continued
Departmental Press Releases
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each year since its inception; and if he will make a statement. [238985]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Departmental Procurement
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether there has been any nugatory cost to his Department and its agencies relating to tendered procurement where the tender process has been cancelled prior to the award of the contract since the inception of his Department. [239687]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Departmental Public Opinion
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department has spent on (a) focus groups and (b) opinion polls in each year since its inception; how much he estimates will be spent on each category in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement. [239044]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Departmental Public Relations
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on (a) entertainment, (b) advertising and promotion and (c) public relations consultancy in 2007-08. [228084]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Departmental Responsibilities
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which regional offices have responsibilities for delivering (a) funding and (b) services relating to policy objectives set by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [237154]
Ed Balls: The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) works with all nine of the English regional Government Offices.
Each year my Department specifies its expectations of Government Offices in the delivery of DCSF policies and priorities. For 2008-09 these include supporting the
implementation of the Children's Plan, Every Child Matters and achievement of the Public Service Agreements.
DCSF currently delegates £92 million of programme funding to Government Offices in support of these objectives.
Education
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2008, Official Report, column 1585W, on education, if he will provide a breakdown of the funding allocated to each programme listed in Table 1. [233078]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Table 1 lists the programmes aggregated under the “Other Miscellaneous” title and their corresponding projected allocations for 2008-09, as shown in the 2008 departmental annual report.
Education Maintenance Allowance
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families under what circumstances his Department may terminate its education maintenance allowance contract with Liberata. [226046]
Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). The LSC contracts with Liberata UK Ltd to carry out the helpline, assessment and payment function. Mark Haysom, the LSC's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he has taken to improve communications between the administrators of the education maintenance allowance (EMA) and (a) members of the general public and (b) hon. Members calling on the EMA MP helpline. [235309]
Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and manage the contract for EMA delivery with Liberata. Mark Haysom, the LSC's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Cotswold with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 21 November 2008:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question 235309 that asked:
“What steps he has taken to improve communications between the administrators of the education maintenance allowance (EMA) and (a) members of the general public and (b) hon. Members via the EMA MP Helpline.”
The LSC has a dedicated EMA micro-site within directgov and this acts as the primary communications channel to members of the public. We also encourage Learner Support staff in colleges and other learning providers to disseminate information to learners.
Since January 2008 the LSC has been publishing a monthly e-bulletin to keep colleges and learning providers informed of developments in Learner Support. This is sent to over 4000 colleagues. A dedicated provider website has also been in operation since January 2008 which acts as a single point of contact for regular operational updates.
There is no arrangement to host an EMA MP helpline.
The LSC have provided regular updates on delivery issues, and progress made to address this, to the Minister of State for Schools and Learners Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, and the Children, Schools and Families Committee has been kept informed.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will consider extending the deadline for education maintenance allowance (EMA) applications for applicants who have been unable to submit EMA applications owing to the technical and administrative difficulties experienced in (a) accepting and (b) processing them. [235310]
Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and manage the contract with Liberata for the processing of EMA applications and the delivery of EMA payments. Mark Haysom, the LSC's Chief Executive, has written to the hon. Member for Cotswold with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
Letter from Mark Haysom, 21 November 2008:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question 235310 that asked: "If he will consider extending the deadline for education maintenance allowance (EMA) applications for applicants who have been unable to submit EMA applications owing to the technical and administrative difficulties experienced in (a) accepting and (b) processing them."
The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) are currently working hard to improve the speed with which EMA applications are processed and learners notified of decisions. Part of the action which has been taken by the LSC is to ensure that sufficient supplies of paper applications are available, through learning providers, schools and colleges, to learners wishing to apply for EMA.
As in previous years, EMA applications are accepted during the entire Academic Year. Normally the LSC allows later applications, i.e. ones received after the start of a course, to be backdated to the start of a course when the application is received within 28 days of the start date.
However, in an effort to ensure that no learner is disadvantaged by the present administrative difficulties the LSC temporarily extended the backdating rules for the scheme. Any learner applying for EMA before 31 October 2008 would have their allowance backdated to the start of their course.
The LSC will, as in previous years, consider any cases that do not fall within this timescale as part of their case review arrangements.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what sanctions he plans to impose on Liberata for failing to make education maintenance allowance payments on time; and if he will make a statement. [237372]
Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). The helpline, assessment and payment function for EMA will be transferring to Capita from 28 November 2008. Mark Haysom, the LSC's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member for Yeovil with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students have (a) received a notice of entitlement for the education maintenance allowance, (b) successfully enrolled and (c) received at least one payment since September 2008. [239469]
Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Mark Haysom the LSC’s Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library,
Education Maintenance Allowance: Contracts
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what (a) contractual and (b) other penalties will be imposed on Liberata in respect of its administration of education maintenance allowances. [238072]
Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). The helpline, assessment and payment function for EMA will be transferring to Capita from 28 November 2008, Mark Haysom, the LSC’s chief executive, will write to the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
Education Maintenance Allowance: ICT
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what percentage of applications for education maintenance allowance (EMA) for 2008-09 have been recorded on the new EMA IT system; [237292]
(2) how much was spent on the new education maintenance allowance IT system in (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08 and (c) 2008-09. [237293]
Jim Knight:
This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), Mark Haysom,
the LSC's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member for Putney with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
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