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12 Jan 2009 : Column 6W—continued
Academies: Sponsorship
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what procedures apply when the lead sponsor of an academy withdraws from involvement after the academy has been established. [245243]
Jim Knight: If a sponsor wishes to withdraw involvement once an academy has been opened then the academy trust and DCSF will agree the best way forward. The prime consideration will be the needs of the pupils at the academy.
Building Schools for the Future Programme
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities he expects to join the Building Schools for the Future programme after 2010; and if he will make a statement. [245598]
Jim Knight: Including the interim wave we launched this summer, there are now 80 authorities started with projects the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. The remaining authorities will enter the programme as soon as is practicable. I aim to announce the revised national programme in early 2009, using the revised expressions of interest which authorities submitted by 30 November. The most highly prioritised projects, which will access funding starting from 2011-12, should enter the programme later in 2009 where they demonstrate that they are ready to deliver.
Children in Care
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children are in care in each (a) primary and (b) secondary school in each of the principal seaside towns in England. [241502]
Beverley Hughes: Classifications that enable analysis at town level, including seaside towns, are not readily available therefore this information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Data have been published by the Department in SFR—Statistical First Release—23/2008: “Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2008”. Table LAA1 of that publication provides information on the number of looked after children at 31 March by local authority for the last five years. This publication can be found on the Department’s website via the following link:
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many children were in care as a result of their mother’s imprisonment in the last year for which figures are available; and what percentage of those children were subsequently returned to their mother’s care; [244491]
(2) how many asylum-seeking children are in care; [244512]
(3) how many children in care were convicted of a crime in each of the last five years, broken down by type of crime. [244507]
Beverley Hughes: Information on the number of children who were in care as a result of their mother’s imprisonment and subsequently returned to their care is not held centrally by the Department.
However, information is collected on the number of children who were in care as a result of absent parenting and this can be found in table A1, 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’. This shows the number of children looked after at 31 March for 2004 to 2008 by category of need. The reason for the parents’ absence is not collected.
Information on the number of asylum-seeking children who are in care can be found in table A4, within the same SFR.
The OC2 data collection collects information on a range of outcomes for looked after children from local authorities. This information has been published in the Statistical First Release “Outcome Indicators for Children Looked After, 12 months to 30 September 2007—England” (SFR 08/2008), which is available on the Department’s website via the following link:
This publication contains figures for the period 2005-07.
Information on the number of children looked after continuously for at least 12 months aged 10 or above convicted of a crime or subject to a final warning or reprimand can be found in table E. Information on the type of crime is not collected centrally.
Figures for 2002-04 are also published on the Department’s website and are available in volume reference (03/2005) here:
Children in Care: Coastal Areas
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the Answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, columns 1821-3W, on children in care: coastal areas, if he will make it his policy to collect data on looked-after children by (a) ward and (b) lower super output area in the principal seaside towns of England. [244405]
Beverley Hughes: We do not intend to collect data centrally on looked-after children by ward and lower super output area in the principal seaside towns of England.
In line with our commitments in the Local Government White Paper, “Strong and Prosperous Communities” we aim to
“reduce radically the number of nationally-required local targets, performance indicators and reporting”
“revised Local Area Agreement (LAA) process through which central Government and local partners will agree and manage a limited number of improvement targets for each local area”.
However local authorities will often be collecting information at ward/town level to aid their priority setting and performance management arrangements.
Children: Protection
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to his Statement of 20 November 2008, Official Report, column 376, on safeguarding children, (1) what professional advice he was given regarding the publication of the serious case review; and from whom; [240898]
(2) on what legal basis he has decided he may not publish the serious case review for Baby P. [243435]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 8 December 2008]: The Department does not routinely publish advice to Ministers.
Mr. Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were on the Child Protection Register in the year ended March (a) 2004, (b) 2005, (c) 2006, (d) 2007 and (e) 2008. [241744]
Beverley Hughes: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1834W
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on how many occasions he has rejected the advice of the expert panel created in 2006 as to whether a person on the sex offenders' register should be employed to work with children; and if he will make a statement. [242144]
Beverley Hughes: There have been no occasions when the Secretary of State has rejected the advice of the expert panel on whether a person should be barred from working with children. The panel was established in January 2006. The panel's role in advising on ongoing List 99 cases was transferred to the new Independent Safeguarding Authority on 31 March 2008.
Any person who has been convicted or cautioned for a sexual offence against a child since 28 February 2007 has been automatically placed on List 99—these cases have not required the advice of the panel.
Children’s Centres
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to take forward proposals for legislation affecting Sure Start Children's Centres following the recent public consultation exercise; and when he expects the findings of the consultation to be published. [245772]
Beverley Hughes: Yes, we plan to legislate for Sure Start Children's Centres as part of the forthcoming Children, Skills and Learning Bill. The public consultation exercise ‘Legislating for Sure Start Children's Centres’ closed on 6 November and we received over 300 replies. An overwhelming 97 per cent. of respondents agreed with our proposal to give Sure Start Children's Centres a firm legislative basis. We will publish the consultation report on the Department's consultation website:
Departmental Official Hospitality
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department and its predecessors spent on entertainment and hospitality in each year since 1997. [240626]
Ed Balls: The following table sets out spending on entertainment and hospitality in £ thousand for the Department for Children, Schools and Families and its predecessor Departments in the relevant years.
| £000 | |
The Department's policy on entertainment is in accordance with the principles of Treasury guidance in Managing Public Money and the handbook on Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money.
Entertainment expenditure is limited to occasions when official business can best be transacted in that way. Personal entertainment, in the form of hospitality, is usually restricted to where senior managers (deputy director or above) are acting as host and expenditure must be approved in advance by a director or executive board member.
Departmental Publications
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 21 October 2008, Official Report, columns 326-7W,
on departmental publications, which documents his Department has circulated in exceptional circumstances to schools since December 2004. [241592]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: To retrieve the information as to which documents the Department has circulated to schools in exceptional circumstances since December 2004 can be obtained only at a disproportional cost.
Education Maintenance Allowance
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1836W, on the education maintenance allowance, 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, broken down by (i) local authority and (ii) constituency. [244906]
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.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he was kept informed of the number of students who had (a) applied for a notice of entitlement, (b) received a notice of entitlement, (c) enrolled on a course and (d) received a payment during his communications with the Learning and Skills Council about the administration of the education maintenance allowance. [244933]
Jim Knight: Since the beginning of September officials have received daily processing statistics, supplied by the contractor via the LSC, which have included each of the areas in question. These data have been relayed to Ministers in the regular updates they have received on the processing of education maintenance allowance applications.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how regularly he has met or had communication with the Learning and Skills Council to monitor the administration of education maintenance allowance payments. [244934]
Jim Knight: In response to the recent EMA delivery issues Ministers and officials have had direct contact with the LSC on a regular basis. This has included both correspondence and meetings. Since August Ministers have also received regular updates from officials, based upon their communication with the LSC. These updates have been received on a daily basis since the beginning of September.
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his most recent estimate is of the percentage of eligible people claiming education maintenance allowance in (a) England, (b) the North East, (c) Tees Valley district and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency. [245024]
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 transferred to Capita from 28 November 2008. Mark Haysom the LSC’s chief executive, will write to the hon. Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils are receiving hardship payments as a result of a delay in receiving their education maintenance allowance payments; and if he will make a statement. [245575]
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 has transferred to Capita as from 28 November 2008. Mark Haysom the LSC's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many education maintenance allowance payments for 2008 he expects will have been made by 1 January 2009; how many such payments for 2007 had been made by 1 January 2008; and if he will make a statement. [245650]
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 has transferred to Capita as from 28 November 2008. Mark Haysom the LSC's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
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