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13 Jan 2009 : Column 648W—continued
Copyright
Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether his recent announcement on the extension of copyright term in principle extends to both performers and producers. [246695]
Mr. Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
As the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport said at the UK Music Creator’s Conference on 11 December, he and the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, have been considering the arguments for an extension for performers from the current 50 years, perhaps to something like 70 years to match more closely a performer’s expected lifetime. The debate on changes to the length of copyright term in this area is ongoing in Europe. We must ensure that the outcome of this debate delivers maximum benefits to performers and musicians. That is the test of any model as we go forward.
Curriculum
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he plans to take following the recommendations from Sir Jim Rose relating to the school curriculum; and if he will make a statement. [245912]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Sir Jim Rose is leading an independent review of the primary curriculum. His interim report, published on 8 December 2008, made provisional recommendations. The Government look forward to receiving Sir Jim Rose’s final report and recommendations in the spring.
Departmental Data Protection
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many contracts his Department has which allow contractors to store personal data of UK citizens overseas; for which contracts this applies; in which countries the data for each contract is held; and how many people have their data stored overseas in the case of each such contract. [245332]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department does not collect information of this kind and an answer could be provided only at disproportionate costs.
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when his Department appointed a senior information risk owner in accordance with the report, Data Handling Procedures in Government and the accompanying document Cross-departmental Actions: Mandatory Minimum Action; and what grade the person holds within the Department. [245356]
Jim Knight: The director general of Corporate Services Directorate has formally acted as SIRO since November 2007, but acted as de facto SIRO since taking up the post. The director general of Corporate Services post holder is a DCSF management board member.
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of the IT systems in his Department is fully accredited to the Government's security standards. [245374]
Jim Knight: Currently DCSF have eight systems or environments full accredited with a further two where accreditation is in development at the moment.
Departmental Energy
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to reduce the amount of energy it wastes. [244605]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government's Delivery Plan for “Sustainable Procurement and Operations on the Government Estate”, published in August 2008, provides a full account of the initiatives departments are taking to reduce their energy waste. The Government have committed to updating the Delivery Plan on a six monthly basis, and the first of these updates was published on 18 December 2008.
Departmental Equality
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what information his Department holds on the (a) sex, (b) ethnicity, (c) age, (d) disability, (e) sexual orientation and (f) religion or belief of its staff; and what assessment he has made of his Department’s performance against its targets relating to diversity in its work force. [246026]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department holds information on all categories listed. Information on ethnicity, disability, religion and sexual orientation is based on voluntary, self-declaration.
The Department’s diversity targets to 2013 and current position are set out in the following table.
| Percentage | ||
| Under-represented groups | July to September 2008 | Target for 2013 |
| (1) Feeder grades are employees in grade 6 and 7. Percentages are based on those who have declared (a number of employees have chosen not to). | ||
Departmental Marketing
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many complaints about advertisements sponsored or funded by his Department were made to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in each year from 1997 to 2008; and how many of these were upheld by the ASA in each year. [246643]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families has existed since June 2007 and is unable, therefore, to provide figures going back to 1997.
The ASA inform the Department about complaints received only when they judge that an investigation is required. They do not routinely notify the Department about the number received.
At our request, the ASA have informed us that since June 2007 to 21 December 2008, they have received two complaints relating to two separate ‘cases’ (being an ad or campaign) of DCSF advertising. However, neither of these complaints resulted in an ASA investigation being launched.
Departmental Redundancy
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many of his Department's staff who left under (a) an involuntary and (b) a voluntary staff exit scheme in each year since it was established received a severance package of (i) up to £25,000, (ii) £25,001 to £50,000, (iii) £50,001 to £75,000, (iv) £75,001 to £100,000 and (v) over £100,000; and if he will make a statement. [242250]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 26 November 2008, Official Report, columns 1860-61W.
Education Maintenance Allowance
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what criteria his Department employs to assess the effect of the education maintenance allowance; and what the performance was against such criteria in 2007-08. [244544]
Jim Knight: The education maintenance allowance (EMA) was introduced to incentivise more 16 to 19-year-olds from low income households to participate in post-16 learning. It was subject to comprehensive evaluation during pilots from 1999 through to national roll out from 2004. We have evidence on the impact these pilots had on both participation in full-time education and attainment by age 18.
We do not know whether the impact of EMA has changed since national roll out because there is no comparison group in the United Kingdom where EMA is not available against which we could measure the 'EMA effect'. However, since EMA was rolled out there have been year on year increases in participation in full time education, and this is one of the most important initiatives aimed at increasing participation.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make an assessment of the effect of the operation of the education maintenance allowance on the social cohesion of school children; and if he will make a statement. [244751]
Jim Knight:
Education maintenance allowance (EMA) is designed to help young people from low-income households to stay-on in education. Evaluation of the pilots showed that the impact is highest in those families with incomes below £20,000 and that there is a significant fall in take-up from families in the income ranges of just over £30,000. In designing the national programme, we
used this evidence to make best use of the funds available for EMA. Experience in the pilots is that young people who are not eligible for EMA understand that, by setting an upper income threshold, we are focusing resources where they are most needed and will have the most impact.
We continue to heed the views of young people about the scheme. Previously, a learner could receive a weekly payment for attending class even if they had been disruptive, uncooperative and lacking in effort. From September 2008 we have amended the criteria for payment of bonuses and weekly payments to include behaviour, punctuality, completing coursework on time and achievement of agreed learning goals. These changes emphasise the “something for something” approach of the scheme.
Young people who were consulted were strongly in favour of this change. They think it is only fair that people are rewarded for effort and not for disruptive behaviour. Similarly feedback from learning providers shows that including an element of behaviour and effort will encourage learners to work hard and make progress.
Foster Care
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what estimate he has made of the number of foster parents offering places for children in care directly with local authorities and through agencies; [245244]
(2) what his estimate is of the difference between the number of children seeking foster care placements and the number of such placements which are available. [245245]
Beverley Hughes: Local authorities are responsible for securing sufficient and diverse placements that are appropriate for the needs of children they look after within their authority area.
Information on the number of foster parents offering places for children in care directly with local authorities and through agencies is not collected centrally.
Information on the number of children seeking foster care placements is also not collected centrally and so a difference cannot be calculated between these children seeking placements and the number of such placements available.
However, information on the number of children looked after in foster placements can be found in 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’. This shows the number of children looked after at the 31 March for 2004 to 2008 by placement.
and table A3 can be found within the excel link labelled National Tables.
A table showing the number of children looked after in foster placements by local authority can be found in table LAA2 in the excel link (1st set of additional tables).
GCSE
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils achieved five A* to C grade GCSEs including English, mathematics, science and a foreign language in (a) 1997 and (b) 2008. [244289]
Jim Knight: The information requested is given in the following table.
| Percentage of pupils who achieved five or more grades A*-C including English, mathematics, science and a foreign language | |
| Percentage | |
| (1) 2008 is based on pupils at the end of KS4. (2) 1997 data is based on 15-year-old pupils at the start of the academic year. Note: The 2008 data is provisional and subject to change. | |
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils obtained five grade A* to C GCSEs excluding equivalents in (a) 1997 and (b) 2008. [244291]
Jim Knight: The information requested is given in the following table:
| Percentage of pupils who achieved five or more grades A*-C GCSEs excluding equivalents | |
| Percentage | |
| (1 )2008 is based on pupils at the end of KS4. (2) 1997 data is based on 15-year-old pupils at the start of the academic year. Note: The 2008 data is provisional and subject to change. | |
General Certificate of Secondary Education: Standards
Mr. Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of GCSE candidates resident in Enfield, Southgate constituency achieved A* to C grades in each examination taken in each of the last five years. [246151]
Jim Knight: The information requested by examination could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, figures showing the percentage of resident pupils in Enfield, Southgate achieving five or more A* to C grades are produced in the following table:
| Percentage of resident pupils( 1) achieving five or more A* to C grades at GCSE and equivalent | ||
| Enfield, Southgate parliamentary constituency | Enfield local authority district | |
| (1 )Figures for 2005/06 onwards are based on pupils at the end of key stage 4. Data for previous years are based on pupils aged 15-years-old at the start of the academic year. (2 )Provisional. | ||
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