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15 Jan 2009 : Column 927W—continued
| DFES advertising billing 2004-05 | |
| £ | |
| Campaign title | Media total |
| DFES advertising billing 2005-06 | |
| £ | |
| Campaign title | Media total |
| DFES advertising billing 2006-07 | |
| £ | |
| Campaign title | Media total |
| DCSF advertising billing 2007-08 | |
| £ | |
| Campaign title | Media total |
Departmental Consultants
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been spent on consultants by (a) his Department and (b) each non-departmental public body of the Department in each of the last three years, broken down by consultancy. [240633]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Consultancy expenditure for the former Department for Education and Skills for 2005-06 and 2006-07 is shown in table 1. Following the announcement of the machinery of Government change on 28 June 2007, which created the Department for Children, Schools and Families, consultancy expenditure for 2007-08 for the new Department is shown in table 2.
Consultancy expenditure can be attributed to individual suppliers only at disproportionate cost.
| Table 1: 2005-06 and 2006-07—Department for Education and Skills | |
| £ million | |
| Consultancy expenditure | |
A further £8 million in 2005-06 and £14 million in 2006-07 were expended on other external expert advisers on education and children’s matters to assist with policy implementation and delivery.
| Table 2: 2007-08—Department for Children Schools and Families | |
| £ million | |
| Consultancy expenditure | |
A further £10.3 million was spent on other external expert advisers.
The Department does not hold information on consultancy expenditure for its non-departmental public bodies.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost to his Department of provision of office facilities to (a) special advisers and (b) press officers (i) was in the last 12 months and (ii) has been since 1997-98. [244730]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families was created on 28 June 2007. The total cost on the provision of office facilities to press officers and special advisors during the last 12 months amounted to £240,758.90.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and its predecessors did not collect the information from 1997-98 onwards as requested and therefore it could be provided only at disproportionate costs.
Departmental Responsibilities
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of his Department's performance against its target to increase the number of children in lower-income working families using formal childcare by 120,000 in 2008; and if he will make a statement. [247467]
Beverley Hughes: The final assessment of this target will be based on the findings from the Department's 2008 Parents' Childcare Survey. The results of this annual survey will be available from April 2009.
Departmental Telephone Services
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many telephone numbers for which callers are charged at the rate applicable to 0845 numbers are used by his Department for public access to services. [246990]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department currently has five services, accessible to the public, which operate using telephone numbers with the 0845 prefix: the Headship Information Line; the DCSF publications helpline, Prolog; the Fast Track Teachers Programme Support and recruitment team helplines; and the National Strategies Customer Service Helpdesk.
Education: Assessments
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many responses were received to the consultation on Confidence in Standards: Regulating and developing qualifications and assessment. [247246]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The consultation on Confidence in Standards was launched on 17 December 2007 and ran until 10 March 2008. The consultation received 80 responses.
Grandparents: Parental Responsibility
Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assistance his Department provides to grandparents who act in loco parentis for their grandchildren; and if he will make a statement. [247047]
Beverley Hughes: Grandparents who care for their grandchildren are entitled to the same help from services as any other relative.
Education legislation makes no distinction between parents and other carers with whom the child is living with regard to service entitlement. Grandparents are also entitled to the same family support services as any parent. Family support services may be provided by a local authority under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need in their area, including promoting the upbringing of such children by their families. These services may include financial help if that is the most appropriate way to meet the child's needs. If grandparents or any other relative are caring for a child who is looked after by the local authority, they will be approved as local authority foster carers and entitled to the same financial allowances and support services as any other foster carer.
We are also seeking to improve services and supports to relative carers through a number of measures as set out in the “Care Matters” White Paper. The Children and Young Persons Act, which received royal assent in November 2008 makes it easier for relative carers to obtain an order giving them parental responsibility for the child and to receive financial support on a longer term basis where this is seen to be the most appropriate way to safeguard and promote the child's welfare.
Headteachers
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the report by Pricewaterhouse Coopers commissioned by his Department on school leaders. [247461]
Ed Balls: I welcomed the Pricewaterhouse Coopers report on school leadership. My Department has since provided funding of £10 million to the National College of School Leadership (NCSL) for succession planning. I have also made the development of new models of leadership one of the key priorities for the NCSL.
Health Education: Alcoholic Drinks
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what peer-designed materials are used within schools to ensure young people are aware of the implications of alcohol abuse. [247666]
Beverley Hughes: The Department does not collect information on what peer-designed materials are used within schools.
Alcohol education should be delivered (along with other drug education) through well planned personal, social, health and economic (PSHEE) education. The Department's guidance, "Drugs: Guidance for Schools" (DFES 2004) makes it clear that schools should work closely with pupils' parents and carers in the development of their drug education programme, so that it is relevant and sensitive to the needs and diversity of its pupils.
Health Education: Sex
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the outcomes of the review of sex and relationship education in schools; and if he will make a statement. [247257]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government's response to the review of sex and relationships education (SRE) in schools was published on 23 October. A copy of the response is available at:
The Government believe all children and young people should receive a comprehensive, age-appropriate programme of SRE, to give them the knowledge and skills to make safe and healthy choices about sex and relationships.
National Curriculum Tests: Contracts
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) whether Ministers from his Department had access to the documents and information associated with the procurement of the contract with ETS Europe to deliver the key stage 2 and key stage 3 national curriculum tests; [246274]
(2) whether Ministers from his Department were consulted on the terms of the contract drawn up between the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and ETS to deliver the key stage 2 and key stage 3 national curriculum tests. [246192]
Jim Knight: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is responsible for the delivery of National Curriculum tests. The QCA Board took decisions on the procurement and award of contracts. Throughout the procurement process, officials from the Department for Education and Skills (DFES) participated as observers, commenting and asking questions. QCA shared copies of documentation with officials who offered comments. DFES observers did not have voting rights or decision making powers in relation to the procurement. The QCA Board approved ETS as preferred bidder on the 14 December 2006. Ministers were informed of the QCA's choice of preferred bidder on the same day, prior to the commencement of contract negotiations. Ministers were not consulted on the terms of the contract between QCA and ETS. Lord Sutherland has found that the procurement was sound but the QCA did not manage the contract it held with ETS effectively.
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