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19 Jan 2009 : Column 1152W—continued
These figures have been taken from table A3 of the latest Statistical First Release ‘Children looked after in
England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2008’ which is available on the Department’s website via the following link:
Young People: Drugs
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the percentage of people under the age of 25 years who used Class A drugs in 2007-08. [247481]
Mr. Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
There are two primary sources of statistics on the use of illicit drugs by young people: the British Crime Survey (which covers England and Wales) and the Drug use, Smoking and Drinking Survey among young people in England.
According to the 2007-08 British Crime Survey 7 per cent. of young people aged 16-24 reported using a class A drug in the last year.
Latest figures from the 2007 Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Survey show that 4 per cent. of pupils aged 11-15 years reported using class A drugs in the past year.
Young People: Smoking
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the percentage of (a) males and (b) females under the age of 25 years who smoked tobacco in each of the last five years. [247483]
Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested is not available in the exact format requested.
Information on smoking tobacco is not readily available. While information on smoking pipes and cigars is collected for those aged 16 and over the prevalence is very low among those aged below 25 and is collected separately to information on cigarette smoking, therefore overall prevalence of smoking tobacco is not available.
Information on the prevalence of smoking cigarettes among adults aged 16 to 19 and aged 20 to 24 in Great Britain, by gender in 2002 to 2006 is available from the “General Household Survey 2006: Smoking and drinking among adults, 2006”. This information can be found in Table 1.1 on page 15. This publication is available in the Library.
Data on the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults aged 16 to 19 and aged 20 to 24 in England, by gender, in 2002 to 2006 are available in “Statistics on Smoking: England, 2008”, in Table 2.1, on page 14. This publication has been placed in the Library.
Information on the proportion of children (aged 11 to 15) in England, who were regular and who were occasional cigarette smokers, by gender, for 2002 to 2007 are available in, “Drug use, smoking and drinking among young people in England in 2007” in Table 3.1, on page 116. This publication has already been placed in the Library.
Youth Custody
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress the Youth Justice Board has made on a new safeguarding strategy for children and young people in the secure estate. [247393]
Beverley Hughes: The Youth Justice Board (YJB), in collaboration with the National Children's Bureau, published A Review of Safeguarding in the Secure Estate on 15 December 2008. The Review recognised that much has already been done in respect to safeguarding young people in custody and made a number of recommendations. The YJB is working to develop a national safeguarding strategy for young people in the secure estate. As part of this programme, it is undertaking reviews in specific areas highlighted by the Review, including :
full searches (due for completion by February 2009)
single separation (due for completion by February 2009)
rewards and sanctions (due for completion 2010)
adjudications (due for completion 2010)
complaints (due for completion 2010)
Youth Services
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department issued on the co-location of services for children and young people in 2008. [247193]
Beverley Hughes: The co-location of services is a useful way of providing a single point of access for children, young people and families, and a more effective and efficient way of professionals working together. While many areas are working hard to co-locate services and achieve the benefits this can bring, feedback suggests there are some barriers that are preventing services from co-locating as a matter of course. In response to this, we announced in the Children’s Plan: One Year On progress report that we will be setting up a dedicated £200 million fund to support co-location of services. This fund will run from April 2009 and will assist local areas to move ahead rapidly on capital investment projects where the co-location of services will help join up work between professionals and promote better outcomes for children and young people.
To support local areas prepare high quality applications to this fund, and to promote ongoing co-location of services through existing capital investment programmes including Building Schools for the Future, we expect to issue additional guidance on co-location during the first half of this year.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent progress the Youth Taskforce has made towards meeting its objectives; and if he will make a statement. [247248]
Beverley Hughes:
The Youth Taskforce was set up to improve outcomes for some of our most at risk and challenging young people. In March 2008, we launched the Youth Taskforce Action Plan, backed by a total funding package of £218 million. The Youth Taskforce is now working across the country to drive improved
local delivery of services and support for young people, ensuring that every local area has an effective approach to keep young people on track.
The Taskforce has made progress on all its objectives, including:
Establishing ‘Challenge and Support’ projects in 52 areas where youth crime and antisocial behaviour are a particular problem. These projects intervene quickly with young people involved in antisocial behaviour to tackle underlying causes of their behaviour, alongside enforcement action.
Establishing Intensive Intervention Projects in 20 areas. These pioneering projects use assertive key workers and support with sanctions to turn around the lives of the most challenging and problematic young people.
Training over 2,500 practitioners across the country through regional conferences and Roadshows.
Leading a programme of reform with local authorities to ensure every area has a systematic and joined up approach to prevention, early intervention and support for at risk teenagers.
Beginning delivery of the Youth Crime Action Plan, published in July 2008, in particular supporting 69 local areas to implement promising approaches to youth crime prevention, including ‘Operation Staysafe’ and ‘Street-based teams’.
Youth Services: Training
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in what ways his Department is working with external partners to introduce a common platform of skills and training for those across all sectors who work with young people; and in what ways it is working with such partners to develop new qualifications for support staff. [247186]
Beverley Hughes: The Children's Workforce Network (CWN) is managing the delivery of a programme of youth workforce reform through the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC). CWDC engage with the relevant Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) and key organisations in the youth sector, including the third sector, in order to develop, agree and lead the work. This programme of reform includes a set of measures to raise the level of skills and competencies of the workforce and provide a common platform of skills and training that rationalises and improves the existing arrangements for all staff including professionals and support workers. A common apprenticeship, a foundation degree and a youth professional status are all under development as important new components of the new skills framework for the youth workforce.
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Adult Education: North East
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department is taking to provide opportunities for jobless people to learn new skills, with particular reference to the North East. [245866]
Mr. Simon:
As part of the integrated approach to employment and skills, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and Jobcentre Plus in the North East are closely aligned to provide a range of opportunities for workless people. Through the Skills for Jobs strategy the main
programmes are: The Sector Routeways Programme, providing accredited learning for those furthest from the labour market; the Personal Best Programme, which encourages long term unemployed people to learn skills through volunteer work on 2012 Olympics projects; and the Skills Solution Fund, to respond to local redundancies. An enhanced careers and advice service also provides more intensive support for workless people.
The LSC in the North East, and in the rest of England, delivers the legal right for all adults to get training up Level 2, and the guarantee of fee funding for every 18-25 year-old until they reach 25 or achieve Level 3 qualifications. Skills for Life literacy and numeracy learning—up to Level 2—are also free to the learner.
The LSC in the North East works closely with the public, private and voluntary sector partners through the regional employability framework. The framework represents a set of principles that bring together the LSC, Jobcentre Plus, local authorities the Regional Development Agency, and a range of other partners with a shared objective to get people back into work.
On 17 December 2008, the Secretary of State announced details of a £158 million package of enhanced skills support for people affected by the economic situation in England. Implementation of this package will happen at a regional level to ensure that support is tailored to local needs. Regional Ministers are co-ordinating the response, working closely with Directors from the LSC, including Chris Roberts, the Director for the North East, and Jobcentre Plus.
Apprentices: Greater London
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many apprenticeships were (a) started and (b) completed in (i) London and (ii) the London Borough of Wandsworth in the academic year (A) 2003-04, (B) 2004-05, (C) 2005-06 and (D) 2006-07; and in what trades such apprenticeships were undertaken in each such year. [244624]
Mr. Simon: Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship starts and completions in London and Wandsworth local authority from 2003/04 academic year to 2006/07.
| Table 1: Apprenticeship starts in London and Wandsworth local authority, 2003/04 to 2006/07 | ||||
| 2003/04 | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | 2006/07 | |
| Notes: 1. Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding. 2. Region and local authority is based on learner’s home postcode. Source: Work Based Learning ILR data | ||||
Tables 2 and 3 show the number of apprenticeship starts and completions in London by groupings of Sector framework of Learning for 2003/04 to 2006/07.
Numbers for Wandsworth local authority are too small to split by Sector Framework of Learning.
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