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26 Jan 2009 : Column 150W—continued
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent assessment he has made of the level of English spoken by staff in childcare settings. [249730]
Beverley Hughes: No recent assessment has been made. The framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) introduced in September 2008 requires staff to have the right language skills to support children from birth to five to develop communication skills in English and to help ensure that their welfare needs are protected. The requirements for providers working with older children set proportions for the number of staff required to hold level 2 and 3 qualifications in an area of work relevant to child care (and the Common Core Skills for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register). As part of the requirements candidates need to demonstrate competence in English. Ofsted inspects providers against these requirements. The requirements on settings are designed to help ensure effective standards of communication in settings and to enable parents to choose providers who also speak their home language.
Children: Human Trafficking
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent discussions his Department has had with the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on child trafficking. [247672]
Beverley Hughes: The UK Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking published in March 2007 and revised in July 2008 sets out the responsibilities of Departments, including the Department, the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the actions they are taking. Implementation of the action plan is coordinated through the Interdepartmental Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking, which last met in November 2008. The Group ensures that all relevant Departments are fully engaged in tackling child trafficking.
Children: Mental Health Services
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects the final report on the review of child and adolescent mental health services to be published. [246998]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The final report of the independent review of child and adolescent mental health services, “Children and Young People in Mind”, was published on 18 November 2008. The report of the review's findings and recommendations to Government is available on the Department for Children, Schools and Families website:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, welcomed the report in the written ministerial statement on 18 November 2009, Official Report, columns 9-10WS, and set out their initial response to each of the review's 20 recommendations in a summary document that is available on the Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families websites and the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.
Children: Obesity
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent progress the Obesity Observatory has made towards meeting its objectives; and if he will make a statement. [246994]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The main functions of the Observatory are to: provide an authoritative source of data and evidence on obesity, overweight and their determinants; co-ordinate surveillance on obesity and overweight, including working towards the commitment to monitoring made in the World Health Organisation (WHO) European Charter on Counteracting Obesity; analyse surveillance and indicator data, and report on progress against the new ambition to reduce the proportion of overweight and obese children to 2000 levels by 2020 in the context of tackling obesity across the population; provide guidance on assessing and evaluating pilots and demonstration sites in England; gather information on international best practice and developing links to the International Obesity Task Force, WHO, and other supranational bodies; and provide technical support to the Government’s expert panel on obesity.
In its first nine months of operation the Observatory has reviewed options for calculating child obesity prevalence in England; produced detailed analysis, commentary, guidance and data tools relating to the National Child Measurement Programme; and is developing a framework with supporting guidance and tools for use by primary care trusts and others in evaluating weight management interventions to enhance the evidence base. Reports published by the Observatory can be found on their website at:
Future plans include: making reports on obesity data sources and the availability of evidence; recommendations for improving data and evidence; wider evaluation support to practitioners; and further development of approaches to mapping obesity and its determinants building on work already undertaken.
The Observatory works with a range of organisations to support policy makers and practitioners involved in tackling obesity and related issues and will continue to consult and communicate with key audiences to shape objectives, deliverables and future work areas.
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 Objective 1 to safeguard children and young people, to improve their outcomes and general well-being, and break cycles of deprivation in 2008; and if he will make a statement. [247466]
Beverley Hughes: Keeping children and young people safe and promoting their health and wellbeing are top priorities for this Government and my Department. We have a range of policies set out across the Children's Plan which contribute to these areas and have introduced a series of national indicators and success measures to monitor our performance.
The latest assessment of our performance, against Objective 1 is detailed in the Department's Autumn Performance Report 2008 (page 78 to 87), presented to the House in December 2008.
In addition, our progress against indicators and success measures in the Department's Public Service Agreements (which include PSA 10 to raise the educational achievement of all children and young people; PSA 11 to narrow the gap in educational achievement between children from low income and disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers respectively; PSA 12 to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people; and PSA 13 to improve children and young people's safety) is monitored quarterly. The assessment of our performance against our PSAs is also given in the Department's Autumn Performance Report 2008.
Our approach to tackling child poverty, namely to break the cycle of deprivation, is set out in the Children's Plan and in the Child Poverty PSA (9). A key objective is to raise educational achievement for children and young people. The Child Poverty Unit (a joint unit sponsored by DCSF/DWP and the Treasury) was established to drive forward the delivery of the Treasury PSA: PSA 9 - to eradicate child poverty by 2020. Progress against PSA 9 is reported in the HM Treasury Autumn Performance Report.
Education Maintenance Allowance
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many applications for the education maintenance allowance are awaiting processing; and if he will make a statement. [249929]
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 with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in both Libraries.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will estimate the amount of funds from the education maintenance allowance owed to students but not paid out as at 31 December 2008; and if he will make a statement. [249930]
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 with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in both Libraries.
Education Maintenance Allowance: Hertfordshire
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what percentage of young people in (a) Hemel Hempstead and (b) Hertfordshire have received a weekly (i) £10, (ii) £20 and (iii) £30 education maintenance allowance in each year since the scheme began; [249038]
(2) how many people in (a) Hemel Hempstead and (b) Hertfordshire who were entitled to education maintenance allowance (EMA) did not receive any EMA payments in each year since its inception; and if he will make a statement. [249039]
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 with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries.
Foreign Languages: General Certificate of Secondary Education
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils eligible to receive free school meals attained a GCSE in (a) German, (b) French and (c) Spanish in the latest year for which figures are available. [243100]
Jim Knight: The information available is given in the following table:
| Pupils in England eligible to receive free school meals who attained a GCSE in 2007 in the relevant language | ||
| Number | Percentage | |
| Source: National Pupil Database. | ||
GCE A Level
Andrew Selous:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils in (a) England and (b) South West
Bedfordshire constituency achieved A level passes in 2008. [249628]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry [holding answer 20 January 2009]: In 2008, maintained schools and colleges in South West in Bedfordshire, of those 16 to 18-year-old candidates entered for a qualification at least equivalent in size to one GCE/VCE A level in the maintained sector, 86.2 per cent. achieved at least one A level pass—that is GCE/VCE/Applied A Levels or Double Awards only, not all A level equivalents.
For England as a whole, the corresponding figure (maintained sector only) was 75.3 per cent.
In all schools and colleges in England (including the independent sector) in 2008, of those 16 to 18-year-old candidates entered for a qualification at least equivalent in size to one GCE/VCE A level in the maintained sector, 77.6 per cent. achieved at least one A level pass—that is GCE/VCE/Applied A Levels or Double Awards only, not all A level equivalents.
GCSE
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many pupils achieved GCSEs grades A* to C including English and mathematics in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the north-east and (d) nationwide in each year since 1997; [249468]
(2) how many pupils achieved at least five GCSEs at grades A* to C in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the north-east and (d) nationwide in each year since 1997. [249469]
Jim Knight: The requested information for pupils achieving at least five GCSEs or equivalent at grades A* to C and at least five GCSEs or equivalent at grades A* to C including English and mathematics are provided in the following tables. Information about GCSE or equivalent attainment including English and mathematics for years prior to 2005 can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| Pupils( 1) at maintained schools achieving five or more A* to C grades including English and maths at GCSE and equivalent | ||||||||
| Jarrow parliamentary constituency( 2) | South Tyneside local authority district( 2) | North-east region( 2) | England | |||||
| Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |
| (1) Data are based on pupils at the end of key stage 4. (2) Pupils attending schools located in the area. (3) Data are revised. | ||||||||
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