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27 Jan 2009 : Column 477W—continued
Unemployment: Cambridgeshire
Mr. Paice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people were unemployed in South East Cambridgeshire constituency in each of the last 12 months. [250241]
Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated January 2009:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were unemployed in South East Cambridgeshire constituency in each of the last 12 months. (250241)
Estimates are not available at this level of geographical detail due to the small sample sizes.
Children, Schools and Families
Apprentices
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many apprenticeships there were in each of the last five years. [247479]
Mr. Simon: I have been asked to reply.
The following table shows the number of apprenticeship starts and completions in England for 2003/04 to 2007/08.
| Apprenticeship starts and completions in England, 2003/04 to 2007/08 | |||||
| 2003/04 | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | 2006/07 | 2007/08 | |
| Source: Work-Based Learning ILRs | |||||
Castle View Secondary School: Playing Fields
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions his Department has had with (a) Essex county council and (b) Castle Point borough council on the disposal of Castle View secondary school playing fields for housing development; and if he will make a statement. [249778]
Jim Knight: As part of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), and its delivery agents—Partnerships for Schools (PfS), have not engaged in any discussions with Essex county council or Castle Point borough council regarding the disposal of Castle View secondary school playing fields for housing development.
Child Minding: Young People
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what the minimum age at which a child may be left alone is; [247822]
(2) what the legal minimum age is for a child to act as a babysitter. [249163]
Beverley Hughes: The minimum age at which a child may be left alone is not prescribed in law. If anyone has concerns about the welfare of a child who is left alone, irrespective of their age, they should follow the procedures set out in “Working Together to Safeguard Children” for making a referral to either the local authority children’s social care services or the police. These statutory agencies will then follow their normal processes for assessing whether the child is a child in need or at risk of suffering harm and for deciding what action should be taken to safeguard the child’s welfare.
The law does not prescribe a minimum age below which a child may not act as a babysitter.
Children in Care: Education
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress his Department has made towards meeting its 2004 public service agreement target to narrow the gap in educational achievement between looked-after children and their peers. [247385]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information on progress on 2004 public service agreements can be found in the DCSF's Autumn Performance Report 2008: progress against public service agreements. This document is published on the DCSF website.
Children: Abuse
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were abused whilst subject to a child protection plan in each of the last five years in (a) England, (b) the North East, (c) Tees Valley and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland. [249827]
Beverley Hughes: The information requested is not collected centrally.
The available figures cover children who are subject to a Child Protection Plan and include information on category of abuse which led to the plan being put in place and re-referrals. These are available in the annual statistical first release “Referrals, Assessments and Children and Young People who are the subject of a Child Protection Plan, England”. The latest figures can be found at the following link:
Children: Poverty
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the Government's policy is on tackling non-financial aspects of child poverty; and if he will make a statement. [250439]
Beverley Hughes: Polices on early years, education, health and communities set out in our “Children's Plan” together with those in our “New Opportunities” White Paper will help to break the cycles of inter-generational poverty for the future while ensuring that all children get the best start in life now.
For those who can, work remains the surest and most sustainable route out of poverty. Our policies on welfare reform, childcare, back to work help, skills development and in-work support will further increase parental employment and family income.
Legislation, planned for this Session, will ensure all levels of Government play their part in delivering these policies and meeting our target to eradicate child poverty by 2020.
Children: Protection
Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children have been identified as being at risk of sexual exploitation in each children's services area in the last year for which figures are available. [250603]
Beverley Hughes: The Department does not hold this information.
Children's Centres
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many Sure Start children's centres are in operation. [251120]
Beverley Hughes: There are currently 2,920 Sure Start children's centres in England providing access to services to over 2.3 million children and their families.
By 2010 there will be at least 3,500 centres, one for every community, offering permanent and universal provision to help ensure that every child gets the best start in life.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been spent on (a) maintaining, (b) decorating and (c) otherwise improving departmental buildings in each year since the Department's inception; how much has been spent on wallpaper in that time; and what plans there are for further spending on departmental decoration. [248802]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families was created on 28 June 2007.
Information since this time on the amount of expenditure broken down into (a) maintaining, (b) decorating and (c) otherwise improving departmental buildings; wallpaper and plans for further spending on departmental decoration could be provided only at disproportionate costs.
Departmental Catering
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which (a) food and (b) drinks suppliers have been used by his Department since it was established; and how much his Department paid to each such supplier. [248378]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families does not hold this information as we do not contract directly with suppliers of food and drink. The Department's catering and hospitality service is provided through an external commercial contract catering provider who manage their own supply chain for food and drink suppliers and are only able to provide this information at a disproportionate cost.
Departmental Information Officers
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department and its predecessors spent on press officers in each of the last 10 years. [247308]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The figures requested are outlined in the following table.
| Spend (£000) | |
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what expert advisers have been commissioned by his Department and its agencies since 1997; on what topic each was commissioned; and whether the advisers so appointed made a declaration of political activity in each case. [246661]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department was created on 28 June 2007. The detailed information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The Department sponsors a number of advisory non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) which provide independent expert advice on a number of issues. Appointments to NDPBs are governed by the principles set out in the Commissioner for Public Appointments' code of practice. Summary information is published in ‘Public Bodies’ which can be accessed online at
or copies are available in the Libraries of the House.
Summary information on the political activity of individuals appointed to posts regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments' code of practice is published each year in the Commissioner's annual report.
In addition, the Government are committed to publishing an annual list detailing the number and costs of special advisers. Information for 2007-08 was published by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, on 22 July 2008, Official Report, column 99-102WS.
Departmental Pay
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make it his policy that temporary and permanent employees of his Department employed at the same grade receive the same hourly rate of pay. [248404]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 18 December , Official Report, column 1115W.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been spent by his Department on staff reward and recognition schemes since its inception. [248718]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Since its inception, the Department has spent a total of £2.1 million which includes bonus payments and other rewards.
Departmental Personnel
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 25 June 2008, Official Report, columns 405W, on departmental manpower, how many priority movers there are in his Department; how many of them were classified as such after returning from maternity leave; and how many staff have been classified as such for at least (a) six and (b) 12 months. [250191]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department currently has eight priority movers, none of whom are returning from maternity leave as these staff return to their previous work areas.
All staff are actively engaged in work during this transition period, on either key projects or short-term business priority posts.
There are currently no priority movers over six months.
Departmental Responsibilities
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether his Department’s three-year skills strategy has been finalised. [247190]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department’s Skills Strategy for its staff has been finalised and will be communicated to staff in early 2009 as part of a wider People Strategy.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on how many occasions his Department's (a) External Scrutiny Group, (b) Implementation Review Unit, (c) Primary Heads Reference Group and (d) Secondary Heads Reference Group met in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008. [247275]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information is as follows:
(a) The External Scrutiny Group met on 11 occasions in 2007, and on 12 occasions in 2008.
(b) The Implementation Review Unit met on seven occasions in 2007, and on nine occasions in 2008.
(c) The Secondary Heads Reference Group met on three occasions in 2007, and on six occasions in 2008.
(d) The Primary Heads Reference Group met on three occasions in 2007, and on three occasions in 2008.
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