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9 Feb 2009 : Column 1703W—continued
Children, Schools and Families
Bristol
Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the (a) transport, (b) staff and (c) administrative costs were of the visit made by the Minister of State for Schools to Bristol West constituency on 12 May 2008. [255389]
Jim Knight: I did not visit Bristol West on 12 May 2008.
Children in Care
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to ensure that children in care are provided with stable accommodation. [253624]
Beverley Hughes: Through the White Paper “Care Matters: Time for Change” and the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 the Government have put in place a range of measures to improve stability for looked after children.
Through the Fostering Changes training programme and the Multi-dimensional Treatment Foster Care and Social Pedagogy pilots we are taking action to help improve the range of support and skills for foster carers and residential workers to help them meet the needs of looked after children to prevent placement breakdown.
Children: Databases
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 26 January 2009, Official Report, columns 2-3WS, on ContactPoint, on what date he next intends to provide an update on progress on ContactPoint. [252954]
Beverley Hughes: As mentioned in the written ministerial statement of 26 January 2009, Official Report, columns 2-3WS we will provide an update in spring 2009.
Children: Day Care
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how much Ofsted received in registration fees from all child care settings in each of the last five years; [251412]
(2) how much Ofsted received in registration fees from child minders working with children aged (a) under five and (b) five to eight years old in each of the last five years. [251413]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 26 January 2009]: These are matters for Ofsted. The chief inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and copies of her replies have been placed in the Library.
Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 26 January 2009:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, for a response.
Table A shows figures for the total received by Ofsted in childcare registration fees. The data referring to childminder registration fees relate to the registration of individual childminders. The data referring to daycare relate to the registration of providers who provide more than four hours of childcare per day. The data referring to sessional daycare relate to the registration of providers who provide less than four hours of childcare per day.
| Table A: Total received by Ofsted in child care registration fees | |||||
| £ | |||||
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 26 January 2009:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, for a response.
Prior to the introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage in September 2008, the age of the children using a provider did not affect its registration fee. We are, therefore, unable to readily identify the total received in registration fees from childminders working with children aged (a) under five and (b) five to eight years old in each of the last five years. Data covering the total received by Ofsted in childminder fees in the last five years are included in my response to Parliamentary Question 251412.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
Citizenship: Education
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the findings of the sixth annual Citizenship Education Longitudinal Study report; and what changes he has made to citizenship educational policy as a result. [253134]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The findings from each annual report of the Citizenship Education Longitudinal study cannot be viewed in isolation. Together they will inform policy development and enable us to improve the quality and delivery of citizenship education. The sixth annual report recognises that citizenship education, although a very helpful measure, is unlikely by itself to address the ‘democratic deficit’. It suggests that schools and citizenship education provision are likely to have an indirect influence through democracy in schools and student efficacy on student attitudes and intentions. As we set out in the Children’s Plan, the Government’s aim are for all young people to want and be able to participate and take responsible action. We believe that the new duty on schools to invite and consider the views of pupils on matters that affect them will help to strengthen efficacy levels among children and young people and encourage them to continue to play an active part in their community.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools have adopted the Active Citizens in Schools programme. [253135]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department does not collect information on the number of schools who have adopted the Active Citizens in Schools programme.
Crimes Against Humanity: Anniversaries
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the merits of the observance in educational institutions of a day of remembrance for crimes against humanity. [253756]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: It is for schools to decide whether to observe days of remembrance or celebration and how that might fit with the curriculum or the wider education of the students. However, there are some elements of history that we believe are of vital importance and will continue to ensure that they are covered by all schools—the study of the Holocaust is one of these. Holocaust Memorial Day aims to encourage greater awareness among young people of the relevance of the Holocaust and the need for mutual respect and understanding. It is supported by a Government funded education pack.
Departmental Air Travel
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many official journeys (a) he and (b) his officials have made by plane since his Department was established. [247506]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families has not made any official journeys by plane.
The number of plane journeys taken by DCSF officials was 815. The data provided is based on bookings dealt with by the DCSF’s business travel booking service provider (Carlson Wagonlit Travel).
Any flights not booked by the Department’s travel provider can be provided only at disproportionate costs.
Travel by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the “Ministerial Code” and the “Civil Service Management Code” respectively.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in departmental buildings in the last 12 months. [252367]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families was created on 28 June 2007.
There has been nil expenditure on work and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
Departmental Computers
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether officials of his Department who have lost laptops that were the property of his Department have been charged the full replacement value of the item in each case. [253640]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families has not charged any of its officials the full replacement value for lost laptops.
Departmental Pay
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department and its predecessors spent on (a) salaries and (b) bonuses for staff in each year since 1997. [247305]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The following table summarises the gross salaries and other payments made to permanent staff (including ministers and special advisers) from financial year 1999-2000 to 2007-08. These figures are drawn from the Department's published resource accounts. Figures prior to 1999-2000 were produced using different accounting principles and can only be reproduced on a comparable basis at disproportionate cost.
| Department | Salaries( 1) (£ million) | |
| (1 )The salary figure includes: gross salary; performance pay and bonuses; overtime; reserved rights to London weighting or London allowances; recruitment and retention allowances; private office allowances; and other allowances to the extent they are subject to UK taxation. | ||
Separate information on bonus payments made to staff would be available only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Public Relations
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost of his Department’s contracts with public relations consultancies was in each year since it was established. [251538]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and families was established on 27 June 2007. Including its predecessor (the Department for Education and Skills) the Department’s expenditure on public relations in 2007-08 was £2,333,000. There are no figures available for 2008-09 at present.
The Department employs public relations agencies for specific communications tasks, most commonly working alongside our press office to provide campaign support in local, regional and specialist media.
Departmental Redundancy
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many staff in his Department left under (a) involuntary and (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 2005-06; how many of them in each case were paid (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 in the year before they left; and how much (A) was spent in each of those years and (B) is planned to be spent on such schemes in (1) 2008-09 and (2) 2009-10 by his Department. [242251]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department was created on 27 June 2007. Since its inception, the number of employees released under the voluntary release scheme and the total cost over the remaining years stated are set out in the following table:
| Number of employees | Total Cost( 1) (£ million) | |
| (1) The £9.2million shown in the table covers releases agreed and accounted for in 2007-08 and agreed release dates up to 2009-10. (2) Indicates brace. | ||
Information on individual voluntary exit scheme payments to staff for each of those years is not available in the form requested and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
There have been were no compulsory redundancies.
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