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10 Feb 2009 : Column 1966W—continued
School Libraries
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools and (c) independent sixth form colleges do not have a permanent library. [254608]
Jim Knight: The Department does not hold up-to-date information on the numbers and proportions of schools and colleges with libraries. It is thought that most, if not all, schools and colleges have library facilities. Schools sometimes opt to have distributed facilities, rather than centralised libraries.
Central Government capital support for investment in schools has increased from under £700 million in 1996-97 to £6.7 billion in 2008-9 and will rise further to £8.0 billion by 2010-11. Progress is being made year-by-year in improving the quality of the school building stock. The bulk of schools capital is now allocated by formula to authorities and schools so that they can address their local priorities, including the upgrading of library facilities.
Schools: Chelmsford
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department has spent on (a) primary and (b) secondary school buildings in West Chelmsford constituency in each of the last five years. [254674]
Jim Knight: The Department allocates capital funding on a local authority basis, and then relies on the authority to prioritise spending within its area and between schools.
Accordingly, no records are held centrally on spending in West Chelmsford, or between primary and secondary schools.
Capital allocations by the Department to Essex county council in each of the last five years are set out in the following table:
| £ million | |
In the current period 2008-09 to 2010-11, allocations made so far amount to £244.2 million, i.e. £81.4 million per annum. The corresponding allocation in 1996-97 was £12.2 million.
Schools: Standards
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many schools in the National Challenge funding programme have yet to receive any of the additional funding allocated via the programme; and if he will make a statement; [253178]
(2) which national challenge schools have received no national challenge funding since June 2008; and if he will make a statement. [254867]
Jim Knight: We have worked with local authorities to agree a package of support for each school supported through the National Challenge. We have made payments to local authorities, rather than schools, through the Standards Fund.
We have not yet signed off plans for four local authorities, although all schools in those local authorities are being supported by a National Challenge Adviser.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 497W, on schools: standards, what methodology is used in calculating the level of financial support provided for each national challenge school. [254865]
Jim Knight: Funding for schools supported through National Challenge has been tailored according to the needs of individual schools, and has not been calculated through a formula. My officials met representatives of local authorities in the autumn to develop bespoke funding plans, which were moderated to ensure consistency and value for money at a national level.
Schools: Weather
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many local education authorities' schools were closed (a) on each day of the week and (b) in total during the week beginning 2 February 2009. [255027]
Jim Knight:
There is no duty upon schools or local authorities to report school closures to the Department, so we do not routinely collect this information. Because of the number of schools closed in the week in question,
we are collecting this information on a one-off basis. I will write to the hon. Member shortly when the information has been collected, and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Libraries.
Serco
Mr. Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the value was of his Department's contracts held with Serco in each year since his Department was established. [253253]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: To gather the information required to estimate the total value for each Serco contract held each year since DCSF was established would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold. However, our financial records show that the following payments were made to Serco in each of the years since the Department was established:
April 2007 to March 2008: £7,538,442;
April 2008 to January 2009: £6,722,922.
Total payments made to Serco during the period was £14,261,364.
Specialist Schools: Music
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many colleges were established with music as a (a) first, (b) second and (c) combined specialism in each of the last three years; [254788]
(2) how many colleges listed music as a (a) first, (b) second and (c) combined specialism in each of the last three years. [254790]
Jim Knight: There have been 32 schools that have taken music as either their initial specialism, as an additional specialism or as part of a combined specialism, over the last three years. The following table shows the breakdown of those figures.
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | Total | |
Sure Start Programme: Blackpool
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people used Sure Start centres in Blackpool in the last year for which figures are available. [253967]
Beverley Hughes:
The Department does not collect information centrally about the numbers of people accessing individual Sure Start Children's Centres. We expect local authorities and children's centres to collect data on the take up of services as part of their local performance management arrangements. Sure Start
Children's Centres provide universal services for families with children under the age of five years. There are currently 12 Sure Start Children's Centres in Blackpool and over 2,900 Centres nationwide, providing access to early childhood services for almost 2.3 million children. By 2010 there will be at least 3,500 Sure Start Children's Centres—one for every community.
Sure Start Programme: Sheffield
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions he has had with Sheffield Council on its decision to reduce the funding to eight Sure Start children's centres and community nurseries; and if he will make a statement. [253103]
Beverley Hughes: Sheffield’s allocation for the periods 2008-11 for Sure Start children’s centres and Sure Start local programmes is £35,384,827.
Sheffield City council, like all local authorities, is responsible for allocating the Sure Start children’s centres revenue funding it receives from my Department, and for ensuring there is sufficient childcare for working parents in its area. It has flexibility to determine levels of resource for the children's centres within its area in order to meet identified needs.
We have made enquiries via the Government Office Yorkshire and Humberside and Sheffield City council have informed us that it is not withdrawing funding from its children’s centres or community nurseries.
Teachers: Males
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to his letter of correction, Deposited Paper 2008-2997, to the answer of 28 October 2008, Official Report, column 596W, on teachers: males, how many maintained (a) primary and (b) secondary schools had fewer than (i) 10 per cent. (ii) 20 per cent. and (iii) 30 per cent. qualified male teachers in 2008. [253227]
Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in England that employed fewer than 10 per cent, 20 per cent. and 30 per cent. qualified full-time equivalent male teachers.
| Number of maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools with fewer than 10 per cent, 20 per cent., and 30 per cent. full-time equivalent qualified male teachers: Year January 2008 Coverage: England | ||
| Primary | Secondary( 1) | |
| (1) Excludes Academies Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Source: School Census | ||
Teachers: Qualifications
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many graduates who began secondary school teaching careers had degrees from (a) Oxford and (b) Cambridge in each of the last 15 years; and if he will make a statement; [254508]
(2) how many graduates who began secondary school teaching careers had degrees from Russell Group universities in each of the last 15 years; and if he will make a statement. [254509]
Jim Knight: The information is not available in the format requested.
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many graduates who began secondary school teaching careers had degrees in (a) English, (b) mathematics, (c) science and (d) foreign languages in each of the last 15 years; and if he will make a statement. [254510]
Jim Knight: The information is not available in the format requested.
Teachers: Sick Leave
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers have been on long-term sick leave in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [252457]
Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.
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