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11 Feb 2009 : Column 2108W—continued
Departmental Recycling
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much (a) paper, (b) plastic and (c) other waste has been produced by his Department in each of the last three years; and how much of that waste was recycled. [253293]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) was created on 28 June 2007.
The Department and its predecessors can only provide an aggregate total for waste produced and recycled which includes cardboard, metal cans, glass, fluorescent tubes, batteries and toners. It does not hold separate information on the itemised waste products requested. The aggregate total also includes waste from other occupiers in the Departments’ buildings which is not separately accounted for. The breakdown of aggregate waste produced and recycled for each of the last three years is as follows:
| All weights are shown in tonnes | |||
| Recycled | |||
| Overall total | Weight | Percentage | |
Departmental Training
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which external organisations his Department has engaged to provide training for fast stream civil service staff in the last three years; and how many civil servants in his Department have participated in provision of training for external organisations in that period. [252232]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department was created on 28 June 2007. The names of external organisations engaged to provide training for the staff in the fast stream are listed below:
| Organisations | |
The number of civil servants who have participated in training for external organisations since the Department’s creation is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on digital media training courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008; how many such training sessions were held in 2008; and how many staff in his Department attended at least one such training course. [252260]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department did not attend any courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau.
Departmental Travel
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what expenditure his Department has incurred in providing transport for Ministers between Parliament and departmental premises in each year since his Department was established. [251884]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 6W. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Fines
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether any administrative financial penalties may be levied by his Department. [253600]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: As a matter of general administrative policy the Department for Children, Schools and Families does not levy financial penalties against third party organisations or individuals.
First Aid: Education
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to improve the level of first aid training available to school children. [253852]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education provides children and young people with the knowledge and skills they need to make informed choices in a range of contexts related to health and safety. Children learn about basic and emergency first aid, as well as where and how to obtain health information, how to recognise and follow health and safety procedures and ways of reducing risk and minimising harm in risky situations.
In October 2008, we announced our intention to make PSHE education statutory, in recognition of the key role it plays in equipping children and young people with the knowledge and skills they need to lead healthy and successful lives. At the same time we launched an independent review of how this might be achieved in the most effective and practicable way. Sir Alasdair Macdonald, the head teacher of Morpeth school in Tower Hamlets, is conducting the review and will report in April 2009. Proposals for the statutory implementation of PSHE education will be the subject of a full public consultation.
Free School Meals: North East
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children receive free school meals in (a) the North East, (b) the Tees Valley and (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency. [253128]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information on free school meal eligibility for the areas requested is shown in the following table:
History: Education
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the teaching of history includes the history of other countries, including their perception of the UK. [253725]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The history curriculum at key stages 2 and 3 provide plenty of scope for students to learn about the history of other countries. At key stage 3 in particular students will investigate Britain’s relationships with the wider world and identify and analyse different interpretations of the past. This learning is complimented by elements of the citizenship curriculum.
Intensive Intervention Projects
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what criteria his Department plans to use to assess the effectiveness of intensive intervention projects. [240768]
Beverley Hughes: The evaluation of Intensive Intervention projects will seek to identify which techniques are most effective for delivering the outcomes as described in the reply given to the hon. Member on 11 November 2008, Official Report, column 1018W.
This will include analysis of statistical data and the gathering of qualitative case studies.
The tender for this work will be issued early in February 2009. The tender document will describe more fully the methodology and process for the evaluation.
Music: Education
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) unique visitors and (b) hits the Sing Up website has received in each month since it was established. [254789]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The following table shows how many unique visitors and hits the Sing Up website has received in each month since January 2008—the period for which these figures are available.
| Unique visits | Total visits | |
National Assessment Agency: Ofqual
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what involvement Ofqual had in the procurement process that led to the award of the standard assessment test administration contract to ETS referred to at paragraph 2.50 of the Sutherland Inquiry report HC 62; [245829]
(2) for what reasons the meeting between the National Assessment Agency and Ofqual requested in May did not take place until July, as referred to in paragraph 6.96 of the Sutherland Inquiry report HC 62. [245825]
Jim Knight: The Department does not hold this information. Isabel Nisbet, acting chief executive of the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual) has written to the hon. Member and a copy of the response has been placed in both the Libraries.
Letter from Isabel Nisbet, dated 9 January 2009:
In his written response to you on the Parliamentary Questions listed above, the Minister of State for Schools and Learners stated that these were questions relating to the conduct of the new regulator Ofqual. He has therefore asked Ofqual to write directly to you in response to these questions. For ease of reference the questions were:
(245825) To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, for what reasons the meeting between the National Assessment Agency and Ofqual requested in May did not take place until July, as referred to in paragraph 6.96 of the Sutherland Inquiry report, (HC 62).
(245829) To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what the nature was of Ofqual’s involvement in the procurement process that led to the award of the SAT administration contract to ETS referred to at paragraph 2.50 of the Sutherland Inquiry report, (HC 62).
As you are aware Ofqual was created in April 2008 on an interim basis, within the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). Before this time the regulatory functions were carried out by the Regulation and Standards Division of the QCA, and I was its Director.
In PQ 245825 you have asked about the accountability meeting that Ofqual held with the National Assessment Agency (NAA) in July 2008. In dealing with the issues of delivery in 2008 Ofqual advised the NAA in May 2008 of its intention to hold an accountability meeting. Its purpose was analogous to that of the formal accountability meetings held with the GCSE and A level awarding bodies a week before the results of those examinations are due to be announced. At these meetings the awarding body is required to provide assurances that the code of practice has been followed, that all papers have been marked and that results will be available on time. It is also an opportunity for the regulator and the awarding body to highlight concerns about any aspect of the past series.
With regard to the tests in 2009, Ofqual now holds quarterly formal accountability meetings with QCA, and the first of these was held on 2 December 2008. The third of these (planned for May 2009) will be an opportunity to bring together any emerging issues regarding problems with marking or preparation to deliver results.
To answer PQ245829, as the Sutherland Inquiry states at paragraph 2.48 ‘although the Regulator had not been formally involved in the procurement process, they were in July 2006 asked informally about how proposed changes to the National Curriculum test process might impact the Code of Practice’. Regulatory requirements were taken into account. Copies of the Regulatory Framework and the Code of Practice were supplied to all bidders by the NAA. The Regulation and Standards Division also offered all bidders the opportunity to contact them with any further queries. As Director of Regulation and Standards I was a member of the QCA Executive at the time the contract was awarded.
If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me (contact details below) or Helen Knee on 024 7671 6705 and helen.knee@ofqual.gov.uk.
I am copying this letter to Kathleen Tattersall, Chair of Ofqual, and to Jim Knight, Minister of State for Schools and Learners.
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