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12 Mar 2009 : Column 713W—continued
Departmental Pay
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many of his Department's staff received bonus payments in each year since his Department was established; and if he will make a statement. [259485]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department was formed on 28 June 2007. Non-consolidated performance payments have been paid in the financial year 2008-09 to 1,403 staff.
These payments were met within existing pay controls. Payments are used to drive high performance and those for the senior civil service are based on recommendations from the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.
Departmental Public Consultation
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what payments for (a) polling and (b) other services his Department has made to (i) Deborah Mattinson and (ii) Opinion Leader Research Limited since 31 December 2007; and if he will make a statement. [261063]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I can confirm that the Department for Children, Schools and Families have no record of any payments made to Deborah Mattinson or Opinion Leader Research Limited since 31 December 2007.
Departmental Rail Travel
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost was of travel by train by staff in his Department in each year since 1997. [261268]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) was created as a result of the Machinery of Government changes in June 2007. Prior to June 2007, it was Department for Education and Skills (DFES) and previously it was Department for Education and Employment (DFEE). The cost of train travel since 1997 for the department's staff was:
| £ | |
Figures have been obtained from the department's travel booking framework with Carlson Wagonlit Travel. The spend figure for 2007-8 includes train travel for former DFES staff who now work for Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).
The figures from 2002-03 to 2006-07 includes train spend for the Department and non departmental public bodies who use the contract. Figures could not be separated for this period and to separate this data would involve disproportionate cost.
Prior to 2002 figures are not available and could not be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The Civil Service Management Code sets outs regulations and instructions to departments and agencies regarding the terms and conditions of service of civil servants and the delegations which have been made by the Minister for the Civil Service under the Civil Service (Management of Functions) Act 1992 together with the conditions attached to those delegations.
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department issues on whether staff may claim for first class rail travel if there are no seats available in standard class. [262030]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Departmental guidance on rail travel requires all staff to book tickets through a contracted travel agent. This is in order to ensure that the best value for money is achieved through taking full advantage of advance bookings and discounts for fixed time departures. Staff, who usually travel in standard class would be permitted to upgrade to first class, if no standard seats were available, at their manager’s discretion. It would be for individual line managers to assess the relative cost of staff travelling first class against the importance and nature of the journey in relation to the Department’s business.
All travel undertaken by DCSF staff is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the “Civil Service Management Code” and Treasury guidance set out in “Managing Public Money”.
Departmental Visits Abroad
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much expenditure was incurred in respect of overseas visits which (a) he, (b) other Ministers in his Department and (c) his Department's senior officials undertook in 2008. [262148]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Since 1999, the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. Information for the financial year 2007-08 was published on 22 July 2008, Official Report, column 102WS and for the first time, included details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. Details for the current financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. All travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Information on overseas visits for senior officials can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Civil Service Management Code.
Free School Meals
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether people aged between 16 and 18 years in full-time education studying (a) school sixth forms, (b) sixth form colleges, (c) further education colleges and (d) academies, whose parents fulfil the qualifying criteria, are entitled to free lunches; and if he will make a statement. [241627]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Pupils aged between 16 and 18 years in full-time education, studying at school sixth forms or academies, are entitled to free school meals if their parents meet the free school meals eligibility criteria. Pupils attending sixth form colleges or further education colleges are not entitled.
Free school meals are provided under s512ZB of the Education Act 1996 (as amended by s201 of the Education Act 2002). The Education Act 1996 defines “school” as an education institution outside further education and higher education and which provides primary and/or secondary education. It also provides that secondary education applies to senior pupils (i.e. aged 12-18), and also to those who are 19 or over, as long as they began their course of study before attaining the age of 18.
Haringey Borough Council: Standards
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will place in the Library a copy of the inspection report carried out by Ofsted of Haringey Council with reference (a) SC042906 and (b) SC072906. [262207]
Beverley Hughes: The Ofsted report on Haringey's Fostering Service (SC042906) is available on Ofsted's website at:
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxcare_providers/la_download/(id)/5064/(as)/SC/SC_SC042906_20032008.pdf
and the Ofsted report on Haringey's Private Fostering Arrangements Service (SC072906) is available at:
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxcare_providers/la_download/(id)/6224/(as)/SC/SC_SC072906_08032008.pdf
Both documents have been placed in the Library.
Parenting Orders: Hemel Hempstead
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many parenting orders have been (a) sought by and (b) granted to schools in Hemel Hempstead constituency in each year since their inception. [261269]
Jim Knight: The Department has collected and published data since 1 September 2004 on the use by local authorities of education-related parenting orders for school attendance and behaviour. Since September 2007 schools have been allowed to apply for a parenting order for behaviour and our data show that no school has applied for nor been granted a parenting order. In relation to school attendance orders only local authorities can be granted an order by the courts following a successful prosecution of the parent for their child's non attendance. To date our data show that no court has granted Hertfordshire local authority (which covers Hemel Hempstead area) an attendance order.
Schools: Admissions
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what guidance his Department has issued to schools on the use of supplementary information forms as part of their admissions processes; and if he will make a statement; [262323]
(2) how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools use supplementary information forms as part of their admissions procedures; and if he will make a statement. [262324]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The School Admissions Code sets out the mandatory requirements and guidelines for schools when using supplementary information forms as part of their admissions process.
As these arrangements are determined locally, we do not hold data centrally on the number of schools who do so.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools the Schools Adjudicator has criticised for their use of supplementary information forms in their admissions process; and if he will make a statement. [262325]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In his 2008 report to the Secretary of State, the chief schools adjudicator, reported seven objections in 2007/08 to the use of supplementary information forms, of which six were upheld; and 13 objections in 2006/07, of which 11 were upheld.
As admission arrangements are determined locally, we do not hold data centrally on the number of schools who use supplementary information forms.
Social Services: Yorkshire and the Humber
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many serious case reviews have been completed in Yorkshire and the Humber in each year since 2000; how many such reviews initiated since 2000 are still ongoing; and if he will make a statement. [251065]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 26 January 2009]: Data currently held by the Department for Children, Schools and Families indicate that, from notifications of serious child care incidents received between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008, 17 serious case reviews had been initiated in the Yorkshire and the Humber region where a child died and abuse or neglect was known or suspected to be a factor. A further seven were initiated in other circumstances, including where a child sustained a potentially life-threatening injury or serious and permanent impairment of health and development through abuse or neglect. Data prior to 1 April 2007 are not available in this form. Information on the numbers of serious case reviews following the death of a child in each local authority area between 2000 and 2005 has been given in a previous parliamentary answer on 24 July 2006, Official Report, column 839W. We understand that some 18 serious case reviews are currently ongoing in the region. The figure does not include SCRs which have now been completed and evaluated by Ofsted or are awaiting evaluation.
Trade Unions
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which trade unions are recognised in his Department. [262079]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department recognises three trade unions:
Public and Commercial Services Union;
Prospect; and
FDA.
Duchy of Lancaster
Departmental Data Protection
Paul Holmes: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many (a) memory sticks, (b) laptop computers, (c) desktop computers, (d) hard drives and (e) mobile telephones were (i) lost by and (ii) stolen from the Prime Minister’s Office in each year since 1997. [262391]
Kevin Brennan: The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
Figures in respect of lost and stolen officially provided equipment for the Cabinet Office are given as follows. Figures prior to 2004 are not available.
| 2004-08 | |
| Item | Number |
No classified material was held on any of those devices.
The Cabinet Office has put in place a number of measures to improve its protection of personal information; including the encryption of mobile devices and the training of staff in relation to data security is well under way. The Cabinet Office is continuing to take all necessary actions to ensure that it meets the mandatory rules and deadlines for Departments as set out in the Cabinet Secretary’s Data Handling Report published on 25 June 2008.
Departmental Manpower
Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff were employed by the Prime Minister's Office in each year since 1997. [261270]
Mr. Watson: Details of the number of staff employed by the Prime Minister's Office each year are published annually. For information for 2008 I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Prime Minister gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 1 May 2008, Official Report, column 624W. For information for 2007 I refer the hon. Member to the answer he gave the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) on 15 October 2007, Official Report, column 819W. For information for previous years I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by the then Prime Minister (right hon. Tony Blair) to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 26 October 2006, Official Report, column 2036W, and to the hon. Member for Upper Bann (David Simpson) on 2 February 2006, Official Report, column 633W.
Departmental Visits Abroad
David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much expenditure was incurred in respect of overseas visits which (a) he, (b) other Ministers in the Cabinet Office and (c) senior Cabinet Office officials undertook in 2008. [262149]
Kevin Brennan: Since 1999, the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. Information for the financial year 2007-08 was published on 22 July 2008, Official Report, column 102WS and for the first time included details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the ‘Ministerial Code’.
Information relating for 2008-09 will published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year.
Details on the amount spent on overseas visits by Cabinet Office senior officials in 2008 is not held centrally and is therefore available only at disproportionate cost.
All travel by Cabinet Office Ministers and Cabinet Office senior officials is in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the requirement to make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.
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