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21 Apr 2009 : Column 530W—continued
“every pupil should have access to a single member of staff—for example a class teacher, a form tutor, a Director of Studies, or a learning guide—who is able to co-ordinate a package of support that best helps that pupil”.
This commitment was reconfirmed in the Children's Plan which said that by 2010 every secondary school pupil should have access to a single member of staff (known as a Personal Tutor) who knows them in the round and coordinates a package of support best suited to their individual needs
Officials are currently working closely with the Training and Development Agency for schools (TDA) to develop a package of support and guidance for schools and local authorities. This will enable schools to organise their existing resources in a way that best suits their individual needs to ensure that every secondary pupil has a Personal Tutor from September 2010.
Schools: Standards
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the contextual value added scores were of each school which achieved fewer than 30 per cent. five A* to C grades including English and mathematics at GCSE in 2008. [259154]
Jim Knight: The information is published in the achievement and attainment tables on the Department's website at the following link:
This has also been placed in the House Libraries.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which schools in each local authority are participating in the Gaining Ground initiative; which local authorities have entered schools for the initiative; and if he will make a statement. [268676]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry:
The Department does not hold a list of the schools that are participating in the Gaining Ground Initiative. To date LAs have held negotiations with schools on the basis that the details of schools that
express an interest in the strategy will be held by National Strategies. It has been left to LAs to determine which schools could benefit from the support on offer, taking into account the criteria and their local knowledge of the schools. It is therefore for the LAs to decide whether or not to publish a list as part of their local accountability mechanism.
Teachers: Resignations
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers left the profession before retirement age in each year since 1997. [268480]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The following table provides the total full and part-time headcount of regular teachers leaving service from local authority maintained schools in England before the normal age of retirement, 1997-98 to 2006-07, the latest information available.
| Full and part-time headcount number of regular teachers( 1) leaving service from the local authority maintained schools in England before the normal age of retirement( 2) , 1997-98 to 2006-07, coverage: England | |
| Out of service( 2) | |
| (1 )10-20 per cent. of part-time teachers may not be included in the data. (2 )Teacher is no longer in service in the English maintained schools sector and is not receiving a pension or has left service with premature, actuarially reduced or ill heath retirement benefits. (3 )Provisional. Source: Database of Teacher Records and Pensioner Statistical System (PEN STATS) | |
Communities and Local Government
Young People: Local Democracy
10. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps her Department has taken to encourage young people to participate in local democratic decision-making processes. [269452]
Hazel Blears: My Department is very committed to increasing the participation of young people in the local democratic decision-making processes. I recently announced a £2 million fund to support around 20 new Young Mayor schemes across the country to give more young people aged 11 to 18 a say in their area, as well as experience of voting and decision-making.
Rent Receipts
11. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make it her policy to permit local authorities to keep all receipts from rent paid by their tenants. [269453]
Mr. Iain Wright: We are currently undertaking a Review of Council Housing Finance that is due to report to Ministers later in the spring. This is considering the current Housing Revenue Account subsidy arrangements, and will include recommendations on the treatment of council rents. We will be consulting all stakeholders on the recommendations of the review. It would be inappropriate to pre-empt this exercise.
Sustainable Homes Code
12. Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Code homes have gained credits for security in each year since the Code for Sustainable Homes was introduced. [269454]
Mr. Iain Wright: Since July 2008 we have started collecting data on the credits gained on each Code home. 58 homes have gained credits for security as per the Code.
Regeneration: Yorkshire Forward
14. Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had with Yorkshire Forward on regeneration initiatives. [269456]
Mr. Khan: The Secretary of State has not had any discussions with Yorkshire Forward on regeneration initiatives. However, we are working closely with relevant regional agencies and local partners to monitor the conditions of key regeneration schemes.
Local Authorities: Icelandic Banks
16. Mr. Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the effect on local authorities of the collapse of Icelandic banks. [269459]
John Healey: This money is not lost, but at risk. I have made regulations to enable English authorities to postpone any possible budgetary impact of the capital loss until 2010-11 and to protect the public from potential service cuts or council tax increases this year.
CLG has published a statistical release on local authority Icelandic Bank Investments as at 31 December 2008. This includes a full list of English local authorities affected. Revised figures were published on 6 April 2009 and are available at:
Regional Spatial Strategies
17. Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to make a decision on the approval of regional spatial strategies. [269460]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Secretary of State made an announcement recently stating her intention to issue the final versions of the last two outstanding RSSs undergoing a full revision:
South East Regional Spatial Strategy at the end of April 2009; and
South West Regional Spatial Strategy at the end of June 2009.
Local Authorities: Independence
18. Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will bring forward legislative proposals to increase the independence from central government of local authorities; and if she will make a statement. [269461]
John Healey: As explained in the answer I gave my hon. Friend on 18 November 2008, Official Report, column 371W, the statutory independence of local government is set out in various Local Government Acts. An overall devolutionary approach will continue to underpin any local government legislation we bring forward.
Business Rates
19. Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect on small businesses of changes in the level of business rates from April 2009. [269462]
21. Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect on small businesses of changes in the level of business rates from April 2009. [269464]
John Healey: Although an Impact Assessment is not required where a predetermined formula, such as the rate of inflation, changes the rate of a tax, the Government have recognised that managing cash flow is a key concern for businesses in the current economic climate. This is why the Chancellor announced on 31 March that businesses will be allowed to pay just 2 per cent. of the RPI-linked 5 per cent. increase in their business rates bills in 2009-10. The remaining 60 per cent. can be deferred until 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Planning Applications: Supermarkets
20. Ms Barlow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will take steps to provide members of the public with more powers in respect of planning applications made by supermarkets. [269463]
Mr. Iain Wright: There are statutory periods for public participation in the decision making process for planning applications. All applications must be publicised and there is a 21 day statutory period for comments. Local planning authorities are required to take into account timely relevant representations on applications and make public the reasons for decisions.
Requirements for public participation in decision making on planning applications are the same for all types of applications. It would be inappropriate for planning applications from supermarkets to be dealt with differently.
Existing national planning policy, as set out in Planning Policy Statement 6, also encourages developers, local authorities and local communities to work together to identify appropriate sites for retail development to ensure the viability and vitality of their town centres. This approach will be maintained in our forthcoming new policy statement on planning for economic prosperity, which will be published for consultation shortly.
Audit Commission: Icelandic Banks
22. Dr. Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with the Audit Commission on its findings in respect of the management by local authorities of their deposits in Icelandic banks; and if she will make a statement. [269465]
John Healey: I met the chief executive of the Audit Commission to discuss its findings on 25 March. The Commission report says that our investment guidance appears to work well. It is important, however, that the guidance should be as clear as possible, and my officials are working with the Commission, CIPFA and the local authority associations to assess how it might be improved in light of the Audit Commission’s findings and the forthcoming report from the CLG Select Committee.
FiReControl Project
23. Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made on the implementation of the FiReControl project. [269466]
Mr. Khan: There has been notable progress made in delivering the FiReControl project by all delivery partners at the local, regional and national level. These include:
fire and rescue authorities in each region coming together to establish local authority controlled companies to run the Regional Control Centres;
eight out of nine highly resilient Regional Control Centre buildings built, with London on track for completion in February 2010; and
a full programme to survey all Fire Stations to enable New Station End equipment is under way and to date 558 out of 1,410 have been completed.
Further information on FiReControl is available at:
Band D Council Tax
24. Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much Band D council tax has increased on average in (a) England and (b) South Bedfordshire in absolute and percentage terms since 1997-98. [269467]
John Healey: The average Band D council tax, including parish precepts, in South Bedfordshire has increased by £843 or 106 per cent. between 1997-98 and 2009-10. In England as a whole, the increases in the same period are £726 and 106 per cent.
Because of the formation of the new Central Bedfordshire authority the figure used for 2009-10 is not strictly comparable with those for previous years.
Community Groups: Assets Transfer
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made on her proposals for the transfer of assets to community groups. [269450]
John Healey:
Since May 2007 good progress has been made in implementing the Quirk Review proposals on asset transfer. CLG has supported 50 local authority and community partnerships to facilitate asset transfer; and is funding an independent Asset Transfer Unit, to
promote and advise on asset transfer across England. Investment of £30 million from the Cabinet Office is facilitating 38 transfers.
Regional Economy: South West
Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the steps the Government Office for the South West has taken to assist the regional economy in the current economic climate. [269455]
John Healey: Government office for the south west plays a key role in assisting the region in the current economic climate. It supports the Regional Minister, Ben Bradshaw, in leading a prompt response to sectoral, regional, and national problems; co-ordinates the South West Regional Economic Task Group (jointly with the south west regional development agency); provides intelligence to assist national and regional interventions; and communicates key national messages on the economy to regional and local audiences.
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