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29 Apr 2009 : Column 1383W—continued
Sustainable Development
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Level (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3, (d) 4, (e) 5 and (f) 6 sustainable homes have been built in each quarter since the Code for Sustainable Buildings was implemented; and how many homes at each level she expects to be built in each of the next three years. [Official Report, 12 May 2009, Vol. 492, c. 11MC.][265270]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Code for Sustainable Homes (the code) became operational in April 2007. We estimate that it takes on average 18 months to two years to go through the design, planning and building of any home. To achieve code status in the most cost-effective manner, homes need to be specifically designed for the code.
The code process has three main stages, registration, design and post construction—there is a significant number of homes within the process—and these numbers are increasing monthly, even in the current difficult economic climate. The following data are February 2009, with an August 2008 comparison.
| Number of code certificates issued by end March 2009 and August 2008 | ||||||||
| Post construction (by code level) | ||||||||
| Registration | Design | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
Travelling People: Caravan Sites
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued to (a) local authorities and (b) regional assemblies on their handling of responses to consultations on the provision of Traveller sites in cases where those responses may be considered discriminatory. [271733]
Mr. Iain Wright: Communities and Local Government has not issued any guidance to local authorities or regional assemblies regarding the handling of responses to consultations on the provision of Traveller sites. ODPM Circular 1/06 “Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Sites” makes clear that local authorities have a general duty under the Race Relations Act 1976, as amended, to actively seek to eliminate unlawful discrimination and to promote good race relations in all they do.
Children, Schools and Families
Children In Care
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children have been placed in care at Kendall House in Kent in the last 10 years; and by which authorities. [271018]
Beverley Hughes: The Department does not collect information on numbers of children placed in particular children’s homes. Kendall House closed in the late 1980s.
Children: Protection
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the National Safeguarding Unit for the Third Sector. [270707]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 23 April 2009 ]: On 22 January 2009 my noble Friend the Baroness Morgan of Drefelin announced that the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and Children England have been awarded a £2.2 million contract over three financial years for the delivery of a new Safeguarding Unit for the Third Sector. The new Unit will be formally launched and fully operational on 5 June 2009.
The Department is currently developing an evaluation methodology with the NSPCC and Children England which will measure the effectiveness of the Unit's interventions. Evaluation will be ongoing in order to shape and drive delivery of the Unit. A final independent evaluation will be completed prior to the contract end date of 31 March 2011 to inform future policy.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 20 April 2009, Official Report, columns 271-2W, on special educational needs, how much has been spent on local authority functions in relation to child protection in each local authority area in each year since 1997. [271034]
Beverley Hughes: The information requested is not collected centrally.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 10 February 2009, Official Report, column 1950W.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many serious case reviews were (a) conducted and (b) had their executive summaries published in each year since 2001. [271243]
Beverley Hughes: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 23 February 2009, Official Report, column. 442W about the number of serious case reviews. Local Safeguarding Children Boards are required to make public an executive summary of each serious case review. Paragraph 8.33 of “Working Together To Safeguard Children” states that ‘in all cases, the LSCB overview report should contain an executive summary that will be made public and that includes, as a minimum, information about the review process, key issues arising from the case and the recommendations that have been made.’ Lord Laming’s recent report, ‘The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report’ reinforced the importance of high quality, publicly available executive summaries of serious case reviews. The Government have accepted Lord Laming's recommendations and will be publishing a detailed response to his report shortly.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in respect of how many serious case reviews the executive summary was published within a month of completion of the review; and if he will make a statement. [271244]
Beverley Hughes: Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) are required to make public an executive summary of each Serious Case Review. There is no requirement to do so within one month of completion. LSCBs make the decision on the date of publication in line with the guidance in “Working Together to Safeguard Children”. Data on the time taken to publish executive summaries is not collected centrally.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department plans to pay Sir Roger Singleton for his services as chief adviser on the safety of children in the financial year 2009-10. [271838]
Beverley Hughes: Provision has been made to pay an estimated £110,000 plus VAT, travel and reasonable expenses to Sir Roger Singleton for his services as Chief Adviser on the Safety of Children in the financial year 2009-10.
Departmental Billing
John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in March 2009. [271853]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families reports on its payment performance to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. The percentage of invoices paid within the Government’s 10 day target in March 2009 was as follows:
March 2009—93.2 per cent.
Education: Assessments
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which subjects are available to be studied at (a) GCSE and (b) A level; and what proportion of students studying each such subject at each level is from the (i) maintained and (ii) independent school sector. [248327]
Jim Knight: Tables showing each subject available to be studied at GCSE and A-level, along with the proportion of students studying each subject from the maintained and independent sector, have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Faith Schools
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress has been made towards achieving the target that at least 25 per cent. of pupils in faith schools should not be affiliated to the same faith as the school. [271354]
Jim Knight: In October 2006, religious authorities made a commitment that all new Church of England schools open up 25 per cent. of places to children without reference to faith, and, once Catholic demand was met, up to 25 per cent. of places in new Catholic schools for children from other or no faiths.
General Certificate of Secondary Education
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 485W, on general certificate of secondary education, what proportion of pupils achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C including English, mathematics, science and a modern foreign language in each year since 1997. [254551]
Jim Knight: The information requested is given in the following table:
| Pupils who achieved five or more grades A* to C including English, mathematics, science and a modern foreign language from 1997 to 2008 | ||
| Number | Percentage | |
| Source: Achievement and Attainment Tables | ||
The 2008-2005 data is based on pupils at the end of KS4.
The 2004-1997 data is based on 15-year-old pupils at the start of the academic year.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils without a statement of special educational needs achieved at least one A* to G grade at GCSE in each year since 1997. [260286]
Jim Knight: The available information can be found in the following table:
| Number of pupils with non-statemented special education needs who achieved at least one A*-G at GCSE (including equivalents) | Number of pupils without special educational needs who achieved at least one A*-G at GCSE (including equivalents) | |
| Source: National Pupil Database | ||
Figures prior to 2004 have not been provided as these are not available on a comparable basis.
General Certificate of Secondary Education: Young Offender Institutions
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 16 March 2009, Official Report, column 867W, on the General Certificate of Secondary Education: young offender institutions, which body holds information on the examination results of young people in the secure estate. [265706]
Beverley Hughes: Information on the examination results of all young people in custody is not collected centrally. However, since the roll-out of the Offender Learning and Skills Service, led by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), in Prison Service Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) in England in August 2006, some data is now collected nationally by the LSC. However this data is for young people in Prison Service YOIs only, and does not include data about learning for young people in Secure Training Centres, Secure Children's Homes or privately managed YOIs.
Also some young people in custody are still registered at schools and colleges and therefore any GCSEs that they achieve whilst in custody will be reflected in achievement figures of schools and colleges, rather than the figures reported by the LSC for those achieved in Prison Service YOIs.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 20 April 2009, Official Report, column. 243W on the latest information from the LSC on the numbers of GCSEs achieved by young people in Prison Service YOIs.
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