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15 Jun 2009 : Column 133W—continued
We will be publishing information on personal data security breaches reported to the Information Commissioner for the 2008-09 reporting year before Parliament rises in July. The information is currently being compiled and is to be audited and verified before it is laid before Parliament.
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many officials in his Department have been (a) disciplined and (b) dismissed for (i) breaches of data protection requirements and (ii) inappropriate use of personal or sensitive data in the last 12 months. [278752]
Ms Diana R. Johnson:
Information is a key asset to Government and its correct handling is vital to the delivery of public services and to the integrity of HMG.
The Security Policy Framework and the Data Handling Report produced by the Cabinet Office provide a strategic framework for protecting information that Government handle and put in place a set of mandatory measures which Departments must adhere to.
DCSF has clear guidance for all staff about their responsibilities in relation to information handling and data security, which is regularly reinforced. In addition all staff must complete online protecting information training by 31 August 2009. The Department will take robust action against any member of staff who fails to take reasonable steps to safeguard the information and data for which they or their staff are responsible, and this may include dismissal and criminal proceedings where appropriate.
In DCSF there have been less than five such breaches where disciplinary action has been appropriate in the 12 months to 31 May 2009 and individual detail is suppressed on grounds of confidentiality.
Departmental Dismissal
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many members of staff in his Department and its predecessor and their agencies were dismissed (a) for under-performance and (b) in total in each of the last 10 years. [278393]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: The Department was established on 28 June 2007. Less than five staff were dismissed by the Department in the financial year 2007-08, and seven during 2008-09. During each of these periods there have been less than five dismissals for failure to consistently meet performance standards. Information about totals of less than five is suppressed on grounds of confidentiality. The Department has no agencies.
Information for preceding years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Education Maintenance Allowance
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people have received the education maintenance allowance since the inception of the scheme. [279987]
Mr. Iain Wright: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Geoffrey Russell, the LSC’s Acting Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
History: Primary Education
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the percentage of children in each school year from 7 to 11 who are being taught British history. [278150]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: History is a statutory subject for all pupils to the end of key stage 3, normally school year 9. British history is a compulsory element of the National Curriculum at all key stages. It is therefore expected that all children will be taught British history at least to the age of 14.
History is not compulsory at key stage 4, normally years 10 and 11, but students are entitled to follow a humanities course (comprising geography and history). Citizenship, which is statutory at key stages 3 and 4, also provides opportunities for pupils to explore what it means to be British as part of a wider discussion of their identities. GCSE history remains a popular choice for young people and must contain at least 25 per cent. British history.
Pupils: Free School Meals
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of children are entitled to free school meals in each local authority area; and what the percentage change in such proportions was in each area between 1997 and 2008. [276184]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.
Schools: Romford
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he has plans to visit schools in Romford in 2009-10. [272900]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families does not have any current plans to visit schools in Romford.
Schools: Transport
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent on school transport in (a) Greater Manchester and (b) England in the latest period for which figures are available. [270660]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: The available information on how much was spent on school transport in Greater Manchester and England for 2007-08 is contained in the table:
| Local authority | Net current expenditure on home to school transport (£) |
| Notes: 1. 2007-08 data are subject to change by local authority. 2. Cash terms figures as reported by local authorities as at 21 April 2009. 3. The data are drawn from the local authorities section 52 outturn statements (table A). | |
Special Educational Needs
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average cost of placing a child with a statement of special educational needs for behavioural, emotional and social difficulties in a special school was in the last year for which figures are available. [279912]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: During the 2008-09 financial year, we estimate that the average funding for a maintained special school place was £17,633. However, from information held centrally it is not possible to estimate this figure for children with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties in particular.
In estimating this figure we have included all children attending maintained special schools. We have not included related costs often incurred by local authorities, such as home to school transport, or the capital costs associated with building or refurbishing maintained special schools. We have also not included the cost of places in independent sector and non-maintained special schools.
Special Educational Needs: General Certificate of Secondary Education
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 20 April 2009, Official Report, column 279W, on special educational needs: general certificate of secondary education, at how many mainstream schools which had between one and nine pupils with statements of special educational needs no such pupils achieved five A* to C grades at GCSE in 2008. [279910]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: Statistical disclosure rules are operated to protect the inadvertent disclosure of personal information about an individual pupil. For achievement data, the recognised approach is to suppress school level performance information where there are 10 or fewer pupils at the end of key stage 4 in the school.
That is accepted practice in the published Achievement and Attainment Tables. Following that approach, it would not normally be possible to give school level performance information for schools with 10 or fewer pupils at the end of key stage 4 with statements of special educational needs.
While naming individual schools would potentially disclose personal information about individual pupils, simply stating the number of schools does not.
Additionally, in the previous answer, the approach was relaxed slightly to fewer than 10 pupils (rather than 10 or fewer) at the end of key stage 4 with statements of special educational needs.
There are 26 maintained mainstream schools with more than 10 pupils with statements of SEN at the end of key stage 4, where no pupils with statements of SEN achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C or the equivalent in 2008.
There are 43 maintained mainstream schools with 10 or more pupils with statements of SEN at the end of key stage 4, where no pupils with statements of SEN achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C or the equivalent in 2008.
As the number of pupils was over the 10 pupils threshold for those schools, they were named in previous answers.
There were 2,542 maintained mainstream schools at which between one and nine pupils at the end of key stage 4 had statements of special educational needs in 2008.
There were 1,279 maintained mainstream schools at which between one and nine pupils at the end of key
stage 4 had statements of special educational needs and where no such pupils achieved five or more GCSEs at grade A* to C or the equivalent, in 2008.
To prevent inadvertent disclosure of personal information, it will not be possible to name those schools in subsequent answers.
The source of these data is the Achievement and Attainment Tables’ database.
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