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13 July 2009 : Column 44W—continued
Foster Care
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were registered as being privately-fostered in the latest year for which figures are available. [286377]
Dawn Primarolo: As at 31 March 2008, the latest date for which figures are available, 1,330 children were reported as being cared for and accommodated in private fostering arrangements in England.
This number was published in "Private Fostering Arrangements in England: Year Ending 31 March 2008" on 31 July 2008 and can be found on the departmental website at:
GCSE
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools which received an Ofsted rating of (a) satisfactory and (b) inadequate for behaviour had less than 30 per cent. of pupils gain five GCSEs including English and mathematics at grades A* to C in each year since 2005. [282727]
Mr. Coaker: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 3 July 2009:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
Table A below shows the number of secondary schools with satisfactory or inadequate behaviour at the most recent Ofsted inspection (as at 3 April 2009), which had less than 30 per cent of pupils gain five GCSEs including English and mathematics at grades A* to C in each year since 2005, where GCSE attainment data are available.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Vernon Coaker MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the Library of both Houses.
Pre School Education: Bullying
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the levels of (a) bullying and (b) intimidation by other children of Jewish children attending nursery schools since December 2008; what steps he is taking to protect Jewish children from such actions; and if he will make a statement. [285552]
Mr. Coaker: Schools, including mainstream nursery schools, have a duty in law to promote race equality and it is compulsory for them to have measures in place to prevent and tackle bullying, whatever the motivation. In March 2006 we published specialist guidance on bullying around race, religion and culture which focused on preventing and tackling racist bullying in schools and included material on bullying related to anti-Semitism.
We intend also next year to introduce a new statutory duty on schools to record all incidents of bullying between pupils. We will consult on this in the autumn and also on whether schools should be obliged to report these incidents to their local authority.
Schools Grant
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on excess balances maintained by local authorities out of money received
via the dedicated schools grant; what information his Department collects on such balances; and if he will make a statement. [285596]
Mr. Coaker: The Department believes that it is sound financial management for schools to retain a small surplus from year to year-but the total of balances for 2007-08, which came to £1.9 billion, was too high.
The Department collects figures of the balances and deficits held by schools via the Section 52 Outturn statements, which are completed by all local authorities in England. In February 2009, we published the figures for balances and deficits held by schools for the financial year 2007-08. The information for 2008-09 is due to be submitted to the Department by 25 August 2009.
The Department expects schools and local authorities to work to reduce the total and we encourage local authorities to make full use of their power to claw back excessive balances and redistribute it to where it is needed in their area. If balances do not reduce substantially, the Department will consult on further action from 2011-12 to bring the total down.
Schools: Essex
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what timetable he has set for meeting hon. Members representing constituencies in Essex to discuss school closures. [285745]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: As discussed during Prime Minister's Questions on 24 June 2009, Official Report, column 793W and following on from the Whitsun Recess Questions, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has given a commitment to meet hon. Members representing constituencies in Essex to discuss school closures. Correspondence has recently been received from the hon. Member for Colchester (Bob Russell) requesting this meeting. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is in the process of responding to this with view to arranging a meeting after the summer recess.
Young People: Housing
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on liaison between housing officers and social services following a request from a 17-year-old girl for accommodation; and what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on the provision of mediation and counselling services to the families of such girls when that family includes a 15-year-old sister prior to the arrangement of independent accommodation. [286345]
Dawn Primarolo: In order to ensure that children and young people who are at risk of homelessness receive the support they need it is important that the various statutory services in place to protect them are joined up. In the circumstances described we would expect children's and Housing services to follow the joint DCLG and DCSF guidance Joint working between Housing and Children's Services - Preventing homelessness and tackling its effects on children and young people.
This says that Children's Services and Housing Services should establish arrangements in their areas for ensuring that a Common Assessment Framework assessment is considered for all children and young people who come
to the attention of authorities as homeless or at risk of homelessness. Such an assessment would include looking at a range of issues, including their family and home circumstances.
If the young person was not at risk of harm at home, services should look at what can be done to support the young person and their family to enable the young person to continue living at home. This could include the provision of mediation and counselling services where it was felt this would meet a specific need.
Young People: Oxfordshire
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Draft Legislative Programme 2009, Cm 7654, page 20, who in Oxfordshire will be responsible for delivering the commitment that every young person should give at least 50 hours of service to their community in their teenage years. [284933]
Mr. Iain Wright: We intend to build on existing good practice by implementing the £146 million package of measures announced by the Prime Minister on April 24 this year when he set out our ambition that, in time, all young people should contribute at least 50 hours to their local community by the age of 19.
The package includes £7 million to run a set of intensive pilots to test ways of delivering significant increases in the proportions of young people within a given area participating in community service. These pilots will involve over 14,000 14 to 16-year-olds in the next two years and will provide valuable lessons to help schools provide more service opportunities for their pupils through partnerships that will increase the supply of high quality community service opportunities, and also the interest of young people in serving their communities.
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