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2 Nov 2009 : Column 749W—continued
Education: Miscarriages of Justice
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of false allegations made about education staff in their work in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [296933]
Mr. Coaker: The Department provides guidance to local authorities and schools on dealing with allegations against teachers and other staff in "Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education".
Under these arrangements all allegations that meet the relevant criteria are reported locally. All local authorities have a senior officer with responsibility for keeping records and provide data to the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) for their use as part of their evaluation and monitoring role. As data are collected locally the Department does not collect this information or make estimates centrally.
Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding the Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation has received from his Department in each of the last three years. [297041]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: The Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation has not received any direct funding from this Department.
Schools: Counselling
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many (a) primary school pupils and (b) secondary school pupils in England have access to a professional counsellor in their school; and by what mechanism such provision is funded; [297003]
(2) how much was spent on counselling in schools in (a) 2003-07 and (b) 2008. [296930]
Mr. Coaker: The school funding system provides a sum per pupil in a local authority for it to distribute for all its education responsibilities including schools. Once delegated to a school, it is for the school governors to decide upon the use of the delegated budget to meet the school's priorities, which may include purchasing the services of a counsellor.
We do not collect information on the use of school funding in sufficient detail to capture information about which schools are providing counselling services and what is spent on these services. We do not collect information on which schools employ professional counsellors.
We are committed to improving the emotional and mental health of children and young people and to help them develop social and emotional skills, improve self-esteem and self-control, enabling them to develop good relationships and to promote their resilience, so they can adapt to change and cope with difficult circumstances. This may include the use of services such as counselling.
Access to counselling services has been provided locally through a number of DCSF initiatives developed in recent years. Counselling services may be provided through schools (including Pupil Referral Units) working with other agencies such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, social care and or third sector organisations. For pupils with behaviour related difficulties, counselling support may be provided through local Behaviour and Education Support Teams and Learning Support Units.
Supporting the psychological well being and mental health of pupils is a key component of whole school programmes such as the Healthy Schools Programme and the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning programme. Such programmes are intended for pupils generally and may need to be supplemented by more specialist support for certain pupils.
The "Your Child, Your Schools, Our Future" White Paper, published in June, stated that in order that every young person in secondary school gets the help they need to progress in learning and has a source of personal support, we will make sure that each one has a Personal Tutor who knows them well and who will support them in planning their learning, in making choices and through difficult times.
The Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS) programme, funded by £60 million between 2008-2011, builds on the successful social and emotional aspects of learning programme (SEAL) for those pupils who need additional support. Some of the schools involved in the programme have chosen to offer counselling-based approaches as part of their package therapeutic interventions to children at risk of developing mental health problems.
Specialised Diplomas
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the total cost to the public purse of implementation of the diploma programme. [295423]
Mr. Iain Wright:
We have spent £172.3 million on diplomas during the last four years. We are continuing to provide additional funding to support diploma delivery and capacity building over the rest of the current Spending
Review years; in the current financial year we are making an additional £151.5 million available to support the diploma programme and have an estimated spend of £198.3 million for 2010-11.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how much expenditure under each budget heading his Department has incurred on the introduction of diploma courses and qualifications in each year since 2005; [295555]
(2) what estimate his Department has made of its expenditure on diplomas in each of the next three years; and under what budgetary headings such expenditure is expected to be incurred. [295556]
Mr. Iain Wright: Expenditure for 2005-06 to 2008-09 on diplomas was made under the following categories:
development costs for diploma qualifications; for 2008-09 onwards it also includes costs of Diploma Awarding;
preparation funding to support consortia to deliver diplomas;
funding for local delivery and capacity building, including the diploma specific grant; from 2008-09 onwards it includes the diploma formula grant which supports additional costs of early delivery of diplomas at KS4;
work force development to prepare the work force for the delivery of diplomas; and
supporting transport arrangements in the most rural areas.
Total spend on diploma qualifications in each of these categories for each financial year is as follows:
| £ | |||||
| Development | Preparation | Direct and indirect | Work force development | Transport | |
The estimated funding level for diplomas for 2009-10 and 2010-11 is as follows:
| £ million | |
2011-12 will be considered as part of the next Spending Review process.
Young People: Learning Disabilities
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many of those diagnosed with (a) dyslexia and (b) dyspraxia between the ages of 11 and 18 have gone on to attend university in each year since 1997; [296450]
(2) how many children diagnosed with (a) dyslexia and (b) dyspraxia before entering secondary school have gone on to attend university in each year since 1997. [296451]
Mr. Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
Information is not held centrally on children and young people diagnosed with dyspraxia entering higher education. The numbers of 18-year-old undergraduate entrants who were recorded as having dyslexia in the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record are given in the table as an alternative. This information is self-reported: therefore a student may choose not to share information about his/her disability.
Figures for the 2008-09 academic year will be available from HESA in January 2010.
Energy and Climate Change
Departmental Telephone Services
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many helplines his Department operates; and how much his Department has received from the operation of such helplines since its inception. [294978]
Joan Ruddock: The Department funds the ACT ON CO2 advice line run by The Energy Saving Trust, which offers bespoke advice to consumers on how they can effectively save energy, water and waste.
DEFRA and Business Innovation and Skills public inquiry lines are also geared to respond to public inquiries on all aspects of DECC's business.
No line makes money from its operation.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will consider the merits of securing accreditation of his Department's helplines to the Helplines Association's quality standard; and if he will make a statement. [295726]
Joan Ruddock: BIS and DEFRA public phone lines currently cover public inquiries on DECC's remit.
Where appropriate, and dependent on the purpose of the telephone service being offered, DECC would look to seek accreditation.
THA may be an appropriate accreditation.
G20: Greater London
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what commitments the Government entered into during the G20 London summit on energy, climate change and related matters. [297115]
Joan Ruddock: The Communiqué issued at the end of the G20 London summit detailed the commitments as follows:
"We agreed to make the best possible use of investment funded by fiscal stimulus programmes towards the goal of building a resilient, sustainable and green recovery. We will make the transition towards clean, innovative, resource efficient, low carbon technologies and infrastructure. We encourage the multilateral development banks to contribute fully to the achievement of this objective. We will identify and work together on further measures to build sustainable economies.
We reaffirm our commitment to address the threat of irreversible climate change, based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and to reach agreement at the UN Climate Change conference in Copenhagen in December 2009."
G8: Italy
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for which aspects of the Government's contribution to commitments agreed at the G8 Summit in L'Aquila his Department is responsible. [297225]
Joan Ruddock: The commitments agreed at the G8 Summit in L'Aquila which the Department of Energy and Climate Change is responsible for can be found in the G8 Communiqué entitled 'Responsible Leadership For A Sustainable Future' accessible electronically at:
The relevant paragraphs are: 39-44, 60-80, 83-93.
Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which countries were represented at the Major Economies Forum on Climate Change held on 18 and 19 October; what papers were presented; and if he will publish on his Department's website a copy of (a) each paper circulated and (b) the statement agreed at the conclusion of the meeting. [295662]
Joan Ruddock: Participants of the London Major Economies Forum were: Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Canada, China, EU Commission, EU Presidency, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. Norway attended as an observer.
Vulnerable countries were also invited to attend the London MEF. Lesotho and the Maldives attended at ministerial level and therefore had a seat at the table. Bangladesh, Costa Rica and Ethiopia attended as observers.
The output of the meeting is available at:
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