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11 Jan 2010 : Column 716Wcontinued
Robert Neill: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality with reference to the answer of 18 June 2009, Official Report, column 503W, on the Equality and Human Rights Commission: manpower, how many full-time equivalent (a) consultants and (b) temporary staff employed by the Commission are not permanent staff. [308446]
Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission currently have 79.6 full-time equivalent interim employees and four full-time equivalent employees on fixed term contracts who are not permanent employees. In addition the Commission have three full-time equivalent secondees working at the Commission who are not permanent employees.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality if she will place in the Library a copy of the reasoned opinion of the European Commission on the compliance of the UK's equality legislation with the EU Equal Treatment Directive. [309426]
Maria Eagle:
The understanding between the European Commission and member states is that infraction correspondence remains confidential. The Commission publishes the fact that a Reasoned Opinion has been
sent, but not the letter itself. The Government will therefore not be placing a copy of this Reasoned Opinion in the Library.
Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent discussions she has had with the European Commission on UK compliance with EU anti-discrimination legislation; and if she will make a statement. [308222]
Maria Eagle: The European Commission sent two reasoned opinions to the UK Government on 20 November 2009 which questioned the compliance of our domestic legislation with two European Directives in certain respects. We are studying these reasoned opinions carefully and will reply to the Commission towards the end of January.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent assessment she has made of the gender pay difference in Hampshire. [309190]
Maria Eagle: The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2009 showed that the gender pay gap, comparing the median hourly earnings of all men and women, was: 28.6 per cent. for Hampshire; 26.6 per cent. for the South East; and 22.0 per cent. for the UK as a whole.
For full-time employees, the pay gap for Hampshire is 22.7 per cent. For part-time employees, the pay gap is 17.9 per cent., i.e. male part-time employees are paid less than female part-time employees.
The overall national pay gap has fallen from 27.5 per cent. in 1997 to 22.0 per cent. in 2009, but more progress is needed and the Equality Bill includes tough measures to improve gender pay transparency.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent steps the Government Equalities Office has taken in respect of the human rights of gay and lesbian people. [302340]
Maria Eagle: The UK Government have taken great strides forward to ensure equality for gay and lesbian people in all areas, including all aspects of human rights.
The human rights of everyone in the UK are afforded protection under the Human Rights Act 1998, which incorporates into UK law the European Convention on Human Rights. We have alongside that protection brought forward specific measures to protect and promote the rights of gay and lesbian people, for example through legislation prohibiting discrimination because of sexual orientation in the workplace and in services and public functions, which provides a private law cause of action for individuals experiencing discrimination.
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what information his Department holds on the number of child care providers in (a) Leeds West constituency and (b) West Yorkshire who take part in the child care voucher scheme. [306623]
Mr. Timms: I have been asked to reply.
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland (Dr. Kumar) on 2 December 2009, Official Report, column 806W.
Employers and employees are not required to report the provision of tax exempt child care vouchers. Accordingly, the specific information that has been asked for is not available.
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate his Department has made of the effect of withdrawing the tax exemption for employer supported child care on the amount of money claimed for the child care element of working tax credit. [301763]
Mr. Timms: I have been asked to reply.
The Government are not withdrawing the tax exemptions for employer supported child care. On 4 December 2009, the Prime Minister announced the Government's policy in relation to employer supported child care. This is set out in the answer given to my right hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) on 14 December 2009, Official Report, column 846W.
This reform will have no impact on take-up of the child care element of the working tax credit.
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average class size in schools in Leeds North West constituency was in (a) 1997 and (b) 2009. [309387]
Mr. Coaker: The average class size of maintained primary schools in Leeds North West was 26.9 in 1997 and 27.5 in 2009; the figures for state funded secondary(1) schools were 20.6 and 20.3 respectively.
(1)( )Includes middle schools as deemed, City technology colleges and academies.
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what redesigns of websites operated by his Department there have been since 27 June 2007; and what the (a) cost to the public purse and (b) date of completion of each such redesign was. [306169]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) was established on 28 June 2007. The corporate website homepage and page header (www.dcsf.gov.uk) was updated to reflect the new Department at no additional cost.
A refresh of the corporate website homepage was completed in August 2008, at a cost of £2,111. A further redesign was completed in May 2009 at a cost of £5278.
The migration of all content from three individual sites (Local Authorities, Sure Start and Every Child Matters) into the current ECM service-
was completed in May 2009. This involved a complete redesign of the content and the development of a new part of the corporate site at a cost of £265,038 (including VAT).
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many Children and Learners Strategic Advisers posts there are in his Department; when each such post was created; and what (a) salary and (b) job description associated with each is. [303652]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 2 December 20 09 ]: Children and Learners Strategic Advisers (CLSAs) will not be employed by the Department. They will be part of a new integrated advisory service based in Government Offices from April 2010. Following a competitive dialogue process, the preferred bidder for the contract to deliver the service is Together for Children and Learners, a partnership led by Serco. CLSAs will provide a single strategic interface between local authorities, Children's Trusts and the Department. They will replace the existing Children's Services Advisers and take on part of the role of the National Strategies Senior Regional Directors to agree local priorities and improvement support across all outcomes for children and young people. There will be around 32 CLSAs with salaries between £75,000 to £95,000.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many working days were lost due to illness of employees within his Department in each of the last three years; and how many of these were attributed to stress in each year. [310230]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: The Department was set up as part of the machinery of government changes on 28 June 2007, so figures only apply from 1 July. Sickness absence data, including the average number of days lost and reasons for absence, are published on the Department's website:
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students in post-16 education in (a) Leeds West constituency and (b) West Yorkshire are in receipt of education maintenance allowance. [306605]
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 (DCSF). Geoffrey Russell, the LSC's acting chief executive, will write to my right hon. Friend with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his plans are for the future of the e2e programme; and if he will make a statement. [307325]
Mr. Coaker: Entry to Employment (E2E) as a distinct programme will finish this academic year, with provision from September 2010 being delivered as Foundation Learning, the national route for young people who are at entry level and Level 1. Foundation Learning is one of the four pathways that comprise the broad and engaging learning offer at the heart of our 14-19 reforms.
As emphasised in the delivery plan for the Raising of the Participation Age published on 15 December 2009, Foundation Learning enables flexible and inclusive recognition of learning achievements and emphasises personalised planning for progression-to Level 2 (Diplomas, Apprenticeships, GCSEs) wherever possible.
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the January Guarantee of Entry to Employment places for those not in education, employment or training in 2009-10. [309728]
Mr. Iain Wright: We are determined to ensure that every young person who is not in education, employment or training (NEET) is given an opportunity to engage in learning so that they can develop the skills they need to enter sustainable employment. Building on the success of our September Guarantee, the January Guarantee will ensure that all 16 and 17-year-olds who are NEET in January 2010 have the offer of an Entry to Employment place.
A funding package of £40 million is being made available by the Department to deliver the January Guarantee. This includes funding for 10,000 additional Entry to Employment places, education maintenance allowance for those additional young people who are eligible, and for local Connexions services to support young people to re-engage.
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of widening access to free school meals for children of low-income parents in 2009-10. [309727]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Department of Health (DH) have jointly allocated £10 million in 2009-10 to fund three free school meal pilots, £5 million from the DCSF and £5 million from the DH. Participating local authorities and primary care trusts are contributing the same in matched funding.
The aim of the pilot is to gather some robust evidence on the health and educational benefits of extending
access to free school meals. Durham and Newham are piloting universal free school meals for all primary pupils. Wolverhampton is piloting extended eligibility to primary and secondary pupils whose parents are on working tax credit and have an income up to £16,040.
Jim Cousins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of students (a) achieved (i) no GCSEs, (ii) five GCSEs at grade A* to C, (iii) English GCSE at grade A* to C, (iv) mathematics GCSE at grade A* to C and (b) were eligible for free school meals in each secondary school
in the (A) Newcastle upon Tyne, (B) county of Northumberland and (C) boroughs of North Tyneside and Gateshead in each year from 2003 to 2009. [302536]
Mr. Coaker: School-level figures for 2009 will become available in January 2010.
The tables provide 2005 to 2008 data on the consistent basis of pupils at the end of key stage 4. Data for the period 2003 to 2008 on a consistent basis can be produced only at disproportionate cost.
The tables contain figures for each maintained mainstream secondary school in each of the local authorities covering the areas requested.
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