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27 July 2010 : Column 1182W—continued
Kidney Patients
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many kidney transplants there have been in each of the last five years; and how many such transplants were classified as successful. [11012]
Anne Milton: The following table shows the number of kidney transplants from living and deceased donors carried out in the United Kingdom from 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2010; and the percentage of patients where the graft had not failed at three months and 12 months.
| Number of kidney only transplants | Percentage of Grafts surviving( 1) | ||||||
| Deceased donor | Live donor | ||||||
| Deceased donor | Live donor | Total | 3 months | 12 months | 3 months | 12 months | |
| (1) Where up-to-date follow-up data are available. (2) 12-month graft survival data are not available for 2009-10, as a full 12 months has not yet elapsed. | |||||||
Kidneys: Transplant Surgery
Duncan Hames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients requiring a kidney transplant (a) received a kidney transplant and (b) died while awaiting a transplant in each of the last three years. [11859]
Anne Milton: The following table shows the number of kidney transplants from living and deceased donors carried out in the United Kingdom from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2010; and the number of patients that died whilst on the active(1 )waiting list for a kidney transplant.
(1) Active means that when an organ becomes available, the patient is included among those who are matched against the donor to determine whether the organ is suitable. Patients can be temporarily removed (suspended) from the waiting list for reasons ranging from being away on holiday to being too ill to undergo the operation.
| Number of kidney only transplants | Deaths - organ waiting list (kidney) | |||
| Deceased Donor | Live Donor | Total | ||
Long Term Care
Diana R. Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to conduct the mid-term review of the National Service Framework for long-term neurological conditions. [11392]
Mr Burstow: We are currently considering the options for the National Service Framework for long-term neurological conditions, and will report back in due course.
Mental Health Services: Finance
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the likely level of future demand for mental health services in London; and how much funding he plans to allocate for that purpose in (a) 2011-12 and (b) the next three years. [11842]
Mr Burstow: We will be assessing our priorities carefully and will announce details on mental health policy in due course. Our focus will be on making services patient-led, based on the best clinical evidence, responsive to patients' choice and management of their own care, and delivering best health outcomes.
Mental Health Services: Prisons
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the capacity of mental health in-reach teams to meet the needs of prisoners with mental health needs serving imprisonment for public protection sentences. [10593]
Mr Burstow: The mental health needs of prisoners are met by a combination of primary care staff and mental health in-reach teams. No assessment of the capacity of mental health in-reach teams working with prisoners serving imprisonment for public protection sentences has been made.
Mental Health: Children
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the contribution of local authorities to the delivery of child and adult mental health services provided jointly with the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [11516]
Mr Burstow: We will be announcing details on mental health policy in due course. The reforms set out in the White Paper "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS" will improve the national health service for patients of all ages, including children and young people. Our focus will be on making services patient-led, based on the best clinical evidence, responsive to patients' choice and delivering best health outcomes. "Liberating the NHS: Local Democratic Legitimacy in Health" also sets out proposals to improve integration and partnership working across health and social care for children and adults. We do not plan to undertake such assessments.
Copies of both documents have already been placed in the Library.
Mental Illness: Prisoners
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the incidence of mental health illnesses in the prison population in England and Wales. [10325]
Mr Burstow: Based on the 1997 Office for National Statistics psychiatric morbidity survey and Ministry of Justice research published in 2008, our estimate is that around 90% of sentenced prisoners have some form of mental health problem. The 1997 survey showed that 7% of sentenced male prisoners and 14% of female prisoners had functional psychosis.
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will review membership of the partners council of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; [11214]
(2) what criteria apply in respect of appointment to the partners council of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. [11215]
Mr Simon Burns: We will keep the operation of the partners council under review, taking account of advice from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the views of council members.
The membership of the council is designed to reflect the range of external partners who work with the Institute in the development of its guidance. It is therefore drawn from patient advocacy groups, health professional groups, the health care industries and other third sector organisations which have an interest in NICE'S work.
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence: Consultants
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals for a mechanism for the peer review of responses by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to consultee comments. [11553]
Mr Simon Burns: Details of the processes for the development of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance are a matter for the Institute as an independent body, and NICE consults periodically on these processes. NICE most recently updated its process guides for clinical guidelines in 2008 and for technology appraisals and interventional procedures in 2009. Information on the way NICE develops its guidance is available at:
NHS
Dr Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultation he undertook with patients' representatives prior to the publication of the Health White Paper. [10451]
Mr Simon Burns: The public voted for change; the manifestos of both parties of the coalition contained clear plans for the national health service. By publishing a strategy in the White Paper, and providing clear leadership and purpose for the NHS, the Government are now able to engage fully with all external partners on the detail of how best to implement these changes. A number of supporting consultation documents have been published providing further detail and opportunities for engagement.
NHS White Paper: Personnel
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to consult NHS employees in Coventry on the proposals in the NHS White Paper. [11943]
Mr Simon Burns: 'Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS' set out the Government's strategy for the national health service. A copy has already been placed in the Library. By providing clear leadership and purpose for the NHS the Government are now able to engage fully on the detail of how best to implement these changes. A number of supporting consultation documents have been published providing further detail and opportunity for engagement, entitled: 'Liberating the NHS: Transparency in outcomes: a framework for the NHS', 'Liberating the NHS: Increasing democratic legitimacy in health', 'Liberating the NHS: Commissioning for patients' and 'Liberating the NHS: Regulating healthcare providers'. A review of arms length bodies entitled 'Liberating the NHS: Report of the arms-length bodies review' has also been published. Copies of these documents have already been placed in the Library. They are also available on the Department's website at:
NHS: Chaplains
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether NHS organisations consult any advisory body on the appointment of NHS chaplains; [11239]
(2) which Minister in his Department has responsibility for policy on NHS chaplains; [11240]
(3) how many chaplains of each faith each NHS acute hospital trust employs; and how many such chaplains each trust employs on a full-time basis. [11241]
Mr Simon Burns: Information on the number or working patterns of chaplains employed by national health service trusts is not collected centrally. It is for individual trusts to determine their own provision and they are not under a statutory obligation to consult with any advisory body on the appointment of healthcare chaplains. However, many will refer to the occupational standards and codes of conduct published by organisations and professional associations such as the Hospital Chaplaincies Council, the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy and Multi Faith Group for Healthcare Chaplaincy. I have responsibility for healthcare chaplaincy along with other issues relating to the NHS workforce.
NHS: Essex
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) managers and (b) administrative staff each NHS trust in Essex employed in each year since 1997; and what proportion of the total staff of each trust each figure represents. [10155]
Anne Milton: Information is not available in the format requested.
The following tables show national health service staff in East of England strategic health authority area in each specified organisation and each specified staff group as at 30 September each year since 1997.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the deficit of each NHS trust in Essex was at the end of each financial year since 1996-97. [10158]
Anne Milton:
The information requested is shown in the following table. This table shows both surplus and
deficit outturn positions; 2002-03 is the earliest year for which information is available.
| Surplus/(Deficit) (£000) | |||||||
| NHS Trust | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
| (1) Basildon and Thurrock General Hospital NHS Trust became a Foundation Trust on 1 April 2004. (2) Essex Ambulance Service NHS Trust mergerd with other Ambulance NHS Trusts on 1 April 2006. (3) Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust became a Foundation Trust on 1 May 2008. (4) North Essex Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust became a Foundation Trust on 1 October 2007. (5) New Possibilities NHS Trust merged with other Trusts on 1 April 2003. (6) South Essex Partnership NHS Trust became a Foundation Trust on 1 May 2006. (7) Southend Hospital NHS Trust became a Foundation Trust on 1 June 2006. Note: Where an NHS Trust obtains Foundation Trust status part-way through any year, the data provided are only for the part of the year the organisation operated as an NHS Trust. The Department does not collect data from NHS Foundation Trusts. Source: NHS Trust summarisation schedules 2002-03 to 2008-09 | |||||||
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much interest each NHS trust in Essex has paid on servicing its debt in each year since 1997. [10159]
Anne Milton: Information on the total amount of interest each national health service trust in Essex has paid on servicing its bank overdrafts, current and long term loans, obligations under finance leases and Private Finance Initiative arrangements, is shown in the following table. 2002-03 is the earliest year for which information is available.
| £000 | |||||||
| Trust | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
| (1) Basildon and Thurrock General Hospital NHS Trust became a Foundation Trust on 1 April 2004. (2) Essex Ambulance Service NHS Trust merged with other Ambulance NHS Trusts on 1 April 2006. (3) Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust became a Foundation Trust on 1 May 2008. (4) North Essex Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust became a Foundation Trust on 1 October 2007. (5) New Possibilities NHS Trust merged with other Trusts on 1 April 2003. (6) South Essex Partnership NHS Trust became a Foundation Trust on 1 May 2006. (7) Southend Hospital NHS Trust became a Foundation Trust on 1 June 2006. Notes: 1. Where an NHS Trust obtains Foundation Trust status part-way through any year, the data provided are only for the part of the year the organisation operated as an NHS Trust. The Department does not collect data from NHS Foundation Trusts. 2. 'Debt' can be interpreted in a number of ways in relation to the finances of NHS Trusts. We have interpreted 'debt' to mean the total amount reported by each NHS Trust in their Balance Sheet in respect of bank overdrafts, loans, finance leases and Private Finance Initiative (PFI) arrangements. These are the items most readily identified with the term 'debt' in accounting terminology. Source: NHS Trust summarisation schedules 2002-03 to 2008-09 | |||||||
NHS: Higher Education
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the implications of the NHS White Paper for higher education institutions; and if he will make a statement. [10930]
Anne Milton: A proposed model for the new education and training framework in England, based on the principles in the White Paper, is being developed. This will form the basis for consultation, which is expected to be launched in autumn 2010.
There will be engagement with key partners, including the high education sector, over the summer to develop the proposed model for the future.
NHS: VAT
Mr Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the amount of value added tax (a) paid by the NHS in 2009-10 and (b) to be paid by the NHS in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12. [12025]
Mr Simon Burns: The information is not held centrally.
Organs: Donors
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the UK are registered on the national organ register; and what steps his Department is taking to increase levels of organ donation. [10771]
Anne Milton: At the end of the financial year 2009-10 there were 17.1 million people on the organ donor register.
The Department has engaged with the national health service, relevant NHS and professional organisations, and the charitable sector to improve United Kingdom organ donor rates. Strong partnerships have been developed with the DVLA, Boots plc, health-related trade unions and general practitioner surgeries to encourage organ donor registration. A Programme Delivery Board, chaired by Mr Chris Rudge, National Clinical Director for Transplantation, was established in 2008 to oversee implementation of the 14 recommendations made by the independent Organ Donation Taskforce. This board has nearly completed its work.
An increase in donation rates of 11% against the 2007-08 baseline had been achieved at the end of the first year of activity and figures for year ending 2009-10, due to be published shortly, are expected to show 19%.
Pensions
Mrs McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the change in central Government expenditure on the NHS Pension Scheme attributable to use of the consumer prices index for pension indexation in the next five years. [11060]
Mr Simon Burns:
The Government have not made any separate estimate of the change in central Government expenditure for the NHS Pension Scheme relating to the announcement at Budget that the uprating of the majority of state benefits, state second pension and
public service pensions would be moved from retail prices index to consumer prices index, with effect from April 2011.
The estimated savings in annually managed expenditure for public service pension expenditure in each year of the forecast period are set out in the following table. These savings form part of the overall savings figures for benefits, tax credits and public service pensions published in line 22 of Table 2.1 in Budget 2010. These figures include the locally run Police and Firefighters schemes but do not include savings for the Local Government Pension Scheme.
| £million | |
Self-harm
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will commission research into the reasons for the rate of incidents of self-harm in England compared to other EU countries; and if he will make a statement; [10644]
(2) if he will take steps to ensure co-ordination of Government funding of research into the (a) causes of suicide, (b) prevention of suicide and (c) treatment of people who have attempted suicide unsuccessfully; and if he will make a statement; [10647]
(3) if he will take steps to ensure co-ordination of Government funding of research into the (a) causes and (b) prevention of self-harm; and if he will make a statement; [10648]
(4) if he will take steps to (a) raise the level of awareness of and (b) provide common training for front-line staff in (i) prisons, (ii) hospitals, (iii) schools, (iv) social services, (v) the police and (vi) Jobcentre Plus offices in the (A) prevention and (B) aftermath of incidents of suicide; and if he will make a statement; [10652]
(5) if he will take steps to (a) raise the level of awareness of and (b) provide common training for front-line staff in (i) prisons, (ii) hospitals, (iii) schools, (iv) social services, (v) the police and (vi) Jobcentre Plus offices in the (A) prevention and (B) aftermath of incidents of self-harm; and if he will make a statement; [10653]
(6) if he will establish at (a) national, (b) regional and (c) local level a mechanism for the (i) flow of information and (ii) evaluation of best practice of services and support available to those who have attempted suicide; and if he will make a statement. [10656]
Mr Burstow:
The national health service will be backed with increased real resources yet we recognise that there are still efficiencies to be made. However, we intend to make sure front-line services in the NHS as a whole are protected from cuts. Our confirmation of the final £70 million instalment of growth funding from the current spending round for the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme is enabling primary care trusts to broaden the geographical coverage of services, meaning
more people can get help, and to increase the range of therapies available, giving people more choice and access to the right psychological support.
We will be assessing our priorities carefully and will announce details on mental health policy, in due course. Our focus will be on making services patient-led, based on the best clinical evidence, responsive to patients' choice and management of their own care, and delivering best health outcomes.
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance says that clinical and non-clinical staff who have contact with people who self-harm or attempt suicide in any setting should be provided with appropriate training to equip them to understand and care for people who have self-harmed or attempted suicide.
The National Institute for Health Research is funding a range of research on self-harm and suicide. Further information can be found at
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will take steps to co-ordinate a risk assessment of the effect on the incidence of self-harm of proposed policies and programmes; and if he will make a statement; [10657]
(2) if he will take steps to co-ordinate a risk assessment of the effect on the incidence of suicide of proposed policies and programmes; and if he will make a statement. [10658]
Mr Burstow: The consideration of health impact assessment is a mandatory part of the Government's policy development process.
Education
Academies
Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that schools which wish to become academies consult (a) parents, (b) local authorities, (c) local businesses and (d) others in the local area. [3105]
Mr Gibb: The governing body, which includes parental, local authority and staff representation, must agree that the school can become an academy before an application is made.
The Academies Bill has been amended to include a new clause on consultation. The new clause will ensure that the governing body of a maintained school carries out a consultation exercise on whether the school should convert to academy status. Schools will not be able to open as an academy unless a consultation exercise has been carried out.
The governing body is best placed to decide who it should consult, which could include local businesses and others in the local area. We would expect that parents and the local community are consulted.
Guidance issued to schools wishing to convert to an academy provides further detailed information on consultation. The guidance is available at
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what services currently provided by local education authorities he plans new academy schools will fund out of their own budget. [5214]
Mr Gibb: The principle of academies' funding is that academies should receive the same level of per-pupil funding as they would receive from the local authority as a maintained school. In addition, they receive top-up funding to meet additional responsibilities that are no longer provided for them by the local authority and an addition for an academy's extra VAT costs which they can no longer reclaim through the local authority.
Local authorities vary considerably in the services that they provide free of charge to schools. The additional amount that academies receive in their grant to cover these services varies accordingly. The Department has recently published funding guidance on its website for all schools considering converting to an academy. The services and costs which academies have to provide for from their grant income, and which may have been provided free of charge or met by their authority, if they were a maintained school, include:
special educational needs (SEN) support services;
behaviour support services;
the education welfare service;
costs relating to 14-16 practical learning options;
the costs of school meals and milk;
the assessment of free school meals eligibility;
pupils' support (e.g. clothing grants);
the costs of repairs to, and maintenance of kitchens;
asset management costs;
licences and subscriptions (e.g. for computer software);
certain staff costs (e.g. maternity, long term sickness and trade union duties);
the costs of certain employment terminations, redundancy and early retirement;
the costs of a local authority's statutory/regulatory duties;
school improvement services;
the costs of monitoring national curriculum assessment;
museum and library services;
music services;
visual and performing arts services;
outdoor education services.
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether local authority scrutiny committees may examine the performance or operations of academy schools [8980]
Mr Gibb: We want local authorities to continue to be powerful champions of educational excellence. It is up to local authority scrutiny committees to determine the areas or issues that they wish to examine and for each academy to determine the level of their involvement.
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether (a) schools and (b) local authorities will be required to consult staff and trade unions before plans to transfer schools to academy status are taken forward. [9081]
Mr Gibb:
The current employer of school staff (either the local authority or the governing body, depending on the type of school) will need to conduct a TUPE
consultation with all staff and the unions as part of the staff transfer process. We have also amended the Academies Bill so that it now requires governing bodies of converting schools to consult with those persons whom they think appropriate before entering into funding arrangements with the Secretary of State.
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether new academy schools will take responsibility for legal liabilities and cases from the predecessor schools. [9098]
Mr Gibb: Where the predecessor school is an employer of staff, and in relation to its position as an employer, transfer of legal liabilities and responsibilities will be governed by Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations.
In general, the legal liabilities of the predecessor school will not automatically pass to the academy trust, but what will transfer will vary from project to project. This will depend on the nature of the legal liabilities concerned. However, it is open to the predecessor school and/or the local authority to agree with the academy trust the transfer of assets and contracts from the predecessor school/local authority to the academy trust, and as part of this agreement it may be that they would agree that some related legal liabilities would be transferred to the academy trust.
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department and its agencies spent on the academies programme in the latest period for which figures are available; how many staff are employed by his Department and its agencies on the programme; how much is planned to be spent on the programme in 2010-11; and how many staff will be working on the programme in 2010-11. [9466]
Mr Gibb: In financial year 2009-10, the revenue spend on the academies programme was £1,272.09 million. The expected revenue spend in 2010-11 is currently estimated at £1,996.0 million. This excludes any expenditure on schools converting under the Academies Bill, which will depend on the numbers of schools. The capital spend in 2009-10 was £388.6 million through grant paid by the Department for Education and £307.3 million for projects funded through Partnerships for Schools (PfS). In 2010-11 the estimated spend is £301.0 million through departmental grant and £665.0 million for projects funded through PfS.
The Department is employing 115 staff engaged directly on the academies programme. The Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) has 47 members of staff working specifically on the academies programme; this is expected to increase to 81 during FY2010-11 through transfers from elsewhere in the Agency. In PfS, 17 members of staff work on the academies programme with no increase expected in 2010.
Academies: Billing
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will put in place contingency plans to compensate companies contracted to provide goods or services to academy schools in circumstances in which such schools default on payments under those contracts. [9622]
Mr Gibb: Academies are independent schools established by academy trusts, which are charitable companies receiving grant from the Secretary of State for the academy's running costs. It is for potential suppliers to decide whether to enter into contracts with trusts, and in the event of any default, to pursue payment in line with the terms of the contract.
Academies: Conditions of Employment
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether protection of staffing structures and terms and conditions of employment in new academy schools under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) Regulations will remain in place beyond the point of transfer. [9101]
Mr Gibb: Under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) Regulations contracts are transferred with their existing terms and the protection is indefinite. The contracts remain in force until they are brought to an end or changed in accordance with normal contractual principles.
Academies: Dudley
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which schools in Dudley have submitted an application for academy status. [8398]
Mr Gibb: To date, no schools in Dudley have submitted an application for academy status, although four have expressed an interest.
The list of primary and secondary schools within England that have expressed an interest in academy status is available at:
Academies: Ealing
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in (a) Ealing, Southall and (b) the London Borough of Ealing have expressed an interest in becoming academy schools. [9557]
Mr Gibb: We have received one expression of interest in converting to academy status from an outstanding school in the Ealing, Southall constituency and a total of eight from schools in the London borough of Ealing, five of which are from outstanding schools.
Academies: Enfield
Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which schools in the London Borough of Enfield have submitted an application for academy status. [8264]
Mr Gibb: Two outstanding schools in the London Borough of Enfield have applied to convert to academy status-Cuckoo Hall Primary School and Kingsmead Community School.
Academies: Faith Schools
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the likely number of new academies that will apply for faith school status. [10482]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 22 July 2010]: A school which does not currently have faith school status cannot apply to adopt faith school status as part of the process of applying to convert to become an academy. It could apply to be designated as a faith school after conversion to academy status, providing it met the criteria. We expect that the additional freedoms and flexibilities associated with academy status will make converting to an academy a popular option for many schools, including existing faith schools.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many grant-maintained faith schools have registered an interest in becoming academies. [10484]
Mr Gibb: [holding answer 22 July 2010]: Grant-maintained status is no longer a recognised category of school as the status was abolished by the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. We have, however, received many expressions of interest in converting to academy status from local authority maintained faith schools.
Academies: Finance
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether academy schools will continue to have to obtain admitted body status to the Local Government Pension scheme as a condition of their funding. [8979]
Mr Gibb: Academies are scheduled bodies under the Local Government Pension scheme and are therefore automatically members. Academy trusts will continue to be required to ensure that all employees at academies other than teachers have access to the LGPS. This requirement is included in their funding agreement. A similar requirement applies to teachers in respect of the Teachers' Pension scheme. The ongoing funding of academy trusts is contingent upon the conditions in their funding agreements being met.
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether (a) individual funding agreements and (b) supplementary funding agreements between him and academy schools will be published on his Department's website. [9082]
Mr Gibb: All new funding agreements between the Secretary of State for Education and academy trusts, whether individual or supplementary, will be published in due course on the Department's website.
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to consult parents, governors and school staff on the contents of the new model funding agreement for academy schools. [9083]
Mr Gibb:
The new model funding agreement has not been finalised yet. However, we have published a draft on the Department's website and would welcome comments
from any interested parties. In addition, we have amended the Academies Bill so that it requires governing bodies of converting schools to consult with those persons whom they think appropriate before entering into funding arrangements with the Secretary of State.
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to re-negotiate the funding agreements of existing academy schools if the Academies Bill is passed. [9102]
Mr Gibb: We intend to discuss with each academy trust whether they wish to adopt the new model funding agreement which is being developed.
Academies: Manpower
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect on the ability of staff transferring to new academy schools in September 2010 to participate in a consultation on that transfer under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations of the holding of such a consultation during the school summer holidays. [9623]
Mr Gibb: Guidance issued to schools recommends that schools have early discussions with their staff and unions when considering conversion to academy status. Whilst there is no set period in law for the duration of a Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) Regulations consultation where the employer is proposing changes before the transfer, the guidance recommends that consultation should be of a suitable length to agree changes with staff. The governing body of a school will be best placed to determine the timing and length of the TUPE consultation. Outstanding schools that have applied for academy status for September 2010 will be aware of their obligations to consult.
Academies: North Tyneside
Mr Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on what date and in what form his Department received notification that St Thomas More Catholic School in North Tyneside wished to register an interest in becoming an academy school. [8653]
Mr Gibb: St Thomas More Roman Catholic High School registered an interest in becoming an academy on 11 June 2010 via the online registration form on the Department for Education website at:
It is important to note that this is a registration of interest for further information and should not be taken to imply that the school has made any decision or commitment to proceed with the process.
Academies: Redundancy
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether new academies will recognise the service of staff in the period before the school obtained academy status for the purposes of calculating redundancy payments. [9103]
Mr Gibb:
Staff who transfer to employment by an academy would be entitled to redundancy payments in respect of service prior to conversion. This is in so far as
their statutory and contractual rights to redundancy payments are transferred under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations.
Academies: Sponsorship
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions his Department has had with the Charity Commission on proposals to make academy schools exempt charities with no public reporting requirements. [9076]
Mr Gibb: The Permanent Secretary and the chief executive of the Charity Commission have discussed proposals to make academies exempt charities and other officials have met or spoken to their Charity Commission counterparts on several occasions.
It is not the case that there will be no public reporting requirements. Academy trusts will be required to publish their annual accounts, annual report, memorandum and articles of association, funding agreement and a list of the names of the governors of the academy trust.
Academies: Warrington
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which schools in Warrington have expressed an interest in academy status. [9069]
Mr Gibb: As of 14 July, five schools in Warrington local authority area have registered their interest in academy status. These schools are:
Cherry Tree Primary School
Great Sankey High School
Lysander Community High School
Westbrook Old Hall Community Primary School
Winwick Church of England Primary School.
Academies: West Midlands
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Coventry South constituency have expressed an interest in becoming academy schools. [8163]
Mr Gibb: As of 8 July 2010, 182 schools in the West Midlands have expressed an interest in becoming Academies, of which four are in the Coventry South constituency.
Bedfordshire and Luton Education Business Partnership: Finance
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding his Department has provided for the Bedfordshire and Luton Education Business Partnership (BLEBP) in each financial year since the partnership was established; for what purposes such funding has been provided; and what assessment he has made of BLEBP's effectiveness in fulfilling such purposes. [8791]
Sarah Teather
[holding answer 15 July 2010]: The Department has provided funding via the former Learning and Skills Council, and now via the Young People's Learning Agency, to local authorities to commission
and fund education business partnership services (EBPs). The Department does not provide funding direct to EBPs for this purpose. The funding is to help in the effective delivery of statutory work-related learning at Key Stage 4, specifically to provide, among other things, work placements for young people and recruiting employers for this activity, and carrying out other services for schools, for example, risk assessments and Criminal Records Bureau checks.
Information on the funding made available to the Bedfordshire and Luton Education Business Partnership (BLEBP) in each financial year is not available centrally. BLEBP is currently registered for the Award for Education Business Excellence, the nationally recognised quality standard, but has yet to be formally assessed and accredited.
Building Schools for the Future Programme
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) pursuant to the oral statement of 7 July 2010, Official Report, columns 484-85, on schools funding, for what reason the location of Broadoak school was given as Eltham constituency in the list provided to the House; and if he will make a statement; [8446]
(2) pursuant to the oral statement of 5 July 2010, Official Report, columns 47-50, on education funding, what estimate he has made of the contribution of the reduction in funding to the Building Schools for the Future programme to the reduction of the Government's structural deficit; and if he will make a statement; [8447]
(3) what estimate he has made of the funding required for essential repairs to school buildings in locations where Building Schools for the Future programmes will not proceed; what contingency funding has been allocated for such repairs; and if he will make a statement; [8448]
(4) what criteria he applied to determine the Building Schools for the Future projects which were not to proceed; what account he took of (a) formal commitments made and (b) time spent by school authorities and pupils in preparing bids under the programme in making his determinations; and if he will make a statement. [8449]
Mr Gibb: On 5 July, the Department announced that Building Schools for the Future (BSF) projects that have reached financial close will continue, together with repeat projects which have outline business case (OBC) approval prior to 1 January 2010. Sample schemes in projects that have reached close of dialogue are under further consideration. All projects that have not reached close of dialogue will stop with immediate effect.
Broadoak school was incorrectly placed in the constituency of Eltham in the previously published list of projects. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education has already apologised unreservedly for the errors and has taken full responsibility for them.
The value of the schemes that have been stopped is £7.5 billion. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer made clear in his Budget statement that we would honour the overall public capital investment plans put in place by the previous Government. However, we are clear that the whole way in which we build schools needs radical reform.
We have therefore commissioned, in the context of the Government's fiscal consolidation plans and emerging policy, a comprehensive independent review of the Department's existing capital expenditure which will make recommendations on the future delivery models for capital investment. The review team will report at the end of the year. Its interim report will guide future spending decisions over the next spending review period. It will also look at how best to meet parental demand; make current design and procurement cost-effective and efficient; and consider how capital is allocated and targeted.
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will ensure that Joseph Leckie school in Walsall South constituency continues to participate in the Building Schools for the Future programme; and if he will make a statement. [6549]
Mr Gibb: The Department has announced that BSF projects that have reached financial close will continue, together with repeat projects which have outline business case approval prior to 1 January 2010. Sample schemes in projects that have reached close of dialogue are under further consideration. All projects that have not reached close of dialogue will stop with immediate effect. BSF plans for Joseph Leckie school have been stopped.
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to inform Joseph Leckie school in Walsall South constituency of the decision on funding to be allocated to the school under the Building Schools for the Future programme; and if he will make a statement. [6550]
Mr Gibb: The Department has announced that BSF projects that have reached financial close will continue, together with repeat projects which have outline business case approval prior to 1 January 2010. Sample schemes in projects that have reached close of dialogue are under further consideration. All projects that have not reached close of dialogue will stop with immediate effect. BSF plans for Joseph Leckie school have been stopped.
Mary Macleod: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will issue guidance to schools which bid for funding under the Building Schools for the Future scheme on the ending of that scheme. [8142]
Mr Gibb: There are no plans for the Department to issue guidance to schools which bid for funding under the Building Schools for the Future scheme on the ending of that scheme for schools that have not reached a particular stage of the programme.
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools whose Building Schools for the Future scheme projects were classified as unaffected are already under construction. [8198]
Mr Gibb:
Approximately one third of unaffected schools have reached financial close for construction work and are not yet open. In normal circumstances, a building contractor begins work on site within a fortnight
of financial close. In some cases, the building contractor commences work on site at risk prior to financial close.
BSF projects that have reached financial close will continue, together with repeat projects which have OBC approval prior to January 2010. Sample schemes in projects that have reached close of dialogue are under further consideration. All projects that have not reached close of dialogue will stop with immediate effect. The implications for projects in Sunderland local authority are as follows:
| Status | |
The effects of ending the BSF programme on the construction industry were considered by the Secretary of State in coming to his decision.
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if he will ensure that projects already announced under the Primary School Capital programme continue as planned; [8561]
(2) whether he plans to announce further projects under the Primary School Capital programme. [8562]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 15 July 2010]: Funding allocations to support local delivery of the Primary Capital programme have already been confirmed for the current financial year. Decisions about the specific projects that will benefit from this funding are matters for the relevant authority.
In the context of the Government's fiscal consolidation plans and emerging policy, we have commissioned a comprehensive independent review of all of the Department's existing capital expenditure to inform decisions about future delivery models for capital investment. This will include future investment in primary schools. The review team will report at the end of the year. Its report will guide future spending decisions over the next Spending Review period (2011-12 to 2014-15). It will also look at how best to meet parental demand; provide new primary places in areas of population growth; and secure the best possible value for money in terms of design and procurement.
Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what criteria will be adopted by the capital review team in assessing projects; and what consultations that team will undertake. [8712]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 15 July 2010]: The terms of reference for the review of capital programmes, announced by the Secretary of State on 5 July, can be found on the Department for Education's website:
Partnerships for Schools will lead on the review of sample projects, also announced on 5 July by the Secretary of State. Criteria for the review, including any plans for consultation, will be released shortly.
David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on what date his Department received notification of the intention of (a) Penketh high school and (b) Sir Thomas Botelar school to apply to join the Building Schools for the Future programme. [8752]
Mr Gibb: Partnerships for Schools (PfS) is the body with responsibility for managing applications from local authorities for entry to the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.
Warrington local authority submitted an Expression of Interest to join BSF in November 2008. The Expression of Interest listed Penketh high school and Sir Thomas Botelar school as projects that the local authority proposed for capital investment. The local authority submitted a Readiness to Deliver application to join BSF in May 2009 and Penketh high school and Sir Thomas Botelar school were included in the projects proposed for capital investment. The local authority was not invited to join the BSF programme following that application.
In September 2009 the local authority submitted a second Readiness to Deliver application and again highlighted Penketh high and Thomas Boletar schools for BSF programme in November 2009.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what criteria he plans to use to make his decision on Building Schools for the Future funding for proposed developments at sample schools; [8890]
(2) what mechanisms he plans to use in making his decision on Building Schools for the Future funding for proposed developments at sample schools; [8891]
(3) when he expects to announce his decision on Building Schools for the Future funding for proposed developments at sample schools. [8892]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 15 July 2010]: The Secretary of State has announced his intention to determine as soon as possible which sample projects should proceed (with or without modification). His decisions will be based upon advice from officials, which in turn will be based upon discussions between Partnerships for Schools and the local authorities and schools concerned. The Secretary of State will take a range of factors into account in making his decisions.
Ed Balls:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the oral statement of 5 July 2010, Official Report, columns 47-57, on education funding, what
advice he received on whether to hold a consultation before publishing the list of Building Schools for the Future projects to be cancelled. [10662]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 22 July 2010]: The Secretary of State took into account advice and information from a range of sources in coming to his decision on the Building Schools for the Future programme. As was the case with the previous Government, information relating to internal discussion and advice is not normally disclosed.
Ed Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when Partnership for Schools was informed of his decision to end projects under the Building Schools for the Future programme. [10664]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 22 July 2010]: The Secretary of State worked closely with Partnerships for Schools in coming to his decision on the Building Schools for the Future programme. As was the case with the previous Government, information relating to internal discussion and advice is not normally disclosed.
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