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28 Oct 2010 : Column 476W—continued
Ed Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what arrangements exist for academy schools to borrow against future income for the purposes of (a) expansion, (b) investment in facilities, (c) urgent repairs and (d) any other purpose; and whether these have changed since 12 May 2010. [15686]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 16 September 2010]: The ability of an academy to borrow for any purpose is defined by its individual funding agreement. The current model funding agreement provides that an academy may not borrow against funds or other assets provided by the Secretary of State without his permission, and that such permission will be given only in limited circumstances. This has not changed since 12 May 2010.
Such permission has been given for the transfer to academy trusts of existing loans made by local authorities to some "outstanding" maintained schools which have converted under the Academies Act 2010.
Academies: Greater London
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding was received from all Government sources by (a) the Harris Academy at Peckham, (b) the Harris Girls' Academy, East Dulwich, (c) the Harris Boys' Academy, East Dulwich, (d) the Walworth Academy and (e) St Michael and All Angels Academy in each financial year since they became academies. [14160]
Mr Gibb: Payments made to these academies for capital and revenue purposes up to and including 2009-10 are shown in the following table. The payments include those made for feasibility and implementation purposes prior to opening. The capital payments for Walworth and St Michael and All Angels academies include payments made through Partnerships for Schools (PfS) to the local authority for the construction of the academies.
| Financial year | Capital | Revenue | |
Building Schools for the Future Programme
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which local authorities he has met to discuss the cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future programme. [11866]
Mr Gibb: On 5 July the Secretary of State announced a review of all areas of DfE capital spending. Its purpose is to ensure that future capital investment represents good value for money and strongly supports the Government's ambitions to reduce the deficit, raise standards and tackle disadvantage. While he announced that the Building Schools for the Future programme is ending, this does not mean the end of capital investment by this Department.
To date the Secretary of State has had meetings with Coventry, Bedford borough, Brent and Sandwell local authorities to discuss the cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future programme.
Departmental Responsibilities
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the remit is of the Children's Rights and Participation team in the Health and Well-being Division of his Department; and how many staff were employed in that division in the last 12 months. [17434]
Sarah Teather: The Children's Rights and Participation team currently consist of three full-time and one part-time staff. Its current remit is to promote and support the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in England through Government policy, and to coordinate UK-wide reports on progress to the UN Committee. It oversees activity to support the involvement of children and young people in decision-making centrally and locally, and is the policy sponsor for the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England.
Free Schools
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many of the 16 schools that have been accepted for free school status previously had grant-maintained status. [14581]
Mr Gibb: 16 proposals for free schools have been approved for progression to the business case and plan stage. Of these, none are schools that previously had grant-maintained status.
Members: Correspondence
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for St Albans of 21 June 2010, on the Abbey View Nursery. [20047]
Sarah Teather: A response has been sent to the hon. Member's letter on 28 October 2010.
Schools: Buildings
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps have been taken to implement the proposals announced in the written ministerial statement of 16 October 2009, Official Report, columns 41-2WS, on auditory standards for school buildings; and if he will make a statement. [14677]
Mr Gibb: In April this year, the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Communities and Local Government jointly wrote to every Building Control Body in England and Wales, reminding them of the importance of Requirement E4 of the Building Regulations 2000 which covers acoustic standards in schools. The letter advised Building Control Bodies to ask to see the results of any acoustic testing that has been carried out to assess compliance with Requirement E4.
Exeter University Energy and Environment Centre were appointed in December 2009 to evaluate the acoustic environment of six schools and the results of this work will inform any future guidance on acoustics.
An acoustic consultant has been appointed to work on the Space for Personalised Learning pilot projects. Findings will be published on the Spaces for Personalised Learning website:
The Secretary of State for Education launched a review of all schools capital investment on 5 July. The review will look at reform of the requirements on schools including the School Premises Regulations and design requirements. Decisions about future guidance and standards for school buildings are subject to the outcome of this review.
Schools: Repairs and Maintenance
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools were (a) rebuilt and (b) refurbished between 1997 and May 2010. [14028]
Mr Gibb: Information provided by local authorities in England in the 2007 and 2009 School Building Surveys indicate that since 1997-98 there were:
2,164-new or replacement schools
844-school refurbishments of more than 80% of the floor area
2,004-school refurbishments of between 50 to 80% of the floor area.
These figures include projects that were planned to be completed by 21 August 2011. Information is not readily available on school refurbishments of less than 50% of the floor area and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. It should be noted that detailed checks on the quality and completeness of the information provided by local authorities in the surveys have not been carried out.
Special Educational Needs
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he plans to take in response to the recommendations of Ofsted's report on special educational needs. [R] [19415]
Sarah Teather [holding answer 25 October 2010]: The Government aim to publish a Green Paper on special educational needs and disability later this year. Ofsted's report and the issues that it highlights will be taken into consideration as the Department develops the Green Paper.
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for the future of the statementing process for children with special educational needs. [R] [19416]
Sarah Teather [holding answer 25 October 2010]: The Government have made it clear that they want to make the special educational needs system, including the statementing process, less adversarial and bureaucratic and for it to provide a more comprehensive service for families. A Green Paper on special educational needs and disability, which we aim to publish later this year, will set out the Government's vision for the future of special educational needs.
Teachers Pensions
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has made a recent estimate of the proportion of pensioners in receipt of a pension from the Teachers' Pension Scheme of more than £50,000 who worked in a school not funded wholly or in part from the public purse immediately before retirement. [18556]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 21 October 2010]: There are currently 91 pensioners whose employment immediately prior to their retirement was in an independent school and who are in receipt of a pension in excess of £50,000 a year from the Teachers' Pension Scheme.
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools not in receipt of funding from his Department have members who make contributions to the Teachers' Pension Scheme. [18559]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 21 October 2010]: Membership of the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) is automatically available to teachers in maintained schools, FE establishments, post-1992 universities, free schools and academies. Independent schools can apply for admission to the TPS in respect of their teaching staff. Currently 1,488 independent schools have teachers who are members of the TPS.
Teachers: Armed Forces
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many former service personnel have (a) applied for and (b) been enrolled in the Troops for Teachers programme since its inception; and if he will make a statement. [14700]
Mr Gibb: The Troops to Teachers programme is currently being developed in line with the coalition document's commitment, and we are currently looking at ways in which a wide range of former service personnel can become involved in teaching and with schools. We hope to launch the programme next year.
In the interim, ex-service personnel interested in becoming teachers will continue to be supported by the Transition to Teaching programme and may follow any of the available routes into teaching.
Teachers: Qualifications
Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department's guidance to schools regarding the use of unqualified teaching staff covering teacher absences; and if he will make a statement. [13567]
Mr Gibb: Head teachers are responsible for deploying and managing teaching and support staff of the school and allocating particular duties to them in a manner consistent with their conditions of employment and the needs of the school. The Training and Development Agency for schools has issued a range of guidance to schools on best practice in employing and deploying teaching assistance. This can be found at:
Teachers: Science and Mathematics
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to increase the number of science and mathematics graduates entering the teaching profession. [13233]
Mr Gibb: The Government accept that there is a continuing need to increase the number of teachers in these subjects and it is our intention to attract more top science and mathematics graduates into the profession in England. We are therefore reviewing the routes into teaching and the incentives offered to well qualified people who want to teach science and mathematics. We have already announced plans to double the number of participants in the successful Teach First scheme so that more schools may benefit from the talents of some of the country's best graduates. Three quarters of Teach First participants teach the most demanding shortage subjects, including mathematics and science.
Young People: Liverpool
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he plans to take to support partnership working to raise the attainment of young people in Liverpool Wavertree constituency. [13753]
Mr Gibb: A key principle of this Government is to trust professionals and empower head teachers and their leadership teams to make decisions about the future direction of their schools. We also believe that a local approach is needed to develop partnerships and leadership to meet the needs of all children and young people in the area.
Our immediate priority has been to introduce legislation to allow all maintained schools to benefit from the freedoms and flexibilities of Academy status, as part of a permissive and mixed economy of school provision. The Academies Act 2010 allows more schools to benefit from Academy freedoms to help them innovate and raise standards.
We expect any outstanding schools that convert to Academy status to work in partnership to support other schools, with a direct focus on school improvement and the raising of standards.
A 14-19 Partnership is already in existence in Liverpool to help raise the attainment of young people in the area, including those in Liverpool Wavertree. This partnership is well placed to ensure a coherent strategy to meet local needs.
Justice
Coroners and Justice Act 2009
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to implement the provisions of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. [19695]
Mr Djanogly: In my written statement of 14 October 2010, columns 37-38WS, I set out that I would commence provisions in Part 1 (Coroners) of the Act which would enable operational problems facing coroners to be tackled. This will include making it simpler to transfer cases from one coroner to another, and removing rigid boundary restrictions on where post-mortem examinations may be carried out. The aim is to implement these provisions by April 2012 at the latest. I also set out that provisions requiring the appointment of a chief coroner would either not be implemented or that certain key functions may be transferred to another body. These key functions might include oversight of training for coroners and their staff, and direction that responsibility for a case is transferred either to a judge or to another coroner. The timescale for this transfer of functions will depend on parliamentary progress of both the Public Bodies Bill, under which the office of chief coroner will be abolished, and the subsequent affirmative order which will set out to which body or bodies the chief coroner's powers are to be transferred. It is likely therefore that it will take longer than April 2012 to implement these provisions.
Drugs: Rehabilitation
Mrs Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of offenders issued with a (a) Drug Treatment and Testing Order and (b) Drug Rehabilitation Requirement in each of the last three years completed that order, having complied with its terms. [19707]
Mr Blunt: 43% of DTTOs and DRRs which terminated in 2007-08 were completed successfully. In 2008-09 the rate was 47%. Outturns for 2009-10 will be published in the coming weeks.
Homicide
John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in England and Wales were convicted of murder between (a) 1980 and 1984, (b) 1985 and 1994 and (c) 1995 and 2005. [18290]
Mr Blunt: Persons found guilty at all courts for murder in England and Wales from 1980 to 2005 are shown in the following table.
| Defendants found guilty at all courts for murder( 1) , England and Wales, 1980 to 2005( 2,3) | |
| Found guilty | |
| (1) Includes offences under Common Law and Offences Against the Person Act 1861, Sections 1, 9 and 10. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services within the Ministry of Justice. | |
Judges: Public Appointments
Mr Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mechanisms are in place to ensure transparency in respect of judicial appointments; what lists are maintained of judicial candidates; what steps are taken to inform applicants of their position on those lists; and on what criteria applications for judicial posts are determined. [20008]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: Recommendations for judicial appointments are made to me (as Lord Chancellor) by the independent Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) for England and Wales. The JAC selects candidates for judicial office on merit, through fair and open competition, from the widest range of eligible candidates. The JAC selects candidates either for immediate appointment, or when requested to do so by the Ministry of Justice under section 94 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (CRA), for future vacancies. All selection exercises are publicly advertised.
The JAC maintains a database of candidate applications. These are used for the administration of the selection process, quality assurance and statistical and research purposes. If the JAC receives a request under section 94 of the CRA to select candidates for future vacancies, it maintains a record of such candidates.
No steps are taken to inform applicants of their position. Where candidates are considered for a vacancy request made under section 94 of the CRA they are informed if they are considered to be selectable. When a specific vacancy arises the JAC considers those people who were previously considered suitable for appointment and makes a recommendation on merit.
Most judicial posts require that a candidate has a statutory qualification to be eligible to apply. The JAC selects candidates solely on merit and only people of good character and assesses merit against a set of qualities and abilities, available on their website at:
Legal Aid: Mental Health
Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effects on the operation of Mental Health Act Tribunals of implementation of proposed changes to his Department's budget for legal aid for 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [20209]
Mr Djanogly: Following the recent tender for new contracts to be introduced on 15 November, the Legal Services Commission (LSC) will be allocating approximately 1,500 more new matter starts (the phrase the LSC to describe new cases started) in mental health in the 2010-11 contract year than were allocated in 2009-10. The mental health contract tenders were carried out on a non-competitive basis, and the number of applicants who have been provisionally offered a contract closely matches the number of existing providers. The LSC is confident that the overall provision of mental health services will remain good.
On 23 June 2010 the Justice Secretary announced, via written ministerial statement, that the Government are undertaking a fundamental policy assessment of legal aid in England and Wales. The Government intend to seek views on proposals later this autumn. Impact assessments will be published in the usual way.
Magistrates Courts: Nottinghamshire
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many criminal cases at (a) Worksop and (b) Retford magistrates court involved defendants living in post code areas (a) DN22, (b) DN10, (c) DN1 and (d) S81 in 2009. [20210]
Mr Djanogly: In 2009 there were 4,800 criminal proceedings completed at magistrates courts in the Worksop and Retford local justice area (LJA). Worksop and Retford are the only two magistrates courts in this LJA; however, centrally collected information does not allow the separate identification of those proceedings completed at Worksop and Retford magistrates courts specifically.
Information on the addresses of defendants in magistrates court cases began being recorded on central administrative systems in 2009. Officials are currently analysing the quality and completeness of the information held and I will write to the hon. Member in due course with the results of this investigation.
Offenders: Incentives and Earned Privilege Scheme
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many offenders in each prison establishment were subject to loss of privileges under the PSO 4000 Incentives and Earned Privilege Scheme following adjudication in the last 12 months; [20278]
(2) how many offenders in each prison establishment were adjudged guilty at adjudication of breach of prison discipline in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [20279]
Mr Blunt: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) records the total number of findings of guilt against prisoners at internal disciplinary hearings (adjudications) where punishments of forfeiture of privileges were imposed. Figures are not held centrally by individual establishment. In 2009 (the latest figures available) this punishment was imposed on 84,735 occasions. Some prisoners may have been punished more than once.
In some cases a disciplinary offence, or a pattern of misbehaviour by a prisoner, will lead to a review of the prisoner's privilege level, but this is an administrative procedure separate from adjudications.
The total number of proven disciplinary offences in 2009 was 104,745. NOMS does not have data for how many offenders committed these offences each month.
Data on disciplinary offences and punishments in prisons are available in the Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2009, on the Ministry of Justice website at:
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders in each prison establishment were on the basic level of the Incentives and Earned Privilege Scheme (a) on the last date for which details are available and (b) 12 months previously. [20291]
Mr Blunt: The latest figures that are available for prisoners on the basic level of the Incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme are for the end of September 2010, and are as follows:
| Prison | September 2010 | September 2009 |
| (1) Joint total for both open and closed sites | ||
Offenders: Rehabilitation
Mrs Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress has been made on the payment by results policy for the rehabilitation of offenders. [19702]
Mr Blunt: The Government are committed to introducing payment by results as part of a new approach to offender rehabilitation. We plan to commission providers to work with offenders to reduce reoffending, paid for by the subsequent savings generated in the criminal justice system.
Officials in the Ministry of Justice are developing proposals for the introduction of payment by results approaches. The outcome of this work will be published for consultation in the forthcoming Green Paper on offender rehabilitation.
Offenders: Women
Mrs Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on the needs of women offenders. [19706]
Mr Blunt: I have recently had discussions with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for equalities on the needs of women offenders. The Government are committed to diverting women away from crime and tackling women's offending. We are taking forward an approach to provide effective alternatives to remands for the courts with new women's enhanced bail provision and effective community sentences using the expertise of voluntary sector through women's community projects. The aim is to meet the distinct and complex needs of women which are linked to their offending.
Prisoners: Sentencing
Mrs Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what training is available to prisoners serving sentences of one year or less. [19703]
Mr Blunt:
Prisoner learning and skills is provided by a range of further education colleges and organisations
under contract to the Skills Funding Agency through the Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS). OLASS includes career information and advice services which assesses prisoners initial learning needs to assist their employment aspirations.
The Qualifications and Credits Framework (QCF) is currently being rolled out across the prison estate and is in line with mainstream education provision. This provides prisoners with flexible routes to gaining full qualifications and enables progression in small steps through the accumulation of credits, one credit being equal to a notional 10 hours of study.
This mode of study is most appropriate for prisoners serving sentences of one year or less who can continue and complete their training in the community. Training opportunities will vary depending on the curriculum on offer in different prisons. Prisoner learning and skills is being reviewed.
Prisons: Reform
Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress he has made on his plans to reform prisons; and if he will make a statement. [19737]
Mr Blunt: The Government believe that prison is the right place for the most serious, dangerous and persistent offenders. We will always provide enough prison places for those whom the courts judge should receive a custodial sentence. But we are committed to a new approach to rehabilitation, involving voluntary and private sector partners alongside prison and probation resources. We will publish a Green Paper later this year, setting out our plans to reform sentencing and rehabilitation policy, and we will review our prison capacity strategy in the light of responses to our proposals.
Reoffenders
Mrs Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent factors he has identified as contributing to a reduction in re-offending rates. [19704]
Mr Blunt: This Government are committed to improving rehabilitation outcomes from those leaving prisons or on community sentences. The Ministry of Justice is releasing a compendium of reoffending statistics on 4 November 2010. This covers a wide range of subjects including factors which influence reoffending.
As part of overhauling the system of rehabilitation to reduce reoffending we are also looking at the sentencing frameworks for adult and young offenders, and the range of penalties available in the criminal justice system. We will take time to get it right and will consult widely before bringing forward specific plans for reform. Our forthcoming Sentencing and Rehabilitation Green Paper will set out our plans in more detail.
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