---

30 Nov 2010 : Column 718W—continued

Appointments made to each grade in the contracted prison estate between 1 March 2010 and 30 June 2010
Grade	Total
OSG	28
Prison Custody Officer	57
Admin	18
Healthcare	15
Non Operational Manager	3
Operational Manager	3
Psychology	2
Industrial	0
Non-Industrial	4
Education	1
Other	37
Total	137

30 Nov 2010 : Column 719W

Prisons: Training

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many unfilled places there were on each training course for new prison officer grades since their introduction; and if he will make a statement. [26785]

Mr Blunt: Since 1 October 2009, when Prison Officer 2 recruitment was introduced, there have been 96 unfilled training places. This figure includes those who were offered a training place but, subsequently, decided not to take up their offer of employment. 50 Prison Officer Entry Level Training (POELT) courses have delivered 901 training places against 997 scheduled places.

Squatting

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what timetable he has set for bringing forward his proposals to reduce the incidence of squatting. [27237]

Mr Blunt: As I said in my previous answer to the hon. Member we are reviewing the options for strengthening the law in relation to squatting and the way in which it is enforced. We hope to conclude this work early next year.

Tribunals: Housing

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will consider the introduction of specialist housing tribunals in cases of the repossession of homes by landlords. [26954]

Mr Djanogly: There are currently no plans to transfer specific housing matters from the county courts to tribunals.

Young Offenders

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) children and young people under the age of 18 years and (b) looked-after children and young people under the age of 18 years were released from custody in each local authority area in England and Wales in each of the last five years. [26922]

Mr Blunt: The following table shows the number of custodial episodes ended for children and young people under the age of 18 years by the youth offending team they were attached to in each of the last five years where data are available.

The majority of youth offending teams are coterminous with local authorities in England and Wales; however there are some exceptions where a single YOT covers two or more local authorities. During 2008-09, there were 157 YOTs; 139 in England and 18 in Wales.

Accurate data on the number of looked-after children are not collected centrally by the Youth Justice Board.

30 Nov 2010 : Column 720W

30 Nov 2010 : Column 721W

30 Nov 2010 : Column 722W

	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Barking and Dagenham	76	82	94	82	64
Barnet	67	38	59	71	60
Barnsley	63	46	43	48	41
Bath and North East Somerset	28	26	20	27	19
Bedfordshire	63	73	56	64	60
Bexley	21	35	47	33	24
Birmingham	567	498	497	405	375
Blackburn with Darwen	48	34	33	32	41
Blackpool	50	33	45	69	61
Blaenau, Gwent and Caerphilly	44	39	62	32	39
Bolton	80	91	74	85	87
Bournemouth and Poole	48	61	33	18	17
Bracknell Forest	7	11	14	19	25
Bradford	104	125	135	142	125
Brent	69	92	64	95	126
Bridgend	33	31	26	34	27
Brighton and Hove	29	23	36	59	47
Bristol	81	75	101	134	124
Bromley	23	28	46	43	40
Buckinghamshire	33	18	31	15	26
Bury	27	30	40	39	39
Calderdale	57	54	53	53	60
Cambridgeshire	38	51	45	40	55
Camden	28	43	49	54	46
Cardiff	156	127	116	123	73
Carmarthenshire	25	26	38	37	31
Ceredigion	-	2	19	17	4
Cheshire	97	113	111	140	90
Conwy and Denbighshire	34	49	39	48	41
Cornwall	14	43	45	34	37
Coventry	116	115	117	74	78
Croydon	77	89	110	102	116
Cumbria	100	85	101	121	108
Darlington	30	26	24	31	26
Derby	80	94	89	84	120
Derbyshire	94	112	116	106	98
Devon	43	54	51	43	37
Doncaster	73	86	72	74	59
Dorset	17	20	12	15	8
Dudley	83	63	43	50	55
Durham	69	76	62	71	83
Ealing	39	49	89	115	112
East Riding of Yorkshire	20	19	28	37	29
East Sussex	41	64	61	46	42
Enfield	49	76	111	82	75
Essex	171	169	195	174	150
Flintshire	51	55	63	27	23
Gateshead	35	32	41	41	45
Gloucestershire	64	92	91	53	62
Greenwich	62	79	67	56	99
Gwynedd Mon	44	41	35	30	26
Hackney	89	82	113	121	119
Halton and Warrington	35	55	55	58	63
Hammersmith and Fulham	39	59	55	70	47
Haringey	104	82	87	104	85
Harrow	15	31	40	31	19
Hartlepool	11	10	28	30	26
Havering	13	19	43	45	41
Hertfordshire	112	124	115	92	93
Hillingdon	57	44	61	46	65
Hounslow	53	48	48	51	57
Islington	55	61	73	96	86
Kensington and Chelsea	29	20	30	39	32
Kent	162	158	192	196	181
Kingston-upon-Hull	126	138	145	138	118
Kingston-upon-Thames	7	12	15	26	20
Kirklees	119	120	138	105	81
Knowsley	49	35	39	32	39
Lambeth	103	137	145	144	152
Lancashire	188	227	240	236	204
Leeds	351	287	321	290	267
Leicester City	120	123	100	101	100
Leicestershire	73	53	73	46	52
Lewisham	87	100	101	82	107
Lincolnshire	75	59	60	75	48
Liverpool	184	204	202	207	212
Luton	53	47	45	49	36
Manchester	350	376	385	362	330
Medway	24	34	29	53	60
Merthyr Tydfil	26	47	30	23	20
Merton	32	39	42	35	48
Milton Keynes	23	35	29	43	36
Miscellaneous	21	11	9	6	6
Monmouthshire and Torfaen	22	16	18	23	9
Neath Port Talbot	19	30	31	30	20
Newcastle-upon-Tyne	75	80	66	62	66
Newham	137	116	133	124	126
Newport	70	75	65	32	35
Norfolk	65	63	52	68	77
North East Lincolnshire	64	64	55	45	58
North Lincolnshire	47	58	52	48	62
North Somerset	13	14	11	10	23
North Tyneside	67	54	54	60	43
North Yorkshire	30	50	58	62	70
Northamptonshire	84	69	86	120	95
Northumberland	45	32	55	59	37
Nottingham	201	218	249	202	185
Nottinghamshire	99	139	108	102	94
Oldham	58	53	108	100	79
Oxfordshire	51	78	73	94	56
Pembrokeshire	1	5	10	8	14
Peterborough	66	67	64	78	70
Plymouth	31	37	42	67	44
Powys	10	13	9	9	4
Reading	34	39	51	40	42
Redbridge	44	67	91	75	59
Rhondda Cynon Taff	65	58	40	33	46
Richmond-upon-Thames	20	21	10	10	11
Rochdale	81	83	61	75	85
Rotherham	50	52	45	39	57
Salford	145	130	108	115	94
Sandwell	150	135	118	87	74
Sefton	19	43	62	52	53
Sheffield	119	111	151	132	143
Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin	32	38	41	32	58
Slough	23	17	21	32	24
Solihull	21	23	32	24	25
Somerset	35	40	43	38	35
South Gloucestershire	10	17	12	13	19
South Tees	70	72	96	69	93
South Tyneside	67	25	39	31	27
Southend-on-Sea	25	28	55	37	38
Southwark	107	110	110	102	158
St Helens	23	30	25	20	38
Staffordshire	78	96	80	63	79
Stockport	61	58	69	63	43
Stockton-on-Tees	21	18	26	22	26
Stoke-on-Trent	65	79	92	63	60
Suffolk	99	99	102	104	113
Sunderland	77	70	56	68	44
Surrey	60	71	71	64	42
Sutton	32	49	29	15	23
Swansea	63	56	64	33	39
Swindon	28	26	27	20	20
Tameside	62	75	101	70	62
Thurrock	46	28	44	37	32
Torbay	9	9	17	26	14
Tower Hamlets and City of London	37	69	83	69	73
Trafford	88	113	94	78	80
Vale of Glamorgan	14	16	12	18	23
Wakefield	73	68	52	63	51
Walsall	78	11	74	53	64
Waltham Forest	77	65	66	72	83
Wandsworth	59	73	83	114	93
Warwickshire	34	49	66	54	43
Wessex	372	354	413	451	420
West Berkshire	7	10	20	19	16
West Sussex	83	125	94	103	77
Westminster	40	30	38	32	43
Wigan	67	60	59	63	70
Wiltshire	29	30	20	19	23
Windsor and Maidenhead	12	8	6	6	5
Wirral	73	61	61	79	45
Wokingham	-	-	2	7	18
Wolverhampton	83	67	56	48	62
Worcestershire and Herefordshire	120	128	89	85	84
Wrexham	-	-	15	51	46
York	42	58	45	41	45
Total	10,637	11,035	11,573	11,188	10,712
Notes: 1. Please note Flintshire and Wrexham YOT split into two YOTs in 2001, though have been recorded as the combined YOT up to 2007. This problem has been corrected for 2008. 2. Mid Wales YOT split into two YOTs in 2005 to become Powys YOT and Ceredigion YOT in 2005, though were recorded as the combined YOT in 2006. This problem has been corrected from 2007. 3. Reading and Wokingham YOT split into separate YOTs in 2007. Though data appears in 2007, this is due to the fact that the split did not happen until April 2007. 4. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of those under the age of 18 years serving a Detention and Training Order in each (a) young offender institution and (b) secure training centre in England and Wales were registered as of no fixed abode on release from custody in each of the last five years. [26923]

Mr Blunt: The YJB does not hold accurate data on the number of young people registered as of no fixed abode on release from custody.

Local authorities have statutory responsibilities to accommodate young people in need of suitable accommodation through the Children Act 1989, the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 and housing legislation.

30 Nov 2010 : Column 723W

Education

Adoption

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for the future of (a) legislation and (b) guidelines on contested adoption cases. [26121]

Tim Loughton: The law and the statutory guidance on adoption make clear that children cannot be adopted without their parents' consent unless the court is satisfied that the welfare of the child requires their consent to be dispensed with. We have no plans to change the position in this regard.

Children in Care

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children became subject to a care order, police protection order or emergency protection order in England in each year from 1989 to 2007. [25206]

Tim Loughton: The number of children who became subject to a care order, police protection order or emergency protection order for years ending 31 March 1993 to 2007 is shown in the following table. Information for the year ending 31 March 1992 is affected by the introduction of the Children Act on 14 October 1991 when a new system of legal statuses was introduced, so it is not possible to extract a full year's data. Information prior to 1992 is not available.

Children who became subject to a care order, police protection order or emergency protection order: Years ending 31 March 1993 to 2007: Coverage: England
	Total
1993(1)	4,000
1994(1)	5,100
1995(1)	5,600
1996(1)	5,800
1997(1)	6,100
1998(2)	7,100
1999(2)	7,100
2000(2)	7,700
2001(2)	7,000
2002(2)	7,400
2003(2)	8,100
2004(1)	7,600
2005(1)	7,800
2006(1)	7,700
2007(1)	7,700
(1) Figures are taken from the SSDA903 return which covered all children looked after. (2) Figures are derived from the SSDA903 one-third sample survey. Notes: 1. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1000, and to the nearest 10, otherwise. 2. The figures exclude children who became looked after under a child assessment order, so may differ from the figures for children who were taken into care. 3. Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials. 4. Only the first occasion on which a child became subject to a care order, police protection order or emergency protection order, in the year has been counted. Source: SSDA 903

30 Nov 2010 : Column 724W

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children subject to a care order, police protection order or emergency protection order or placed for adoption excluding children looked after under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989 left care through adoption in England in each year from 1996 to 2010. [25208]

Tim Loughton: The number of children who were subject to a care order, police protection order or emergency protection order or placed for adoption excluding children looked after under section 20 of the Children Act 1989, who left care through adoption in England in each year ending 31 March 1996 to 2010 is shown in the following table.

Children who were adopted during the year ending 31 March who were subject to a care order, police protection order or emergency protection order or who were placed for adoption( 1, 2, 3) - y ears ending 31 March 1996 to 2010
	Number of children
1996(4)	1,400
1997(4)	1,400
1998(5)	1,700
1999(5)	1,500
2000(5)	2,100
2001(5)	2,600
2002(5)	3,100
2003(5)	3,300
2004(4)	3,400
2005(4)	3,400
2006(4)	3,400
2007(4)	3,100
2008(4)	2,900
2009(4)	3,100
2010(4)	3,000
(1) Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000, and to the nearest 10, otherwise. (2) Figures exclude children looked after under section 20 of the Children Act 1989 and also under an agreed series of short-term placements. (3) Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials. (4) Figures are taken from the SSDA903 return which covered all children looked after. (5) Figures are derived from the SSDA903 one third sample survey. Source: SSDA903

Departmental Fines

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many transport-related fines his Department has settled on behalf of its staff in each year since 2005; and what the cost to the public purse was in each such year. [13279]

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education's (DFE) travel and subsistence policy clearly states that it is entirely the responsibility of employees to pay any transport-related fines they occur on official business.

There is no evidence held centrally to indicate that the Department has settled any transport-related fines on behalf of its staff since 2005. To provide absolute confirmation of this would incur disproportionate cost.

30 Nov 2010 : Column 725W

Departmental Services: Post Office

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the monetary value was of contracts between his Department and its predecessors and (a) Post Office Ltd and (b) Royal Mail in (i) 1997-98 and (ii) each year since 2004-05. [24918]

Tim Loughton: The Department and its predecessors has no formal contracts with Post Office Ltd or Royal Mail but uses Royal Mail services through local arrangements between Royal Mail distribution depots and our regional headquarter offices for the despatch of letters and parcels.

There is no information available for the years 1997-98 and 2004-05 but since 2005-06 the spend on Royal Mail letter and parcel services has been:

30 Nov 2010 : Column 726W

	£
2005-06	312,250.00
2006-07	275,739.00
2007-08	180,864.00
2008-09	177,705.00
2009-10	110,257.00

Departmental Regulation

Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what regulations sponsored by his Department have been revoked in the last six months. [24379]

Tim Loughton: In the period 12 May 2010 to 12 November 2010 the Department for Education has revoked a number of regulatory statutory instruments or significant parts of statutory instruments. These are detailed in the following table. However, as indicated by the third column of the table, in some cases the content of the revoked statutory instrument has been largely replaced.

Regulations revoked	Revoking instrument	Comments
The Children (Leaving Care) (England) Regulations 2001	The Care Leavers (England) Regulations 2010	Revoked but replaced. Coming into force 1 April 2011
The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003 (as amended)	The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010	Revoked but replaced
The Education (Prescribed Public Examinations) Regulations 1989	The Education (Prescribed Public Examinations) (England) Regulations 2010	Revoked so far as they applied to maintained schools in England, but replaced. Coming into force 1 January 2011
The National Care Standards Commission (Registration) Regulations 2001	The Care Standards Act 2000 (Registration) (England) Regulations 2010	Revoked but replaced
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Appropriate Officer and Schedule 7 Prescribed Persons) Regulations 2010	The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Appropriate Officer and Schedule 7 Prescribed Persons) (Revocation) Regulations 2010	-
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Supervisory Authorities and Devolution Alignment) Order 2010	The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Supervisory Authorities and Devolution Alignment) Order 2010	The devolution alignment aspect of the order was revoked
The Education (School Teachers' Pay and Conditions) Order 2009	The School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Order 2010	Revoked but replaced
The Education (Pupil Referral Units) (Application of Enactments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2010	The Education (Pupil Referral Units) (Application of Enactments) (England) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2010	-
The School Information (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2010	The School Information (England) (Amendment) (Revocation) Regulations 2010	-
The School Governance (Transition from an Interim Executive Board) (England) Regulations 2004	The School Governance (Transition from an Interim Executive Board) (England) Regulations 2010	Revoked but replaced
The Children's Trust Board (Children and Young People's Plan) (England) Regulations 2010	The Children's Trust Board (Children and Young People's Plan) (England) (Revocation) Regulations 2010	-

Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what new regulations sponsored by his Department have been introduced through (a) primary legislation and (b) statutory instrument in the last six months. [24494]

Tim Loughton: In the period 12 May 2010 to 12 November 2010, one new Act of Parliament (the Academies Act 2010) received Royal Assent. The Department for Education commenced provisions of other Acts of Parliament relating to education, children and families. Nine regulation-making powers contained in primary legislation were commenced during that period. The Department made 11 statutory instruments which contain substantive regulations. Eight of these came into force by 12 November, as follows:

The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010

The Care Standards Act 2000 (Registration) (England) Regulations 2010

The School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Order 2010

The Equality Act (Designation of Institutions with a Religious Ethos) Order 2010

The Academy Conversions (Transfer of School Surpluses) Regulations 2010

The Equality Act 2010 (General Qualifications Bodies) (Appropriate Regulator and Relevant Qualifications) Regulations 2010

The School Governance (Transition from an Interim Executive Board) (England) Regulations 2010

The Special Restrictions on Adoptions from Abroad (Haiti) Order 2010.

30 Nov 2010 : Column 727W

A further three will come into force after 12 November, as follows:

The Care Leavers (England) Regulations 2010

The Education (Prescribed Public Examinations) (England) Regulations 2010

The Education (Publication of Proposals) (Sixth Form College Corporations) (England) Regulations 2010.

Departmental Work Experience

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many unpaid, expenses-only internships there have been in (a) his Department and (b) public bodies which fall within his Department's area of responsibility in the last 12 months. [13810]

Tim Loughton: The Department does not fund any unpaid, expenses-only internships but does make unpaid summer internship placements available to graduates under the Teach First Programme.

The Department does support the Cabinet Office's Summer Internship Programme which pays students participating over a six week period.

Information on the number of unpaid, expenses-only internships for the Department's public bodies is a matter for them. The Department does not hold this information centrally and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information his Department holds for benchmarking purposes on the effectiveness of conditional cost transfer schemes in increasing education staying-on rates in other countries; and if he will make a statement. [26564]

Tim Loughton: The requested information is not collected. To supply additional information would incur disproportionate costs.

Education: Sussex

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of academic standards in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in Mid Sussex constituency. [26768]

Mr Gibb [holding answer 29 November 2010]: The Department has not conducted a specific assessment of academic standards in Mid Sussex constituency. However, Ofsted is expected to publish its Annual Children's Services Assessment of West Sussex, the local authority responsible for schools in Mid Sussex, in December. This will take account of the performance of schools in the constituency area.

In terms of school performance in Mid Sussex, the latest published performance data show:

30 Nov 2010 : Column 728W

Percentage of 11-year-olds in primary schools achieving level 4 or above in their 2009 key stage 2 results
Subject	Mid Sussex	National average
English	86	80
Maths	84	79
Science	92	88
Percentage of pupils gaining 5 or more A*-C GCSE or equivalent passes in 2009	71.9	70
Percentage of pupils gaining 5 or more A*-C GCSE or equivalent passes, including English and maths in 2009	59.4	50.9

Sex and Relationships Education

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the forthcoming curriculum review will consider sex and relationships education. [26958]

Mr Gibb [holding answer 29 November 2010]: Sex and relationships education is not currently part of the national curriculum and will not be within scope of the national curriculum review. However, we intend to conduct an internal review to determine how we can support schools to improve the quality of all personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education teaching, giving teachers the flexibility to use their judgement about how best to deliver PSHE education, including sex and relationships education.

Institute for Fiscal Studies

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on services provided by the Institute for Fiscal Studies in each of the last 10 years. [23398]

Tim Loughton: The Department's financial records only go back as far as 2002 but I can tell the hon. Gentleman that based on these records they show that from April 2002 to October 2010 the Department spent £418,342 on services provided by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Pupils: Bullying

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what research his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) evaluated on the causes of bullying in schools; when his Department last undertook a review of the evidence relating to the causes of bullying in school drawing on (a) UK and (b) international research; and if he will make a statement. [24885]

Mr Gibb: In May 2010, Partners Andrews Aldridge completed an overview for the Department on the issue of bullying. This examined national and international evidence to determine the causes of bullying, and recommended measures to reduce and respond to bullying both in schools and in our communities. We plan to publish the key findings of the review early in the new year.

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department has offered assistance to The Big March campaign; and if he will make a statement. [24886]

Tim Loughton: Tackling bullying is a top priority for the Government and we are supportive of any initiative that helps reduce the suffering of children and young
30 Nov 2010 : Column 729W
people at the hands of bullies. The Deputy Prime Minister met the organisers following the March and promised to consider carefully the campaigners' calls for a review of bullying guidance across Government. In addition, Ministers in the Department have agreed to meet the organisers to discuss the items raised during the campaign.

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with the organisers of The Big March campaign; what issues were discussed; and if he will make a statement. [24887]

Tim Loughton: Beatbullying, the organisers of the Big March, attended a ministerial policy seminar on anti-bullying hosted by the Department on 9 November 2010. During this meeting we asked for their views and ideas on how existing anti-bullying policy can be strengthened. The Department will continue to consult with Beatbullying and all our partners on any changes to future Government anti-bullying policy.

Students: Finance

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the Government plans to stipulate (a) a minimum and (b) a maximum award to students from the Discretionary Learner Support Fund in the 2011-12 academic year. [26974]

Mr Gibb [holding answer 29 November 2010]: Decisions regarding the new discretionary fund will be made locally, enabling schools, colleges and training providers to target support at those young people in greatest need. Current discretionary funds have no specified minimum or maximum payment.

In finalising the arrangements for the enhanced discretionary learner support fund, the Department
30 Nov 2010 : Column 730W
will consult with schools, colleges and training organisations, including on what guidance is required to administer the fund effectively.

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which training providers receive Government funding for the Discretionary Learner Support Fund; and how much was received by each such provider in the latest period for which figures are available. [27468]

Mr Gibb [holding answer 29 November 2010]: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the Education Maintenance Allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener the YPLA's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member for Erith and Thamesmead with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Teachers: Qualifications

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the proportion of newly-qualified teachers who did not find permanent employment in each of the last five years; what steps he plans to take to reduce unemployment amongst newly-qualified teachers; what estimate he has made of the effects of the implementation of the proposals in the comprehensive spending review on unemployment amongst newly-qualified teachers in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement. [23037]

Tim Loughton: The number and percentage of newly qualified teachers (NQTs) by their employment status is given in the table. The scope of these figures is NQTs who have gained qualified teacher status (QTS) via mainstream initial teacher training courses, and the table reports their employment status six months after gaining QTS.

Newly qualified teachers: Employment status six months after gaining QTS-Years: 2004/05 to 2008/09-England
		Number of NQTs
	Teachers gaining QTS-Newly qualified teachers (NQT's)	In a teaching post	Seeking a teaching post	Not seeking a teaching post	Unclassfied	Total
2004/05	27,150	21,960	1,130	1,010	3,050	27,150
2005/06	27,010	21,960	1,450	1,100	2,510	27,010
2006/07	26,980	22,100	1,300	1,130	2,450	26,980
2007/08	26,470	21,760	1,220	1,090	2,390	26,470
2008/09	26,650	21,550	1,750	1.160	2,190	26,650

	Distribution of NQTs ( % )
	In a teaching post	Seeking a teaching post	Not seeking a teaching post	Unclassified	Total	Proportion of NQTs in a teaching post who sought/ are seeking a post (%)
2004/05	80.9	4.2	3.7	11.2	100.0	95.1
2005/06	81.3	5.4	4.1	9.3	100.0	93.8
2006/07	81.9	4.8	4.2	9.1	100.0	94.5
2007/08	82.2	4.6	4.1	9.0	100.0	94.7
2008/09	80.9	6.6	4.4	8.2	100.0	92.5
Notes: 1. Excludes teachers gaining QTS via employment based routes to ITT. 2. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: TDA Performance Profiles

30 Nov 2010 : Column 731W

This analysis indicates that the proportion of NQTs in a teaching post has remained fairly stable over the last five years.

Centrally available information does not currently provide details relating to the type of contract held by teachers (such as permanent, fixed or temporary). The new School Workforce Census will collect information on the type of contract. First findings from this data collection are expected in spring 2011.

It is our intention that the supply of qualified teachers matches as closely as possible the needs of schools, and the number of places to initial teacher training courses is calculated on this basis. Our estimates for funding of future teacher trainees for the comprehensive spending review (CSR) took into account the latest available data on the supply of teachers.

Overall, funding for schools, including funding for the new pupil premium, will rise in real terms over the CSR period. We are providing maximum flexibility to schools in relation to how they spend the budgets allocated to them. It is for governors and headteachers to decide how to use their budgets to ensure the best outcomes for their pupils.

House of Commons Commission

Livestock: Slaughterhouses

Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much meat of each type procured by the Department of Facilities was slaughtered using (a) halal, (b) non-halal and (c) unknown methods in the latest period in which figures are available. [27627]

John Thurso: In the year to March 2010, the House of Commons Catering Service knowingly purchased halal meat to the value of approximately £1,500, or 0.25% of all fresh meat purchases. This was purchased expressly to cater for specific clients' requirements.

The remaining meat purchased by the Department, at a value of approximately £590,000, was ordered and received as non-halal meat, but as stated in the reply given by the hon. Member for Middlesbrough (Sir Stuart Bell) to the right hon. Member for East Yorkshire (Mr Knight), on 16 November 2010, Official Report, column 761W, this included an unquantified amount of poultry slaughtered using halal methods. Suppliers have confirmed that no other type of meat supplied to the House of Commons Catering Service has been slaughtered in accordance with halal or other special requirements unless expressly ordered as such.

Parliamentary Questions: Costs

Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what recent estimate has been made of the average cost to the House of a tabled parliamentary question for (a) oral and (b) written answer; what assessment the Commission has made of the effects on its costs of recent trends in the number of parliamentary questions tabled; and if he will make a statement. [25930]

30 Nov 2010 : Column 732W

John Thurso: The House Service estimates that the average cost to the service of a printed question and the accompanying answer in the period from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2010 was £80. The average cost of a printed question prior to the answer was £44; the additional average cost associated with the reporting of an answer was £36. These calculations are based on the figures given in the following table:

Financial year	Number of questions printed	Total costs prior to answer (£)	Total costs of reporting answers (£)
2007-08	68,379	2,844,170	2,341,603
2008-09	69,510	2,898,112	2,321,740
2009-10	55,736	2,760,102	2,378,795

These costs include printing costs and direct staff and staff-related costs. The estimated total costs include the estimated staff costs associated with advice to hon. Members and editorial work on questions not printed, including questions tabled for oral answer and entered into the shuffle (a process dependent upon automated random number generation to determine which questions appear on the Order Paper and in what order), but not printed. To these costs should be added the costs of electronic publishing and indexing; the former cannot readily be separately identified; the latter are estimated to be in the region of £65,000 annually. It is not possible to calculate separate averages for oral and written questions.

It is estimated that 65% of the cost of questions prior to answer and 73% of the cost of reporting answers is attributable to printing-an average cost per question of £28 and per answer of £26. Any change in the number of written questions tabled directly affects such costs. The remaining costs are broadly fixed and will not fluctuate according to the number of questions, although staffing levels and some staff-related costs, such as additional hours payments and late night transport costs, may alter if there is a significant change in the volume of questions.

The list of possible savings produced by the Management Board contains a suggestion that, from the start of 2011-12, the Questions Book should no longer be printed, leading to an estimated annual saving of £865,000 or around £13 per question.

Schools: Transport

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much the House of Commons Commission spent under its transport subsidy scheme in respect of schools in each constituency in each of the last three financial years. [26605]

John Thurso: The transport subsidy scheme was introduced in 2009 in response to a recommendation by the Administration Committee. The objective was to encourage a greater proportion of schools to visit Parliament through the education visits programme from outside Greater London and the South East. The UK was split into three geographic bands, A-C. Band A does not attract a subsidy, in band B schools can claim 50% of costs, up to a maximum of £650, and in band C 75% of costs, up to a maximum of £1,250. The full details of the scheme, including a list of which band each constituency falls into, can be found on the Education Service website.

30 Nov 2010 : Column 733W

The following table provides the amount the House of Commons spent in individual constituencies where schools claimed under the transport subsidy scheme in the financial year 2009-10 (the first year of the scheme) and the current financial year up to July 2010. The cost listed is 70% of the overall subsidy paid as the cost of the scheme is shared with the House of Lords.

For the 2009-10 financial year data the constituency boundaries are before the 2010 changes. The financial year 2010-11 data incorporate the 2010 boundary changes.

Total of claims made in the financial year 2010-11 by constituency (based on the post-2010 boundaries)
	HOC (£)
Aberavon	262.50
Aberconwy	432.65
Altrincham and Sale West	260.23
Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock	494.10
Barnsley East	245.00
Birmingham, Edgbaston	173.25
Birmingham, Hall Green	136.50
Birmingham, Hodge Hill	392.00
Birmingham, Ladywood	455.00
Birmingham, Northfield	148.75
Birmingham, Selly Oak	262.50
Blackburn	251.41
Blackpool South	243.05
Bosworth	123.33
Bradford East	323.96
Bradford South	170.35
Brecon and Radnorshire	402.50
Bristol North West	157.50
Bristol South	150.50
Burnley	455.00
Cardiff South and Penarth	378.00
Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire	512.40
Charnwood	343.00
Coventry South	350.00
Derbyshire Dales	682.50
Dewsbury	262.50
Dudley North	218.75
Glasgow North	455.00
Gordon	689.38
Grantham and Stamford	157.50
Harborough	196.00
Isle of Wight	875.00
Kingston upon Hull East	455.00
Strangford	875.00
Sunderland Central	455.00
Sutton Coldfield	437.50
Taunton Deane	159.01
Thirsk and Malton	119.49
Truro and Falmouth	428.40
Weaver Vale	616.56
West Dorset	127.40
Weston-super-Mare	278.25
Wolverhampton South East	150.50
Worcester	364.00
Wyre and Preston North	97.49
York Outer	455.00

30 Nov 2010 : Column 734W


30 Nov 2010 : Column 735W

Total of claims made in the financial year 2009-10 by constituency (based on the pre-2010 boundaries)
	HOC (£)
Aberavon	634.91
Aberdeen South	875.00
Alyn and Deeside	350.00
Argyll and Bute	875.00
Ashfield	315.00
Ashton-under-Lyne	263.86
Banff and Buchan	875.00
Barnsley Central	213.50
Barnsley East and Mexborough	880.25
Barnsley West and Penistone	262.50
Barrow and Furness	417.38
Bassetlaw	3,039.84
Bath	106.11
Batley and Spen	217.14
Belfast South	875.00
Birmingham, Edgbaston	173.25
Birmingham, Erdington	254.55
Birmingham, Hall Green	309.03
Birmingham, Hodge Hill	943.33
Birmingham, Ladywood	104.00
Birmingham, Northfield	282.02
Birmingham, Selly Oak	348.29
Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath	721.28
Bishop Auckland	826.47
Blaby	140.34
Blackpool South	1,499.03
Blaenau Gwent	808.63
Bolton South East	860.23
Bolton West	746.90
Boston and Skegness	108.64
Bournemouth East	149.63
Bradford South	286.16
East Devon	530.18
Eccles	306.25
Eddisbury	389.20
Edinburgh South	139.42
Fermanagh and South Tyrone	875.00
Forest of Dean	741.48
Fylde	237.93
Gainsborough	315.00
Gateshead East and Washington West	751.28
Gedling	309.75
Glasgow North	455.00
Glasgow North West	455.00
Gordon	875.00
Gower	238.00
Great Yarmouth	129.68
Harborough	313.25
Hazel Grove	539.53
Hexham	455.00
Inverclyde	1,666.18
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey	875.00
Isle of Wight	1,324.58
Kingston upon Hull East	437.50
Kingston upon Hull North	964.57
Lancaster and Wyre	1,983.37
Leeds East	1,185.70
Leicester South	127.75
Leicester West	106.31
Leominster	432.04
Lincoln	178.36
Liverpool, Riverside	180.67
Liverpool, Wavertree	343.00
Livingston	417.26
Llanelli	1,312.50
Pendle	764.10
Peterborough	153.04
Poole	121.88
Preseli Pembrokeshire	593.25
Preston	242.67
Redcar	455.00
Rhondda	197.75
Ross, Skye and Lochaber	1,423.00
Rossendale and Darwen	588.09
Rotherham	834.91
Rushcliffe	262.47
Rutherglen and Hamilton West	455.00
Rutland and Melton	150.50
Salisbury	588.89
Selby	371.88
Sheffield, Brightside	255.64
Sheffield, Hallam	210.00
Sheffield, Hillsborough	645.91
Sherwood	1,122.87
Shipley	125.72
Shrewsbury and Atcham	140.82
Skipton and Ripon	784.40
Sleaford and North Hykeham	170.56
Solihull	295.60
Somerton and Frome	161.00
South Derbyshire	169.75
South Dorset	224.00
South Holland and The Deepings	212.29
South Norfolk	709.25
South Staffordshire	192.50
South Swindon	1,120.86
South West Devon	540.64
South West Norfolk	167.30
Wythenshawe and Sale East	192.50
Yeovil	189.00

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