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9 Dec 2010 : Column 393W—continued
Disability Living Allowance: Scotland
Mr Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the (a) effects on and (b) cost to local authorities in Scotland of the removal of the mobility component of the disability living allowance from residents in publicly-funded care homes. [27212]
Maria Miller: Social care is a devolved matter. The Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 places a duty on local authorities to assess the social care needs of the people in their area and to provide care to meet these needs. Local authorities also have a responsibility to make the best use of available resources.
We estimate that approximately 80,000 people in Great Britain who claim disability living allowance and live in residential care will be affected by the measure to cease paying the mobility component from October 2012.
Employment and Support Allowance
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the number of contributory employment and support allowance recipients who will become entitled to income-related employment and support allowance after the implementation of the proposals in the comprehensive spending review; [26253]
(2) what estimate he has made of the effects on the level of the employment and support allowance (ESA) caseload of placing time limits on contributory ESA. [26637]
Maria Miller:
There are a number of variables which will impact the number of people affected by the proposal to time limit contributory ESA to one year for those in
the work related activity group, including the reassessment of incapacity benefit cases, people moving into work and people being able to qualify for income-related benefits after the 12-month limit for the contributory benefit is reached.
Current estimates suggest around 700,000 people will have been affected by the proposal to time limit contributory ESA by 2015-16, of which it is expected that around 60% will be fully or partially compensated by income-related ESA. There will always be a safety net to support those who have no means of supporting themselves.
The estimates are subject to change as more information on customers in the work related activity group becomes available.
Housing Benefit
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the merits of giving local authorities greater flexibility in how they correspond with claimants of housing benefit and council tax benefit when contacting them by letter for the purposes of ensuring that the benefit entitlement is clearly communicated. [28796]
Steve Webb: The housing benefit and council tax benefit regulations prescribe key elements that must be included in the decision notifications that local authorities send to claimants when informing them about their benefit entitlement. Claimants need this information so that they can work out how their benefit awards have been calculated and confirm that their circumstances have correctly been taken into account. There are no current plans to amend the regulations, but we keep this under review and will continue to consider feedback from local authorities, claimants and representative organisations.
Although certain information must be included in decision notifications, local authorities have the discretion to decide how best to present it, and to design letters that communicate as clearly as possible what the claimant needs to know. To help with this, officials in my Department have been working with representatives of several local authorities to explore ways of making decision notifications easier to understand.
Housing Benefit: Greater London
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has made an assessment of the likely effects of reductions in levels of housing benefit on homelessness levels in (a) West Ham constituency, (b) the London borough of Newham and (c) London in each of the next five years. [27631]
Steve Webb: The information required to carry out this assessment is not available. We published an impact assessment on 30 November for the changes to local housing allowance rates from April 2011. The assessment does not contain an estimate of the impact on homelessness as we cannot anticipate the behaviours of tenants or their landlords. To reduce the risk of households becoming homeless we have a substantial package of financial and practical support in place and we are giving households up to nine months transitional protection so that they can look for alternative accommodation if they need to. The impact assessment is available on the Department for Work and Pensions website.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) the UK, (b) the South East, (c) Oxfordshire and (d) Oxford West and Abingdon constituency have been in receipt of jobseeker's allowance since January 2010. [21053]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people in (a) the UK, (b) the South East (c) Oxfordshire and (d) Oxford West and Abingdon constituency have been in receipt of jobseeker's allowance since January 2010. (21053)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles the number of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system.
Table 1 shows the number of people resident in (a) the UK, (b) the South East (c) Oxfordshire and (d) Oxford West and Abingdon constituency who were in receipt of JSA in each month since January 2010. The data have been provided from January 2010 to the latest available period up to October 2010.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
| Table 1: Number of persons claiming jobseeker's allowance residing in the UK, the South East, Oxfordshire and Oxford West and Abingdon constituency | ||||
| UK | South East | Oxfordshire | Oxford West and Abingdon | |
| Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system. | ||||
Members: Correspondence
Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Minister for Housing plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Hastings and Rye of 25 October 2010 reference AR/BW/0008, on housing benefit. [29860]
Chris Grayling: A reply was sent to my hon. Friend on 10 November 2010.
National Employment Savings Trust Scheme
Rachel Reeves:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consideration he has given to establishing a mechanism to prevent a conflict of
interest arising for potential asset managers bidding in the National Employment Savings Trust tendering process. [29290]
Steve Webb: The procurement of the investment managers for the initial set of investment mandates has been outsourced to investment advisers, following a mini-competition under NEST Corporation's investment adviser framework. The investment advisers will evaluate all bids received strictly in accordance with objective based evaluation criteria that reflect NEST Corporation requirements.
NEST Corporation policy is that all staff involved in the evaluation of tenders are required to sign a statement in which they declare any conflicts of interest. In the event that a conflict arises consideration is given whether that person should withdraw from the evaluation process.
NEST Corporation will review the recommendations made by the Investment advisers and the basis upon which they have reached those recommendations.
The criteria used for the evaluation of the tender responses is agreed in advance of the tenders being received. No external factors that are not pertinent to the responses will be taken into account.
New Businesses: Bradford
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2010, Official Report, column 1005W, on new businesses: Bradford, what plans he has for (a) funding, (b) eligibility and (c) delivery of the new enterprise allowance. [29750]
Chris Grayling: The information is as follows:
(a) Funding for the new enterprise allowance for the years 2010-11 and 2011-12 has been agreed with HMT on the basis that it will give up to 10,000 unemployed people per year access to the advice and support they need to start their own business.
(b) The new enterprise allowance will be open to jobseeker's allowance customers in the targeted areas who have been claiming jobseeker's allowance for more than six months and have not joined the Work Programme. The new enterprise allowance will be targeted on the areas in Great Britain that are likely to benefit most from an increase in the share of private sector employment. Details of the target areas have been published on the Department's website:
(c) Delivery options have yet to be finalised and agreed, but we envisage a role for Jobcentre Plus working alongside the voluntary and enterprise sectors to create new partnerships to build a network of mentors and ensure unemployed people can get the business support they need. We intend to trailblaze some elements of the new enterprise allowance starting in Merseyside from the end of January 2011, before rolling out the full new enterprise allowance in the remaining targeted areas from April 2011.
New Enterprise Allowance
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which areas will participate in the New Enterprise Allowance pilots; and when these pilots will begin. [28740]
Chris Grayling:
The New Enterprise Allowance will be targeted on areas in Great Britain that are likely to benefit most from an increase in the share of private sector employment. We intend to trail blaze elements of
the New Enterprise Allowance starting in Merseyside from the end of January 2011, before rolling out the full New Enterprise Allowance in the remaining targeted areas from April 2011. Details of the target areas have been published on the Department's website:
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanism he plans to establish to assess applications for New Enterprise Allowance payments. [28741]
Chris Grayling: The process for assessing applications for the New Enterprise Allowance has yet to be finalised and agreed. We are developing a process that will ensure that customers who have a viable, sustainable business proposition with growth potential get the business support they need to succeed.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average monetary value of all payments under the New Enterprise Allowance for a recipient. [28742]
Chris Grayling: Each customer can get access to financial support of around £2,000. This consists of a weekly allowance worth up to £1,275 over a six month period, allowing a customer to establish their business and its cash flow. In addition, where a customer needs start-up capital they may access a loan of up to £1,000 to help them with start-up costs such as buying their initial equipment.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new businesses he expects to be established as a result of support from the New Enterprise Allowance by (a) April 2011, (b) October 2011, (c) January 2012 and (d) April 2012. [28743]
Chris Grayling: Through the New Enterprise Allowance in 2011-12, we want to give up to 10,000 unemployed people access to the advice and support they need to start their own business, with scope to go further in future years.
Older People: Employment
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged 50 years and over moved off benefits and into work in the last 12 months. [27319]
Chris Grayling: Jobseeker's allowance is the only benefit that has reliable information on whether claimants flowing off have entered employment. However, even for JSA the information is incomplete as individuals are not required to provide a reason for leaving the benefit and a significant minority choose not to complete the exit form that asks for this information.
The number of people aged 50 and over known to have moved off JSA and into work in the last 12 months is 227,000 (44% of all off-flows from this age group). However, a further 196,000 JSA leavers (38% of all off-flows aged 50 years and over) were categorised as: ceased claiming; failed to sign; or information about them is unknown. This indicates that the number of
people aged 50 and over moving off JSA and into work is likely to be significantly higher than is officially recorded.
Pensioners: Poverty
Mr Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of pensioners aged (a) between 60 and 65, (b) between 65 and 70, (c) between 70 and 75, (d) between 75 and 80 and (e) 80 years or above live in relative poverty; and if he will make a statement. [29778]
Steve Webb: Estimates of pensioner poverty are published in the Households Below Average Income series. The most commonly used measure of pensioner poverty relates to those people with incomes below 60% of contemporary median income, after housing costs. This is often referred to as relative poverty.
The latest Households Below Average Income publication was based on Family Resources Survey data from 2008-09. The percentage of pensioners in relative poverty, split by age group, is shown in the following table:
| Age group | Percentage with income below 60% of contemporary median (relative poverty) |
| Notes: 1. These statistics are based on the Households Below Average Income series, sourced from the Family Resources Survey. 2. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication "Households Below Average Income" (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 4. For the Households Below Average Income series, incomes have been equivalised using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) modified equivalisation factors. 5. Proportions of pensioners in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest whole percentage point. | |
Social Security Benefits
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to simplify the application procedures for state benefits; and if he will make a statement. [28752]
Steve Webb: We are creating a new universal credit which will replace working tax credit, child tax credit, housing benefit, income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance and income-related employment and support allowance. By using the best data technology available we will streamline the administration and claiming process, making it easier for people to see that they are better off for every pound they earn and minimise opportunities for fraud and error.
Unemployment: Scotland
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of workless households in (a) Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency, (b) Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk constituency and (c) Scotland. [24780]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated December 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the number of workless households in a) Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency, b) Berwickshire Roxburgh and Selkirk constituency and c) Scotland. [24780].
The figures requested come from the Annual Population Survey household datasets, the attached table provides estimates for 2009. A workless household is defined as a household that contains at least one person aged 16 to 64 and where all individuals aged 16 and over are not in employment.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results. These estimates are such that from all samples possible there would be 95 per cent certainty that the true estimate would lie within the lower and upper bounds given.
| Table 1: Workless households( 1) in Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Berwickshire Roxburgh and Selkirk and Scotland, 2009 | |||
| Thousand | |||
| January-December 2009 | Estimate | Lower bound( 2) | Upper bound( 2) |
| (1) Households containing at least one person aged 16-64, where all individuals aged 16 or over are not in employment. (2) 95% confidence interval which means that from all samples possible there would be 95% certainty that the true estimate would lie within the lower and upper bounds. Source: APS household dataset | |||
Unemployment: Young People
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to reduce the weekly cost of youth unemployment. [29590]
Chris Grayling: The Government recognise that to reduce the weekly cost of youth unemployment, we need to help young people into work. We are focusing on supporting young people into private sector employment. We are tackling the deficit to restore growth in the economy and create jobs that young people who are job ready can access.
Next year we are introducing a Work Programme which young people will access and which will respond to the personalised needs of each individual. In addition we are making Jobcentre Plus more flexible to help young people to find the right support to make the transition into work.
Where lack of work experience is a barrier for young people we are providing flexible job search support through Jobcentre Plus, creating work experience opportunities, encouraging volunteering for all unemployed people and investing in training and apprenticeships.
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of 16 to 24-year-olds out of work for more than 12 months. [29591]
Chris Grayling: The Government are committed to tackling youth unemployment. We aim to have the new Work Programme in place nationally by the summer of 2011. This will offer integrated employment support to young people helping them move into sustained employment rather than temporary jobs. Young people aged 18-24 will be referred to the Work Programme from nine months. Prior to the Work Programme we will be giving Jobcentre Plus advisers more flexibility to work with young people to make the transition into employment. This journey might include, for example, work experience, pre-apprenticeship training, an apprenticeship, a further education course or other training.
Until the Work Programme is introduced, young people will continue to have access to the existing range of services. Young unemployed people registering with Jobcentre Plus have access to a named personal adviser from the first day of their claim. The personal adviser works with them to create a personalised back-to-work plan. This support will continue throughout the jobseeker's spell of unemployment, as will access to the existing range of opportunities, support and advice to help them find employment.
In order to reduce the number of younger, 16 to 18-year-olds becoming long-term unemployed the Government want to ensure that the next generation of school leavers are equipped for the future, raising attainment for all children and closing the gap between the richest and poorest. We are considering how best to provide access for young people to high quality careers education which will help them navigate the complex choices on offer to them about learning, careers and wider lifestyle options.
Universal Credit
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who will face (a) higher and (b) lower marginal deduction rates following full implementation of the universal credit according to the modelling used as the basis for his White Paper. [26023]
Chris Grayling: Following full implementation of universal credit, marginal deduction rates will reduce for around 1.5 million workers in total, with the average (median) reduction in marginal deduction rate being 20 percentage points. Included in this total, universal credit will particularly improve earnings incentives for 700,000 low-earning workers, reducing the highest marginal deduction rates from 95.8% to around 76%.
Some households will see their marginal deduction rates increase under universal credit. For example, households previously receiving tax credits only will see a small increase in their marginal deduction rate from 73% to around 76%. In addition, because universal
credit allows low-earning households to keep more of their earnings, some households who previously received no state support will now do so. As a consequence they will experience a higher marginal deduction rate than they otherwise would have done but they will be better off financially.
Marginal deduction rates will increase for around 2 million workers in total following full implementation of universal credit. However, the average (median) increase will only be 4 percentage points.
Winter Fuel Payments: Crewe and Nantwich
Mr Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Crewe and Nantwich constituency received the winter fuel allowance in the latest period for which figures are available. [29756]
Steve Webb: The information is available in the document "Winter Fuel Payment recipients 2009-2010 by Parliamentary Constituencies and Gender" (2010 boundaries). This is available in the Commons Library and on the internet at:
Winter Fuel Payments: Kilmarnock
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged (a) 60 to 65, (b) 65 to 70, (c) 70 to 80 and (d) over 80 years were paid the winter fuel allowance in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency in each year since 2005. [17132]
Steve Webb: The information is in the table.
| Winter fuel payment recipients in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency: Time series by age group | |||||
| 2009-10 | 2008-09 | 2007-08 | 2006-07 | 2005-06 | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and therefore totals may not sum. 2. Constituencies used are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2005. 3. DWP are currently working to produce 2009-10 WFP figures for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010. 4. The 'under 60' category contains cases where an IS/JSA claimant receives a payment on behalf of their partner who is aged 60 or over. 5. The age breakdown for 2005-06 winter fuel payments shows a larger than expected number of recipients aged under 60 compared with subsequent years. The age breakdown has been withdrawn while the figures are investigated. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data. | |||||
Transport
BRB (Residuary) Ltd.
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the procedure will be for the disposal of the assets of BRB (Residuary) Ltd. [29256]
Mrs Villiers: BRB (Residuary) Ltd disposes of its surplus land assets in accordance with guidance issued by the Department for Transport in July 2007. This guidance is available on the company's website at:
The consultation process set out in that guidance has now been completed. However, some properties continue to be held by the company pending decisions on their future use and ownership by the Department.
First Great Western: Electrification
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work his Department carried out on its plans for electrification of the Great Western main line between London and Swansea in the period (a) 23 July 2009 to 11 May 2010 and (b) 12 May 2010 to 24 November 2010. [27678]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 30 November 2010]: The Department for Transport has been considering electrification of the Great Western Line as part of its work on delivering new rolling stock and assessing the future of the Intercity Express Programme. This work has been on-going throughout both periods.
Football: South Africa
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on entertainment activities related to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. [27357]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has no records of any expenditure for entertainment activities related to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Full details of Department for Transport Ministers and senior officials' business expenses, including hospitality and gifts can be found on the DFT website at:
Fuels: Prices
Dr Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department will bring forward proposals to limit petrol and diesel price rises in the UK. [29341]
Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond Park (Zac Goldsmith) on 1 November 2010, Official Report, column 665W.
Gospel Oak Railway Line: Electrification
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions his Department has had with the Mayor of London on electrification of the Barking to Gospel Oak railway line. [29955]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport has not had any recent discussions with the Mayor of London on electrification of the line between Gospel Oak and Barking.
Lower Thames Crossing
Stephen Metcalfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to consult local residents on a new Lower Thames Crossing; when he expects such consultation to take place; and if he will make a statement. [29721]
Mike Penning: The Department for Transport made clear in its spending review announcement that it would embark on a review of the options for future capacity in the Lower Thames.
Following that review, which is expected to take around 12 to 18 months to complete, the Department's intention, as part of the statutory process, would be to publicly consult on the merits of the potential options. The timing of such consultation has yet to be determined.
M25
Stephen Metcalfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what plans his Department has to improve junctions 30 and 31 of the M25; what recent representations he has received on the junctions; and if he will make a statement; [29718]
(2) what plans his Department has to improve the road network in South Essex; what recent representations he has received on that part of the road network; and if he will make a statement; [29719]
(3) what plans his Department has to improve the A13 between Stanford-le-Hope and junctions 30 and 31 of the M25; what recent representations he has received on that part of the road network; and if he will make a statement. [29720]
Mike Penning: The Secretary of State's statement of 26 October 2010, Official Report, columns 177-79, "Investment in Highways and Local Transport Schemes", identified the M25 junction 30/A13 corridor scheme as one which the Highways Agency would continue to develop for a potential start of construction in future spending review periods.
I would also refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 11 October 2010, Official Report, columns 54-55W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Jackie Doyle-Price) about the M25 Junction 30 scheme.
M25: Closures
Stephen Metcalfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the financial effects on the economy of closures of the M25. [29717]
Mike Penning: The total economic impact of traffic delay is measured by the Department's transport appraisal tool QUADRO, which costs this at £11.28 per vehicle hour delay (based on 2002 prices). However, we do not estimate the specific costs of each individual road closure due to the complexity of the assessment required, for example, the mix of trip purposes, vehicle types and number of occupants in each vehicle.
The financial effects to the economy would very much depend on the day, time of day and the number of vehicles affected, as well as the effectiveness of diversion routes.
Motorways: Accidents
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many collisions involving a motor vehicle there have been on the A1 at Elkesley in 2010 to date. [29475]
Mike Penning: There have been six reported collisions involving motor vehicles on the A1 near Elkesley (within 0.62 miles of the village centre in both directions) between the 1 January 2010 and 30 June 2010. This is the latest information available.
Public Transport: Fares
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department holds for benchmarking purposes on (a) bus and (b) light rail and underground fares in cities (i) in the UK and (ii) overseas. [29704]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport does not hold any information for the purpose of benchmarking bus, light rail or underground fares, either for UK or overseas cities.
However, the Department publishes fares indices for local bus services. This does not measure fare levels, but does show the relative rates of change since 1995 in local bus fares in London, English metropolitan areas, English non-metropolitan areas, Scotland and Wales. Latest published statistics are available at:
Public Transport: Public Consultation
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department takes to include reduced-fare users in consultations on the future of public transport services. [29337]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport works to ensure that everybody who has an interest is able to express their views in its consultation exercises. Reasonable adjustments are made where necessary and consultation documents are available in alternative formats.
Equality impact assessments are carried out for all new transport proposals, to take account of the needs of different groups. This includes disabled and older people who are eligible for travel concessions.
Railways: Electrification
Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether a rail service between Preston and Manchester via Chorley and Bolton will be maintained following electrification of the Manchester to Newton-le-Willows line. [28697]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 8 December 2010]: The Government have no plans to cease operation of services over the route between Preston and Manchester via Chorley and Bolton following completion of electrification of the Manchester to Newton-le-Willows line.
Railways: Franchises
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make standard off-peak travel times a requirement for new rail franchisees. [22343]
Mrs Villiers: There are no plans to standardise off-peak travel times for new rail franchisees.
Railways: Passengers
Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to ensure that rail passengers are entitled to a seat in return for the fare paid; and if he will make a statement. [29641]
Mrs Villiers: The National Conditions of Carriage set out the obligations on train operators in relation to the fare that has been paid.
We have not carried out an assessment of the cost and value for money of a requirement that all passengers should gain a seat on any train, at any time. However, the cost would be large given the significant additional rolling stock and infrastructure changes that would be required to meet such a commitment, especially on routes within Metropolitan areas such as London.
The rail industry planning standard is that for all journeys of more than 20 minutes passengers should gain a seat.
The Government remain committed to increasing the carrying capacity of the rail network. We recently confirmed that major infrastructure schemes such as Crossrail and Thameslink would be constructed and that some 2,100 additional carriages would be in service on the network by 2019.
By spring 2011 we expect some 153 more carriages to be operating on the First Capital Connect franchise than the level seen in 2009.
Railways: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much and what proportion of the £90 million allocated to improving rail platforms in the 2010 spending review will be spent in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) the South East. [28095]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 6 December 2010]: The detailed allocation of funding for platform improvements is a matter for Network Rail, which is funded to deliver a programme of capacity enhancements. However, the nature of these improvements will depend on the train service changes put forward by the train operating companies to deliver the additional passenger capacity that the Government wish to provide.
Railways: Subsidies
Mr Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department provided in public subsidy to each train operating company in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10; and how many passengers were carried by each such company in each such year. [29083]
Mrs Villiers: The Office of Rail Regulation publishes actual subsidy payments and information on passenger journeys in its National Rail Trends document. This information for 2007-08, 2008-09, and 2009-10 can be found on the Office of Rail Regulation website as follows:
In addition, copies are available in the Libraries of the House.
Road Traffic: Black Cat
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what bids for funding have been made to improve traffic flow at the Black Cat roundabout on the A1 in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [29225]
Mike Penning: During the last five years there has been one bid for funding in 2011-12 to improve traffic flow at the Black Cat roundabout.
The bid was for £200,000 to enable detailed design of an improvement scheme.
The process for allocating funding for future years is ongoing.
Road Traffic: Newark
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what bids for funding have been made to improve traffic flows on the A1 south of Newark in the last five years for which figures are available; and what the outcome of the bid was in each case. [29223]
Mike Penning: There has been one scheme to improve the traffic flows on the A1 within the east midlands region, that lies south of Newark and north of Peterborough, in the last five years. This was a Major Projects scheme to replace six junctions on the A1 with grade separated junctions.
The resulting junction is similar to those on motorways and results in improved journey times, allowing the local traffic to cross the main trunk road or join using a slip road. Replacing these single level roundabouts with
grade separated junctions has reduced congestion, queuing and delays in these areas and improved the safety record.
Three of the junctions targeted as part of this scheme are between Newark and Peterborough, Gonerby Moor (north of Grantham), Colsterworth North and South (classified as a single junction for the purposes of the scheme) and Carpenter's Wood.
The scheme started in 2006 and completed in 2009. The total value was £95 million. As a result of this planned major improvement, no additional funding was bid for to improve traffic flows during this period.
Roads: Accidents
Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average (a) death, (b) injury and (c) personal injury rate from road traffic accidents was per mile of (i) trunk A-roads, (ii) all A-roads and (iii) all roads in the latest period for which figures are available. [29540]
Mike Penning: The information requested is given in the following table.
| Reported casualties in personal injury road accidents per mile of road, by type of road: England, 2009 | ||
| Casualties | ||
| Type of road | Killed | Injured( 1) |
| (1) Seriously or slightly injured. Note: Figures for "injury" and "personal injury" are the same. | ||
Waterloo Station
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a list of the (a) individuals and (b) organisations from whom he has received representations on the future of the Waterloo International terminal. [29189]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport has received representations from the following individuals and organisations in the past six months:
Kate Hoey MP
Caroline Pidgeon AM
Two members of the general public.
South Bank Employers' Group.
West Coast Main Line
Mr Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce his decision on the West Coast Main Line franchise. [29663]
Mrs Villiers: The Secretary of State announced his intentions to refranchise the Intercity West Coast franchise from 2012 until the planned opening of HS2 in 2026 by way of a written ministerial statement on 7 December 2010, Official Report, columns 15-18WS.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to reply to Question 20169, on the cap on rail fares, tabled on 25 October 2010. [29767]
Mrs Villiers: I responded to the question on 8 December 2010.
Energy and Climate Change
Energy Supply
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the cost was of (a) electricity and (b) gas supplied to his Department's offices at 3 Whitehall Place in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available. [29675]
Gregory Barker: The following table shows the energy costs for 3 Whitehall Place over the last 12 months for which we currently have data (rounded to the nearest pound).
| £ | ||
| Electricity invoice cost | Gas invoice cost | |
Invoices are received in the middle of each month for the previous month's energy use, so we do not yet have costs for November 2010.
Members: Correspondence
Mr Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 18 October and 30 November 2010 on cheapest tariff information. [29657]
Charles Hendry: I have responded to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon and Billericay on 9 December.
Cabinet Office
Charity Commission: Finance
Bill Esterson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the outcome of the comprehensive spending review on the ability of the Charity Commission to (a) provide advice to charities and (b) reduce the incidence of fraud. [29322]
Mr Hurd: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Mrs Ellman) on 1 December 2010, Official Report, columns 880-81W.
Civil Servants: Recruitment
Dr Huppert: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he has plans to increase the number of civil servant entrants on the science and engineering fast stream. [29871]
Mr Hurd: Civil Service Fast Streamers are recruited to meet departmental demand from across the civil service. The Cabinet Office therefore recruits the number of Science and Engineering Fast Streamers required to fulfil the identified need. Science and Engineering Fast Streamers bring specialist knowledge and evidence-based analysis skills to bear on their work and the civil service remains committed to making best use of those skills in future.
Dr Huppert: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many science and engineering fast-streamers were recruited by each Government Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how many such fast-streamers are planned to be recruited in future years. [29872]
Mr Maude: The number of Science and Engineering Fast Streamers recruited in each of the last five years for which figures are available are shown in the following table.
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | |
|
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) (including previous incarnations as BERR DIUS and DTI) | |||||
|
Department for Environment Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) | |||||
Figures for 2010 recruitment will be published in 2011.
Civil service Fast Streamers are recruited to meet departmental demand from across the civil service, The Cabinet Office therefore recruits the number of Science and Engineering Fast Streamers required to fulfil the identified need.
Immigration
Alun Cairns: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of immigrants from (a) each EU member state and (b) each other state resident in each parliamentary constituency. [26359]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to respond to your question concerning the number of immigrants from (a) each EU member state and (b) each other state resident in each parliamentary constituency [28359].
The Office for National Statistics produces estimates of the population of the UK by country of birth and nationality using the Annual Population Survey (APS). The lowest geographical breakdown available using these estimates is local authority level. Therefore APS estimates cannot be used to state the numbers of EU citizens resident in each parliamentary constituency.
Immigration: Morocco
Dr Murrison: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of Moroccan nationals who were resident in the UK in each year since 2000. [28439]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated December 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for the Home Department, asking how many Moroccan nationals were resident in the UK in each year since 2000. [28439].
The Office for National Statistics collects data on nationality as part of the Annual Population Survey (APS) which covers residents of the UK. The APS data are only available from 2004 onwards, so cannot be used to produce comparable figures for years before this.
The estimates for the number of Moroccan nationals for the calendar years of 2004 to 2009 are given in the table below. These data are based on a sample survey and so there is a degree of statistical uncertainty around these estimates, which is expressed through the confidence intervals in the table.
| Table 1: Estimated population resident in the United Kingdom, who have Moroccan nationality 2004-09 | ||
| Thousand | ||
| Estimate | CI +/- | |
| CI = Confidence Interval Source: Annual Population Survey (APS)/Labour Force Survey (LFS) , ONS | ||
New Businesses
Martin Vickers: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information his Department holds on the number of small and medium-sized enterprises established in the last 10 years; and what information it holds on the proportion of such enterprises which have continued to operate after three years. [28686]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the number of small and medium-sized enterprises
established in the last 10 years; and what information it holds on the proportion of such enterprises that have continued to operate after three years. [28686]
Annual statistics on the number of enterprise births and survivals are available from the ONS release on business demography at:
However enterprise survival statistics are not available separately for small and medium sized enterprises. The table below contains the latest statistics available, which show enterprise births and three year survival in the UK from 2002 to 2003.
| Births | Three-year survival | |
| (1 )Data not available. | ||
Public Sector: Procurement
Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Southend West of 24 November 2010, Official Report, column 254, on consultancy, what safeguards are in place to avoid any conflict of interest arising in the award of contracts; and if he will make a statement. [28644]
Mr Maude: The Government have in place robust procedures for the avoidance of any conflict of interest, including through the requirements of the Ministerial Code. These cover Ministers and their immediate family members.
With regard to the specific contract between the Cabinet Office and DLA Piper, the legal firm which employs the Deputy Prime Minister's wife, Miriam González Durántez, the Deputy Prime Minister had no involvement in the award of this contract in 2008 under the last Government. The Deputy Prime Minister is a Minister in the Cabinet Office not the Minister for the Cabinet Office and he has had no involvement in the award or management of Cabinet Office contracts.
Furthermore, the Deputy Prime Minister and Miriam González Durántez have been assiduous at all times in ensuring there is no conflict of interest between the Deputy Prime Minister's official responsibilities and their private interests. In accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Deputy Prime Minister, on appointment to office, provided the Cabinet Secretary with a list of his interests. At the same time, Miriam González Durántez had separate discussions with the Cabinet Secretary and the Cabinet Office Director of Propriety and Ethics to ensure there was no conflict between her work and the Deputy Prime Minister's official responsibilities. Procedures have been put in place to ensure any contract between DLA Piper and the Government is insulated from Miriam González Durántez's role in DLA Piper so no conflict will arise.
Vacancies
Mr Meacher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the average number of employment vacancies (a) in each of the last 10 years and (b) in the latest period for which figures are available. [26318]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the average number of employment vacancies (a) in each of the last 10 years and (b) in the latest period for which figures are available. (26318)
The Office for National Statistics estimates the number of vacancies from the Vacancy Survey for the United Kingdom.
Table 1 shows the number of vacancies, in the United Kingdom, for each 3 month period ending October from 2001 to 2010.
| Table 1. Number of vacancies, within the United Kingdom | |
| Average for three months ending October each year | Total vacancies (thousand seasonally adjusted) |
| Source: ONS Vacancy Survey | |
Voluntary Work
Jessica Morden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department is taking to work with charities to ensure the effective deployment of volunteers. [28619]
Mr Hurd: Supporting social action is a key pillar of the Government's vision for the big society. The Cabinet Office is currently working across Government to produce a Green Paper on the Giving of Time and Money which will set out the Government's commitment to supporting the development of a culture of social action including volunteering. The Green Paper will also provide details on new volunteering programmes that are currently being developed within the Cabinet Office.
In addition the Cabinet Office is currently funding a Volunteer Management Programme which is working with civil society organisations to improve access to support for volunteer managers to enable them to effectively support volunteers within their organisations.
Voluntary Work: Young People
Margot James: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of likely providers of the National Citizenship Service in (a) the Black Country and (b) the Metropolitan borough of Dudley. [28311]
Mr Hurd: Cabinet Office has announced the outcome of the commissioning process for National Citizen Service pilots in summer 2011, and I can confirm that Catch22, the Prince's Trust and V will be leading pilots that include coverage in the Black Country, and that the Prince's Trust will be delivering in the metropolitan borough of Dudley.
Margot James: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he has received any applications for providers of the National Citizenship Service from organisations based in (a) the Black Country and (b) the metropolitan borough of Dudley. [28336]
Mr Hurd: Cabinet Office has announced the outcome of the commissioning process for National Citizen Service pilots in summer 2011. Catch22, The Prince's Trust and V will be leading pilots that include coverage in the black country including the metropolitan borough of Dudley, working with the following local delivery partners:
Catch22 is working with Pertemps Coachright (Sandwell), Nacro (Walsall) as well as the Catch22 local team in Wolverhampton.
Prince's Trust is working with West Bromwich Albion FC (West Bromwich) and Wolverhampton college (Walsall and Dudley)
V is working with Wolverhampton college (Wolverhampton)
I am unable to disclose the details of unsuccessful bidders for NCS pilots in 2011.
Education
Children in Care
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 excluding children looked after under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989 left care through adoption in England in each year from 1989 to 1995. [25209]
Tim Loughton: The number of children who were subject to a care order, police protection order or emergency protection order (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 1993 to 1995 is shown in the following table.
The year ending 31 March 1993 is the earliest year for which this information is available. The Children Act of 1989, which came into force on 14 October 1991, introduced new classifications for the legal status of looked after children. Therefore data is not available on a comparable basis with earlier years.
| Children who were adopted during the year ending 31 March who were subject to a care order, police protection order or emergency protection order( 1,2,3,4 ) Years ending 31 March 1993 to 1995 | |
| Number of children | |
| (1) Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1000, 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) This is the first time figures were produced, and as such should be treated with caution. Source: SSDA903. | |
Curriculum: Armed Conflict
Mr Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals to include in the National Curriculum measures to teach school children about the UK's involvement in military conflict. [26766]
Mr Gibb: The Government believe it is important that all school children should be made aware of, and learn the lessons from, the United Kingdom's involvement in military conflict, and we have made clear our intention to restore history to the heart of the national curriculum.
We also believe that it is important that schools should help to give their pupils an awareness of the bravery and sacrifice of our armed forces, both in previous conflicts and those that continue in the present day, as many schools do, particularly around Remembrance day.
We will announce full details of the national curriculum review shortly.
Departmental Postal Services
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department has taken to identify those of its services that could be provided through the Post Office network. [24919]
Tim Loughton: There are currently no policies going through the Department for Education which would require the Department to make use of the services that could be provided through the Post Office network. However, in view of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) published policy statement of the 9 November 2010 about securing the Post Office networking, if there are services that the Department would require in the near future, all options for delivery would be considered including those offered by the Post Office network.
There are clear strengths around the collection, dissemination and identity verification that the Post Office network could bring to central and local government service delivery and I invite the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth to put forward any suggestion he may have for any services from my Department which could be provided by the Post Office network.
Education Maintenance Allowance: Stoke-on-Trent
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of young people in Stoke-on-Trent who are in receipt of education maintenance allowance would be eligible for support under the Enhanced Discretionary Learner Support Fund. [27001]
Mr Gibb: 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.
The current discretionary scheme supports around 200,000 young people each year.
Free School Meals
Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of children in (a) Hastings and Rye constituency, (b) East Sussex and (c) England who are entitled to free school meals whose parents or carers do not take up this benefit. [25996]
Mr Gibb: The Department collects information on the number of pupils who meet the free school meals eligibility criteria and make a claim. Information is not collected on the number of pupils who meet the eligibility criteria but do not make a claim.
Information on the number and proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at national and local authority level can be found in the Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics: January 2010 Statistical First Release at:
Information at parliamentary constituency level can be found in the Library.
Free Schools
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education who will be responsible for assessing the fitness to practice of teachers in free schools. [24957]
Mr Gibb: Innovation, diversity and flexibility are at the heart of the free schools policy. We want the dynamism that characterises the best independent schools to drive up standards in the state sector. In that spirit we will not be setting requirements in relation to qualifications. Instead we will expect business cases to demonstrate how governing bodies intend to guarantee the highest quality of teaching and leadership in their schools. No school will be allowed to proceed unless its proposals for quality teaching are soundly based. As employers and accountable bodies, free school academy trusts will be responsible for ensuring that the appropriate checks are carried out on all staff to ensure that only people appropriate for the post they are recruited for are appointed.
Further Education: Finance
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether funding from the Discretionary Learner Support Fund will be contingent on a minimum level of attendance at a further education institution. [26972]
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.
In finalising the arrangements for the enhanced discretionary learner support fund, the Department will consult with schools, colleges and training organisations, including on what guidance is required to administer the fund effectively.
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether further education colleges which enrol 14 to 16 year olds eligible for funding from the pupil premium will receive a share of that funding. [27187]
Mr Gibb: The majority of 14 to 15-year-olds attending colleges are registered at a school and on a school roll so the pupil premium will be allocated to that school. Division of the pupil premium will be a matter of discussion and negotiation between the college and the "home" institution, as with the rest of the funding for the pupil.
Pre-school Education
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what the average hourly rate per child paid to childcare providers is under his Department's nursery education funding scheme for three and four year olds; [22356]
(2) for how many weeks per year his Department's nursery education funding scheme will cover free childcare for two year olds; [22357]
(3) what the maximum hourly rate paid to childcare providers offering free childcare for two year olds will be under his Department's nursery education funding scheme; [22358]
(4) whether awards to local authorities under the nursery education funding scheme will be ring-fenced; [22359]
(5) whether he plans to set a minimum required Ofsted rating for childcare providers to be eligible to bid to provide free places for two year olds under his Department's nursery education funding scheme. [22360]
Sarah Teather [holding answer 8 November 2010]: In his statement on the outcome of the spending review on 20 October 2010, Official Report, columns 949-65, the Chancellor announced that all three and four-year-olds would continue to receive 15 hours per week of free early education, and that, through an additional investment of £300 million, this would be extended to all disadvantaged two-year-olds by the end of the spending review period.
Further details, including on the question of how the additional £300 million will be will be allocated to local authorities, will be announced in due course. However, the extension of free early education for two-year-olds will take account of the existing pilot in all 152 local authorities in England. This currently provides free early education to these children for up to 15 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year for around 20,000 two-year-olds drawn from the most disadvantaged families.
Under the current pilot, local authorities are strongly encouraged to use only provision rated good or outstanding by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted), although they can use early years settings rated as satisfactory if the authority is satisfied that the setting is actively working towards a higher rating.
For the current pilot, the Department provides funding to local authorities calculated on the basis of £6.00 per hour in London and £4.85 outside of London.
Funding for early education for three and four-year-olds is allocated to local authorities through the ring-fenced Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), but is not ring-fenced within the DSG. Local authorities in consultation with Schools Forums decide locally how best to distribute 3-16 funding across their locality, and local authorities set their own local rates of funding to early years providers.
An analysis of the rates paid by the 71 local authorities that have already implemented their Early Years Single Funding Formula is available on the Department's website:
It found that the median base rates paid to different types of provider range from £3.54 to £3.76 per hour. Supplements for deprivation are also paid by all authorities, and many also provide supplements for quality and flexibility.
Public Expenditure
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department has established processes to monitor any effects of proposed reductions in its expenditure. [21635]
Tim Loughton: The Department will publish indicators that it will use to monitor the spending on and performance of the education and children's services system. These, together with other information including contact with front line organisations and with the users of their services, will help the Department to monitor the effects of the recent comprehensive spending review settlement. This settlement will mean reductions in expenditure in some areas, but will include a real terms increase in funding for schools.
Pupils: Bullying
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to prevent the use of (a) anti-Semitic and (b) homophobic material in part-time weekend schools. [26644]
Mr Gibb: It is unacceptable for anti-Semitic or homophobic material to be used in any part of the education of children in England. We will be bringing forward proposals to ensure that children are properly protected from such material in part-time weekend schools. In developing proposals we will take advice from Ofsted.
Schools: Rural Areas
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools classified by his Department as rural there were in each county in each year since 1997. [26929]
Mr Gibb: A table showing the total number of maintained schools classified as rural schools in each local authority for the years 1997, 2003, 2008, 2009 and 2010 has been placed in the House Libraries. Information for other years since 1997 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Schools: Vocational Guidance
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to consult (a) local authorities and (b) schools on his plans for a school-based careers service. [25391]
Mr Gibb: The Department for Education and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills are working together to establish an all-age careers service. Schools will be responsible for securing access for their pupils to independent and impartial careers guidance.
We recognise the importance of consulting with local authorities and with schools to inform the design and development of the new service. Officials have already held discussions with representatives of both, and we intend those discussions to continue, including through the establishment of a formal advisory group.
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which groups of young people will be given priority for access to careers and connexion services in future. [25392]
Mr Gibb: We will establish an all-age careers service, open to all young people and adults through a range of channels, including a website, helpline and face-to-face support. We will develop the detail of the new service in discussion with local authorities, schools and the careers sector.
Alongside this, schools will take responsibility for securing access to independent, impartial careers guidance, whether from the all-age service or other high quality careers guidance services. They will have the freedom to fulfil this responsibility in ways that best meet the needs of their students.
With the establishment of an all-age careers service, local authorities will no longer be expected to provide a universal careers guidance service to young people. However, they will continue to support all vulnerable young people aged up to 19 (and up to the age of 25 for those young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities) to participate in education, employment or training. Decisions as to the targeting of such services will be for local authorities.
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to ensure the professional impartiality of the (a) careers and (b) connexions services after the devolution of the service to individual schools and independent providers. [25393]
Mr Hayes: The new arrangements for careers guidance, based on the core principles of independence and professionalism, will require schools to work in partnership with expert careers advisers. We will take steps to promote high quality, impartial careers guidance by responding positively to the recently published report, 'Towards a Strong Careers Profession', produced by the Careers Profession Task Force. The report makes 14 recommendations to establish and enhance the principles of professionalism in the careers sector including the development of common professional standards and a code of ethics. The advice in this report is based on an extensive programme of consultation and evidence gathering over the past year, as well as the shared expertise of task force members. Reports on progress made against the recommendations will be made available in March 2011 and March 2012.
Special Educational Needs: Pupil Exclusions
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of children with (a) school action plans, (b) school action plus plans and (c) statements of special educational needs were permanently excluded in each year since 2005. [26919]
Mr Gibb: Information on the number of permanent exclusions by special education need (SEN) is shown in the table.
| Maintained primary, state-funded secondary and special schools( 1, 2, 3) . Number of permanent exclusions by special educational needs (SEN)( 4) England, 2005/06 to 2008/09 (Estimates)( 5) | ||||
| Permanent exclusions( 5) | ||||
| Number of exclusions | Percentage of permanent exclusions( 6) | Percentage of the relevant school population( 7) | ||
| (1 )Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies (including all-through academies). (3) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (4) SEN is recorded at the time of exclusion. (5) Figures relating to permanent exclusions are estimates based on incomplete pupil-level data. (6) The number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the total number of permanent exclusions. (7) The number of excluded pupils by SEN stage expressed as a percentage of all pupils with the same SEN stage in primary, secondary and all special schools (excluding dually registered pupils) in January each year. (8) Totals include a small number of pupils for whom stage of SEN was not known. Note: Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: School Census | ||||
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of children with (a) school action plans, (b) school action plus plans and (c) statements of special educational needs received (i) one to three, (ii) three to five, (iii) five to 10 and (iv) more than 10 fixed period exclusions in each year since 2005. [26920]
Mr Gibb: Data on the special educational needs status of excluded pupils are collected at the time of exclusion.
Information on the number of excluded pupil enrolments in 2007/08 and 2008/09 is shown in the table. A pupil's SEN status can change between periods of exclusion; therefore data relating to the SEN status of excluded pupil enrolments has been based on their SEN status at the time of their most recent fixed period or permanent exclusion. To carry out this analysis for further years would incur disproportionate cost.
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