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10 Jan 2011 : Column 85W—continued
Financial Services: Education
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will assess the merits of providing financial capability education for pupils (a) at Key Stage (i) three and (ii) four and (b) as part of the curriculum for personal, social, health and economic education. [28919]
Mr Gibb: It is important that young people have a planned and coherent programme of personal finance education so that they leave school with the skills and confidence to manage their money effectively.
The current economic wellbeing and financial capability strand of personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) provides a framework upon which teachers can draw.
The coalition Government recently announced in the Schools White Paper 2010, The Importance of Teaching, that all children and young people should benefit from high quality PSHE education. The Department will be holding an internal review of the subject and details will be announced in the new year.
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make an estimate of the potential savings to the public purse arising from the provision of financial capability education to children. [28925]
Mr Gibb: The economic wellbeing and financial capability strand of personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) was introduced in secondary schools in September 2008. Pupils should learn to:
manage their money;
understand financial risk and reward;
explain financial terms and products;
identify how finance will play an important part in their lives and in achieving their aspirations.
There are a range of complex factors that might affect savings to the public purse, and it would be difficult to isolate the impact of the introduction of the financial capability strand of PSHE on savings to public expenditure.
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he last met officials in his Department to discuss the provision of financial education in schools; and if he will make it his policy to meet the relevant officials monthly to ensure that progress is made in teaching financial capability. [29636]
Mr Gibb: Ministers meet with officials to discuss personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, which includes financial capability, as and when necessary.
However, as set out in our recent White Paper, The Importance of Teaching, it is the responsibility of teachers, rather than central Government, to decide how best to teach financial capability in schools.
Free School Meals: Greater London
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children were (a) eligible for and (b) received free school meals in (i) West Ham constituency, (ii) the London borough of Newham and (iii) London in the latest period for which figures are available. [28917]
Mr Gibb: Information on the number of pupils known to be eligible and claiming free school meals is shown in the table. This includes full-time pupils aged 0 to 15 and part-time pupils aged 5 to 15.
Information is not available on those pupils who meet the eligibility criteria but do not make a claim.
| Maintained nursery, maintained primary( 1) , state-funded secondary( 1, 2) and special( 3) schools: school meal arrangements( 4, 5) , as at January 2010, in West Ham parliamentary constituency, Newham local authority and London | |||||||||
| West Ham parliamentary constituency | Newham local authority( 6) | London | |||||||
| Number on roll( 4,5) | Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 4, 5) | Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals | Number on roll( 4 5) | Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 4, 5) | Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals | Number on roll( 4 5) | Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meal( s4, 5) | Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals | |
| (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (3) Includes city technology colleges and academies. (3) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (4 )Includes sole and dual (main) registrations. (5 )Includes pupils who have full-time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged between 5 and 15. (6) This local authority is participating in a pilot offering FSMs to all primary school children. The figures in this table may not reliably reflect the pupils who would be eligible for and claiming free school meals under the national criteria. (7 )Fewer than 5 or a percentage based on a number fewer than 5. Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: School Census. | |||||||||
Free School Meals: Richmond upon Thames
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent estimate he has made of the level of take-up of free school meals in Richmond Park constituency. [13899]
Sarah Teather: Information on free school meal eligibility is shown in the table. This includes full-time pupils aged 0 to 15 and part-time pupils aged five to 15.
Information on the take-up of free school meals has not been provided because it is collected at school level rather than pupil level and it is therefore not possible to exclude pupils who are below or over compulsory school age, far fewer of whom claim for and take free school meals.
| Maintained nursery, primary( 1) and state-funded secondary( 1, 2 ) schools: School meal arrangements( 3) , Richmond Park constituency, January 2010 | |||
| Number on roll( 4) | Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals | |
| (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies. (3) Pupils eligible for free school meals who have full-time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged between five and 15. (4) Includes pupils who have full-time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged between five and 15. Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: School Census. | |||
Free Schools
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people are employed in his Department's Free School Group. [24967]
Mr Gibb: As at 7 December 2010, there are 67.61 FTE (full-time equivalent) people employed in the Free Schools Group.
Free Schools: Academies
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to answer question 25708 on guidance for schools wishing to convert to academy or free school status that are subject to a private finance initiative contract, tabled on 17 November 2010 for named day answer on 19 November 2010. [29068]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 6 December 2010]: A response was issued on 7 December 2010, Official Report, column 256W.
Geography: Education
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils in each local authority were taught geography at (a) GCSE and (b) A level in each of the last three years for which information is available. [22052]
Mr Gibb: The information is as follows:
(a) Information on the qualifications being taught is not collected from schools for pupils under the age of 16, so it is not possible to provide the number and proportion of pupils being taught geography at GCSE level.
(b) We do not currently hold robust data at local authority level on pupils taught specific subjects at A level.
Gifted Children
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what programmes his Department has in place to support gifted and talented children; and what funding has been allocated to each of these programmes in the latest period for which figures are available. [28447]
Mr Gibb: The Dedicated Support Grant (DSG) to schools supports a universal offer of personalised education to all pupils, including gifted and talented (G&T) pupils. In addition, during the current financial year 2010-11, the Department's anticipated expenditure on support specifically for gifted and talented pupils is £8.952 million. This breaks down as follows:
Grammar Schools
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on the future provision of grammar schools; and what plans he has for the future number of grammar schools. [26428]
Mr Gibb: Parents choose grammar schools because of their record of excellence and the opportunity they provide for children of all backgrounds. There are now 160 designated grammar schools, as four have converted to academy status. The Government do not intend to increase the number of designated grammar schools.
International Baccalaureate
Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on the International Baccalaureate (IB); and whether he plans to encourage new academies to offer the IB curriculum. [29168]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 7 December 2010]: The Government recognise the quality and rigour of the International Baccalaureate (IB). It is for schools to decide to offer the IB where they consider it right for their pupils.
Academies have additional freedoms to offer an engaging curriculum which meets the particular needs of their pupils. We are very supportive of those academies that choose to offer the IB curriculum.
Languages: Education
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what budget he has allocated for the British Council's Language Teaching Assistance Scheme for each of the next four years. [30374]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 13 December 2010]: The Department has allocated around £700,000 a year in each of the next four years to the Language Assistants programme. The exact amount will be discussed and agreed with the delivery organisation prior to the start of each financial year, as is usual practice.
Ministerial Duties
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on how many occasions Ministers in his Department have met representatives of the (a) Church of England, (b) Church of England's Education Division, (c) National Society, (d) Catholic Church in England and Wales, (e) Catholic Education Service, (f) Catholic Diocesan Schools Commission, (g) Catholic Association of Teachers Schools and Colleges, (h) Methodist Church, (i) Methodist Education, (j) Muslim Council of Britain, (k) Board of Deputies of British Jews, (l) Agency for Jewish Education, (m) Accord Coalition, (n) British Humanist Association and (o) National Secular Society at venues other than his Department since his appointment. [25659]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 22 November 2010]: The following table gives details of the number of occasions Ministers at the Department for Education have met with representatives of the above organisations at venues other than the Department since the Secretary of State's appointment in May 2010.
Ofsted
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the findings of the Annual Report of HM Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills for 2009-10; and if he will make a statement. [27458]
Mr Gibb
[holding answer 1 December 2010]: The report presents a mixed picture in terms of educational performance in England. It demonstrates that across
the country there are many front line professionals making a real contribution to improving standards, and notes the positive impact of academies, many of which have replaced failing schools. The report also highlights the need for high quality teaching in all schools. That is why our Schools White Paper, published last week, places teaching at the centre of the Government's plans for reform.
Pre-school Education
Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to increase the take-up of free early education places by (a) couples and (b) lone parents who are not in employment; and if he will make a statement. [24852]
Sarah Teather [holding answer 22 November 2010]: Take up of free early education places remains high nationally, with 95% of three and four-year-olds accessing at least some of their free early education. However, significant gaps in take up remain between children from the most disadvantaged families and their peers. To improve life chances for these families, children's centres will refocus on supporting families in the greatest need. We know that children's centre outreach workers play an important part in reaching families in greatest need. We are considering what role outreach can continue to play, alongside health visitors, social workers and other early years professionals to promote children's centre services (including free early education places for two, three and four-year-olds), to those families least likely to take up these services.
Pre-school Education: Codes of Practice
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what representations he has received from nursery providers on the effects of recent changes to the Code of Practice on Free Nursery Education; [25451]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effects of recent changes to the Code of Practice on Free Nursery Education on the number of free nursery places available. [25450]
Sarah Teather: Primary legislation-s7 of the Childcare Act 2006-requires local authorities to secure nursery education free of charge for every three and four-year-old, whether or not there is statutory guidance in place. The legislative position is reiterated in new guidance, the code of practice, which came into force in September alongside new regulations which extend, to 15 hours per week, the amount of free nursery education to which each child is entitled. The code of practice, supports local authorities to deliver free nursery education and provides guidance on flexibility, quality, funding and working in partnership with providers. The extension and new code of practice was introduced following extensive consultation with providers and their representatives following trials in 34 pathfinder authorities.
The Department has received correspondence relating to free nursery education from providers in the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors, and from parents and local authorities. The Department is listening to the views of the early years sector on the recent extension to 15 hours per week and the additional flexibilities the code of practice introduced.
The most recent data held specifically about the take-up of free nursery education places is from "Provision for Children Under Five Years of Age in England: January 2010". This showed that 22,000 more three-year-olds and 5,500 more four-year-olds were taking up nursery education, compared with 2009. 92% of three-year-olds and 98% of four-year-olds access some free nursery education. The Department publishes information on the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds in maintained, private, voluntary and independent provider sectors. Information on the number of available free pre schools is not centrally available.
Primary Education: Manpower
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of teaching staff in primary schools who are (a) male and (b) female; and if he will make a statement. [27218]
Mr Gibb: In March 2009, the most recent information available, 15% of full-time regular teachers in service in local authority maintained nursery and primary schools were male and 85% were female. These figures exclude academies and are provisional. Further information is available at the following web link:
Schools: Admissions
Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to ensure that parents with more than one child who fulfil all relevant admissions criteria are able to send their children to the same school. [27320]
Mr Gibb: The School Admissions Code allows admission authorities to give priority to siblings when schools are oversubscribed. It is for authorities to decide, in consultation with their local communities, which oversubscription criteria are most appropriate for the needs of families in their area.
Schools: Brighton
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he had on school sport with (a) partnership development managers, (b) school sport co-ordinators, (c) competition managers and (d) primary link teachers (i) nationally and (ii) in Brighton Pavilion constituency. [27203]
Tim Loughton: The Secretary of State has met many stakeholders including partnership development managers, school sport co-ordinators, competition managers and primary link teachers, at events arranged by the Department and those that are organised by partners. Recent discussions with stakeholders have covered a variety of educational topics including policy on school sport. The Secretary of State has not attended any such meetings in the Brighton Pavilion constituency.
Schools: Finance
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many ring-fenced budgets relating to schools expenditure in 2010-11 will continue to be ring-fenced by his Department for 2011-12. [26449]
Mr Gibb: We are simplifying the funding for schools next year. From April 2011 there will be just two ring-fenced revenue grants funding streams for schools: the Dedicated Schools Grant and the Pupil Premium Grant.
As announced in the spending review, the Dedicated Schools Grant 2011-12 will incorporate the following 2010-11 revenue grants for schools which were paid as separate grants in 2010-11:
Funds allocated for one to one tuition
Funds allocated for 'every child programmes' such as Every Child a Reader
Extended Schools
School Lunch Grant
School Standards Grant
School Development Grant
Specialist Schools Grant
Ethnic Minority Achievement grant
The National Strategies' Budgets that were allocated to schools.
The Pupil Premium is a new grant to be introduced in 2011-12, which will provide additional funding for the most disadvantaged pupils, worth £2.5 billion by 2014-15.
Schools: Governing Bodies
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on the nomination by political groupings of candidates for school governor posts. [29487]
Mr Gibb: Local authorities have statutory powers to appoint governors to the governing body of most maintained schools. They are free to decide how their representatives are chosen. The Statutory Guidance on the Constitution of School Governing Bodies encourages local authorities to appoint governors irrespective of any political affiliation or preferences, emphasising the appointment of people with the right skills to strengthen the leadership of local schools.
Schools: ICT
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made for benchmarking purposes of online learning practice in other countries; and if he will make a statement. [21906]
Mr Gibb: The Government have not carried out any recent studies explicitly to benchmark school's online educational practice internationally but the Department does monitor and is aware of the research available in this area. The latest OECD 'Education at a Glance' publication shows that the UK fares favourably on per student expenditure compared to other OECD countries. For example we are aware of computer to pupil ratios of 1:3 at secondary, 1:7 at primary, and 1:3 at special schools in England. These figures stand up well to international comparisons and suggest healthy levels of online education which many reports suggest work best when combined with effective interpersonal teaching.
Schools: Learning Disability
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to increase the range of learning difficulties and disabilities covered by courses provided in teacher training colleges. [29062]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 6 December 2010]: Government want to continue to improve the quality of teachers and teaching, and to raise the status of the teaching profession.
We are supporting teacher training institutions to develop the skills and knowledge of those entering the profession with regard to special educational needs and disabilities through a special educational needs component within initial teacher training so that teachers new to the profession are able to adapt their approach to teaching pupils with particular special needs and disabilities.
We are also supporting specialist training in dyslexia and sensory impairment and for special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCos). This training is designed to equip individual teachers with the skills and knowledge to teach pupils with special educational needs, and to prepare SENCos for a strategic role supporting the development of teaching expertise, in these areas, within their school.
I am reviewing existing policies and programmes to make sure that they support our commitment, set out in the schools white paper, to high quality teacher training.
Schools: Music
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to encourage the teaching of music in schools; and if he will make a statement. [27238]
Mr Gibb: The coalition Government believe that every child should receive a sound music education including having opportunities to learn to play a musical instrument and to sing. Music is a compulsory subject within the national curriculum from key stages 1 to 3 so every school should already be teaching music, but we are aware from Ofsted reports that standards are not consistent. On 24 September the Secretary of State announced that he had asked Mr Darren Henley, the managing director of Classic FM, to carry out a review of music education and to make recommendations on how we can make sure music funding benefits more young people and improves the music opportunities young people receive both in and out of school. We will make decisions on any action that might be needed in the light of the findings of Mr Henley's review which is due to conclude at the end of this year:
Schools: PFI
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Education who will be responsible for the payment of annual charges relating to a private finance initiative contract in schools which convert to academy or free school status. [25720]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 22 November 2010]: The local authority remains responsible for the payment of the charges relating to a PFI contract, since the local authority is the party that signed the contract. However, the academy trust will be responsible for paying a contribution to the local authority.
Schools: Private Finance Initiative
Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will estimate the financial savings to schools from a five basis point reduction in private finance initiative payments. [25755]
Mr Gibb: No savings from a five basis point reduction in the interest rate charged to school PFI projects would accrue to schools. Depending on how the savings arose, the benefit could go to or be shared by the swap counterparty, the private sector contractor and/or the local authority.
However, if these savings could be realised, it is estimated that a five basis point reduction in the interest payments of all BSF PFI projects signed to date would produce a saving of around £1 million per year. It is not possible to estimate accurately the savings that would result on pre-BSF PFI projects as a substantial part of the original debt will by now have been repaid, and some of these projects have been re-financed, thus changing the amount of debt in the project.
Schools: Sports
Dr Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding for school sports partnerships was allocated to each local authority area in 2009-10. [26789]
Tim Loughton: The information requested is set out in the following table.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which schools in Lancashire have received school sports grants; how much was paid to each school; and how much was spent in each parliamentary constituency. [28128]
Tim Loughton: The information is set out in the following table.
Schools: Standards
Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent research he has evaluated on the transfer of responsibility for teaching standards from government to schools. [30049]
Tim Loughton: The White Paper, 'The Importance of Teaching', draws on evidence from the world's best education systems when it sets out the reform programme for the schools system, with schools freed from the constraints of central Government direction and teachers placed firmly at the heart of school improvement. The 'Case for Change' is an evidence-based publication that supports the case for change to our schools system; this has been placed in the House Libraries and may be accessed here:
The over-arching economic impact assessment of the schools White Paper has been placed in the House Libraries and may also be found on this site:
School autonomy is increasing at an international level (OECD, 2010) and findings regarding the relationship between school autonomy and raising standards are generally positive. High performing systems use four main approaches to help teachers to teach effectively: building practical skills during initial training; placing coaches in schools to support teachers; selecting and developing effective instructional leaders; and enabling teachers to learn from one another (Barber and Mourshed, 2007).
Schools: Surveillance
Ian Austin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) whether he has had recent discussions on the installation of (a) CCTV, (b) listening devices and
(c) other surveillance equipment in schools; and if he will make a statement; [28347]
(2) whether the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families has had discussions on the installation of (a) CCTV equipment, (b) listening devices and (c) other surveillance equipment in schools; and if he will make a statement. [30590]
Tim Loughton [holding answers 3 and 14 December 2010]: Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education nor I have had meetings, discussions or correspondence about the installation of CCTV, listening devices or other surveillance equipment in schools.
Schools: Vocational Guidance
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to consult head teachers on the operation of careers guidance services in their schools in 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [28098]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 6 December 2010]: We intend to restore a focus on specialist expertise in careers guidance for young people and adults based on the core principles of independence and professionalism, and will establish an all-age careers service by April 2012. Alongside this schools will be responsible for securing appropriate access to impartial, independent careers guidance for their pupils.
We recognise the importance of consulting with schools to inform both the design and development of the new service and the transitional arrangements required to ensure smooth progress towards April 2012. We will do this in a range of ways, both informally and formally, including through the establishment of a formal advisory group.
Science: Education
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to ensure a high standard of science education, including practical science, in free schools. [25895]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 23 November 2010]: Academies and free schools are required to teach science as part of a broad and balanced curriculum, but are not required to follow the national curriculum. This freedom allows teachers and schools to develop a creative and innovative teaching environment and to exercise their professional judgment on how to give all their pupils the best possible opportunities to learn about science, including the most able and those needing additional support.
Like maintained schools and other academies, free schools will be inspected by Ofsted. There will be clear expectations around the outcomes they are expected to achieve, including in science, and they will be held accountable against those expectations.
Social Work College
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of establishing the Social Work College. [30716]
Tim Loughton: In 2009 the Social Work Task Force recommended the establishment of a College of Social Work to articulate and promote the interests of good social work. It will give the profession itself strong, independent leadership; a clear voice in public debate, policy development and policy delivery; and strong ownership of professional social work standards.
The Government fully support the establishment of the College of Social Work. In order to provide independent professional leadership and voice for social work, once fully operational, the College will need to be fully funded by its members. However the Government have committed to providing £5 million for the establishment of the College to put it on a sound footing for the future.
Special Educational Needs: Teachers
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what (a) representations he has received and (b) discussions he has had on the requirement for qualified teacher status and accredited training for special educational needs co-ordinators. [29250]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 7 December 2010]: The Government want to continue to improve the quality of all teachers and teaching, and to raise the status of the teaching profession. The regulations requiring SENCos to be qualified as teachers and, if new to the role, to undertake nationally approved training were introduced following a recommendation by the cross-party Education Select Committee in 2006. The Committee heard evidence from parents and professionals who were concerned about variations in teaching skills among those working with SEN pupils in mainstream schools.
The Special Educational Needs and Disability Green Paper will be published shortly. The Green Paper will look at a range of issues with input from parents and professionals. The work force element of the SEN Green Paper will draw on this input and will build on the reforms set out in the Importance of Teaching White Paper. More recently, my colleague, the Minister of State for Children and Families (Sarah Teather), has recently met a group of SENCos as part of her consideration of the issues which the Green Paper will address. A Call for Views to inform the Green Paper also received 95 responses from SENCos.
Teachers
Mr Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of shortages of qualified teachers in each region. [29422]
Tim Loughton: The numbers of qualified and unqualified(1) teachers, by region, are published in table 3 of the School Workforce statistical first release (SFR). Tables 7 and 9 of the SFR provide further information on the vacancy rates, for full-time and part-time teachers separately, in local authority maintained schools by region. The most recent publication, containing this information for January 2010, can be accessed via the following link:
Table 1 provides the proportion of the total regular teachers in each region who are qualified. The north-west of England has the highest proportion of qualified teachers, the north-west and Yorkshire also have high proportions for the nursery and primary and special, PRU and other non-school education sectors respectively.
London has the lowest proportion of qualified teachers, the east of England also has a lower proportion of qualified teachers working in the secondary sector.
(1) Unqualified teachers include instructors, overseas trained teachers without Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and to QTS.
| Table 1: Proportion of qualified teachers in local authority maintained schools by Government office region, January 2010, coverage: England | ||||||||||
| Percentage | ||||||||||
| Government office regions | ||||||||||
| North-east | North-west | Yorkshire and the Humber | East midlands | West midlands | East of England | London | South-east | South-west | England | |
| (1) The 2010 headline figures utilise 83 local authority School Workforce Census returns and 69 local authority 618g returns. The definitions used in the SWF are as close as possible to the 618g survey it replaces and validation checks indicate that the two sources are comparible. (2) Proportion of the full and part-time head count of regular teachers who are qualified. (3) Proportion of the sum of the full-time headcount of regular teachers and FTE of part-time regular teachers who are qualified. Source: 618g survey and School Workforce Census. | ||||||||||
Teachers: Males
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to use the expansion of Teach First to primary school level to increase the number of male teachers. [28421]
Mr Gibb: The Government are currently considering a wide range of issues around the future of teacher training and, in particular, what steps it should take to ensure that we have an adequate supply of high quality teachers, and how the best people can be attracted into the profession. The number of men teaching in primary schools, via Teach First or more traditional routes, is one of these issues.
Teachers: Training
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much he plans to allocate to fund teacher training in training schools in each of the next four financial years. [28053]
Mr Gibb: In the White Paper 'The Importance of Teaching' we announced our intention to bring together the training school and national teaching school models to create a new national network of teaching schools from September 2011. We will make an announcement about funding arrangements for the new teaching schools shortly.
In the meantime, any schools wishing to express an interest in applying for the new designation should register their interest with National College at:
teachingschoolsenquiries@nationalcollege.org.uk
Vocational Education
Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on the inclusion of (a) independence, (b) economic well-being and (c) emotional intelligence skills training in vocational qualifications. [30044]
Mr Gibb:
Professor Alison Wolf has been asked to carry out an independent review of vocational education. She will consider the organisation, funding, and target
audience for vocational education, and the principles that should underpin the content, structure and teaching methods. She will report in spring 2011, and her findings will inform future developments to improve the standard of vocational education for 14 to 19-year-olds.
Vocational Guidance: Local Government Finance
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much each local authority spent on careers and Connexions services in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10; and what information his Department holds on planned expenditure by each local authority on those services in 2010-11. [28099]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 6 December 2010]: We do not collect information on how much local authorities spend or plan to spend on careers and Connexions services. Connexions funding has been paid to local authorities as part of the Area Based Grant (ABG) and they have been free to use the un-ringfenced ABG as they see fit to support the delivery of local, regional and national priorities in their areas.
Vocational Guidance: Standards
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what mechanisms will be in place to ensure that common professional standards for careers and Connexions services in each local authority will be maintained in (a) 2011 and (b) subsequent years of the spending review period. [28100]
Mr Gibb [ holding answer 6 December 2010]: The Government have accepted in principle the recommendations of the Careers Profession Task Force, published in its report "Towards A Stronger Careers Profession" (October 2010). Those recommendations include the establishment of professional standards for all careers professionals, quality standards for careers guidance services, and a kite mark to underpin the various quality awards for schools and colleges. We will be working with the Careers Profession Alliance, and other sector bodies, on a programme of work to implement these recommendations as we move to establish an all-age careers service.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to reply to question 22779, on the proposed pupil premium, tabled on 6 November 2010 for ordinary written answer. [29609]
Mr Gibb: A response was issued on 8 December 2010, Official Report, column 353W.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to provide a substantive answer to question 29328, on ministerial guidance to officials, tabled on 2 December 2010 for answer on 7 December 2010. [31699]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 20 December 2010]: A reply to PQ29328 was issued on 14 December 2010, Official Report, column 734W.
Young People: Social Services
Mr Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of mapping systems in planning the provision of services for young people; [25776]
(2) what mapping systems have been developed by his Department for use in respect of the provision of services to young people. [25777]
Mr Gibb: The Department makes use of and has developed geographic information systems to provide a range of information to both internal and external customers.
These capabilities support a number of business areas including school travel, parental choice, Free Schools, the Academies Expansion Programme and school destinations of pupils in London. These tools are aimed at helping to inform a range of users including parents, schools, local authorities, as well as the Department for Education, in their decision-making.
Externally the Department provides a number of publicly available services. The EduBase website includes mapping tools which allow parents to select and view schools in their local area. The In Your Area and the School and College Achievement and Attainment Tables websites use maps and geographical search facilities to allow users to navigate to a range of local statistics and school performance data. The Department also uses thematic maps to present information in a number of statistical releases.
Young People: Unemployment
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many young people in Bristol East constituency were not in education, employment or training on the latest date for which figures are available; [27937]
(2) what proportion of young people (a) in Bristol East constituency, (b) in Bristol, (c) in the South West and (d) nationally were not in education, employment or training in the latest period for which figures are available. [27939]
Mr Gibb: Official estimates of the number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England are published by the Department in a Statistical First Release (SFR) each June and can be found on the Department's website at:
The latest provisional data show that 9.2% of 16 to 18-year-olds were NEET at the end of 2009.
These estimates cannot be broken down below national level. However, Connexions Services collect information on the number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET in each local authority area, which are published annually of the DFE website:
Figures from the Connexions data for Bristol and the south-west for the end of 2009 are shown in the following table. An England average from the Connexions data is
also shown for comparison. This is different from the official SFR measure above because it relates the young person's actual age, rather than their academic age, and uses a number of different definitions. Connexions data cannot be broken down by parliamentary constituency.
| 16 to 18-year-olds NEET | ||
| Number | Proportion (percentage) | |
Youth Sport Trust
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families has met Baroness Campbell of Loughborough to discuss the work of the Youth Sport Trust since his appointment. [29056]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 6 December 2010]: Since May 2010, I have met Baroness Campbell on various occasions either at events, on visits, or during the course of developing the Government's proposals on PE and sport which has included a discussion about the Youth Sport Trust and the school Olympics. Our key proposals were set out in the Secretary of State's letter of 20 October to Baroness Campbell.
Work and Pensions
Work Clubs
22. Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many work clubs have been established since May 2010. [32664]
Chris Grayling: We estimate that over 350 work clubs have been established and are supporting local communities across the UK.
Pensioners: Effects of Inflation
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent research his Department has undertaken on the effects of inflation on pensioners. [32647]
Steve Webb: The Department has considered inflation indices, looking at the basket of goods and methodology of each.
We believe that the CPI is the most appropriate index to use to measure changes in the general level of prices. It is the headline measure of inflation and excludes mortgage interest payments, which are not relevant to most pensioners.
Long-term Benefit Recipients
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress he has made on his proposals to assist long-term benefit recipients into employment. [32663]
Mr Duncan Smith: The Government aim to have the new Work programme in place nationally by summer 2011. This will help people with a wide variety of needs into sustained employment, including longer term jobseeker's allowance customers, harder to help jobseeker's allowance customers, and employment and support allowance customers.
The Invitation to Tender for Work programme was issued to successful framework providers on 22 December 2010. Work programme tenders are to be returned by 14 February 2011.
Housing Benefit
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what evidence he used to determine that planned changes to housing benefit for those out of work for over 12 months will increase employment levels. [32666]
Steve Webb: We did not make any specific assumptions about the impact on employment levels of this measure. Research shows that the reasons for long term unemployment are complex. However we believe reducing housing benefit after 12 months will provide an additional financial incentive for jobseekers to take up work.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of local housing allowance recipients between the ages of 25 and 35 in receipt of each passported benefit. [29021]
Steve Webb: The requested information is shown in the table.
| Breakdown of local housing allowance recipients by age and receipt of passporting benefit, August 2010. | |
| Receipt of passporting benefit | Aged 25 to 35 |
| Notes: 1. Figures are based on the single housing benefit extract (SHBE), are rounded to the nearest 10 recipients, and are as at the second Thursday of August 2010. 2. The data refers to benefit units which may be a single person or a couple. 3. The age breakdown is based on the age of the main benefit claimant; this explains the reason why there are some benefit units in receipt of pension credit. 4. Local housing allowance tenants (LHA) may include a small number of non-LHA cases making a new claim since 7 April 2008. This will include recipients in caravan accommodation. 5. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. The data are available monthly from November 2008 and August 2010 is the most recent available. 6. The information does not include recipients whose passported status, tenure or age is not recorded. | |
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the change in the housing benefit bill attributable to the introduction of his proposed affordable rent model. [29231]
Steve Webb: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 November 2010, Official Report, column 931W, to the right hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire South (Mr Alexander).
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of claimants of local housing allowance who will make an additional payment to cover the difference between benefits received and rent paid following the implementation of his proposals to reform housing benefit; and what estimate he has made of the average amount of such weekly additional payments in each local authority by bedroom size. [31356]
Steve Webb: The Department published an analytical supplement as part of the Work and Pensions Select Committee inquiring into the impact of the changes to housing benefit announced in the June 2010 Budget. This supplement includes, on page 23, information on the ability of claimants to pay rent after the local housing allowance reforms.
This document can be accessed from:
Information on the average amount of weekly additional payments is not available.
Annuities
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to increase take-up of the open market option when purchasing an annuity. [31497]
Mr Hoban: I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 December 2010, Official Report, column 836W.
Child Support
Miss Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what work the audit committee of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has undertaken on the quality of decision making in child support since the Commission's inception. [31201]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what work the audit committee of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has undertaken on the quality of decision making in child support since the Commission's inception: [31201]
The most recent Commission Audit Committee report is published on page 22 of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission Annual Report and Accounts 2009/10 and their advice is incorporated into the Statement of Internal Control published on page 37 of the same report which is available at the following link:
Children: Disadvantaged
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his speech to the annual conference of Relate, on 3 November 2010, what the evidential basis was for his statement that (a) children from broken homes are nine times more likely to become young offenders and (b) children in lone-parent and step-families are twice as likely to be in the bottom 20 per cent. of child outcomes as children in families headed by a married couple. [31534]
Maria Miller: In his speech to the Relate Annual Conference my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions stressed the importance of family life, drawing on information from a variety of sources.
The Youth Justice Board Annual Review 2001-02: Building on Success, showed that of a sample of young offenders under the supervision of a Youth Offending Team only 30% were living with both their mother and father, much lower than the population as a whole, for example the Office for National Statistics Publication Social Trends 32 covering a similar period shows that the proportion of children living in households headed by a couple was 79% (though this will include some step families). By comparing these relative amounts we can deduce an indicative value for the relative probability for children from broken homes coming under the supervision of a Youth Offending Team.
The relationship between family set-up and child outcomes is discussed in the 2009 Demos report 'Building Character'. As set out in the speech to the Relate Annual Conference it showed that children from lone-parent and step-families are twice as likely to have childhood outcomes in the bottom quintile.
Children: Maintenance
Miss Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to publish the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission's (a) qualitative research on promotion of child maintenance and instigating behaviour change and (b) evaluation of the Child Maintenance Options Service. [31273]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission's (a) qualitative research on promotion of child maintenance and instigating behaviour change and (b) evaluation of the Child Maintenance Options Service. [31273]
The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission's research into the promotion of child maintenance and behaviour change has been completed. The final draft of the report has been reviewed and it is expected that the results will be published shortly.
The research to evaluate the Child Maintenance Options Service has also been completed. The research continues to be reviewed and the final report is currently being drafted. We expect to publish the findings in the spring of 2011.
Miss Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much in child maintenance arrears was not pursued by the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission following suspension of collection in each year since 2007. [31374]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much in child maintenance arrears was not actually pursued by the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission following suspension of collection in each year since 2007. [31374]
A net value of £93m in arrears of maintenance was suspended in the financial year 2006/07 and therefore deemed not feasible or insensitive to collect. This is calculated from the £388.9m that was suspended in that financial year and £295.9m of suspended arrears that were re-instated and deemed possible to collect. Arrears that were re-instated may be from previous financial years.
In 2007/08, the latest published figures available, a net value of £6.5m in arrears of maintenance were suspended. This is calculated from the £221m of arrears that were suspended in this period and £214.5m that were re-instated.
Figures for 2008/09 and 2009/10 are not available as the Commission has not yet finalised the client funds accounts for this period. The Commission continues to work with the National Audit Office with a view to publishing them in the near future.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Children: Poverty
Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of children in (a) absolute poverty, (b) relative poverty and (c) combined material deprivation and low income in Birmingham, Hall Green constituency. [31578]
Maria Miller: Estimates of the number and proportion of children living in poverty are published in the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, to provide a proxy for standard of living.
As they are based on survey data, child poverty estimates published in HBAI only allow breakdowns to Government office region and analysis by parliamentary constituency is not possible. However, figures for West Midlands are set out in table 1.
| Table 1: Number and percentage of children living in (a) relative poverty before housing costs (BHC) , (b) absolute poverty (BHC) and (c) combined material d eprivation and low income in West Midlands, before housing costs | ||||||
| Number of children (million) and percentage | ||||||
| Absolute poverty | Relative poverty | Combined material deprivation and low income | ||||
| Period | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
| Notes 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data sourced from the 2008-09 Family Resources Survey (FRS). This uses disposable household income, adjusted using modified OECD equivalisation factors for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 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 reference period for households below average income figures are single financial years. Three survey years have been combined as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 4. Number of children in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest 100,000, while proportions have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. 5. These statistics are based on incomes before housing costs. 6. Each of the measures is defined as: Relative poverty: Percentage of children living in households with less than 60% of contemporary median household income. Absolute poverty: Percentage of children living in households with less than 60% of 1998-99 median household income held constant in real terms. Low income and material deprivation: Percentage of children living in households in material deprivation and with less than 70% of contemporary median household income. Source: Households Below Average Income, DWP. | ||||||
Crisis Loans
Mrs Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many crisis loans his Department has issued in the last 12 months in (a) North Tyneside constituency, (b) the North East and (c) England. [31888]
Steve Webb: The available information is given in the table.
| Initial crisis loan awards made from December 2009 to November 2010 | |
| Number | |
| Notes: 1. The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using official/national statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as official/national statistics and there are some issues with the data; for example, the numbers given do not include awards processed clerically which had not yet been entered on to the social fund computer system. 2. The number of initial crisis loan awards is not available by constituency, but only by Government office region or Jobcentre Plus social fund budget area. 3. The North East has been interpreted as the Government office region of that name. 4. Numbers are for initial awards only and do not include awards made after review. 5. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: Department for Work and Pensions Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System. | |
Departmental Billing
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many invoices his Department processed in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [30756]
Chris Grayling: The amount of invoices which the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has processed in the last 12 months is 859,649. This information represents the invoices for the 12 month period, December 2009 to November 2010 inclusive.
Departmental Press: Subscriptions
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department and its predecessors spent on press cuttings services in each year since 1997. [28153]
Chris Grayling: The figures available for cost of press cuttings services to the Department extend as far back as 2006 due to the introduction of a new Procurement and Finance IT system in December 2005. All details of expenditure prior to this time have been archived, and therefore disproportionate costs would be incurred to produce figures prior to 2006. There were significant costs incurred in the financial year 2009-10, this was due to increased press activity in relation to the recession.
The Department is committed to driving down costs and delivering efficiencies. A new contract was agreed in April 2010 which dramatically reduced the amount of employees with access to the press cuttings and also reduced the number of cuttings actually received. We expect this to substantially reduce our costs compared to 2009-10. We continue to monitor all expenditure with a view to delivering maximum value for the taxpayer.
The cost of press cuttings services to the Department from 2006 shown in the following table are inclusive of VAT, however it should be noted that the VAT is recovered by the Department for these services:
| Financial year | Cost (inc VAT) (£) |
Departmental Procurement
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible have taken to comply with the guidance of the Office of Government Commerce on promoting skills through public procurement issued in 2009. [31319]
Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions, its agencies and NDPBs are fully engaged with the Government drive to promote skills through procurement.
Supporting this, the Department launched the DWP Supplier Charter in October 2009 which the Department's key suppliers have signed up to.
Under this Charter, larger suppliers are required to commit to the Government, trade unions, private and third sector employer organisations "Joint Statement" which ensures that all employees working on Government contracts are given access to training for basic skills. Suppliers are encouraged to work with Government to unlock talent, build relevant skills and expand opportunities for people to work, offering training and apprenticeships that develop a work force with world class skills.
Furthermore, the Department has developed and implemented a contract schedule which is fully utilised in all procurement exercises to improve the number of apprenticeships and wider skills opportunities created through procurement. The schedule requires that suppliers:
Take all reasonable steps to employ apprentices and report to DWP the numbers of apprentices employed/wider skills training provided during delivery of the contract;
Take all reasonable steps to ensure that at least 5% of the employees involved in delivery of the contract are on a formal Apprenticeship Programme;
Make available to its employees working on the contract, information about the Government's Apprenticeship Programme and wider skills opportunities;
Provide appropriate further skills training opportunities for employees delivering the contract;
Provide a written report to DWP that provides an update against the above requirements.
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) steps he is taking to encourage small businesses to bid for contracts let by his Department and (b) recent guidance he has provided to small businesses on bidding for such contracts. [32023]
Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions is fully engaged with Government initiatives to promote the use of small and medium-sized enterprises and increase the level of business they get from Government. This business can be either direct, by winning departmental contracts, or indirect, working as partners with or sub-contractors to the Department's prime contractors.
We are achieving the new Government commitment that 25% of contracts will be let to small and medium enterprises and in 2009-10 achieved 29%.The Department is also fully committed to using the new cross-Government pre-qualification questionnaire which is designed to simplify the tendering process for small and medium enterprises and will be launched in December 2010.
We plan to encourage and support small and medium enterprises to form part of a wider approach set out in the DWP Commercial Strategy. This has objectives to make it easier for suppliers to compete for contracts and encourage a diverse supply base.
Small and medium-sized businesses are encouraged to contract with the Department, either as first tier suppliers where they are able or as sub-contractors for more complex contracts. Part of the approach is to use the DWP Supplier Charter, signed by the Department's top suppliers, which refers to extending its principles to small and medium-sized enterprises as sub-contractors. Under the Charter, larger suppliers are expected to use small and medium sized business and voluntary organisations as sub-contractors where it is appropriate.
Small businesses and voluntary organisations provide significant contributions to welfare to work provision where their specialist and local expertise can add great
value. In preparing for the Work Programme the Department has engaged with these organisations to gain their views and encourage them to become involved. It has taken steps to encourage potential prime contractors to come together with a range of partners and sub-contractors where they could add value to bids and will run local events to help prime-contractors understand the needs and issues within each locality so they can put together appropriate supply chains for that area.
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with voluntary and community groups on bidding for contracts let by his Department. [32024]
Chris Grayling: DWP continues to engage and acknowledge the vital role the voluntary and community sector plays in helping people back to work through the delivery of its employment programmes. This business can be either direct, by winning departmental contracts, or indirect, working as partners with or subcontractors to the Department's prime contractors.
During the autumn and early winter we have held events across Great Britain to engage voluntary and community sector organisations in our plans for the Work programme and the commercial opportunities it presents. We also supported events with the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO) Association of Learning Providers (ALP) and the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion (CESI).
In December I wrote to representative groups from the sector encouraging them to ensure their members are aware of the opportunity the Work programme presents for them to market their value and work with larger delivery partners in delivering contracts.
DWP hosted an event on 20 December with small providers to encourage them to strengthen their hand in their dealings with prime providers and become an active participant in delivery of the Work programme.
Small businesses and voluntary organisations provide significant contributions to welfare to work provision where their specialist and local expertise can add great value. In preparing for the Work programme the Department has engaged with these organisations to gain their views and encourage them to become involved. It has taken steps to encourage potential prime contractors to come together with a range of partners and subcontractors where they could add value to bids and will run local events to help prime-contractors understand the needs and issues within each locality so they can put together appropriate supply chains for that area.
DWP is competitively neutral in letting its contracts. However, it recognises the value specialist and voluntary sector organisations can add in the delivery of welfare to work services. We actively encourage them to form partnerships and join up their expertise and financial resources to bid as a consortium to deliver our programmes directly or alternatively, market their expertise to the prime supplier as subcontractors
We are supporting partnership discussions using the Indus Delta website, hosted by the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion (CESI), to provide a facility for potential framework organisations and supply chain partners to make first contact with each other.
Organisations are also encouraged to use the Merlin web portal:
that was launched on 25 November. This provides free support to smaller, specialist and voluntary sector providers in applying to prime providers to become part of their supply chain.
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