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19 Jan 2011 : Column 849W—continued
Health Services: Foreign Nationals
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what progress his Department has made of its review of access to the NHS by foreign nationals; [34419]
(2) how much the NHS received from chargeable patients in each year since 1997; [34420]
(3) how much income due to the NHS from chargeable patients since 1997 has not been collected. [34557]
Anne Milton: The total audited income from overseas patients under non-reciprocal arrangements and total losses, bad debt and claims abandoned for overseas visitors for years 2002-03 to 2009-10, for which figures are available for England, are shown in the following table.
| Non reciprocal income received (£) | Bad debts and claims abandoned in respect of overseas patients (£) | |
| Notes: 1. 2003-04 was the first year we separately identified income from overseas patients under non reciprocal agreements. Therefore there is no data before this time. 2. We do not collect data from National Health Service Foundation Trusts so figures from 2004-05 onwards exclude these sites. Source: National Health Service Trust Audited Summarisation Schedules. | ||
The Government are considering the responses to the previous administration's consultation document titled "Review of access to the national health service by foreign nationals".
Health: Advertising
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on advertising for the purposes of (a) public health promotion and (b) raising awareness of its services in 2010. [33277]
Anne Milton: The Department's estimated expenditure on advertising for public health promotion for 2010 was £25,002,000. This is a provisional figure because the invoicing for some campaigns run towards the end of the year will not have been completed.
The figures do not include recruitment or classified advertising costs. Advertising spend is defined as covering only media spend (inclusive of agency commissions but excluding production costs, Central Office of Information commission and VAT). All figures exclude advertising rebates and audit adjustments and therefore may differ from Central Office of Information official turnover figures.
The Department has not undertaken any advertising in 2010 to raise awareness of its services.
Influenza: Vaccination
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the number of doses of influenza vaccine available in NHS facilities in (a) the North West and (b) Warrington. [34037]
Anne Milton: The information requested is not held centrally. General practitioners (GPs) in England order seasonal influenza vaccine direct from the manufacturers, according to their patients' needs.
About 14.5 million doses have been ordered (both private and national health service) from vaccine suppliers from the United Kingdom. Seasonal flu vaccine quantities each year are usually between 14 million and 15 million doses.
The Department is aware of some reports of seasonal influenza vaccine supply issues in some areas. The NHS is working to ensure that any local vaccine shortages are managed effectively.
The Department is working with the NHS at the local level to ensure available supplies of surplus vaccine are moved to where there is a need for them. The chief medical officer wrote to GPs in England on 6 January to confirm that they can use the H1N1 monovalent influenza vaccine Pandemrix, which will help protect people most at risk against the H1N1 virus which is causing the most illness. A copy of this letter has already been placed in the Library.
There are potentially over 12 million doses of Pandemrix available to the NHS if needed.
The Secretary of State has already agreed for a review of procurement options of the seasonal flu vaccine to be undertaken, including central procurement, although no decisions have yet been made.
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he made the decision to launch the 2010-11 seasonal influenza public awareness campaign. [34244]
Anne Milton: The Secretary of State for Health received and considered advice on this issue over the Christmas period in response to data on rising rates of flu infection in England.
The Catch it, Bin it, Kill it campaign is designed to encourage behaviours likely to slow the spread of flu. Research from previous Catch It Bin It Kill It campaigns shows that advertising was most likely to be effective when there were high levels of awareness about flu and colds circulating in the community.
Mentally Ill: Offenders
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the likely cost to the public purse of treating offenders with mental health problems in the community in each of the next five years; how much funding he plans to allocate to such treatment; and if he will make a statement. [34038]
Paul Burstow: The national health service is responsible for the commissioning of mental health care for offenders whether they are in prison or in the community. Decisions about funding are currently made by primary care trusts and, subject to passage of the appropriate legislation, will in the future be taken by general practice consortia and the NHS Commissioning Board.
The Department is working with the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office to roll out a national diversion service at police stations and at courts by 2014. Working with the police and courts, we will identify a number of pathfinder sites that will help identify best practice, quantify the benefits, and develop appropriate quality standards.
NHS: Fees and Charges
Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2010, Official Report, column 172W, on health services: overseas visitors, whether he has completed consideration of the policy of extending to six months per year the permitted period of absence for current UK residents who are not pensioners during which they are not liable to be charged for hospital treatment. [34521]
Anne Milton: The Government are considering the responses to the previous administration's consultation document titled "Review of access to the National Health Service by foreign nationals", which included a proposal to extend to up to six months per year the permitted period of absence for current United Kingdom residents who are not pensioners before they may be liable to be charged for hospital treatment.
NHS: Finance
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what directions his Department has issued to (a) hospitals and (b) other trusts on the annual amount by which capital expenditure must be reduced over the next three years. [34096]
Mr Simon Burns: There have been no directions issued to the national health service directly instructing them to reduce their capital expenditure over the next three years.
NHS capital expenditure is managed through an annual planning process, which allows local decision making to determine the priority areas for investment. Forecasts for future years are also included in these plans.
Although the available capital will be reduced over the spending review, it will remain higher in real-terms over the next four years than spending in 2007-08 or any year before.
The Department expects NHS plans to be affordable on this basis.
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress he has made on achieving savings in the NHS. [34249]
Mr Simon Burns: The spending review set out the Government's commitment to delivering efficiency improvements in the national health service of up to £20 billion over the next four years (from 2011-12 through 2014-15). This includes a saving of £1.9 billion in the costs of administration across the health system. All savings will be available to re-invest in improving services and outcomes for patients.
The approach to delivering these savings has been developed bottom-up with individual NHS organisations formulating their own plans to deliver quality and efficiency improvements, based upon their own specific local circumstances and priorities, recognising variations in how services are provided and the scale of the challenge. While this process is focussed on the spending review period commencing in April 2011, many NHS organisations are already delivering savings and quality improvements locally.
For example, in Yorkshire and the Humber, staff are working to save £22.5 million across the region by reducing infections, pressure ulcers, falls and deterioration in the form of deep vein thrombosis and clots. Nationally these currently cost the NHS £1 billion a year. Simple systems designed by staff and understood by everyone involved can dramatically improve safety records and deliver safer care to patients every day.
The Department has also taken action centrally to deliver savings, including through strict cross-Government controls introduced in May 2010 on areas of spending including consultancy, communications and marketing and information technology projects. It has also undertaken a thorough review of all health arm's length bodies, which will reduce their number from 18 to between eight and 10 and deliver savings of around £180 million annually by 2014-15.
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the level of debt or surplus held by each primary care trust (a) in 2009-10 and (b) on the most recent date for which figures are available. [34697]
Mr Simon Burns: Tables showing the surplus or deficit in each primary care trust in 2009-10 and forecast of Quarter two 2010-11, which is the most recent date for which figures are available, have been placed in the Library.
Older People: Domestic Accidents
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to reduce the number of falls experienced by elderly people in their homes which result in a hospital visit. [34019]
Paul Burstow: Hip fractures remain the most serious consequence of a fall in older people and there is a significant programme of work in development by the Department to reduce the number of falls and fractures that occur in England. This includes the consideration of indicators that relate to falls and fragility fractures as part of the NHS Outcomes Framework, the Department's 2009 publication of a Falls and Fractures Commissioning Toolkit, the Best Practice Tariff that is in place which incentivises high quality care in hip fracture patients and National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on hip fracture care.
The majority of fractures in older people occur as a result from a fall from standing height, commonly affecting the pelvis, wrist, upper arm or hip. Recurrent falls are often a manifestation of impaired postural stability. This can result from a combination of factors, such as conditions like arthritis, stroke or Parkinson's disease, age-related frailty and long-term cardio-respiratory conditions leading to loss of strength, balance and concentration or insight. External factors can contribute to falls, such as poor or cold housing or behavioural issues such as excessive alcohol consumption.
We have also made additional funding available to primary care trusts (PCTs) in order to support social care services. On 4 January 2011, the Department announced it was providing £162 million to PCTs that they will transfer to local authorities for immediate spending on social care services to benefit health, and
to improve overall health gain. PCTs will need to work together with local authorities to agree jointly on appropriate areas for social care investment, and the outcomes expected from this investment. The investment may be used to support and maintain existing services such as telecare, community directed prevention (including falls prevention), community equipment and adaptations, and crisis response services. The Department would expect these decisions to take into account the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment for their local population, and the existing commissioning plans for both health and social care. PCTs will work with local authorities to achieve these outcomes in a transparent and efficient manner, with local authorities keeping PCTs informed of progress using appropriate local mechanisms.
The 2011-12 Operating Framework for the national health service in England includes a focus on joint working between the NHS and its local Government partners, especially in the area of community-directed prevention (including falls prevention) and backs this up with further PCT allocations totalling £648 million. These allocations will be transferred to local authorities for spending on social care services to benefit health in the next financial year. This is part of a package of additional funding, worth £1.3 billion in 2011-12, that will support the delivery of social care in the context of a challenging local government settlement.
Primary Care Trusts: Manpower
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were employed in primary care trusts on 1 January 2011. [34248]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is not yet available. It will be published on 22 March 2011 by the NHS Information Centre.
The most current monthly data available is for September 2010, however, this is not census data and the differences to the census can be found in the technical paper "Technical Data: Differences between the 2009 Census and the September 2009 data in the new monthly publication" which is published by the NHS Information Centre and is available at:
A copy of the above document has been placed in the Library.
Rehabilitation: Health Services
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of (a) smoking, (b) alcohol and (c) drug-related illnesses in each of the last three years. [34003]
Anne Milton: The Department does not maintain an annual record of the cost to the national health service of treating people with alcohol, drugs or tobacco-related diseases.
However, academic research has indicated that the direct cost to the NHS of treating people with tobacco related-illnesses in England is £2.7 billion per annum
(Callum C. (2008) 'The cost of smoking to the NHS"\n Health Economics, Policy and Law'). This report is available online at:
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayFulltext?type =l&pdftype=1&fid=7879505&jid=HEP&volumeId=-1&issueId=&aid=7879503
The Department reviewed the cost of alcohol related harm to the NHS in 2008. The cost of alcohol misuse to the NHS in England was estimated to be £2.7 billion per year for 2006-07 ('The Cost of alcohol harm to the NHS, Department of Health', 2008, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library)
The Department has also estimated the cost of Class A drug use to the NHS in 2008-09 to be £585 million.
This estimate was calculated using the following academic reports: Gordon L. Tinsley L. Godfrey C. et al. (2006) 'The economic and social costs of class A drug use in England and Wales 2003/04', Singleton N. Murray R. Tinsley L. 'Measuring different aspects of problem drug use: methodological developments. Home Office Online Report 16/06' and L. Curtis 'Unit Costs of Health and Social Care 2010', Personal Social Services Research Unit.
Community drug treatment is funded by the Department through the Pooled Treatment Budget (PTB). The PTB is £406 million in 2010-11 and covers drug treatment for adults and young people. This budget includes £22 million from the Ministry of Justice as a contribution towards the delivery of drug rehabilitation requirements. Local primary care trusts also make an additional £156 million in health funding available to support drug treatment.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Health Services
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding each primary care trust allocated to treating and preventing sexually transmitted infections in (a) each of the last five financial years and (b) 2010-11. [34698]
Anne Milton: Information on programme budgeting estimates of primary care trust (PCTs) expenditure on treatment of sexually transmitted infections and HIV and AIDS from 2006-07, the first year for which figures are available to 2009-10, the latest year for which figures are available, has been placed in the Library. Information on how much PCTs allocated to prevention is not collected centrally.
Spinal Injuries: Health Services
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans his Department has for the future of spinal injury centres; [34035]
(2) how many spinal cord injuries were treated in NHS facilities in (a) Sunderland, (b) the North East and (c) England in each year since 2000. [34036]
Paul Burstow: The number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) with a primary diagnosis of 'spinal cord injuries' and a count of how many of those FCEs also had recorded a procedure or intervention, are provided in the following table.
| Total FCEs | FCEs with a procedure or intervention | |||||
| National | North East strategic health authority | Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust | National | NESHA | Sunderland Teaching PCT | |
| Note: These data are presented as a count of FCEs rather than treatments, more than one spinal cord treatment could have been undertaken in a single FCE; also a single patient could have had multiple FCEs. Data for Sunderland Teaching PCT is unavailable for 2006-07 due to an issue with data processing. There are no instances of six or more FCEs treated within Sunderland Teaching PCT, therefore these data have been suppressed. Prior to 1 April 2006 'North East SHA' existed as 'Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA' and 'County Durham and Tees Valley SHA' Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care | ||||||
There are currently no plans to change spinal injury centres.
Stem Cells: Medical Treatments
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the use of blood stem cell transplantation for non-cancerous diseases and conditions. [34481]
Anne Milton: Data collated by the British Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, in 2009 indicates that 150 (20%) of donor stem cell transplants carried out in the United Kingdom were for non-cancerous conditions such as bone marrow failure, immunodeficiency, haemoglobinopathy, inherited metabolic disorders, and autoimmune conditions.
Education
Academies: Kent
Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many academies in Kent are university-assisted; and if he will make a statement. [32777]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 10 January 2011]: Five Academies in Kent are co-sponsored by universities. The Department and the Young People's Learning Agency do not hold details on other possible informal partnership and support arrangements with universities in Kent.
Baroness Campbell: Meetings
Ian Austin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Chesterfield of 15 November 2010, Official Report, column 628, on secondary school standards, where meetings with Baroness Campbell took place; who was present at each such meeting; how long each such
meeting lasted; what subjects were discussed at each such meeting; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the agenda and minutes of each such meeting; [27463]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 20 December 2010, Official Report, columns 1070-71W, on the Youth Sport Trust, on what date each meeting with (a) Baroness Campbell and (b) the Youth Sport Trust took place; who was present at each meeting; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of each meeting. [32892]
Tim Loughton [holding answers 29 November 2010 and 11 January 2011]: The Secretary of State met Baroness Campbell on a number of occasions before the general election. After the election he met her at the launch of the Olympic and Paralympic style school sport competition at the City of London Academy in Southwark, on 28 June. A range of people were present at these meetings. The event in Southwark lasted an hour. The Secretary of State also met the baroness on 16 December 2010, for around 20 minutes at the Department for Education in Westminster. No agendas or minutes were produced for these meetings.
Class Sizes: Newham
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many bulge classes there are in schools in the London Borough of Newham; and in which school years. [31588]
Mr Gibb: The information requested is not collected centrally.
The latest statistics on class sizes can be found at:
table 14A.
Dance: Finance
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding his Department will provide to national dance centres for advanced training from April 2011 onwards. [33038]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 12 January 2011]: The coalition Government support the Music and Dance scheme, which has successfully supported the education and vocational training of exceptionally talented young musicians and dancers. We shall take decisions about the future funding of the Music and Dance scheme in the context of the forthcoming recommendations by Darren Henley, Managing Director of Classic FM, following his review of music education.
Departmental Communication
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Dundee of 11 October 2010, Official Report, columns 12-13W, on departmental communication, what record his Department holds of (a) instances of complaints by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families on the quality of (i) speeches and (ii) briefings provided to him by officials and (b) the steps taken in consequence. [29040]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 6 December 2010]: There is no record of any complaints by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families.
Departmental Written Questions
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department has a target for providing a substantive answer to questions tabled for answer on a named day. [29768]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 9 December 2010]: The Department has historically set an internal target of 90% of named day PQs to receive a substantive answer on the named day. As the volume of named day PQs has increased by approximately 50% since the election, we are reviewing both the internal targets and the resources available to answer questions.
Discretionary Learner Support Awards
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much was spent under each budget heading on the discretionary learner support awards in the last 12 months. [32112]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 17 January 2011]: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the discretionary learner support funding for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Scunthorpe with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 22 December 2010:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ32112 that asked:
"How much was spent under each budget heading on the discretionary Learner Support awards in the last 12 months."
Allocations to providers for discretionary Learner Support for the academic year 2010/11 are made in three stages-August 2010, December 2010 and March 2011. The amounts paid so far against each budget line are:
| £ | |
The allocations for the academic year 2009/10 were:
| £ | |
These figures are based on allocations and validated amounts of actual spend will be published in the YPLA Annual Report.
Discretionary Learner Support Fund
David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what provision he has made for the administrative costs of the Discretionary Learner Support Fund in 2010-11; and from which of his Department's budgets such costs will be met. [32410]
Mr Gibb: Currently colleges and training providers who are in receipt of discretionary learner support funds can use up to 5% of their allocation for administrative costs. We will consider what provision should be made for the administrative costs of the new enhanced discretionary learner support fund as we finalise the arrangements for that scheme. In doing so we will consult with schools, colleges and training organisations.
Early Intervention Grant: Young People
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of the Early Intervention Grant will fund community activities for young people; and if he will make a statement. [32080]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 12 January 2011]: In challenging times the Government are freeing local authorities to focus on essential frontline services, and to invest in early intervention and prevention to produce long-term savings and better results for children, young people and families. A key element of this approach is the creation of a new Early Intervention Grant for local authorities in England, worth £2,212 million in 2011-12 and £2,297 million in 2012-13. It replaces a number of former funding streams, which are listed in a note on my Department's website. The Early Intervention Grant is not ring-fenced, so it is for each local authority to determine what proportion of the grant will fund community activities for young people.
Education
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy to ensure that compulsory education includes both vocational and academic routes of study. [32766]
Mr Gibb: The Secretary of State for Education has asked Professor Alison Wolf to carry out a review of vocational education and we will also shortly be announcing details of our plans to review the National Curriculum. The outcomes of both reviews will inform any future policy development.
Education Maintenance Allowance: Liverpool
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many young people resident in (a) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency and (b) Liverpool, are eligible for education maintenance allowance; [31763]
(2) how many young people resident in (a) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency and (b) Liverpool have applied for education maintenance allowance in each year since the scheme's inception. [31764]
Mr Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 20 December 2010:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Questions PQ31763 and PQ31764 that asked:
"How many young people resident in (a) Liverpool Wavertree constituency and (b) Liverpool are eligible for educational maintenance allowance."
"How many young people resident in (a) Liverpool Wavertree constituency and (b) Liverpool have applied for educational maintenance allowance in each year since the scheme's inception."
Information on the number of young people who have received Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available at Local Authority level, but not at constituency level. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
We do not hold information on which young people and households are eligible for (EMA), only on the number of young people who apply for the scheme.
As at 30 November 2010, the take-up figure for young people in Liverpool who have received EMA during the 2010/11 academic year was 6,397.
The table below show applications and take-up data for Liverpool local authority.
| Academic year | Applications | Successful applicants | Unsuccessful applications |
Continuing learners in the years marked '*' did not need to submit a new application for EMA for that year as they were covered by the EMA Guarantee.
EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10 is available on the YPLA website, at the following address:
Education Maintenance Allowance: Birmingham
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in Birmingham, Ladywood constituency have received the education maintenance allowance (EMA) since its inception; and how much EMA has been paid out to such children in that period. [31119]
Mr Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 20 December 2010:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ31119 that asked:
"How many children in Birmingham, Ladywood constituency have received the education maintenance allowance (EMA) since its inception; and how much EMA has been paid out to such children in that period."
Information on the number of young people who have received EMA is available at Local Authority (LA) level, but not at constituency level. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
Birmingham LA take-up data:
| Academic year | Take-up |
In 2009/10 (the last complete EMA year for which we have figures) the total EMA expenditure on Birmingham LA residents was £17,215,070 (of which £14,427,960 was spent on weekly payments and £2,787,110 on bonus payments).
EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10 is available on the YPLA website, at the following address:
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students in Birmingham, Ladywood receive education maintenance allowance (EMA); and what steps his Department is taking to assist students who will not receive EMA in the next academic year to prepare for its replacement. [31394]
Mr Gibb: The question of numbers of recipients is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener the YPLA's Chief Executive, has written to the hon. Member for Birmingham Ladywood with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
The EMA scheme will close entirely at the end of the 2010/11 academic year. It will be replaced by an enhanced discretionary learner support fund, which will be administered by schools, colleges and training providers. We are working with the Association of Colleges, Sutton Trust and others as we finalise the arrangements for the new fund, including support for students in advance of the changes.
Letter from Peter Lauener dated, 20 December 2010:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ31394 that asked: "How many students in Birmingham, Ladywood receive education maintenance allowance (EMA); and what steps his Department is taking to assist students who will not receive EMA in the next academic year to prepare for its replacement."
Information on the number of young people who have received EMA is available at Local Authority level, but not at constituency level. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
As at 30 November 2010 the take-up figure for Birmingham Local Authority was 18,107.
EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 is available on the YPLA website, at the following address:
The YPLA is responsible for the delivery of EMA. The Department for Education is responsible for policy and will answer the second part of your question regarding future assistance for students.
Education Maintenance Allowance: Brighton
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how much his Department's predecessor spent on education maintenance allowance in (a) the city of Brighton and Hove and (b) Hove constituency in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008 and (iii) 2009; [32303]
(2) how many children in (a) the city of Brighton and Hove and (b) Hove constituency took up education maintenance allowance in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008 and (iii) 2009. [32304]
Mr Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Hove with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 22 December 2010:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Questions PQ32303 and PQ32304 that asked:
"How many children in (a) the city of Brighton and Hove and (b) Hove constituency took up education maintenance allowance in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008 and (iii) 2009."
"How much his Department's predecessor spent on education maintenance allowance in (a) the city of Brighton and Hove and (b) Hove constituency in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008 and (iii) 2009."
Information on the number of young people who have received EMA is available at Local Authority level, but not at constituency level. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
The take-up figures for Brighton and Hove are:
| Academic year | Take-up |
The total spent on EMA in the Brighton and Hove area for the 2009/10 Academic Year was £2,336,465. Precise information for 2007/08 and 2008/09 is not available but the average weekly payments have been consistently at £27 or more.
EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10 is available on the YPLA website, at the following address:
Education Maintenance Allowance: Greater London
Dr Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people claimed education maintenance allowance in each local authority area in Greater London in each year since 2005; and how much was claimed in each borough in each such year by amount for the time period 2005-10. [32921]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 10 January 2011]: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the Education Maintenance Allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's Chief Executive, has written to the hon. Member for Walthamstow with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
Education Maintenance Allowance: Redditch
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many young people in Redditch constituency received education maintenance allowance in each of the last five years. [32242]
Mr Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the Education Maintenance Allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener the YPLA's Chief Executive, has written to the hon. Member for Redditch with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 21 December 2010:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ32242.
Information on the number of young people who have received EMA is available at Local Authority level, but not at constituency level. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
Take-up figures for Worcestershire Local Authority are:
| Academic year | Take-up |
EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10 is available on the YPLA website, at the following address:
Education Maintenance Allowance: Wolverhampton
Mr McFadden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many young people in Wolverhampton are in receipt of education maintenance allowance. [31496]
Mr Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the right hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 21 December 2010:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ 031496.
EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
As at 30 November 2010, the take-up figure for young people in Wolverhampton who have received EMA during the 2010/11 academic year was 4,051.
EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10 is available on the YPLA website, at the following address:
Education White Paper
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what (a) representations he has received on and (b) assessment he has made of the effect on rural areas of the proposals in the Education White Paper. [31238]
Mr Gibb: The Secretary of State has received no formal representations on the effect of "The Importance of Teaching: the Schools White Paper" on rural areas. However, rural schools are represented in the stakeholder groups with which the Department for Education consults on schools policy development and delivery, namely the Secondary Heads Reference Group, the Primary Heads Reference Group and the Bureaucracy Reduction Group. Discussions with stakeholder groups are ongoing on the implications of the White Paper for rural schools.
The Department for Education fulfilled its statutory obligations by publishing full economic and equality impact assessments alongside the Schools White Paper. It did not complete a separate formal assessment of its effect on rural areas. Officials are considering the impact of individual policies on rural schools in the light of feedback from stakeholders.
Education: Anti-Semitism
Mr MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on allegations of the teaching of anti-Semitic ideology in British Madrasas, funded from sources in Saudi Arabia. [27390]
Mr Gibb: I am aware of the recent Panorama report including allegations about the teaching materials used by Saudi Students Schools and Clubs UK. The Government are clear that homophobic or anti-Semitic material must not be used in English schools. Ofsted is already working in the area of part-time education and the Secretary of State has asked for their views on how to address concerns about such provision.
Free School Meals
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children who attended (a) maintained primary schools, (b) Catholic maintained primary schools, (c) maintained secondary schools and (d) Catholic maintained secondary schools were eligible for free school meals in 2009-10. [31036]
Mr Gibb: Information on the number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals is shown in the table. This includes full-time pupils aged 0 to 15 and part-time pupils aged five to 15.
Free School Meals: Greater London
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in (a) Bethnal Green and Bow constituency, (b) each other parliamentary constituency in London and (c) each London borough received free school meals in the last four years. [30211]
Mr Gibb: Information on the number of pupils known to be eligible and claiming free school meals in each parliamentary constituency from 2007 to 2010 has been placed in the House Libraries. This includes full time pupils aged 0 to 15 and part time pupils aged 5 to 15.
The local authority level tables can be found in the following Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics Statistical First Releases:
2010 release, tables 11a, b and c:
2009 release, tables 11a, b and c:
2008 release, tables B8, B9 and B20:
2007 release, tables 19, 20 and 29:
Information is not available on those pupils who meet the eligibility criteria but do not make a claim.
Free School Meals: Redditch
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in Redditch constituency claim free school meals; and what rate of take-up this represents. [32241]
Mr Gibb: The number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals is shown in the table.
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 schools( 3) : School meal arrangements( 4, 5) , as at January 2010 -In England and Redditch parliamentary constituency | |||||||||
| Nursery and Primary Schools( 1) | State-funded secondary schools( 1,2) | Special schools( 3) | |||||||
| 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 meals( 4,5) | Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals | |
| (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) 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) Pupils who have full time attendance and are aged 15 and under, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged between five and 15. Note: Figures for England have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: School Census | |||||||||
Higher Education: Finance
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will assess the effects of the Government's proposals for funding of higher education on the future supply of qualified teachers; and if he will make a statement. [31475]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 21 December 2010]: The Schools White Paper, The Importance of Teaching, makes clear the Government's commitment to continuing improvement in the quality of teaching in schools, including attracting more high quality graduates into teaching. In early 2011, we will publish a discussion document on initial teacher training that will build on, and take account of, the proposals from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on reforms to higher education and to student finance.
Home Education
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of children who were home-schooled in each constituency in the latest year for which figures are available. [31994]
Mr Gibb: The Department does not collect information about the numbers of home-schooled children and does not make estimates of the number of home-schooled children in each constituency.
North East
Mr Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which Ministers of his Department have visited the North East since their appointment; and what the (a) date and (b) purpose was of each such visit. [31796]
Tim Loughton: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education visited the North East in December 2010, during which he visited the following school and colleges:
Consett Community Sports College, County Durham
Stanley Technology College, Durham
Duchess of Alnwick School, Alnwick
No other Minister has visited the North East in an official capacity since their appointment although I have visits planned in the diary shortly.
Pupils: Disadvantaged
Dr Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what mechanisms will be in place to ensure that rural primary schools with high standards of achievement are not adversely affected by the implementation of the proposed pupil premium. [28232]
Mr Gibb: The pupil premium will provide additional funding for every disadvantaged pupil in the country and will not adversely affect any schools, or in itself cause any school to see a drop in its funding. The recent spending review protected overall school funding at the current cash per pupil level, with the pupil premium being provided in addition to this. All pupils who are eligible for free school meals will receive the pupil premium in 2011-12.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of the funds allocated to the pupil premium are to be allocated to (a) urban and (b) rural areas; what estimate he has made of the number of pupils in (i) rural and (ii) urban areas who will benefit from the pupil premium; and if he will make a statement. [31237]
Mr Gibb: It is not yet possible to be certain about the amount of money that will be allocated to urban and rural areas or how many pupils will attract the deprivation pupil premium. The deprivation pupil premium for 2011-12 will be allocated to local authorities and schools with pupils that are known to be eligible for free school meals (FSM) as recorded on the January 2011 school census. Each FSM pupil will attract £430 of funding which will go direct to the school or academy if the pupil is in a mainstream setting or will be managed by the responsible local authority if the pupil is in a non-mainstream setting.
The January 2010 school census allows an estimate of the urban/rural allocation to be determined. Based on this estimate:
(a) 92% of the pupil premium will go to urban areas
(b) 8% of the pupil premium will go to rural areas
Pupils: Foreign Nationals
Ms Bagshawe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of children registered in schools in (a) England, (b) each region and (c) each local authority area did not list their country of origin as either the UK or another EU member state in each of the last three years. [32174]
Mr Gibb: Information on the country of origin of pupils is not centrally collected.
The latest information on the ethnic origin of pupils is shown in the following table.
Pupils: Per Capita Costs
Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals to equalise his Department's expenditure per pupil. [23560]
Mr Gibb: For 2011-12, we are continuing with the current methodology for providing funding to local authorities for schools, to allow for the clear and transparent introduction of the pupil premium. However, in the Schools White Paper "The Importance of Teaching", published on 24 November, we set out our longer term vision for reforming school funding.
Our long-term aspiration is to move to a national funding formula to ensure that resources going to schools are transparent, logical and equitable. In order to ensure any move to a new national funding formula is fair, transparent and managed carefully, we will invite views on: the merits of moving to such a formula, the right time to begin the transition to a formula, the transitional arrangements necessary to ensure that schools and local authorities do not suffer undue turbulence, and the factors to take into account in order to assess the needs of pupils for funding purposes. We will publish a consultation in the spring of 2011, following discussion with interested parties including local authorities, school leaders and teachers' associations.
Schools: Asbestos
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will commission a national audit to determine the (a) extent, (b) type, (c) condition and (d) current management arrangements for asbestos in school buildings. [31152]
Mr Gibb: In January 2009 the then Department for Children Schools and Families carried out a survey of the management of asbestos in system-built schools to confirm that the school duty holders were managing asbestos correctly. The survey focused on system-built schools, such as CLASP, as these are most likely to contain high levels of Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs).
The majority of local authorities demonstrated that they have procedures and precautions in place to manage asbestos safely. Visits were made to those authorities where the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) considered further clarification of arrangements was necessary to ensure they were complying with the legal requirements set out in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006. HSE served enforcement notices on a small number of authorities to improve asbestos management standards.
HSE has also written to the chief executives of all 152 authorities to highlight key messages on managing asbestos, and to remind them that effective management of asbestos in schools is an ongoing requirement for authorities and other duty holders across all schools under their control.
This survey and inspection programme is the latest in a series of initiatives to ensure that local authorities and schools responsible for system buildings are managing the risks from asbestos. HSE will conduct a further survey and inspection initiative between October 2010 and March 2011 to check compliance with the regulations in a sample of schools that fall outside local authority control.
Schools: Cycling
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families will take steps to increase the number of schools in which children are able to take part in cycling as part of their physical education provision. [30591]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 14 December 2010]: Cycling is a valuable sporting and physical activity for school pupils, and schools can offer it as part of the physical education curriculum or as an extra-curricular activity. The Department announced in the schools White Paper, 'The Importance of Teaching', our approach to ensuring that there is enough space in the school day to guarantee a truly rounded education for all.
We have also set out the direction of travel, and initial funding, for our new approach on school sports, including cycling. Schools will receive funding to allow PE teachers to further embed competitive sport in schools across the country and raise participation. Lastly, Sport England have announced that Bikeability will be supported for the rest of this Parliament, which will give the next generation of children the confidence and skills to ride more safely, increasing their physical activity and giving them an additional means of travel to and from sporting competitions.
Schools: Elections
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools were closed due to local elections in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010. [29478]
Mr Gibb: We do not collect this information. Returning Officers have the right, in law, to select schools as polling stations. Decisions as to whether or not a school closes for polling are within the discretion of the head teacher. Decisions will usually depend on what arrangements can be made for voting to take place separately from the rest of the school premises.
Schools: Finance
Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects his Department's capital review team to report on its proposals for school funding in Ealing Central and Acton constituency. [31062]
Mr Gibb: The capital review team is now working on its final report, which will be presented to Ministers in January 2011.
Schools: Health Education
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will issue guidance to schools on teaching positive bone health messages in personal, social, health and economic education lessons. [31665]
Mr Gibb: The current Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education programmes of study provide teachers with a framework for teaching. Schools have the flexibility to design their curriculum and tailor their provision to suit the needs of their pupils and can choose to teach about positive bone health as part of PSHE education. Pupils also learn about bones in the science curriculum; and that taking exercise and eating the right types and amounts of food help humans to keep healthy; and that conception, growth, development, behaviour and health can be affected by diet, drugs and disease.
In the Schools White Paper, "The Importance of Teaching", published on 24 November, we announced our intention to conduct an internal review of PSHE education. We want to determine how we can support schools to improve the quality of all PSHE teaching by retaining the flexibility of teachers to use their professional judgment in what they teach, taking account of the needs of their pupils and the views of parents. As part of the review, we will consider what guidance to issue to support schools in providing high quality PSHE.
Schools: Newham
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children resident in (a) the London borough of Newham and (b) West Ham constituency attend a school outside the borough. [31587]
Mr Gibb: The requested information is given in the following table.
Schools: Personnel
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the proportion of individuals of each gender working as school support staff in (a) maintained schools and (b) non-maintained schools. [32869]
Mr Gibb: The Department for Education (DfE) has not routinely collected data in relation to the gender of school support staff. From March 2011, information on the characteristics, including gender, of all school support staff who are employed in the publicly funded sector will become available within the Department for Education's new annual School Workforce Census. In this context, 'publicly funded sector' means: local authority maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special schools; Pupil Referral Units; Academies; City Technology Colleges and other non-school education. DfE does not collect information on the gender of school support staff from schools outside the publicly funded sector and currently has no plans to do so.
Schools: Repairs and Maintenance
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools he expects to be refurbished in the next five years; and how many such schools he expects to have (a) major refurbishments and (b) essential repairs. [29602]
Mr Gibb: Major refurbishment projects in schools are normally funded through capital funding. Essential repairs to school buildings can be funded by either capital or revenue funding. On 20 October 2010, Official Report, columns 949-65, the Chancellor announced the Department for Education's spending review (SR) settlement for four years commencing April 2011. This included £15.8 billion of capital spending.
The Secretary of State for Education has announced a review of all areas of the Department's capital spending and the outcome of the review, due early in the new year, will inform how the SR settlement should be prioritised. Our priorities are the basic need for pupil places and dilapidation.
Capital allocations for the first year of the SR (2011-12) were announced with the Secretary of State's written ministerial statement on the Schools Financial Settlement on 13 December 2010, Official Report, columns 65-70WS.
Schools: Rural Areas
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the implication for schools in rural areas of the proposals in the Education White Paper; and if he will make a statement. [32113]
Mr Gibb:
Rural schools are represented in the stakeholder groups with which the Department for Education consults on schools policy development and delivery, namely the
Secondary Heads Reference Group, the Primary Heads Reference Group and the Bureaucracy Reduction Group. Discussions with stakeholder groups are ongoing on the implications of the White Paper for rural schools.
The Department for Education fulfilled its statutory obligations by publishing full economic and equality impact assessments alongside the Schools White Paper. It did not complete a separate formal assessment of its effect on rural areas. Officials are considering the impact of individual policies on rural schools in the light of feedback from stakeholders.
Schools: Sports
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on the level of participation of pupils in competitive activity between schools; and if he will make a statement. [27410]
Tim Loughton: As set out in the Government's recent White Paper, 'The Importance of Teaching', physical education and competitive sport in schools are important issues for the coalition Government. The Department for Education is working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to develop a model to assist an Olympic-style approach to school sport. This will aim for high levels of pupil participation; competition is a way of ensuring breadth, so that all students can be involved, not just the highest performing students.
Science: Education
Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to improve the quality of science and mathematics teaching. [31727]
Mr Gibb: The Schools White Paper 'The Importance of Teaching' sets out the Government's intention to provide support to increase the number of specialist science and mathematics teachers and to improve the skills of existing teachers. This will include encouraging and supporting primary schools to develop specialist mathematics teachers and a number of changes to get more good people into teaching, such as expanding Teach First and readjusting incentives for graduates. We will also review the National Curriculum and 14-19 qualifications to ensure that children gain the knowledge they need in maths and science, in order to progress and develop their understanding and provide them with the solid foundation to progress on to further study in these and related subjects at a higher level if they so wish.
Secondary Education: Finance
George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when his Department plans to initiate the process announced in the comprehensive spending review of allowing secondary schools to bid towards capital spending schemes. [27330]
Mr Gibb: The Secretary of State announced allocations of capital for schools in 2011-12 in a written ministerial statement on 13 December 2010, Official Report, columns 65-70WS. That capital was allocated without the need for any bidding.
Ministers aim to announce as soon as possible our decisions on the spending of the DFE capital element of the spending review settlement for 2012-13 to 2014-15. The decisions will embody the Government's response to the capital review led by Sebastian James. The review team is to report to Ministers shortly.
Secondary Education: Pupil Numbers
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils attended secondary schools in which there were over (a) 1,000, (b) 1,500 and (c) 2,000 pupils in 2010. [32202]
Mr Gibb: The requested information is shown in the following table.
| State-funded secondary schools( 1, 2) : Number of schools by size( 3 ,) as at January 2010-In England | |||
| State-funded secondary schools( 1, 2) | |||
| Number of schools | Number of pupils | Percentage of pupils( 4) | |
| (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies. (3) Based on a headcount of solely registered pupils. (4) The number of pupils attending schools of this size expressed as a percentage of pupils at all schools. (5) Pupils included in schools with over 1,500 pupils are also included in schools with more than 1,000 pupils and so on. Note: Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: School Census | |||
Secondary Education: Standards
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Chesterfield of 15 November 2010, Official Report, column 628, on secondary school standards, if he will estimate the change in the level of resources schools will allocate to school sport as a result of the removal of the ring fence on funding provided for sports; and if he will make a statement. [27462]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 29 November 2010]: The largest item of school spending on sport has been, and will continue to be, the salaries of teachers who teach the National Curriculum programmes of study for physical education for all pupils aged five to 16. This will include virtually all primary classroom teachers, as well as the specialist PE teachers in secondary schools. These costs are already met from the dedicated schools grant (DSG).
The Department has not estimated total spending from DSG on teachers who teach PE, but we do not expect it to change, as PE will remain statutory for all age groups within the National Curriculum.
It is for school leaders to decide what additional resources they will provide for school sport from their (enhanced) school budgets from April 2012. The
Department does not require schools to allocate specific levels of funding for PE and sport, or for any other subject. The Department has protected school budgets at a time when cutting the budget deficit is an urgent national priority.
Around £120 million a year of the previous Government's PE and Sport Strategy was given directly to schools and ring-fenced for PE and sport. The Secretary of State announced in December 2010 the direction of travel, and initial funding, for the coalition Government's new approach on school sports.
Schools will receive funding to allow PE teachers to embed competitive sport in schools across the country and raise participation. Every secondary school will receive funding up to the end of the academic year in 2013 to pay for one day a week of a PE teacher's time to be spent out of the classroom, encouraging greater take-up of competitive sport in primary schools, and securing a fixture network for schools to increase the amount of intra- and inter-school competition. The detail of the time-limited funding announced is:
The Department will pay school sport partnerships for the full school year to the end of the summer term 2011 at a cost for the final term of £47 million from our 2010-11 budget. This will ensure the partnerships and their service can continue until the end of this academic year.
A further £65 million from the Department's spending review settlement will be paid to enable every secondary school to release one PE teacher for a day a week in the school years 2011/12 and 2012/13. This will ensure all the benefits of the current system are fully embedded.
Sixth Form Education: Finance
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what consultation his Department is undertaking on the future level of funding for sixth forms at maintained schools. [28611]
Mr Gibb: We have no plans to consult on the future level of funding for sixth forms at maintained schools as this will be determined by the spending review and subsequent allocation process. As previously announced, funding for all 16-18 providers of education and training will be based on lagged funding from 2011/12. The Young People's Learning Agency published the details of the settlement on 20 December in its 16-19 Funding Statement. Allocations to individual institutions for the 2011/12 academic year will be made by the end of March 2011.
Specialist Schools: Finance
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department plans to provide to local authorities on the allocation of grants for specialist schools. [25536]
Mr Gibb: Funding for specialist schools has been rolled into the dedicated schools grant (DSG) from 2011-12. Within the enlarged DSG, each local authority has been allocated the same per pupil amount for specialist schools as in 2010-11. To help minimise funding turbulence for schools, local authorities, in consultation with their schools forum, will be able to take account of the previous level of this funding in each school when making their 2011-12 allocations. The minimum funding guarantee of minus 1.5% will further help to minimise funding changes for specialist schools.
Teachers: Sick Leave
Mr Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to reduce the number of days lost among staff in schools as a result of headaches and migraines. [31484]
Mr Gibb: Responsibility for the health and wellbeing of staff in schools is primarily a matter for local employers. Accordingly school governing bodies and local authorities need to ensure that they have in place appropriate mechanisms to identify and address the causes of sickness absence and are providing the right support to individuals to guard against the loss of staff working days where this is possible.
Teachers: Training
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect of the new funding arrangements for schools on Training and Development Agency-funded initial teacher training provision for school teachers. [30959]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 21 December 2010]: On 13 December, the Government announced the school funding settlement for 2011-12, including the pupil premium. The arrangements for funding schools in 2011-12 are very similar to previous years, and neither they nor the pupil premium have implications for Training and Development Agency for Schools-funded initial teacher training provision. We will publish for consultation a discussion document in early 2011 on our detailed proposals for TDA-funded initial teacher training.
Vocational Education: Finance
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding his Department has allocated to schools for vocational learning programmes in the comprehensive spending review period. [30613]
Mr Gibb: The general funding Government allocate to schools, including for school sixth forms, for the provision of education is used by schools in accordance with their local needs. Schools are free to use their funding allocation for their own education provision, which can include vocational education for their pupils.
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether funding allocated to local education authorities for vocational learning programmes in schools is ring-fenced. [30614]
Mr Gibb: The general funding Government allocate to schools for the provision of education is used by schools in accordance with their local needs. Schools are free to use their funding allocation for their own education provision, which can include vocational education for their pupils.
In 2010-11, the following elements of funding allocated to local authorities for vocational education programmes in schools are ring fenced.
The diploma formula grant is paid to local areas at an average rate of £1,000 per pupil for pre-16 pupils to cover the additional costs of teaching diplomas that could not be met through mainstream funding.
The local delivery support grant is used to support local areas with the implementation of the diploma and other aspects of what was formerly known as the 14-19 programme. The grant is paid on the basis of the number of young people in the area and the number of approvals for new unique subjects in each local authority.
Vocational Education: Hexham
Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has received recent representations on the inclusion of a vocational component in the curriculum for 14 year olds in school in West Northumberland. [30048]
Mr Gibb: The Secretary of State has asked Professor Alison Wolf to carry out a review of vocational education, looking at its organisation, funding, and target audience, and the principles that should underpin the content, structure and teaching methods.
Professor Wolf has completed a public call for evidence, which promoted a large number of submissions covering a wide range of issues. Professor Wolf will report in spring 2011.
Warrington Collegiate: Finance
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding for each pupil aged between 16 and 19 will be available to Warrington Collegiate in each of the next four financial years. [28052]
Mr Gibb: Funding allocations for the 2011/12 academic year for schools and colleges, such as Warrington Collegiate, will be made by the end of March 2011. Funding allocations for the remaining academic years of the spending review will be announced before the end of the preceding financial year.
Young People: Cycling
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of schools participating in Go Ride schemes; and if he will make a statement. [29392]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 8 December 2010]: According to the latest figures from British Cycling, April 2009 to March 2010, 245 schools participated in curricular and extra curricular activities with go ride coaches. These schools typically engaged in six to 10 sessions.
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