Children: Disadvantaged
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effects of his proposed bursary scheme on the number of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds remaining in education; and if he will make a statement. [50616]
Mr Gibb: We are committed to ensuring that all young people continue in education or training post-16. We are investing nearly £15 million in providing a bursary of £1,200 a year to the most vulnerable young people, such as those in care and those receiving income support—more than they would have received under the old system. The remainder of the 16-19 Bursary Fund—some £165 million a year—will go into discretionary funds that schools and colleges can use in ways that best fit the circumstances and needs of their students, for example, to provide help with books, meals, transport or other course-related costs.
While actual payments will reflect need, by way of illustration the 16-19 Bursary Fund is sufficient to provide a bursary of £800 a year to 15% of all 16 to 19-year-olds in full-time education and training—more than covering those who were in receipt of free school meals in year 11.
A full equality impact assessment has been published and is available on the Department's website at:
http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/1/ema%20replacement%20scheme.pdf
A copy has also been placed in the House Libraries.
Children’s Centres
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many Sure Start places were provided in (a) Brighton Pavilion constituency, (b) the Brighton and Hove area and (c) England in 2009-10; and how many such places he expects to be provided in 2010-11. [49370]
Sarah Teather: The Department for Education collects data on the number of Sure Start Children's Centres in each local authority area in England but does not routinely collect data on the number of places provided in each centre. In the Brighton and Hove city council area, 15 children's centres are recorded on the Department for Education's database, providing access to services for around 15,000 children under five and their families. Figures are not available for the Brighton Pavilion constituency. As at 31 March 2010, there were 3,614 children's centres in England and at 22 March 2011 data shows there were 3,621.
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The Government wants to retain a network of children's centres, accessible to all families but focused on those in greatest need. It is for local authorities, in consultation with local communities to determine the most effective way of delivering future services to meet local need. Local authorities continue to have a duty under section 5D of the Childcare Act 2006 to provide sufficient provision of children's centres so far as is reasonably practicable, and to consult before opening, closing or significantly changing children's centres.
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the change in the number of Sure Start children’s centres since May 2010. [50931]
Sarah Teather: The Department for Education collects data from local authorities on number of Sure Start Children’s Centres in each local authority area in England. As at 31 May 2010, data show there were 3,631 Sure Start Children’s Centres in England. As at 22 March 2011, data show there were 3,621 Sure Start Children’s Centres in England.
It is for local authorities, in consultation with local communities, to determine the most effective way of delivering children’s centre services to meet local need. Local authorities continue to have duties under section 5D of the Childcare Act 2006 to provide sufficient provision of children’s centres, so far as is reasonably practicable, and to consult before opening, closing or significantly changing children’s centres.
Consultants
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for how many hours consultancy work his Department paid Michael Wilkins in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [50505]
Tim Loughton: The Department’s financial records show that the Department did not make any payments for consultancy hours to Michael Wilkins in the last 12 months, nor does the Department hold any information for a Michael Wilkins on its central contracts database.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) actual and (b) full-time equivalent staff have left his Department's employment since May 2010. [42304]
Tim Loughton: The actual number of staff who have permanently left the Department's employ since 31 May 2010 is 207 (195.85 FTE). The total number of people who have left the Department and its arm’s length bodies is set out in the following table:
| Staff numbers | ||
| Name | May 2010 | March 2011 |
|
British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) |
||
|
Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) |
||
5 Apr 2011 : Column 766W
|
Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) |
||
|
Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) |
||
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) actual and (b) full-time equivalent staff were employed by his Department in May 2010. [42401]
Tim Loughton: The number of staff employed by the Department (as at 1 May 2010) was 2,646 (2,526.8 FTE).
Similar information from May 2010 for the actual number of staff working for the Department’s arm’s length bodies is set out in the following table. Information for full-time equivalent staff is not yet available, but will be placed in the House of Commons Library when published:
Departmental Official Cars
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on what date (a) he and (b) each other Minister in his Department last used a ministerial car while travelling in an official capacity; and how many times (i) he and (ii) each other Minister in his Department has travelled to their constituency in a ministerial car since May 2010. [50190]
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Tim Loughton: The following table shows the dates Ministers at the Department for Education last travelled in a ministerial car.
| Minister | Date |
Information on the times and dates each minister travelled to their constituency in a ministerial car since May 2010 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Ministers only have a ministerial car when they are travelling in an official capacity and have departmental work, to do. However, all Ministers’, travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel as set out in the Ministerial Code. Section 10 of the Code provides guidance on travel for Ministers, and makes clear that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department has spent on hospitality since May 2010. [35819]
Tim Loughton: From May 2010 to February 2011 the Department has spent £3,257.44 on hospitality. The corresponding spend on hospitality from May 2009 to February 2010 was £6,612.37.
Departmental Procurement
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 8 March 2011, Official Report, columns 1009-11W, on departmental procurement, what process was used to determine the value of the contract with Professors Wiliam, Pollard and James for an expert panel for the National Curriculum review; and who was involved in the appointment process of the expert panel. [51329]
Mr Gibb: The decision to appoint Professors Wiliam, Pollard and James to the Expert Panel was taken on the advice of officials and Tim Oates, Chair of the Expert Panel. The value of their contracts was determined through a process of negotiation which secured a rate that represented good value for money for their services.
Public Bodies Reform Programme
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body. [48629]
Michael Gove: On 16 March 2011, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude) issued a written ministerial statement on progress with public bodies reform. That statement also announced that Departments estimate cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period.
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Administrative savings from the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) over the spending review period are estimated at £1.4 million.
The SSSNB is to be abolished because its remit to develop a national pay and conditions framework for school support staff does not fit well with the Government's priorities for greater flexibility and autonomy for schools.
Departmental Travel
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on what date (a) he and (b) each other Minister in his Department last travelled by (i) London underground and (ii) public bus services on Government business; how many times (A) he and (B) each other Minister in his Department has travelled by each such form of transport on Government business since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [50091]
Tim Loughton: The last time I travelled on the London underground while on Government business was 24 March 2011 and I have not travelled by bus. The Department holds no record of any other Minister travelling by either form of transport while on Government business.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many of his ministerial team have been issued with (a) an Oyster card and (b) a (i) monthly and (ii) annual travel card valid on London Transport and paid for by his Department for use while travelling on Government business. [50168]
Tim Loughton: No member of the ministerial team has been issued with either an Oyster card or any type of monthly or annual travel card.
Departmental Travel
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department has spent on ministerial travel by (a) ministerial car, (b) train, (c) bus, (d) commercial aircraft and (e) private aircraft since May 2010. [50225]
Tim Loughton: The information is as follows:
(a) The total invoiced expenditure on ministerial cars for the Department since May 2010 is £207,125.
(b) Information regarding the cost of ministerial rail travel is not recorded separately and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
(c) No ministerial journeys have been made by public bus.
(d and e) Since May 2010, this Department is committed to publishing quarterly online information on all ministerial overseas travel, including cost. The published information can be viewed at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/departmentalinformation/transparency/a0065263ministers-quarterly-returns
The information for January to March 2011 will be published in due course.
Ministers in the Department for Education have not travelled on a commercial or private aircraft within the United Kingdom.
Section 10 of the Ministerial Code provides guidance on travel for Ministers and makes clear that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements
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Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on first class train travel in financial year 2009-10. [50562]
Tim Loughton: The Department spent £2,397,940 on first class train travel in the financial year 2009-10.
The data has been provided by the Department’s contractor for travel booking, Carlson Wagonlit Travel.
Discretionary Learner Support Fund
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2010, Official Report, column 411W, on the discretionary learner support fund: Poplar, on what date he plans to announce proposals for the replacement of the education maintenance allowance. [38102]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 4 February 2011]: On 28 March we announced a new £180 million bursary scheme which, from September 2011, will be targeted towards those young people who most need support to enable them to continue their education and training post-16, together with transitional arrangements to help some of those who are presently in receipt of EMA. We are currently consulting on our proposals.
Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what eligibility criteria he plans to put in place for eligibility for discretionary learner support for students attending (a) sixth form and (b) further education colleges; and whether such support will include (i) travelcards, (ii) meals at college and (iii) course-related equipment. [38417]
Michael Gove: On 28 March 2011 we announced the establishment of a new 16-19 Bursary Fund, worth £180 million a year. The most vulnerable young people—those in care, care leavers and young people in receipt of income support—will receive a bursary of £1,200 a year. Beyond this, schools, colleges and training providers will be able to use their discretion to award bursaries in ways that best fit the circumstances and needs of their students, for example, to provide help with transport, meals, books, or other course-related costs.
Education Maintenance Allowance
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will review his decision to end education maintenance allowance in the light of recent figures for youth unemployment. [41796]
Mr Gibb: Latest data from the Labour Force Survey (November-December 2010) show that the proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) fell by 0.7 percentage points against the same quarter of 2009 to 8.5% (a fall equivalent to 15,000 young people). On 28 March 2011 we announced a new £180 million bursary scheme which, from September 2011, will be targeted towards those young people who most need support to enable them to continue their education and training post-16, together with transitional arrangements to help the majority of those who are presently in receipt of EMA. We are currently consulting on our proposals.
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Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which 16 to 19-year-old students in (a) sixth form and (b) further education colleges who received education maintenance allowance he met in the course of development of his proposals for 16 to 19 student finance. [51345]
Mr Gibb: In developing the proposals for the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund, Department for Education officials met a number of young people in receipt of EMA from sixth form colleges and further education colleges, in particular through discussions arranged by the National Union of Students, the National Association of Managers of Student Services and Platform 51.
In developing these proposals, we also took account of the work of the right hon. Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark (Simon Hughes), who, in his capacity of Advocate for Access to Education, has met groups of young people from sixth form colleges and further education colleges in a number of areas, including Merseyside, Southwark, Lambeth and Hampshire.
We are currently consulting on the new arrangements.
Education Maintenance Allowance: Blackpool
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of students in Blackpool who were in receipt of education maintenance allowance in academic year 2010-11 who will be ineligible for the new Bursary scheme for students aged 16 to 19 in academic year 2012-13. [50902]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 4 April 2011]: The most vulnerable young people—whether or not they are currently in receipt of education maintenance allowance (EMA)—will be eligible in 2012/13 for a bursary of £1,200. Any other students who were in receipt of EMA in 2011/12 and are continuing in post-16 education or training for a third year in 2012/13 will be eligible to apply for support from the 16-19 Bursary Fund in the third year of their studies. Decisions as to which students receive support will be made by schools, colleges and training providers.
Education: Drugs
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the outcomes of the Blueprint drug education research programme. [50531]
Sarah Teather [holding answer 1 April 2011]: The Blueprint drug education research programme was a Home Office funded programme. Three research reports were published: the response of pupils and parents to the programme, a delivery report and a practitioner report. These are all available online. The final report was published in 2009.
A summary of the response of pupils and parents to the programme is available at the national archives website through the following link:
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100419081707/http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/publication-search/blueprint/blueprint-final-report-2009
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The delivery and practitioner reports set out the key learning points for policy makers, practitioners and programme designers. These reports are available at the National Archives website through the following link:
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100419081707/http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/publication-search/blueprint/dpreports/?view=Standard&pubID=508900
These reports were considered by officials as part of the development of the national Drug Strategy published in December 2010.
Post-16 Education: Funding
Chris Leslie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the oral statement of 28 March 2011, Official Report, column 65, on post-16 education
5 Apr 2011 : Column 772W
funding, who carried out the opinion poll cited in support of his policy; on what date it was conducted; how many people were surveyed; if he will place in the Library a copy of the
(a)
brief for and
(b)
results of the poll; and if he will make a statement. [50377]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 1 April 2011]: I can confirm that the opinion poll to which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education, referred on 28 March 2011, Official Report, column 65, was carried out by YouGov between 19 and 20 January 2011 from a sample of 1,860 adults. The survey results are shown in the following tables, and is available to view on the YouGov website:
http://today.yougov.co.uk/sites/today.yougov.co.uk/files/YG-Archives-Pol-YouGov-EMA-210111.pdf
| Percentage | |||||||||||||
| Voting intention | 2010 Vote | Gender | Age | ||||||||||
|
|
Total | Con | Lab | Lib Dem | Con | Lab | Lib De m | Male | Female | 18-24 | 25-39 | 40-59 | 60+ |
| Percentage | |||||||
| Social grade | Region | ||||||
|
|
AEC1 | C2DE | London | Rest of South | Midlands /Wales | North | Scotland |
Education maintenance allowance (EMA) is a weekly allowance of up to £30 paid to young people from low income backgrounds between the ages of 16 and 19 if they stay in full time education. The Government have said they will abolish the EMA as part of their measures to cut the deficit and Instead replace it with more targeted help for the poorest students. Critics say this will deter young people from staying in education.
Do you support or oppose the abolition of the EMA?
| Voting intention | 2010 Vote | Gender | Age | ||||||||||
|
|
Total | Con | Lab | Lib Dem | Con | Lab | Lib De m | Male | Female | 18-24 | 25-39 | 40-59 | 60+ |
| Social grade | Region | ||||||
|
|
AEC1 | C2DE | London | Rest of South | Midlands /Wales | North | Scotland |
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the statement of 28 March 2011, Official Report, columns 51-53, on post-16 education funding, what estimate he has made of the number of students (a) in the west midlands, (b) in Dudley borough and (c) enrolled at Dudley college who will be eligible for (i) the 16 to 19 bursary and (ii) the additional post-16 bursary of £1,200. [50809]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 4 April 2011]: We estimate that there are around 12,000 young people currently in receipt of education maintenance allowance (EMA) who are in one of the groups that will, under the 16 to 19 bursary scheme, receive a bursary of £1,200 a year. It is not possible to break these data down by provider, local authority or region.
All students in full-time education or training will be eligible to apply for support from the 16 to 19 bursary fund. Decisions as to which students should receive support will be made by schools, colleges and training providers.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the administrative burden on (a) school sixth forms and (b) further education colleges of the operation of the new bursary scheme for students aged 16 to 19. [50903]
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Mr Gibb [holding answer 4 April 2011]: Schools and colleges already administer discretionary learner support funding, and played a role in administering the education maintenance allowance. They will be allowed to use up to 5% of the 16 to 19 bursary fund to meet the costs of administering the scheme. We are currently consulting on the arrangements for the 16 to 19 bursary fund.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with representatives of (a) the Association of Colleges, (b) the Association of School and College Leaders, (c) the 157 Group and (d) others on the administration of his Department's bursary scheme for students aged 16 to 19. [50904]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 4 April 2011]: We have held discussions with representatives of the Association of Colleges, the Association of School and College Leaders, the 157 Group and others on the proposals to replace the education maintenance allowance (EMA) since the announcement of its closure. Following the announcement of the new 16 to 19 bursary fund on 28 March 2011, we have launched a formal consultation, which will close on 20 May.
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what requirements will be placed on training providers to report on the (a) number and (b) size of awards administered through discretionary funding for 16 to 19 education. [51060]
Mr Gibb: Currently training providers with an allocation of discretionary learner support funds are required to provide management information to the Young People's Learning Agency annually. We expect that this arrangement will continue for the 16 to 19 bursary fund.
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions steps to identify those young people who do not stay in education and training due to financial barriers. [51062]
Mr Gibb: The responsibility for identifying those young people who are not in education, employment or training rests with local authorities. They work closely with Jobcentre Plus to ensure that such young people receive appropriate support to find employment or to re-engage in education or training.
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to develop and issue national guidance for providers who will award 16-19 education discretionary funds. [51083]
Mr Gibb: The Young People’s Learning Agency, which will be responsible for the operation of the new 16 to 19 bursary fund, will issue short, focused guidance to schools, colleges and training providers after the end of the formal consultation on the new arrangements.
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to ensure that each young person who was in receipt of free school meals in year 11 and progresses to post-16 education between the ages of 16 to 19 will receive £800 in funding from discretionary learner support. [51086]
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Mr Gibb: The most vulnerable young people—those in care, care leavers and young people in receipt of income support—will receive a bursary of at least £1,200 under the arrangements we announced on 28 March 2011. Schools, colleges and training providers will have discretion to award bursaries to other students, including those in receipt of free school meals in year 11, in ways that best fit local needs and circumstances.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what timetable he has set for consultation on the award of payments through the new 16 to 19 education bursary and discretionary fund. [51341]
Mr Gibb: A formal consultation on arrangements for the 16 to 19 bursary fund, including the proposed transitional arrangements for young people currently in receipt of the education maintenance allowance (EMA), was launched on 28 March 2011. The consultation will close on 20 May 2011.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether any of the funding for his Department’s 16 to 19 education bursaries will come from departmental reserves. [51343]
Mr Gibb: We have always had money set aside within the Department for Education budget for 16 to 19 financial support. As part of the budget discussions we agreed a call on Treasury reserves for a minority of the funding for the new 16 to 19 bursary fund.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on what date he plans to inform education and training providers of the level of funding they will be allocated for discretionary learner support. [51346]
Mr Gibb: Allocations will be made to schools, colleges and training providers following the end of the formal consultation on the new arrangements, which closes on 20 May 2011.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information he plans to issue to young people on the new 16 to 19 student finance arrangements; and whether the cost of issuing such information will be met by his Department. [51347]
Mr Gibb: Information on the 16 to 19 bursary fund is currently available on the Department for Education website and on Directgov. We will consider what further communication may be necessary following the consultation on the new arrangements.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/14To19/MoneyToLearn/EMA/
http://www.education.gov.uk/16to19/studentsupport/a0064057/financial-support-for-learning
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which private training providers will have access to discretionary learner support funding. [51348]
Mr Gibb: Training providers who are funded by the Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA) will have access to the 16 to 19 bursary fund, which replaces the discretionary learner support fund from September 2011.
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Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of recipients of educational maintenance allowance who are not eligible for free school meals who will receive payments under his Department’s new bursary scheme. [50614]
Mr Gibb: Around 320,000 young people will receive guaranteed support in 2011/12 as a result of the measures we announced on 28 March 2011. We do not hold data on how many of these young people are eligible for free school meals. Decisions as to how the remainder of the funding is distributed will be made by schools, colleges and training providers so we are not able to estimate how many young people will receive payments or what proportion of young people receiving a bursary will be eligible for free school meals.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the average change in annual income attributable to the introduction of the bursary for recipients of educational maintenance allowance who are not eligible for free school meals between 2010-11 and 2011-12. [50615]
Mr Gibb: In 2009/10 (the latest year for which full figures were available) the average amount paid annually to young people in receipt of £30 a week educational maintenance allowance (EMA) was £760, equating to approximately 25 weekly payments. For young people in receipt of £20 a week the average annual payment was £520, and for young people receiving £10 a week it was £260.
Under arrangements for transitional support, young people holding an EMA ‘guarantee’ from 2009/10—including, but not limited to, those in receipt of free school meals—will see no change to their payments. Those who received £30 a week EMA for the first time in 2010/11 will receive £20 a week—including around 140,000 young people who are not eligible for free school meals. Young people who received £10 and £20 a week EMA for the first time in 2010/11 will not receive a guarantee of support under the transitional arrangements: young people in this group will not be eligible for free school meals.
Current recipients of EMA in both the 2009/10 cohort and the 2010/11 cohort—whether or not they are eligible for free school meals between 2010-11 and 2011-12—will be eligible to apply for a bursary, in addition to any weekly payments, from their school, college or training provider.
A full Equality Impact Assessment has been published and is available on the Department's website:
http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/1/ema%20replacement%20scheme.pdf
A copy has also been placed in the House Libraries.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the difference in average annual incomes attributable to the introduction of the bursary payments for children in receipt of free school meals entitled to the full education maintenance allowance assuming no other changes in their personal circumstances. [50613]
Mr Gibb: In 2009/10 (the last year for which full figures are available) the average amount paid annually to young people in receipt of £30 a week EMA was £760.
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Following the introduction of 16 to 19 bursaries from September 2011, the most vulnerable young people—children in care, care leavers and young people on income support—will receive a bursary of £1,200.
Under arrangements for transitional support, young people holding an EMA ‘guarantee’ from 2009/10—including those in receipt of free school meals—will see no change to their payments. Those who received £30 a week EMA for the first time in 2010/11—including those in receipt of free school meals—will receive £20 a week. Young people in both the 2009/10 cohort and the 2010/11 cohort will also be eligible to apply for a bursary, in addition to these weekly payments, from their school, college or training provider.
While actual payments will reflect need, by way of illustration the 16 to 19 bursary fund is sufficient to provide a bursary of £800 a year to 15% of all 16-19 year olds in full-time education and training—more than covering those who were in receipt of free school meals in year 11. This represents an increase of £40 on the current annual average payment to all young people receiving £30 a week EMA.
A full Equality Impact Assessment has been published and is available on the Department’s website:
http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/1/ema%20replacement%20scheme.pdf
A copy has also been placed in the House Libraries.
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how he will determine free school meal eligibility in sixth form and further education colleges for the purposes of allocating discretionary funding for 16 to 19 education. [51057]
Mr Gibb: Sixth form colleges, further education colleges and training providers will have discretion to award bursaries to students, including those who were in receipt of free school meals while at school, in ways that best fit local needs and circumstances. Decisions will be made at a local level and it will be for colleges and training providers to consider what type of evidence they will use when determining how to allocate bursaries.
Free Schools
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the basis in legislation is for the establishment of free schools. [50643]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 1 April 2011]:Free schools will be set up as academies under the provisions of the Academies Act 2010.
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will have discussions with local authorities for the purposes of asking them to encourage more applications for free schools. [51455]
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Mr Gibb: Local authorities have a strong strategic role to fulfil as commissioners of schools and school places and a statutory duty to plan and secure the provision of schools. Free schools are designed to respond to local parental demand for change and as such we would expect local authorities to work with groups who come forward with an idea for a school. The changes in the Education Bill also provide for LAs to invite, as a first choice, solutions from an academy or a free school group where they have identified a need for additional school places.
GCE A-level
Elizabeth Truss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of students were entered for A-level examinations in (a) English literature, (b) history, (c) further mathematics, (d) biological sciences and (e) physics in (i) comprehensive schools, (ii) selective schools, (iii) independent schools and (iv) sixth form colleges (A) nationally and (B) in each local education authority area in the last year for which figures are available. [50851]
5 Apr 2011 : Column 778W
Mr Gibb [holding answer 4 April 2011]: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.
Free Schools Meals
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of children gained five or more A* to C grades at GCSE in English, mathematics, the sciences, a foreign language and a humanity in each year since GCSEs were introduced; and how many of those were (a) eligible and (b) ineligible for free school meals in each such year. [50736]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 1 April 2011]:This question can be interpreted in two ways. We have provided figures for each of the subjects separately and an overall figure, for pupils that achieved GCSEs at grade A* to C in all of the listed subjects.
The figures requested for 2009 and 2010 are given in the following table:
| Number of pupils (1) achieving A*-C GCSE grades by free school meal eligi bility. Years: 2009-10 (amended) (2) . Coverage: England, maintained schools (including academies and CTCs) | ||||||
| Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Pupils not eligible for free school meals | All pupils (3) | ||||
|
|
2009 | 2010 | 2009 | 2010 | 2009 | 2010 |
| (1) Number of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4. (2) 2009 figures are based on final data; 2010 figures are based on amended data. (3) Includes pupils for whom free school meal eligibility could not be determined. (4) Pupils w ho achieved grade A*-C at (i) Double award Science GCSE, (ii) in both (Core Science or Single Science) and Additional Science GCSEs or (iii) were entered Physics, Chemistry and Biological Science and achieved A*-C grades in at least two of them. (5) Pupils w ho achieved grade A*-C at GCSE in History, Geography or both subjects. There is no set definition of ‘Humanities’, this definition is in line with the proposed English Baccalaureate. (6) Pupils w ho achieved grade A*-C at GCSE in at least one of the following subjects: French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Modern Greek, Portuguese, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Japanese, Modern Hebrew, Panjabi, Polish, Russian, Turkish, Urdu, Persian. Source: National Pupil Database | ||||||
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Figures for previous years are available only at disproportionate cost.
The subjects in this PQ are similar but not the same as those in the English Baccalaureate. National and school level data on individual GCSE subjects, indicators excluding equivalences and the components of the English Baccalaureate, were published on 31 March 2011 (see tables 1b and 4) at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000985/index.shtml
Health Education: Sex
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what requests for information relating to (a) abortion and (b) sex and relationships education were made to his Department and its predecessor under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in each year since 2009; whether each request was (i) agreed to and (ii) refused; if he will place in the Library a copy of the information provided in response to each request; and if he will make a statement. [48872]
Sarah Teather: All FOI requests for abortion data are responded to by the Department of Health.
There have been five FOI requests for information relating specifically to sex and relationships education (SRE) and a further case that covered both SRE and religious education/collective worship. A summary of each request and its outcome is provided as follows. Copies of the full replies and any associated documents that were provided to the correspondent, will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
(1) On 6 November 2009, Mr Norman Wells requested release of all correspondence, notes of meetings, discussion papers, file notes and all other documents in relation to discussions about the age up to which parents should be able to withdraw their children from sex and relationship education lessons.
A reply to Mr Wells on 30 November 2009 confirmed that the requested information was being withheld under section 35(1)(a) and section 42 of the FOI Act 2000.
(2) On 19 January 2010, Mr G. E. Hester requested copies of minutes and any notes, including handwritten notes, taken at any meetings or gatherings where the Catholic Education Service, or any of its agents, including Ms Oona Stannard and Bishop McMahon, met with any civil servant or Government Minister in the calendar year 2009 on the subject of sex education or PSHE in schools; and any letters, e-mails or other communications sent by the same parties on the same subject in the calendar year 2009.
A reply to Mr Hester on 5 March 2010 explained that aspects of the information he had requested had been partially withheld under section 35(1)(a) of the FOI Act 2000.
(3) On 9 April 2010, Mr Carl Gardner requested disclosure of all legal advice provided in 2009 and 2010 by DCSF or other Government lawyers, including Parliamentary Counsel, or by outside counsel instructed by Government lawyers, on the questions (a) whether any amendment to the Children, Schools and Families Bill to give parents the right to withdraw their children from ‘PSHE’ until the age of 16 would or would not be incompatible with convention rights and (b) on the question whether Ministers had any choice but to remove those provisions from the Bill; disclose whether or not such legal advice was or was not given, by whom it was given, and when, or disclosure of the fact that legal advice was given if we believe naming individuals would prejudice individual privacy.
A reply to Mr Gardner on 10 May 2010 confirmed that this information had been withheld under section 35(1)(a), section 40(2), and section 42 of the FOI Act 2000.
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(4) On 8 April 2010, Ms Dimmock from the Children’s Right Alliance for England (CRAE) requested a copy of the legal advice provided to the (then) Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (Ed Balls) concerning the compliance of the Children, Schools and Families Bill with the European convention on human rights (ECHR), specifically with regard to the age at which parents can withdraw their children from sex and relationships education.
A reply to Ms Dimmock on 10 May 2010 confirmed that this information had been withheld under section 35(1)(a), section 40(2), and section 42 of the FOI Act 2000
(5) Following the decision at point (1), Mr Norman Wells was advised by the Information Commissioner that, due to the passage of time, it might be relevant to make a second request for all correspondence, notes of meetings, discussion papers, file notes and all other documents in relation to discussions about the age up to which parents should be able to withdraw their children from sex and relationships education, prior to 6 May 2010. This subsequent request was made on 1 November 2010.
A reply to Mr Wells on 15 December 2010 reiterated that this information was being withheld under section 35(1)(a) and section 42 of the FOI Act 2000.
(6) On 24 May 2010, Mr Chilton asked whether any assessments had been made about the compatibility of: section 71 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998; and section 405 of the Education Act 1996, on a range of articles and conventions.
A reply containing the information requested was provided on 15 June 2010.
International Baccalaureate
Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on the (a) funding and (b) availability of places to study for the International Baccalaureate in maintained schools and colleges. [50856]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 4 April 2011]: Funding for the International Baccalaureate (IB) will be the same for the academic year 2011/12 as it has been in 2010/11. The 16 to 19 funding formula is currently being reviewed and we will ensure that we take into account issues relating to the delivery of the IB as part of that review.
The Government recognise the high quality and rigour of the IB and we very much support schools and colleges who choose to offer it. However, it is for schools and colleges to judge the demand for the IB and to determine the number of places they want to offer.
Outward Grange Consultancy
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how much his Department spent on education services provided by Outward Grange Consultancy in the last 12 months for which figures are available; [50506]
(2) what information his Department holds on the (a) income and (b) expenditure of Outward Grange Consultancy in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [50503]
Mr Gibb: The Department has not made any payments to Outward Grange Consultancy and does not have any financial information on Outward Grange Consultancy.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will assess the appropriateness of the award of public sector contracts to Outward Grange Consultancy; and if he will make a statement. [50533]
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Mr Gibb: The Department has made no payments to the Outward Grange Consultancy. In awarding contracts, the Department ensures that it awards contracts to commercial consultancy organisations in line with the Public Procurement Regulations 2006.
Parenting Classes
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) pre-natal classes and (b) adult parenting classes in improving child development. [48206]
Sarah Teather: The Department has assessed the effectiveness of a number of pre-natal and adult parenting classes in improving child development. Details of these are as follows:
The Family Nurse Partnership programme (FNP), which includes a focus on parenting skills, starts in the pre-natal period and continues until the child is two years old. It is designed to improve the health, well-being and self-sufficiency of parents and their children.
Early research into the implementation of FNP has demonstrated that the programme generates high levels of engagement with hard to reach families, strong engagement with fathers, a reduction in smoking during pregnancy and increasing breastfeeding rates. More information is available at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-RR166.pdf
The Department for Education currently provides funding support to the National Academy of Parenting Research (NAPR) that looks at effective parenting interventions and evidence-based parenting programmes that work to improve child well-being and educational attainment. Findings about the effectiveness of the parenting programmes will be published in 2012.
In 2008 and 2010 the Department for Education published results from the evaluation of the Parenting Early Intervention Pathfinder (PEIP). The parenting programmes have had positive effects on the parents' mental well-being and the style of parenting, as well as their children's behaviours. More information is available at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR047.pdf
Family intervention services work with the most challenging families. The intervention provides the families with the support of a dedicated ‘key worker’ who co-ordinates a multi-agency package of support and works directly with the families to help them overcome problems. In 2006 the Department commissioned the National Centre for Social Research to conduct a programme of research to monitor and evaluate Family Intervention Projects (FiPs) as they were then known. This programme of work is currently ongoing. Published statistics can be found here:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/STR/d000956/osr09-2010.pdf
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Pupils: Disadvantaged
Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of pupils in (a) Berkshire, (b) Reading and (c) Reading West constituency who will qualify for the pupil premium. [49676]
Mr Gibb: The 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 censuses. Each pupil known to be eligible for free school meals will attract £430 of funding which will go to the school or academy via the local authority or YPLA 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.
Local authorities will also attract the Looked After Child Pupil Premium for 2011-12 which will be allocated to local authorities for pupils who at some point in the year to 31 March 2010 were looked after continuously for at least six months, and who were aged four to 15 on 31 August 2009 as recorded on the April 2010 local authority return. Each pupil will attract £430 of funding which will go to the responsible local authority who will pass it to maintained schools for pupils who have been in care for six months or more in the year to 31 March 2011.
There is also a Service child premium which will be allocated to local authorities and schools with pupils who were registered as Service children on the January 2011 School Census. Each pupil known to be eligible will attract £200 of funding which will go to the school or academy via the local authority or YPLA.
Data from the January 2011 school censuses are not yet available, but the January 2010 censuses allow an estimate of the number of pupils known to be eligible for FSM to be made.
In Berkshire(1) in January 2010 there were 13,020 pupils known to be eligible, which would give rise to a pupil premium of £5,392,000.
In the Reading local authority in January 2010 there were 3,120 pupils known to be eligible, which would give rise to a pupil premium of £1,341,000
In Reading West constituency in January 2010 there were 2,500 pupils known to be eligible, which would give rise to a pupil premium of £1,073,000. This does not include pupils recorded on the Alternative Provision census (i.e. those funded through the Dedicated Schools Grant via local authorities but educated in Non-Maintained Special Schools, Further Education establishments, etc.), or children eligible for the looked after child premium as this is not available at constituency level.
However, these are estimates only and are not necessarily indicative of how the pupil premium will be distributed.
(1) Includes the following local authorities Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham.
Note:
The county and local authority level figures in the above estimates include FTE FSM-eligible pupils, in Reception to Year 11, or aged 4-15 if not following the National Curriculum, as at the January 2010 School Census and Pupil Referral Unit Census and headcount from 4-15 in the Alternative Provision Census (i.e. those pupils funded through the Dedicated Schools Grant via
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local authorities but educated in Non-Maintained Special Schools, Further Education establishments, etc.) those eligible for the Service child premium and those eligible for the Looked After Child pupil premium. Dual main registrations and sole registrations for five to 15 and all registrations for 4-year-olds are taken. Pupil numbers are rounded to the nearest 10, and allocations are rounded to the nearest 1,000.
Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of closing the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency. [50456]
Mr Gibb: The Department is committed to the Government's ambition to reform public bodies, improve transparency and accountability, streamline services and reduce costs. Subject to the will of Parliament, I expect the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) to be closed shortly after Royal Assent is given to the Education Bill. It is too soon to provide an estimate of the costs which will be incurred and savings which will be achieved by closing the QCDA. Across the spending review period, the savings from closing the QCDA will contribute to the overall anticipated departmental savings from ALBs of up to £673 million.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of transferring staff working on the National Curriculum Assessment at the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency into his Department; [50457]
(2) what estimate has been made of the likely level of savings that will arise from transferring responsibilities from the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency to the Standards and Testing Agency. [51026]
Mr Gibb: We expect the great majority of staff currently working directly on statutory assessment and testing within the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) to transfer in due course to the Standards and Testing Agency. Overall costs associated with establishing the Standards and Testing Agency, including the necessary works to effect transfer of staff to DfE systems, are not expected to exceed £5 million.
It is too soon to be specific or to provide a detailed breakdown of the savings that will be achieved by closing the QCDA. Across the spending review period, the savings from closing the QCDA will contribute to the overall anticipated Departmental savings of up to £673 million. Our priority for National Curriculum testing is to ensure its smooth and efficient transfer to the Standards and Testing Agency, in order to support safe delivery of testing through that agency.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to avoid compulsory redundancies among staff working at the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency. [50458]
Mr Gibb:
The Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) and the Department are committed to minimising potential redundancies. Where functions are transferring to the Department or elsewhere,
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the majority of staff working directly on those functions are expected to transfer with them. For those areas of the QCDA's work which will cease, and where jobs are at risk, the QCDA has commenced consultation on a voluntary redundancy scheme and has adopted a number of redundancy avoidance measures, including affected staff being given priority status when applying for civil service vacancies.
School Leaving
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for the future of the September Guarantee of a funded learning place to all 16 to 17-year-olds. [51000]
Mr Gibb: The Young People's Learning Agency has allocated funding to schools, colleges and other providers for over 1.3 million places for 16 to 19-year-olds in the 2011/12 academic year. Together with the funding available for 230,000 apprenticeship places for this age group, this will ensure that an appropriate funded place is available for any 16 or 17-year-old who wants one.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education, my noble Friend (Lord Hill) wrote to all local authorities on 17 February 2011 to make clear that the process of offering 16 and 17-year-olds a suitable place in education or training by the end of September, which has been known as the ‘September Guarantee’, will continue. This will help to ensure that more young people have the opportunity to continue their education as we move towards full participation of 16 and 17-year-olds by 2015.
School Meals: Expenditure
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on school meals in each year since 2007 (a) in the City of Brighton and Hove and (b) nationally. [34861]
Sarah Teather: School meals are primarily funded by parents and local authorities. The Department's contribution was introduced in 2005 to support the transformation of school food and help schools to meet the increased costs of introducing healthier school lunches.
The Department has contributed the following towards the costs of school lunches in Brighton and Hove:
2007-08: £293,386 (Targeted School Meals and Devolved School Meals Grants)
2008-09: £316,267 (School Lunch Grant)
2009-10: £310,126 (School Lunch Grant)
2010-11: £301,597 (School Lunch Grant).
The value of the School Lunch Grant, to be mainstreamed into the Dedicated Schools Grant in Brighton and Hove in 2011-12, is £301,597.
The total over these four years in Brighton and Hove is £1,221,376.
The Department has funded English local authorities with £80 million per year via the grants listed above, giving a total of £320 million over the same four years.
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Schools: Academies
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effects on levels of employment at Portland and Valley schools of his decision to award academy status to Outwood Grange Academy. [50462]
Mr Gibb: The Department for Education has approved an Expression of Interest from Outwood Grange Academy Trust to develop plans to replace both Valley and Portland Secondary Schools with two Sponsored Academies. This project will now move into the next stage of development. During this phase, the appropriate staffing structure to run each of the Academies effectively will be developed by Outwood Grange Academy Trust.
Mr Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many applications his Department has received from schools seeking to become Academy schools since August 2010. [50485]
Mr Gibb: As of 1 March 2011, 486 schools had applied to convert into Academies since August 2010. The April figure will be published later this week.
A list is available on the DfE website, which is updated monthly at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/academies/a0069811/schools-submitting-applications-and-academies-that-have-opened-in-201011
Schools: Finance
Neil Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure equitable funding of schools (a) within and (b) between local authority areas. [47567]
Mr Gibb: This Government inherited a funding system that was based on an out of date assessment of need, and this has resulted in some anomalies in revenue funding within and between local authorities areas. For 2011-12, we have simplified schools funding by removing ring fenced grants but there remains a need for greater transparency and consistency in funding. We want all schools to be funded logically and equitably, and to reduce the funding differences between similar schools in different areas.
We announced in the Schools White Paper “The Importance of Teaching” that we intend to consult in the spring of 2011 on the merits of moving to such a National Funding Formula for schools, 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.
Schools: GCE A-level
Elizabeth Truss:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of A-level students in (a) comprehensive schools, (b) selective schools, (c) independent schools and (d) sixth form colleges in each local education authority area were entered for (1) at least three A-levels from (i)
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mathematics, (ii) English literature, (iii) further mathematics, (iv) biological sciences, (v) physics, (vi) chemistry, (vii) geography and (viii) a modern foreign language in the latest period for which figures are available; [50158]
(2) A-level mathematics examinations in the latest period for which figures are available; [50159]
(3) one or more A-level examinations in a foreign language in the latest period for which figures are available. [50160]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 31 March 2011]:The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.
Schools: Nottinghamshire
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much was to be allocated to schools in Nottinghamshire in 2011-12 before the allocations from the fourth round of Standards Fund payments; and how much is now to be allocated. [49961]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 30 March 2011]: There are two funding streams from this Department in 2011-12 that are available to local authorities to fund schools. They are the Dedicated Schools Grant and the Pupil Premium. The Dedicated Schools Grant per pupil for Nottinghamshire for 2011-12 is £4,746.05. The pupil premium is £430 per pupil eligible for free school meals or looked after child and £200 per service child. These amounts have not been changed since they were announced on 13( )December 2010 as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement.
Schools: Private Finance Initiative
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which body is responsible for arbitrating disputes over responsibility for payments under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) in cases where a school constructed or improved under a PFI Project subsequently becomes an academy. [48262]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 22 March 2011]: When a PFI school becomes an academy, the local authority, academy trust and DfE negotiate a tripartite agreement known as the Principal Agreement. It is for the parties involved to reach agreement on the terms and conditions of this document. The Principal Agreement contains a comprehensive dispute resolution process which would be used if a dispute arose between the parties after it had been signed. It sets out that, where initial efforts fail, and mediation by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) does not solve the problem, any party can refer the matter to an adjudicator. If the parties cannot agree who should adjudicate, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators would appoint one.
Schools: Southwark
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding for discretionary learner support his Department plans to allocate for schools in Southwark in academic year 2011-12. [48029]
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Mr Gibb: On 28 March 2011, Official Report, columns 51-53, the Secretary of State for Education announced a new £180 million bursary scheme which, from September 2011, will be targeted towards those young people who most need support to enable them to continue their education and training post-16. He also set out proposals for transitional arrangements to help some of those who are presently in receipt of EMA. We are currently consulting on our proposals, including on the methodology for allocating the funding to schools, colleges and training organisations.
Schools: Sports
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on the use of school facilities for sport. [51319]
Tim Loughton: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 14 March 2011, Official Report, column 56W.
Schools: Transport
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the effects of reductions in the revenue support grant on the ability of local authorities to meet their statutory travel to school obligations. [37095]
Michael Gove: I have allocated a further £85 million over the next two financial years to local authorities to support children from low income families to attend schools further from home than the statutory walking distances. Officials will review with local authorities how we can improve the efficiency and practice within local authority transport planning in the coming years.
Secondary Education: Kingston upon Thames
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make funding available for a new secondary school in North Kingston. [32971]
Mr Gibb: In December, the Secretary of State for Education, informed every relevant local authority of its full share of DfE capital funding for 2011-12 - £4.9 million for the Royal borough of Kingston-upon-Thames. The Department has not retained any reserves for responding to individual applications from schools or local authorities.
Special Educational Needs
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to integrate education for children with special educational needs into mainstream schools. [50044]
Sarah Teather: The latest available data from the 2010 School Census show that the majority (54.9%) of children with special educational needs (SEN) statements—those with the most severe and complex needs—are educated in mainstream schools. Other than in exceptional circumstances, all children with SEN but without statements are educated in mainstream schools. In January 2010, 90% of the 1.7 million pupils identified with Special Educational Needs were in maintained mainstream schools.
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For children with statements of special educational needs, parents currently can request that their child goes to a local authority maintained school, including a maintained mainstream school, and the local authority has a conditional duty to send the child to the school the parents have requested.
The Green Paper ‘Support and Aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability’ was published on 9 March. In that, the Government makes clear that parents should have a real choice between mainstream and special schools in meeting their children’s needs. To this effect, it proposes to introduce legislation to ensure that the parents of children with an SEN statement, or a new ‘Education, Health and Care Plan’, have equivalent rights to request any state-funded school—whether that is a mainstream school, special school, mainstream or special Academy or Free School—and that the local authority will have the same conditional duty to send the child to the school the parents have requested.
Where parents request a mainstream place, the Green Paper proposes a number of ways to help equip mainstream school teachers with the necessary skills and knowledge to meet the needs of children with SEN. These include: funding for a greater number of teacher trainee placements in special school settings so that prospective teachers can develop their skills in meeting the needs of children with SEN; encouraging learning from the best practice in mainstream and special schools; scholarships for serving teachers to develop their practice in supporting pupils with SEN, including in specific impairments and; launching a tender for bids from external organisations to build on the good practice achieved by the successful Achievement for All approach to school improvement, with its emphasis on high expectation and constructive engagement with parents.
Special Educational Needs: Academies
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether parents of children with statements of special educational needs (SEN) are restricted in seeking to send such children to academy special schools; whether local authorities are entitled to direct all children with SEN in this area to an area special school; and if he will make a statement. [49859]
Sarah Teather [holding answer 29 March 2011]: We expect the first special academies to open in September 2011. Parents will then have the right to ask for their child with a statement of special educational needs to go to a special academy. Local authorities will have to consider parental requests for a place at a special academy, but will not be obliged to name it in the statement as the school the child will attend. In cases where parents' preferences have not been met, parents have the right to appeal to the first-tier tribunal (special educational needs and disability).
Local authorities cannot direct all children with statements to-attend their local special schools. They have a conditional duty to comply with parental requests for children with statements to be educated in local authority maintained schools, either special or mainstream. The Government's Green Paper “Support and Aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability”, published on 9 March, proposes that all parental requests for a placement in state-funded schools, including special academies, will be treated in the same way. This will
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mean that local authorities will have the same conditional duty to send children with statements to special academies in accordance with parental requests as they currently do for parental requests for local authority maintained schools.
Students: Grants
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with what frequency payments to those awarded 16 to 19 bursaries will be made. [51315]
Mr Gibb: Decisions regarding the frequency of payments to those awarded 16-19 Bursaries will be a matter for schools, colleges and training providers. We are currently consulting on the details of the new arrangements.
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to consult on the development of a discretionary fund for 16 to 19 student finance. [51325]
Mr Gibb: A consultation on the 16-19 Bursary Fund was launched on 28 March 2011 and will run until 20 May 2011. Consultation documents are available on the Department for Education's website.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average household income is of those who will receive a full bursary from his Department's 16 - 19 education fund who are (a) severely disabled, (b) a care leaver and (c) from a family in receipt of income support in the next academic year. [51363]
Mr Gibb: Young people in care, care leavers and young people in receipt of income support in their own right will receive a bursary of £1,200 a year under the new arrangements. The Department does not hold information regarding their household income and we do not expect providers to ask for evidence of household income for these very vulnerable groups of young people.
Teachers: Pay
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will assess the likely effects on quality of education of proposed reductions in teaching assistant pay in Cumbria. [50861]
Michael Gove [holding answer 4 April 2011]: Decisions on pay and conditions are taken at local level, by the employer of the staff in question. All employers are obliged to ensure that their reward structure delivers equality of pay across their work force. This is the purpose of the Single Status review that has been carried out in Cumbria. The Government believe it is right for this matter to be dealt with locally. In doing so, however, there is an expectation that the staffing structures in place in schools will be those that provide for the greatest impact on pupil outcomes.
I am aware that many school support staff in Cumbria are concerned about the outcomes of the county council's Single Status job evaluation. But I have no doubt that, despite these concerns, their commitment to support the delivery of high quality education to the pupils in Cumbria will be maintained.
Value-added Metric
Damian Hinds:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish key stage 2-4 value added
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results for each local authority under the pre-2005 value-added metric alongside the contextual value-added results for 2009 and 2010. [37044]
Mr Gibb: The information requested is not held by the Department and can be produced only at disproportionate cost.
Vocational Guidance: Young People
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans his Department has to increase the standard of career services available to young people; and if he will make a statement. [50969]
Mr Gibb: Subject to the passage of the Education Bill through Parliament, schools will be under a duty to secure access to independent careers guidance for their pupils from September 2012. The careers guidance must be presented in an impartial manner and include information on 16 to 18 education or training options, including Apprenticeships. This new provision will apply to pupils in school years nine to 11 and we will also consult this summer on whether the duty should be extended down to year eight and up to age 18. Schools will be free to make arrangements for careers guidance that fit the needs and circumstances of their pupils.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to answer (a) Questions 38027 and 38028 tabled on 31 January 2011 for answer on 3 February 2011, (b) Question 38806 tabled on 25 January 2011 for answer on 31 January 2011, and (c) Questions 35861, 35860, 35859 and 35858 tabled on 19 January 2011 for answer on 24 January 2011. [40622]
Mr Gibb: A response to Question 38028 has been issued today. A response to Question 35861 will be issued shortly.
Responses were issued to the other questions as follows:
PQs 35858 and 36806: 28 February 2011, Official Report, columns 246-48W.
PQ 38027: 9 March 2011, Official Report, columns 1103-104W.
PQs 35860: 14 March 2011, Official Report, column 42W.
Justice
Driving Offences
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will request the Sentencing Guidelines Council to review sentencing guidelines for offences of driving without insurance to provide that the penalty imposed by the courts is greater than the average annual cost of motor insurance; and if he will make a statement. [50570]
Mr Blunt: The Sentencing Guidelines Council was abolished on 6 April 2010 and was replaced on the same date by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales. It is for the Sentencing Council as an independent body to decide whether existing guidelines need to be reviewed, and the content of its guidelines.
Sentencing guidelines are clear that the amount of a fine must reflect the seriousness of the offence. The court must also take into account the financial
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circumstances of the offender, so that the impact is equal on offenders with different incomes; it should be a hardship but not force an offender below a reasonable subsistence level. For the offence of driving without insurance the guideline is that a ‘Band C’ fine should be imposed, with a starting point of 150% of weekly income.
I am looking into the position and will write to the hon. Member.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to increase the level of fine payable on conviction of an offence of keeping a car without insurance; and if he will make a statement. [50568]
Mr Blunt: The maximum sentence available on conviction for keeping a car without insurance is a £1,000 fine. Within that statutory limit, it is for the court to decide what to impose in a particular case, taking into account the seriousness of the offence and the circumstances of the offender. I am looking into the position and will write to the hon. Member.
Community Orders: Technology
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what consideration has been given to the use of recent technology in developing innovative alternatives to custody as part of his Department’s review of sentencing policy. [51161]
Mr Blunt: The Green Paper “Breaking the Cycle” proposes to make curfews tougher to punish offenders and give communities respite from criminal behaviour. It expects curfews to be used more creatively to target offending patterns, and assist compliance with other requirements. It also proposes the use of other technology, such as satellite tracking, to improve surveillance.
We are always looking at ways to enhance the supervision of offenders in the community. Following a pilot several years ago it was found that the GPS technology for tracking the movements of offenders was not robust enough. However, we have kept the technology under review and have been exploring a number of uses including whether GPS tracking would be a useful tool to monitor certain offenders.
Community Orders: Voluntary Organisations
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mechanisms have been considered as a means of enabling the voluntary sector to implement innovative approaches to ensuring that offenders complete community orders as part of his Department’s review of sentencing policy. [51158]
Mr Blunt: The Ministry of Justice Business Plan 2011-15 sets out that we will no longer provide rehabilitation services directly without testing where the private, voluntary or community sectors can provide it more effectively and efficiently.
The payment by results approach will encourage innovation and bring out the diverse skills from all sectors. In exploring payment by results options we will consider the specific barriers for these smaller providers and will identify options which will best enable them to be part of a dynamic mixed market of provision.
Tom Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations he has received from private and
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voluntary sector providers interested in providing alternatives to custody as part of his Department’s review of sentencing policy. [51160]
Mr Blunt: As part of the consultation process on the Green Paper “Breaking the Cycle: Effective Punishment, Rehabilitation and Sentencing of Offenders”, the Ministry of Justice received over 1,200 responses. Of these, approximately 180 were from voluntary and community sector organisations, and approximately 90 were from private organisations. Policy officials are currently still in the process of considering the consultation responses.
As part of the development of the “Breaking the Cycle” Green Paper, the Ministry worked closely with the Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group and a broader group of voluntary sector partners in developing the range of proposals. We also fund the third sector infrastructure organisation Clinks to provide a voice for the sector. Clinks consulted and fed in the views of a range of mainly small and medium-sized voluntary and community organisations working with offenders. In addition, policy officials also met representatives from the private and public sector during the development of the Green Paper proposals.
Crime: Alcoholic Drinks
Mr Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people normally resident in (a) Poole constituency and (b) the criminal justice area covering Poole constituency were convicted of alcohol-related offences in each of the last five years. [50516]
James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply.
From information held by the Ministry of Justice, the number of persons found guilty at courts in Dorset police force area for alcohol related offences, for the years 2005 to 2009 (latest available) can be viewed in the table.
This information is not available at parliamentary constituency level and the place of residence of those convicted of an offence cannot be identified from data held centrally.
Data for 2010 are planned for publication in the spring of 2011.
| Number of persons found guilty in Dorset police force area for alcohol related offences (1) , 2005 to 2009 (2,3) | |||||
| Dorset police force area | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| (1) Includes offences of; (a) Drunkenness. (b) Drunkenness with aggravation. (c) Offences by licensed person or others acting on their behalf. (d) Other offences (against intoxicating liquor laws). (e) Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs—Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice. | |||||
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Data Protection: Clubs
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has assessed the merits of extending data protection exemptions conferred on charities to include sports clubs. [51216]
Mr Djanogly: An exemption from the requirement to provide an annual notification to the Information Commissioner currently exists for non profit-making organisations, relating to processing of their members’ personal data for administrative purposes. It is likely that many sports clubs may already rely on this exemption.
The Government will consider any changes to the UK’s own data protection legislation as part of the forthcoming negotiations on a new EU data protection legal instrument. A legislative proposal from the European Commission, due to be published in the summer, is expected to address the issue of notification to national data protection authorities.
Departmental Mobile Phones
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many officials in his Department are provided with mobile communication devices; and how much his Department spent on mobile telephones and related data services in the last year for which figures are available. [51425]
Mr Djanogly: Mobile communications devices in the Ministry of Justice are supplied to officials on the basis of established business need. As at December 2010, the total number of mobile communication devices supplied to officials in Ministry of Justice headquarters (HQ), Her Majesty’s Prison Service (HMPS) and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) was 10,649. This comprises 7,956 mobile phones, 2,190 BlackBerrys and Smartphones, and 503 other devices (e.g. data cards). Overall expenditure on mobile telephones and related services for 2009-10 for HQ, HMPS and HMCTS was £2.26 million. The number and cost for BlackBerrys supplied to the national probation service (NPS) are included in these figures, however, data on mobile phones for the NPS are not included, as records for these are not held centrally and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Vacancies
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the staff vacancy rate in his Department was in 2010-11; and what vacancy rate has been assumed in his Department's budget for 2011-12. [51383]
Mr Djanogly: The vacancy rates for 2010-11 are given in the following table.
|
|
Percentage |
In developing budgets for 2011-12 no specific vacancy rate has been assumed. The number of vacancies in the forthcoming year will depend upon turnover rates and the ability to redeploy displaced staff.
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Discrimination
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the financial effects on his Department of the non-implementation of the dual discrimination rules in the Equality Act 2010. [51296]
Mr Djanogly: According to the impact assessment published by the Government Equalities Office in April 2010, the financial cost for courts and tribunals of implementing the dual discrimination provision in the Equality Act 2010 have been assessed at £251,728, over 10 years, for cases where only a dual discrimination case was brought; when a complaint of dual discrimination was brought with one or more other single strand discrimination complaint it was thought that the hearing duration would have increased by one third. Since a decision has been taken not to implement the provision, it will no longer have that impact on the Department.
Employment Agencies
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on (a) recruitment agency fees, (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and (c) staff training in the last year for which figures are available. [51407]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: All figures given are for the financial year 2009-10 and cover the Ministry of Justice, Her Majesty's Courts Service, the Tribunals Service, the National Offender Management Service and the Office of the Public Guardian. These organisations had a total of over 94,000 staff at the time.
|
|
£ |
| (1 )It would incur disproportionate costs to identify these costs as we use the same suppliers for permanent staff, temporary staff, and some consultancy. It is therefore impossible to pull out the specific costs for agency fees as these are not separated from daily rates, expenses etc. (2 )This figure has come from the published resource accounts category “Training and Other Staff Costs”. The MoJ and its executive agencies use a wide variety of training methods and it is not possible to capture all of these from the internal accounting system. As well as providing online learning opportunities through the Justice Academy, many staff are job skills trainers, who provide training and support to colleagues in specific skills e.g. bespoke IT packages or local processes. Staff can also access books and other resources from the Learning Library and go through these at their own pace. If the MoJ is not able to offer a suitable course for a staff member, then external training providers may be used. | |