Children: Hyperactivity
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the effects of (a) attention deficit disorder and (b) hyperactivity on educational attainment among school pupils. [72129]
Sarah Teather: The Department has not made an assessment of the effects of attention deficit disorder or hyperactivity on educational attainment among school pupils. However, the recent Green Paper, “Support and aspiration: a new approach to special educational needs and disability”, sets out plans to improve the early identification of and support for pupils with special educational needs. Proposals include sharpening the focus on special educational needs within the standards for qualified teacher status and increasing the number of initial teacher training placements in special schools.
Maintaining and improving SEN skills through continual professional development (CPD) is equally a priority for the Government. The Training and Development Agency for Schools is currently developing online CPD materials for teachers on dyslexia; behavioural, emotional and social difficulties; and speech, language and communication needs. These build on the successful Inclusion Development programme materials which have helped teachers and other staff become more confident in identifying SEN and disabilities and responding appropriately.
Children: Mental Health
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the mental health of children; [79866]
(2) how many letters on child mental health he has received in the last six months. [79869]
Sarah Teather: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), regularly meets the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), in various forums to discuss a wide range of topics.
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The Department for Education receives a large volume of letters across the breadth of its policy areas. The Department is unable to determine accurate figures without interrogating the entire correspondence system which would exceed the disproportionate costs threshold set for PQs.
Child Protection
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will ensure that the forthcoming revised Working Together guidance enables professionals to have adequate time to undertake thorough assessments in cases of child neglect. [80911]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 14 November 2011]:The Government response to Professor Eileen Munro's final report into the review of Child Protection “A child-centred system” committed to a major revision of the statutory guidance “Working Together to Safeguard Children” and the “Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families” by July 2012.
Eight local authorities are currently trialling more flexible approaches to assessments that focus on timeliness and the quality of assessment, rather than being driven by prescriptive time scales. These more flexible approaches are intended to enable social workers to focus more closely on outcomes for vulnerable children and to complete robust assessments.
The trials are due to finish on 1 December.
Professor Munro stressed the importance of professionals making a proportionate assessment that delivers an accurate understanding of a child's needs and circumstances in order to inform effective planning and the delivery of early help services. Government are committed to building on these principles which are being tested by the trial local authorities, the results of which will be used to inform the revised Working Together guidance on assessment. Subject to this evidence, an interim amendment to “Working Together to Safeguard Children” will be made in December 2011.
The Government have committed to work in partnership with the sector to revise “Working Together to Safeguard Children” by July 2012. A full, formal consultation will commence from early 2012. A multi-disciplinary Professional Advisory Group has been convened and is advising on proposed revisions to the statutory guidance.
Advertising: Job Vacancies
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department has spent on advertising job vacancies since May 2010. [75635]
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Tim Loughton: The Department has spent £29,192 on job advertising since May 2010.
Spend in 2009/10 was £72,611 and £166,737 in 2008/09.
Freedom of Information
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education in how many responses to requests for information received by his Department under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 the reason of (a) commercially sensitive information, (b) information not held, (c) information too costly to provide and (d) vexatious or repeated requests has been given in response since January 2010. [78874]
Tim Loughton: This information is available on the Ministry of Justice website. Quarterly and annual statistics on Freedom of Information requests can be found at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/foi/implementation-editions.htm
and copies are available in the House Libraries. Information for the third and fourth quarters of 2011 is not yet available.
Public Sector: Pay
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many officials in his Department received a pay rise other than by promotion in the last two years; and what the average increase was in each such year. [78132]
Tim Loughton: In 2010/11, 2,551 staff received a pay rise covering the last year of a 2008/10 pay deal. The Department then entered a two-year pay freeze in 2011/12. 170 staff on full-time equivalent earnings of under £21,000 a year received a pay rise of £250 in 2011/12.
The average increase for 2010/11 was £1,404 and £250 for 2011/12.
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many officials in his Department received a bonus in each year since 2007. [78140]
Tim Loughton: Information for non-consolidated performance payments made in the Department and its predecessor, the Department for Children, Schools and Families, since 2007 is set out in the following table:
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Departmental Responsibilities
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many applications from employees to run services for which his Department is directly responsible he has received since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [77612]
Tim Loughton: There have, to date, been no applications from employees of the Department for Education to run those services for which the Secretary of State is directly responsible.
Education Maintenance Allowance
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to provide funding for students who were previously eligible for education maintenance allowance. [76481]
Mr Gibb: [holding answer 24 O c tober 2011]: From September 2011, the new 16-19 Bursary Fund will allow schools, colleges and training providers to target support to those young people facing the greatest financial barriers to participation. The most vulnerable young people are eligible for a bursary of £1,200 a year—more than they could have received under education maintenance allowance (EMA). Providers can then award bursaries on a discretionary basis to help meet the costs of transport, meals, books, equipment or any course-related costs.
We have also put in place transitional arrangements to ensure that the majority of students who received EMA in 2010/11 can continue to receive weekly payments through to the end of the 2011/12 academic year.
English Baccalaureate
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2011, Official Report, column 44W, on English Baccalaureate, what his Department's commissioned research on the impact of the English Baccalaureate indicates its specific effect has been on the take-up of each subject not included in the scope of the English Baccalaureate. [81124]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 15 November 2011]: The results of the Department's research were published on 31 August 2011. The research does not provide evidence which could be used to draw robust conclusions about the take-up of individual subjects not included in the scope of the English Baccalaureate. Schools were asked to indicate whether any subjects or courses had been withdrawn from the curriculum or failed to recruit enough pupils for the next academic year. Just under half (45%) of schools reported that one or more courses or subjects had been withdrawn. These schools were asked to detail the courses or subjects in question. Not all schools gave details; some that did said that these courses were under review and not necessarily being discontinued and some did not supply a complete list of the courses or subjects under consideration. As such, while the evidence indicates significant increases in take-up of English Baccalaureate subjects, it does not show the effect on take-up of individual subjects not included within its scope.
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The research report can be viewed at:
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/publicationDetail/Page1/DFE-RB150
Copies have also been placed in the House Libraries.
We will continue to monitor the impact of the English Baccalaureate on GCSE subject choices, including through review of GCSE entries in 2012.
Free School Meals
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of school pupils were (a) eligible for and (b) claimed free school meals in the latest period for which figures are available. [79229]
Mr Gibb: The information requested is shown in the following table:
| Number and percentage of pupils (1, 2 ) known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals, January 2011 | |||
| Maintained nursery, state-funded primary (3, 4, ) state-funded secondary (3, 5) , special schools (6) and pupil referral units | |||
|
|
Number on roll | Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals | Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals |
| (1) Includes sole and dual (main) registrations. In pupil referral units also includes pupils registered with other providers and further education colleges. (2) Includes pupils who have full-time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged between five and 15 (age as at 31 August). (3) Includes middle schools as deemed. (4) Includes primary academies. (5) Includes city technology colleges and academies, including all through academies. (6) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. Note: Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5. Source: School Census. | |||
Information on the number of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals as at January 2011 is published in table 3b of the Statistical First Release ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2011' available at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001012/index.shtml
It is not known how many pupils are eligible for free school meals but do not claim.
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children qualified for free school meals on the basis of their household being in receipt of child tax credit, having an annual income that does not exceed £16,190 and not being in receipt of income support, jobseekers allowance, employment and support allowance or the guarantee element of state pension credit in the latest period for which figures are available. [80933]
Mr Gibb:
The Department does not hold information on the number of children who qualify for free school meals under each benefit. School census data from January 2011 show the number known to be eligible and claiming free school meals, under all criteria in maintained
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nursery, state-funded primary, secondary and special schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision, is 1,267,605.
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects to publish the evaluation of the free school meal pilot projects in (a) Durham, (b) the London Borough of Newham and (c) Wolverhampton. [80934]
Mr Gibb: The Department for Education expects to publish the evaluation of the free school meal pilot projects in the summer term of 2012.
Further Education
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the recommendations of the British Chambers of Commerce report Skills for business: more to learn, whether his Department plans to incorporate enterprise skills and employability in the main curriculum. [79060]
Mr Gibb: The core principle of Enterprise education is to ensure young people are well equipped to face the challenges of the world of work, employability and entrepreneurship, resulting in a positive outcome for pupils and employers. Increasing schools' autonomy and reducing unnecessary burdens on schools is central to our mission and as part of the growth review, we have been talking to employers about how the education and skills system can best contribute to economic growth.
Enterprise education is part of the economic well-being strand of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education and schools incorporate and embed enterprise education across the wider curriculum.
In addition to this, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is developing online resources for teachers that will enable them to support students in setting up school businesses and access support from local enterprise champions.
Further Education: Disadvantaged
Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to allow further education colleges access to his Department’s free school meals eligibility checking service. [72979]
Mr Gibb: The Department for Education has worked closely with other Government Departments to develop a free school meals eligibility checking system (ECS). This has made it much easier for parents to apply for free school meals (FSM) and to reduce the stigma that can be associated with applying for them. The ECS enables local authorities to check data simultaneously from the Department for Work and Pensions, Home Office and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs in order to ascertain whether a parent qualifies for FSM and removes the need for paper proof of benefit. An increasing number of local authorities allow parents to apply online for FSM and receive immediate notification of their eligibility.
The ECS reduces the burdens on schools associated with FSM administration. It was introduced as a direct result of a Cabinet Office report that called for a
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reduction in the involvement of school staff in administering FSM. As a consequence, the use of the ECS is restricted to local authorities.
Free school meals are provided to eligible pupils aged up to 18 years in schools maintained by a local authority, as defined in the Education Act 1996. Pupils aged 19 or over are also eligible as long as their course of study began before attaining the age of 18. Pupils attending further education (FE) or sixth-form colleges are not eligible for free school meals. FE or sixth-form colleges wishing to access information on students’ prior eligibility for free school meals would need to discuss appropriate arrangements with the relevant local authority.
Music: Education
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what plans his Department has to support the Sing Up programme in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15; [80415]
(2) what assessment he has made of progress with his plan to develop a procurement strategy for musical instruments; [80416]
(3) what provision his Department has made for funding music education in each of the next four years; [80417]
(4) what steps he is taking to develop whole class ensemble teaching programmes in schools. [80418]
Mr Gibb [holding answers 14 November 2011]:We will shortly publish a National Plan for Music Education, which will reform the delivery and funding of music education. It will ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to learn an instrument, learn to sing, have opportunities to play in ensembles and have access to musical progression routes regardless of where they live and their family circumstances. The needs of the pupil will be at the heart of the plan, ensuring that all pupils have access to high quality music education.
Offences against Children
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what steps his Department is taking to provide information for parents on child sexual exploitation; [81252]
(2) what estimate he has made of the proportion of local safeguarding children boards who are meeting their responsibilities under statutory guidance to safeguard children and young people from sexual exploitation; [81253]
(3) what joint work his Department is undertaking with the Home Office to tackle child sexual exploitation. [81254]
Tim Loughton: Child sexual exploitation is an appalling form of child abuse. The Department has been working closely with the Home Office and other Government Departments, and with a range of national and local organisations, to develop a national action plan to tackle it. I hope to publish that action plan shortly.
Child sexual exploitation can affect any family and can have a devastating impact. One key aim of the action plan will be to increase parents' awareness and understanding of the risks and what they can do to help protect their children. The action plan will also make it
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clear that, when children do become victims, parents and carers have a vital role to play in supporting them and helping them to recover from their experiences and rebuild their lives.
The role of Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) is central to tackling child sexual exploitation but recent research by the University of Bedfordshire indicated that only a quarter of them are implementing the statutory guidance issued in 2009. The action plan will contain a clear message that every LSCB needs to treat child sexual exploitation as a priority and to assure itself that local services are based on a robust assessment of the local situation.
Pupils: Disadvantaged
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of the pupil premium to enable children from deprived backgrounds to experience and learn about the natural environment. [80434]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 14 November 2011]: The pupil premium has been allocated to schools to boost the attainment of pupils from low income families. The Government believe it is for schools to decide how the premium is spent since they are best placed to know their pupils' needs and assess what support will help them achieve their full potential. Schools are therefore free to use the premium to offer opportunities for pupils to experience and learn about the natural environment where they feel this is appropriate.
Safety: Education
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding his Department provides for child health and safety education schemes. [80371]
Mr Gibb: The Department has made £128,000 available to Safe Network, a consortium of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), Children England, and the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT). This grant will enable Safe Network to provide advice and assistance to voluntary and community sector organisations in England on safeguarding issues, and to help them address these issues locally. Within Safe Network, the CAPT has taken the lead on tackling childhood unintentional injury and accident prevention through this funding.
Schools
Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to promote sustainable schools. [76904]
Tim Loughton: The Department believes that schools perform better when they take responsibility for their own improvement. Schools should make their own judgments on how to reflect sustainable development in their ethos, operations and curriculum. Those judgments should be based on sound knowledge and local needs.
Advice for schools on sustainable development is available on the Department for Education's website.
http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/policiesandprocedures/a0070736/what-is-sustainable-development
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We also work closely with the Sustainable Schools Alliance. They are working together to provide a clear and compelling offer of support available to all schools in the country.
Schools: Bassetlaw
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what new schools have been proposed for Bassetlaw through the Priority School Building Programme; and at what cost; [76155]
(2) how many schools in Bassetlaw with asbestos will not receive funding to deal with it under the Priority School Building Programme. [76156]
Mr Gibb [holding answers 21 October 2011]:No proposals for brand new schools for Bassetlaw have been submitted for the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP). However, there is an assumption that schools funded through PSPB would need to have at least 70% new build to be viable as privately financed projects—effectively defining them as ‘new' schools. The schools in Bassetlaw listed as follows have been submitted for the programme .
Hallcroft Infant School
Tuxford Primary School
Dyscarr Primary School
Carr Hill Primary School
Sutton-cum-Lound CE Primary School
Kingston Park Primary School
St Swithun's CE Primary School
Misterton Primary School
Rampton Primary School
Cost information on projects is not yet available. This will be produced in consultation with the schools and local authorities as part of the outline business case development.
PSBP aims to address school buildings in the very worst condition. Asbestos containing materials that are maintained in good condition and in accordance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations are not recommended for routine removal.
Schools: Community Relations
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on how many occasions he has intervened in the actions of individual schools in respect of implementation of the Prevent Strategy; how many such occasions have concerned (a) Islam, (b) other religions and (c) far right extremism; and if he will make a statement. [77055]
Mr Gibb
[holding answer 31 October 2011]:The Prevent Strategy sets out a programme of work for the Department for Education designed to ensure that children and young people do not come into contact with extremist views in schools or in out of school settings. The Prevent Strategy does not in itself confer powers of intervention in schools on the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove). His powers to intervene in schools are set out in relevant education legislation and, in the case of academies, in funding agreements. The Secretary of State for Education will exercise his powers
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of intervention as appropriate whenever he has concerns that a school is not meeting, or may not meet, the regulatory requirements for any reason.
Schools: Religion
Mr Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether schools can apply for a determination to hold assemblies inclusive of all religions or beliefs in place of collective worship; and if he will make a statement. [76144]
Mr Gibb: Maintained schools must provide a daily act of collective worship which is broadly Christian. The legislation allows them to hold a daily act of collective worship that is appropriate to the age and backgrounds of their pupils and which may therefore refer to other religions as long as the main act of collective worship is broadly Christian. In addition, if they consider that broadly Christian provision would be inappropriate for their school population, they may apply for a determination to the local Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education to provide collective worship which is distinctive of a different faith, or worship that is inclusive of more than one faith. The law in this instance does not apply to academies, but all academies are bound by their funding agreements which require that academies provide for a daily act of collective worship which is broadly Christian in nature. Academies can also apply to the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), for a determination to lift the requirement for broadly Christian provision.
Schools: Sports
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of school children in years one to 11 participated in competitive sport in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [78418]
Tim Loughton: The annual PE and Sport Survey collected data on pupils’ participation in PE and sport. While participation rates increased in areas targeted by the previous Government, the proportion of pupils playing competitive sport regularly remained disappointingly low. This is why we have introduced our new approach to promoting competitive school sport through the creation of the School games. Copies of the PE and Sport Survey for 2009/10 are in the House Libraries. The data relating to pupils’ participation in competitive sport can be found in section 4.
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to measure participation in school in (a) general school sports and games activities, (b) intra-school sports and (c) inter-school sports following the abolition of School Sports Partnerships; and if he will make a statement. [78421]
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Tim Loughton: We have removed from schools the burden of having to fill in long, time-consuming and cumbersome sport survey returns, which was a requirement under the previous Government. Instead, the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), will introduce a much lighter-touch system of measurement, focusing specifically on schools’ participation in competitive sport as part of the School games. In addition, there will be an independent impact study of the School games which will sample trends in schools’ participation. The details of these are currently being developed.
The take up of competitive school sport will also continue to be measured by Sport England’s Taking Part survey.
Teachers: Pensions
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what formal valuation has been made of the Teachers' Pension Scheme in the last five years. [76937]
Mr Gibb: The latest valuation of the teachers' pension scheme was published in November 2006. This was the actuarial review of the scheme as at 31 March 2004.
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he last commissioned an actuarial evaluation of teachers' pensions; and when he proposes to next commission one. [79183]
Mr Gibb: The Government put valuations of the public service pension schemes on hold while the consultation on the discount rate used to calculate contribution rates was taking place. The outcome of the consultation was announced in Budget 2011, but valuations remain on hold. Valuations are dependent on assumptions about the value of future costs, design of benefits and other factors. Many of these are currently under review as part of the Government's proposed reforms of the public sector pension schemes. A decision on when to undertake the next valuation of the teachers' pension scheme will be taken in due course. The last valuation of the teachers' pension scheme was published in November 2006. This was the actuarial review of the scheme as at 31 March 2004.
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme are (a) part-time, (b) full-time, (c) male, (d) female, (e) active members and (f) deferred members/pensioners. [80500]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 14 November 2011]: Figures from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme Account 2010-11 show that the membership of the scheme is broken down as shown in the following table.
| Male | Female | Full-time | Part-time | ||||||
|
|
Total | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
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Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether a decision has been made on whether to exclude teachers at independent schools from eligibility to join the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. [81396]
Mr Gibb: The Independent Public Service Pensions Commission (IPSPC) made a recommendation about future access by non-public service workers to public service pension schemes.
The Government have accepted the commission’s recommendations as a basis for consultation and the issue of private sector access to the public service schemes is one that is still to be determined. Consultation will take place before any decisions are made and that will include detailed discussions with representatives of all stakeholders including those in the independent schools sector.
Teachers: Qualifications
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the difference in teaching performance of teachers who graduated with first class honours degrees compared to those with a 2:1 or 2:2 degree. [80644]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 14 November 2011]: National and international evidence shows that teachers' level of prior education is directly linked to standards of attainment of their pupils. Analysis also shows that degree class is a good predictor of whether a trainee will complete their course and achieve qualified teacher status. The best performing countries draw their teachers from the highest achieving third of graduates.
Most graduate recruiters in England use degree class as part of assessing applicants for admission to training. Under the initial teacher training (ITT) requirements, all providers must ensure that entrants, as part of the provider's selection procedures, have taken part in an interview designed to assess their suitability to teach. Degree class is, of course, not the only approach to measuring an individual's potential to teach. ITT providers will continue to assess candidates against a full range of factors.
Teachers: Termination of Employment
Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information his Department holds on the reasons for teachers leaving (a) a school and (b) the teaching profession. [77993]
Mr Gibb: The School Workforce Census, run for the first time in November 2010, contained information on the destination of teachers whose contracts had ended; this is provided in the following table.
The data provided should be treated with a high degree of caution since schools were unable to provide destination information for 38% of teachers finishing contracts in this first collection of the census. We, therefore, recommend that the data be used as an illustration of trends rather than quoted in absolute terms for this first year of the data collection.
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| (1) Central staff are those teachers employed directly by local authorities and are not attached. Note: Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Source: School Workforce Census | ||
Teachers: Training
Damian Hinds:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of entrants to the teaching profession, starting in (a) maintained primary schools and (b) maintained secondary schools had previously
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undertaken (i) a Postgraduate Certificate of Education course, (ii) the Graduate Teacher Programme, (iii) a Bachelor of Education course, (iv) a BA/BSc with Qualified Teacher Status course, (v) the Teach First programme and (vi) another entry course or programme for each of the last 10 years. [77821]
Mr Gibb: The following table provides the proportion of entrants in service by phase and initial teacher training route in March of each year from 2000 to 2009. The figures include teachers who had entered service after acquiring qualified teacher status, (QTS), through college based training and those who had entered service and were working towards QTS status on Employment Based Routes to QTS.
| Proportion of newly qualified entrants i n service in March of each year (1) , by phase and initial teacher training route . Years: March 2000 to March 2009. Coverage: England | ||||||
| Post Graduate Certificate of Education | Graduate Teachers Scheme | Batchelor of Education and other undergraduate courses leading to QTS status (2) | ||||
|
|
Nursery/primary | Secondary | Nursery/primary | Secondary | Nursery/primary | Secondary |
| Teach First | Other employment based routes to QTS status (3,4) | Total | ||||
|
|
Nursery/primary | Secondary | Nursery/primary | Secondary | Nursery/primary | Secondary |
| (1) All teachers were in service in March of each year having qualified in the previous calendar year or had entered service and were on the Graduate Teacher Scheme, Teacher First or other employment based routes to QTS. (2) Includes teachers on BA/BSc courses leading to QTS status. These cannot be separately identified within the data. (3 )Includes teachers on the Overseas Trained Teacher and Registered Teacher Programmes. (4) For undergraduate employment based route to QTS the numbers in the first year of the course are counted. (5) Not applicable. (6) Not available. Source: DTR and TDA performance profiles. | ||||||
Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what provision for the training of teachers who work in schools registered as special schools is placed for those going through initial teacher training. [80515]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 15 November 2011]: All teachers with qualified teacher status (QTS) should receive a specific element of training on special educational needs and disability (SEND) as part of their initial teacher training (ITT). The standards for the award of QTS set out what trainee teachers must know, understand and be able to do in both maintained schools and non-maintained special schools in which holders of QTS may teach. Trainees will be supported in addressing all the standards through taught sessions and guidance in schools, for example, working with SEN co-ordinators and reviewing statements of special needs with other teachers.
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Teacher training providers may also choose to offer an additional specialism in SEN by offering training that takes place in a special school.
The Green Paper: “Support and Aspiration: A New Approach to Special Educational Needs and Disability” has made a number of commitments to improve the quality of the SEND training provision. This includes providing additional funding for initial teacher training providers to secure a greater number of placements for trainee teachers in special school settings.
There is no statutory requirement within ITT to prepare teachers for working in special schools.
Young People: Music
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with Arts Council England on steps to ensure that young people and children participate in live music making. [79833]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 10 November 2011]: We will shortly publish a National Plan for Music Education, which puts the needs of the pupil at the heart of a new delivery system. In preparing the plan, we consulted many music education stakeholders, including the Arts Council England.
The Government are fully committed to the provision of high quality music education and believe that every child should have opportunities to learn to play a musical instrument, learn to sing, have opportunities to play in ensembles and have access to musical progression routes
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regardless of where they live and their family circumstances. An important part of music education is for children to take part in performances from an early stage.
Young People: Unemployment
Mr Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people aged between 16 and 19 years were not in education, employment or training in St Helens South and Whiston constituency in each of the last five years. [80961]
Tim Loughton: The official national estimates of the number and proportion of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England are published by the Department in a Statistical First Release (SFR) each June. However, these data cannot be disaggregated to local authority or parliamentary constituency level because they are in part based on sample data for employment.
We can estimate the number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET at a sub-national level using data collected by local authorities, but the figures are not available at parliamentary constituency level.
The figures for 16 to 18-year-olds who were NEET in each year between 2006/07 and 2010/11, for the Knowsley and St Helens local authorities, are shown in the following table.
Note:
Due to methodological differences, estimates for young people NEET based on local authority data tend to be lower than the official estimates for NEET in the SFR.
| Number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET (actual age) | ||||||||||
| Average number and percentage NEET in the three months November to January | ||||||||||
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | ||||||
|
|
No | % | No | % | No | % | No | % | No | % |
| Note: Figures for 19-year-olds are not available. Source: CCIS. | ||||||||||
Youth Services
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department has spent on improving the capabilities of local authorities in commissioning young people's services in each of the last three years; and what proportion of local authority spending on young people's services was allocated to service providers other than local authorities themselves in each of the last three years. [79128]
Tim Loughton: In the three years 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2010-11 the Commissioning Support programme, sponsored by the Department and the Department of Health, provided £7 million, £10 million and £6 million respectively to improve commissioning of services for children, young people and families across England. Information on the proportion spent specifically on commissioning young people's services was not collected separately.
Information collected from local authorities indicates that in 2008-09 and 2009-10 around 25% and 27% respectively of expenditure on services to children, young people and families was allocated to voluntary or private sector providers. Information on the proportion spent specifically on services to young people was not collected separately in these years. Financial returns showing outturn spend in 2010-11 will be published later this financial year.
Cabinet Office
Charities Act 2006
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he expects to announce (a) his review of the Charities Act 2006 and (b) the objectives and process for this review; and if he will make a statement. [77513]
Mr Hurd:
In line with the requirement in section 73 of the Charities Act 2006, Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts has been appointed to undertake the review of
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the Charities Act 2006. The review will be independent and broad in scope, and I have arranged for a copy of the review terms of reference to be placed in the House Library. Lord Hodgson will set out in due course how charities and other interested parties can contribute to the review. The review is expected to report before the summer recess in 2012, and the report of the review will be laid before Parliament.
Charities: Trustees
Mr Nuttall: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to enable trustees of charities who are prepared to act on a voluntary basis to replace professional trustees who charge for their services. [79014]
Mr Hurd: The overwhelming majority of charity trustees are unpaid and should be applauded for their voluntary work. In general, charity trustees can only be paid for acting as a trustee where it is specifically authorised by the charity's governing document, or by the Charity Commission or the court. Such arrangements are for the charity or its founders to justify, ensuring that they are in the best interests of the charity.
Where a charity's founder has established arrangements in the charity's governing document for it to be administered by paid trustees, provided the fees are reasonable for the work undertaken, the Charity Commission cannot intervene.
Civil Servants: Pensions
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of (a) male and (b) female active members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme earn up to £15,000 but have a full-time equivalent salary of more than £15,000. [81290]
Mr Maude [holding answer 15 November 2011]:There are (a) 8,420 male and (b) 51,223 female active members of the PCSPS earning up to £15,000, but with a full-time equivalent salary of more than £15,000.
Ministers: Pensions
Sandra Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether any Minister who has resigned or lost their job due to misconduct has had their pension accrued while in office withheld since May 2010. [80732]
Mr Maude: Ministers are eligible to be members of the ministerial section of the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund (PCPF), which is a scheme made by the Minister for the civil service under schedule 6 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.
The scheme contains no power to withhold pensions in cases of misconduct. Therefore no Minister, in this or previous administrations, has had their pension accrued in office withheld following their resignation or losing their job due to misconduct.
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Pancreatic Cancer: Stockton-on-Tees
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many patients in the borough of Stockton (a) were diagnosed with and (b) died from pancreatic cancer in each of the last five years. [81386]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many patients in the borough of Stockton (a) were diagnosed with and (b) died from pancreatic cancer in each of the last 5 years. [81386]
The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2009. Please note that the number of pancreatic cases may not be the same as the number of people diagnosed with cancer, because one person may be diagnosed with more than one cancer.
The latest figures for deaths are for the year 2010. It is not possible from the information given at death registration to state whether the deceased was a patient at the time of death.
Table 1 provides the number of (a) newly diagnosed cases of pancreatic cancer from 2005 to 2009 and Table 2 provides the number of (b) deaths from pancreatic cancer for each year from 2005 to 2010, for Stockton on Tees unitary authority.
The latest published figures on the incidence of cancer in England and death registrations in England and Wales are available on the National Statistics website.
Cancer incidence:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/cancer-statistics-registrations--england--series-mb1-/no--40--2009/index.html
Death registrations:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html? definition=tcm%3A77-27475
| Table 1: Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of pancreatic cancer, persons, Stockton-on-Tees unitary authority, 2005-09 (1, 2, 3, 4) | |
| Cancer registrations | |
|
|
Incidence |
| (1) Pancreatic cancer is coded as C25 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). (2) Based on boundaries as of 2011. (3) Figures exclude non-residents. (4) Newly diagnosed cases registered in each calendar year. | |
| Table 2: Number of deaths where the underlying cause was pancreatic cancer, in Stockton-on-Tees unitary authority, 2005-10 (1, 2, 3, 4) | |
| Persons | |
|
|
Deaths |
| (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code C25. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2011. (3) Figures exclude deaths of non-residents. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. | |
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Unemployment: Great Yarmouth
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in Great Yarmouth were registered unemployed for two years or longer in (a) 2006, (b) 2007, (c) 2008, (d) 2009, (e) 2010 and (f) 2011. [81506]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people in Great Yarmouth were registered unemployed for two years or longer (a) 2006, (b) 2007, (c) 2008, (d) 2009, (e) 2010 and (f) 2011. (81506)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. However, estimates of people resident in Great Yarmouth who were unemployed for two years or longer are not available.
As an alternative, in Table 1 we have provided the number of people who have been claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for over 104 weeks resident in Great Yarmouth Parliamentary Constituency in September of each year from 2006 to 2011.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and JSA count are available on the Nomis website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
| Table 1: Number of people1 resident in Great Yarmouth constituency who were claiming jobseeker's allowance for over 104 weeks. | |
| September | Level |
| (1) Computerised claims only. These account for approximately 99.7% of all claims. Note: Data rounded to nearest five. Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system | |
Transport
A14: Suffolk
Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria have been set in respect of the information to be displayed on electronic information signs on the A14 in Suffolk; and whether (a) anti-littering messages and (b) other non-traffic public information will be displayed. [78201]
Mike Penning: Information displayed on the electronic information signs (known as variable message signs), including those on the A14 in Suffolk, must meet the criteria detailed in section 64 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.
A trial is currently under way on other selected sections of the strategic road network to trial three anti-littering messages and test their effectiveness before they are considered for wider use within England.
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The Act does not allow electronic information signs to be used for non-traffic information.
Ministerial Meetings
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether (a) she, (b) her Ministers and (c) officials of her Department have met (i) Mr Michael Hintze, (ii) Mr Tony Buckingham, (iii) Mr Michael Davis, (iv) Mr Poju Zabludowicz, (v) Mr Jon Moulton and (vi) Mr Stephen Crouch; and where any such meetings took place. [78655]
Norman Baker: There have been no meetings between the Secretary of State for Transport, the right hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening), any Ministers in the Department or officials and Mr Michael Hintze, Mr Tony Buckingham, Mr Michael Davis, Mr Poju Zabludowicz, Jon Moulton and Stephen Crouch.
Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/ministerial-transparency/#meetings
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether (a) she, (b) officials of her Department and (c) special advisers in her Department have met Mr Adam Werritty on official business since May 2010; and how many such meetings took place (i) on her Department’s premises and (ii) elsewhere. [78854]
Norman Baker: There have been no meetings between the Secretary of State for Transport, the right hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening), any officials in the Department or special advisers and Mr Adam Werritty within the specified time scale.
Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/ministerial-transparency/#meetings
Air Travel Organisers’ Licence
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have had with online travel agencies to discuss her Department's proposed reforms to the ATOL scheme. [81140]
Mrs Villiers: Over the past year Ministers and officials have held a number of meetings with individual travel agents and tour operators, many of whom conduct business online, to discuss the proposed reforms to the ATOL scheme. Ministers and officials have also met with industry organisations that represent tour operators and travel agents, including those that operate online.
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate her Department has made of the time required by travel agencies to implement ATOL scheme reforms; and how many agencies she estimates may be in breach when the reforms are introduced in 2012. [81177]
Mrs Villiers:
Having listened to the concerns of the travel industry about the time required to prepare for the planned reforms to the ATOL scheme, I announced
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on 25 October that the proposed new regulations would now come into force in April 2012 instead of on 1 January, as was originally proposed.
I made the change of implementation date to provide businesses with more time to make the necessary changes to their IT systems and other processes to comply with the regulations. This is aimed at ensuring that the reforms are implemented fully and consistently and in a way that minimises the scope for error and subsequent confusion among passengers. I expect to announce a final decision on the other aspects of the reforms shortly.
On 14 November the Civil Aviation Authority published more detailed information about how the ATOL reforms would work in practice, which should assist businesses with their preparations.
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department has conducted an assessment of the cost for online travel agencies of implementing her proposed reforms of the ATOL scheme. [81178]
Mrs Villiers: An impact assessment was published alongside the ATOL Reform consultation document.
A revised impact assessment will be published when a final decision on the reforms consulted on is announced shortly. This will incorporate relevant information from consultation responses about the cost of implementing the reforms for travel trade businesses, including those that operate online.
Aviation: Safety
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to tackle pilot fatigue. [79765]
Mrs Villiers: Under EU Regulation 3922/91 all airlines are required to have a flight and duty time limitation scheme designed to ensure that crew members remain sufficiently free from fatigue so that they can operate to a satisfactory level of safety in all circumstances.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is satisfied that the flight and duty time schemes of UK airlines protect against unsafe levels of fatigue. If concerns arise with an airline's scheme, this will be investigated as part of the CAA's oversight process.
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to investigate cases where both pilots are simultaneously asleep while piloting aircraft. [79767]
Mrs Villiers: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has not received any reports of such events. If one were reported it would be investigated as part of the CAA’s oversight process.
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with the British Airline Pilots Association on both pilots falling asleep at the same time while piloting an aircraft. [79768]
Mrs Villiers:
None. The British Air Line Pilots' Association has not raised this issue in the Civil Aviation Authority's advisory group on flight time limitations.
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Nor did BALPA raise it at a recent meeting held with the CAA to discuss the draft rules on flight time limitations proposed by the European Aviation Safety Agency.
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost to the public purse was of the Civil Aviation Authority's SAFE programme in the latest period for which figures are available. [80154]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 14 November 2011]: The System for Aircrew Fatigue Evaluation was developed jointly by the Civil Aviation Authority and QinetiQ. The CAA's costs were funded through their normal charges on the airline industry.
Domestic Aviation
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment she has made of the choice available to passengers of air services between (a) Edinburgh and (b) Aberdeen and Heathrow airport. [81210]
Mrs Villiers: Decisions about which air services operate between UK airports are commercial ones for airlines to determine. 15 return flights per day operate between Heathrow and Edinburgh airports, and 12 per day between Heathrow and Aberdeen airports.
Aviation: Security
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2011, Official Report, column 186W, on aviation: security, what representations she has received from faith groups on the trial of alternative screening processes for religious headgear at airports. [81063]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 14 November 2011]:The Department for Transport has received representations from the Sikh Federation, the British Sikh Consultative Forum, the Sikh Council of the UK and the Network of Sikh Organisations as well as several individuals directly, requesting alternative screening processes for religious headgear at airports.
Aviation: Working Hours
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations she has made to the European Commission on proposed changes to pilot flight time limitations. [79766]
Mrs Villiers: None. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has consulted on draft rules on flight time limitations. The Department and the CAA have responded to that consultation and are actively engaging with EASA in the review of the draft rules.
Bell Pottinger Group
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) political advisers in her Department have met representatives of (i) Bell Pottinger Group or (ii) each of its subsidiaries in the last five years; on what dates any such meetings took place; and what was discussed. [80046]
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Norman Baker: The information requested is not readily available and to ascertain if any meetings have occurred between Ministers, officials and political advisers in the Department and representatives of Bell Pottinger Group would incur disproportionate costs. However, details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/ministerial-transparency/#meetings
Bus Services: Concessions
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding her Department has allocated for concessionary bus passes for each year of the spending review period; and how much was allocated for such passes in each year since their introduction. [81255]
Norman Baker: Since April 2011 all funding for the statutory travel concession in England has been provided by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) through Formula Grant. This block grant is unhypothecated so it is not possible to identify how much funding has been allocated to a local authority for a particular service such as concessionary travel.
Following the introduction of the England-wide statutory off-peak bus travel concession for older and disabled people in April 2008, the Department for Transport provided a portion of funding through a Special Grant to local authorities until 31 March 2011. The Special Grant funding was £212 million in 2008-09, £217 million in 2009-10 and £223 million in 2010-11.
Bus Services: Rural Areas
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Government's response to the Transport Committee's Eighth Report of Session 2010-12, Bus Services after the Spending Review, published with the Committee's Ninth Special Report of Session 2010-12, HC 1550, when her Department will publish the result of research with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to investigate the state of the rural community transport sector and how rural communities are responding positively to deliver innovative local community transport services. [81224]
Norman Baker: The Community Transport Association intends to publish their State of the Sector report in the middle of 2012. This will include additional details and analysis of the rural community transport sector prepared in co-operation with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
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Buses: Exhaust Emissions
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many buses operated by local authorities outside London do not meet the Euro III emission standard for PM10. [80009]
Norman Baker: The Department does not hold information on the number of buses operated by local authorities outside London which do not meet the Euro III emission standard for PM10.
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many London buses do not meet the Euro III emission standard for PM10. [80010]
Norman Baker: The Department does not hold information on how many London buses do not meet the Euro III emission standard for PM10.
Cycling
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to promote cycling proficiency in (a) children and (b) adults. [80831]
Norman Baker: This financial year, the Department has made £11 million of funding contributions available to local highways authorities and school games organiser host schools. This will enable up to 275,000 school children to access Bikeability cycle training in England, excluding London. (Cycle training in London is a matter for Transport for London and the London boroughs, although the Department does provide some funding to school games organiser host schools based in London.)
Bikeability may also be completed by adults. Further information, including links to training courses, is available on the Bikeability website at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/bikeability/the-three-levels/cycling-skills-for-adults/
Departmental Assets
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assets with a value of £250,000 or more her Department has bought since May 2010; for what purpose; and if she will make a statement. [77325]
Norman Baker: The following tables detail a breakdown of (a) all new assets, and (b) asset enhancements, valued over £250,000 and bought by the Department for Transport since May 2010.
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|
Requisite upgrades to AAIB's bespoke flight data recording software |
|||||||
Judicial Review
Mr Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what applications for judicial review have been made against her Department (a) in the last Parliament and (b) since May 2010; whether each such application (i) succeeded, (ii) failed or (iii) remains pending; what legal costs were incurred by her Department for each such application; in each failed application whether she applied for costs against the applicant and whether they were (A) awarded and (B) paid; whether her Department (1) paid for and (2) offered to pay for the legal costs incurred by each such applicant; and what the total cost to the public purse was of payment of the legal costs for each such applicant. [80704]
Norman Baker: During the last Parliament, ie May 2005 to April 2010, 96 new judicial review cases were opened against the Department and its seven executive agencies.
Since May 2010, a further 21 new cases have been opened.
To provide all of the information requested about the outcome and costs of those judicial review proceedings would, I regret, incur a disproportionate cost, because the records held on our behalf by the Treasury Solicitor's Department are not broken down in that manner.
However, the following information is readily available:
The total costs, including all fees, charges and disbursements, incurred on the 96 cases opened between May 2005 and April 2010 are £1,511,904.66 (including VAT) to date.
The total costs incurred on the 21 cases opened since May 2010 are £67,847.81 (including VAT) to date.
Please note that 46 of the above cases are still ongoing, and the above figures are therefore correct only up to 10 November 2011.
Please also note that the majority of the final litigation costs for the cases opened since May 2010 will not, in all probability, have been incurred as yet.
It is the normal policy for the Department to seek recovery of its costs where it is successful in litigation.
Data on adverse costs, i.e. costs awarded against the Department, are available only for the period 1 July 2010 to 31 March 2010. The total amount awarded during this period was £668,597.00.
Legal Opinion: Costs
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost was of (a) internal and (b) external legal advice commissioned by her Department in the first six months of 2011. [78525]
Norman Baker: The Department and its seven executive agencies incur expenditure on a range of legal services each year. I regret that confirming expenditure across the Department and its agencies in full for the first six months of 2011 would incur a disproportionate cost. However the following information is readily available.
In the first six months of 2011-12, the total staff costs of the Department for Transport's own Legal Service were estimated to be £2,969,544(1), and the staff costs of the DVLA's in-house legal team were £89,909.
In the first six months of 2011-12, the Department for Transport's Legal Service spent £161,320 on Treasury Solicitor's Department fees, and £4,018 on external solicitors and counsel. A payment of £82,713 was made in respect of Parliamentary Counsel's fees covering the whole of 2011-12.
Legal costs of the Department's agencies in the first six months of 2011-12 were as follows:
| £ | ||
| Agency | Internal legal costs (2) | External legal costs (3) |
| (1) Based on staff costs of September 2011, multiplied by six. (2) These costs are Treasury Solicitor's Department fees. (3) These costs are fees paid to external solicitors and barristers. (4) The Highways Agency is not able to provide figures subdivided into internal and external costs. | ||
Official Hospitality
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in her Department in each of the last 12 months. [73659]
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Norman Baker: There have been no events hosted by Ministers within the specified timescale which incurred expenditure on hospitality for the Department.
I would also refer the hon. Member to my answer of 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 565W, which details events hosted by the then the Secretary of State for Transport the right hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and the costs to the public purse, rather than to the Department.
Departmental Public Expenditure
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department spent on new furnishings in the last year. [72941]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport spent £7,694 on new furniture in the last year at the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (Farnborough). This was for the replacement of office furniture which was over 16 years old, the furnishing of a small meeting room following a change of use, and the purchase of a non-standard chair for an employee following occupational health advice.
Information on spend by Department for Transport executive agencies is not centrally recorded and this information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Responsibilities
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport at how many events organised by (a) charities, (b) other civil society groups, (c) businesses and (d) lobbying organisations Ministers and senior officials in her Department have given speeches in each month since May 2010; and if she will make a statement. [77329]
Norman Baker: This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, details of keynote ministerial speeches are available on the Department's website at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/ministers/
Security Vetting
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what level of security vetting is required for the post of (a) head of communications, (b) deputy head of communications and (c) head of press office in her Department; and if she will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010. [77925]
Norman Baker: I refer the hon. Member to the publicly available booklet HMG Personnel Security Controls, available from the Cabinet Office website at:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/hmg-personnel-security-controls
This booklet describes the circumstances in which a post may require the holder to be the subject of national security vetting checks. It would not be appropriate to confirm which specific posts within a Department are the subject of vetting, as this could highlight who within a Department has access to sensitive material and be used for targeting purposes.
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The names of the officers who have held the posts listed during the period requested are as follows:
| Postholder | Notes |
| (1) The Director of Communication post was ceased as part of the restructure of the Department. | |