Water: Olympic Games 2012
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the extra water requirement during the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics; and what steps it has taken to ensure that supply meets demand during the period of the games. [96756]
Richard Benyon:
Thames Water has worked with the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to assess water demands during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Based on modelling and experience from previous Olympic host cities, the ODA expect the demand in London to
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be no greater than a “normal” summer period. This is due to reduced demand from London residents as a result of the holiday period. Demand from the major events will take place in the late afternoon/evening when demand from commercial buildings will be reduced as many commuters will have left central London.
The Olympics has been designed to be the most sustainable modern Olympics. The Olympic Park sports venues will use at least 40% less water than equivalent buildings through the use of water efficient appliances, rain water harvesting from roofs, and grey water systems. An innovative membrane bioreactor plant has also been installed to make use of ‘black water' to supply a custom non-potable distribution system on the Olympic site.
Thames Water, the water supplier to the main Olympics Park, has indicated that if the region does not receive above average rainfall in the near future it may have to impose restrictions on water usage this summer in line with its drought plan. It does not anticipate that this will affect essential Olympic activities, and it will be working with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to minimise non-essential water use. Thames Water and the relevant Government Departments hold regular discussions on this issue.
Other water companies who supply Olympic venues in areas affected by the risk of drought are taking actions in line with their drought plans. As yet there is no indication that this will affect essential Olympic activities.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts: Asian Organisations
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what funds were provided to Asian organisations through the (a) regularly funded organisations system and (b) Grants for the Arts from the Arts Lottery awards programme in each year since 2002. [97496]
Mr Vaizey: Departmental support for the arts is channelled through Arts Council England (ACE) which makes funding decisions independently of Government. ACE provided the following table that outlines funding provided to Asian-led organisations since 2002 through the Grants for the Arts (GFTAs) funding programme, and funding allocated to regularly funded organisations (RFOs).
For RFOs, an Asian-led organisation is taken to be an organisation in which more than 50% of their board and senior managements are from Asian or Chinese background. For GFTAs, an Asian-led organisation has been defined in the same way, as well as individual applicants from an Asian or Chinese background.
| £ | |||
| Financial year | CFTAs | RFOs | Total |
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Diamond Jubilee 2012: Medals
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport for what reasons his Department decided not to award the diamond jubilee medal to members of St John's Ambulance; what representations his Department has received on this matter; and if he will make a statement. [98050]
Hugh Robertson: The diamond jubilee medal is being issued using broadly the same criteria as the golden jubilee medal in 2002. Medals are therefore being awarded to serving members of key front line services (armed forces, the police, the Prison Service, the ambulance service and fire and rescue services) who have completed five years' service on and inclusive of the anniversary of the Queen's accession on 6 February 2012.
The Department has received 43 letters to date on this matter.
Sports: Young People
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent progress his Department has made in implementing youth sport strategy, creating a sporting habit for life. [98142]
Hugh Robertson: The Department is working with Sport England on implementing the Youth Sport Strategy published in January 2012. This work includes helping national governing bodies (NGBs) to develop their plans to increase participation and retention, particularly of young people, in sport. The NGBs will formally submit their plans alongside their bids for funding, in May. Final award offers will be made in January and activity will commence in April 2013.
Sport England is also working with the Further Education sector to identify 150 further education colleges that will benefit from a College Sport Maker, with the first grants likely to be in place by the autumn.
An important element of the new strategy is to increase the community access to sports facilities on school premises. Sport England published new guidance for schools wishing to open their facilities on 2 March and will be making £10 million available to schools to help with process.
Sport England is also working with the Local Government Associations and Chief Cultural and Leisure Officers Association to develop plans to enable local authorities, community groups and other partners to bid for matched funding to increase and sustain participation in sport. It expects to test how best to invest during the final quarter 2012-13.
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Defence
Air Training Corps
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2012, Official Report, column 462W, on Air Training Corps, what the conclusion was of the assessment of the cost-effectiveness of the senior management structure of the Air Training Corps which was carried out in January 2011. [98650]
Nick Harvey: The Air Cadet Organisation review of its senior management structure, which began in January 2011, has been suspended until the Tri-Service Defence Youth Engagement Review has been completed.
Disclosure of Information
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2012, Official Report, column 421W, on the disclosure of information, if he will publish any interim findings of the inquiry into the unauthorised disclosure of the letter between the former Secretary of State and the Prime Minister which appeared in The Daily Telegraph on 28 September 2010. [97911]
Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 5 March 2012]: The person responsible for the leak has not been identified. The investigation remains open.
Future Local Area Air Defence System
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress he has made on the future local area air defence system; and if he will make a statement. [98333]
Peter Luff: In January, the Ministry of Defence placed a contract valued at some £483 million with MBDA(UK) for the development of the maritime Future Local Area Air Defence System (FLAADS(M)), to be known by its new name ‘Sea Ceptor’, a future cutting-edge air-defence system which will replace Sea Wolf on the Royal Navy's T-23 frigates until the end of their service life, and is planned to provide the basis of the air defence capability for the T-26 frigates when they enter service.
Sea Ceptor's parent programme FLAADS is an important part of the complex weapons portfolio, which is delivering the optimal balance of capability and value for money for the armed forces, meeting their requirement for battle winning complex weapons. This is being achieved through the development of a family of weapons which will provide greater overall flexibility to meet evolving requirements, enable shorter development times; and achieve significant efficiencies through life. It will also ensure the UK has continued access to industrial skills and capabilities that are critical for the sustained provision of complex weapons for our armed forces. The Sea Ceptor demonstration phase is expected to take five years and will sustain some 500 high technology jobs in MBDA UK and its supply chain, in key locations across the UK including Stevenage, Filton and Lostock. This announcement represents further significant investment in the UK's high technology industry and supports
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wider Government policy towards increasing UK defence exports as Sea Ceptor is assessed to have excellent export potential.
Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability Programme
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the first Military Afloat reach and sustainability tanker to begin construction; and when the final such tanker will be delivered. [97052]
Peter Luff: Subject to contract award, construction of the first Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) tanker is planned to begin in mid-2014. On current plans, the final MARS tanker is scheduled to be delivered into service in 2019.
MOD Logistics
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) which (a) consultants and (b) consultancy firms were involved in the 2008 restructuring of MOD Logistics Bicester; [97261]
(2) which consultants he employed to assist with the restructuring of MOD Logistics Bicester in 2008; and what the daily rate was of each such consultant; [97234]
(3) how much his Department has paid to interim directors of logistics in (a) Bicester and (b) Donnington in each year since 2008; [97297]
(4) how much his Department paid to consultants for MOD Logistics in (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08, (c) 2008-09 and (d) 2009-10. [97298]
Peter Luff [holding answer 29 February 2012]: The restructuring of the former Defence Storage and Distribution Agency (DSDA), of which Logistic Services Bicester was a part, was considered under the Future Defence Supply Chain Initiative (FDSCi) which concluded in 2007. In August 2010, DSDA relinquished its agency status and its responsibilities were absorbed into DE&S, its parent organisation.
Consultancy assistance used to support the FDSCi was not provided on a site-by-site basis and information that can be directly attributed to Logistic Services Bicester or Logistics Services Donnington is not available. The management consultancy firms engaged in supporting FDSCi were Wallace Walker and Deloitte.
I am withholding information about the daily rate paid to consultants employed by Wallace Walker and Deloitte as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests. Similarly, I am withholding the names of those consultants as this is personal information.
The total cost of consultancy assistance provided to the former DSDA in financial years 2006-07 and 2007-08 was £3.67 million and £0.20 million respectively (the former was attributed to FDSCi). No such costs were incurred in financial years 2008-09 and 2009-10.
The cost of interim directors employed by the former DSDA, and after August 2010, by logistic services DE&S, are shown in the following table:
| Financial year | Cost (£) |
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USA: Military Alliances
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effects of the measures announced in the recent defence review by the US on the UK's future military co-operation with that country. [97739]
Mr Philip Hammond: The US Defense Strategic Guidance, reaches many of the same conclusions as the UK's 2010 strategic defence and security review. While the Defense Strategic Guidance signals a change in some US priorities, it underlines that European allies will remain the US' partners of choice. The US will continue to be our most important military ally and we will develop the interoperability and expertise necessary to ensure that our armed forces are able to work with their US counterparts, both bilaterally and in NATO.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Departmental Responsibilities
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) private sector and business and (b) third sector and non-governmental organisation expertise among officials in his Department. [98624]
Norman Lamb: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has launched an outreach programme designed to encourage staff members to spend 1-2 days a year with other organisations. These organisations can include businesses, universities, further education colleges, charities and third sector organisations and social enterprises to learn about how they operate and the challenges they face. So far 440 staff members (17% of the Department) have undertaken visits, with 95% saying the visits were a good use of their time and helped them do their jobs more effectively. In addition those officials working on Enterprise spend a week in a small business each year.
The Department also participated in the National Council for Voluntary Organisations' ‘A Day in the Life...' scheme which provided a unique opportunity for 100 BIS staff and voluntary and community sector organisations to step into each others shoes for a day and learn about how each operates.
Secondment
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's policy is on (a) inward and (b) outward secondments to the (i) private sector and (ii) third sector and non-governmental organisations. [98623]
Norman Lamb: It is the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills' policy to encourage exchanges by way of (a) inward and (b) outward secondments between the (i) private sector and (ii) third sector and non-governmental organisations and the Department.
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Inward secondments enable the Department to improve staffs' capabilities by learning and by sharing knowledge and expertise with private sector, third sector and non governmental organisations. The individual on secondment gets a development opportunity to broaden their understanding of how Government works. Outward secondments are similarly beneficial in terms of exchanging information and providing increased staff development opportunities, while supporting individuals to achieve their career aspirations.
Financial Services: Conveyancing
Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to ensure that shared equity schemes subsidised by the taxpayer cannot be operated by banks or financial services firms that operate restricted panels of conveyancers. [98262]
Mr Hoban: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Treasury.
The Government are aware that several banks have recently made changes to the membership of their conveyancing panels.
Commercial decisions remain a matter for the boards of banks and building societies, and the Government do not seek to intervene in these decisions.
Foreign Investment in UK
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) regional inward investment organisations or (b) local enterprise partnerships have signed memorandums of understanding with UK Trade & Investment to enable them to access international inward investment opportunities. [98306]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 6 March 2012]: The information requested is as follows.
(a) The nine regional development agencies gave up their inward investment responsibilities at the end of March 2011 as part of their forthcoming closure following abolition. The devolved Administrations have all signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with United Kingdom Trade & Investment (UKTI).
(b) UKTI now works at the local level through the 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and, where appropriate, their respective investment agency. 37 of the LEPs have signed an MoU with UKTI. UKTI is in negotiation with the Greater London authority to sign an MoU on inward investment co-operation.
e-Learning
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) regional inward investment agencies or (b) local enterprise partnerships who have signed a memorandum of understanding have completed the National School of Government e-Learning course. [98307]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 6 March 2012]: Forty people so far (out of 104 applications) have completed the National School of Government e-learning course.
Higher Education
Shabana Mahmood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what factors he takes
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into account when designating a higher education course. [98841]
Mr Willetts: The criteria for designation are set out in the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2011 and include course type, duration and mode of study. Courses must also be validated by a recognised UK awarding body such as a university. This provides quality assurance.
Where private providers are applying for specific designation of a course for the first time BIS undertakes due diligence checks. These checks include consideration of management and governance, financial stability and longevity of an organisation. If the Department is satisfied that the course meets the course eligibility criteria and that the provider does not pose a risk to the use of public funds, the course is specifically designated.
Industry: Water
Mr MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make it his policy to encourage water using industries to relocate to English regions where there is no water shortage. [98287]
Mr Prisk: No. Decisions on location are best made by businesses themselves, taking account of all relevant factors including water supply.
Office for Fair Access: Manpower
John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff he expects to be employed by the Office for Fair Access in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13. [98194]
Mr Willetts: This is a matter for the Director of Fair Access. This year we have increased the budget of the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) from £484,000 to over £700,000 and I understand that 11 staff are currently employed at OFFA, excluding the Director.
The Government have committed through the White Paper to strengthen OFFA so it can provide a more active and energetic challenge and support to universities and colleges. In the White Paper, we said we will make significantly more resources available, increasing capacity up to around four times its original level, and equipping OFFA to use fully its powers to promote access and monitor and review Access Agreements.
We are discussing OFFA's budget for 2012-13 with the current Director to ensure he has the resources he needs to discharge his responsibilities effectively. The new Director for Fair Access will take up the role later this year and we will want to discuss the issue of resources with him at the earliest opportunity.
Overseas Trade: Egypt
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on export contracts with the Egyptian government under UK Export Finance that are for military use. [96517]
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Norman Lamb: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 12 December 2011, Official Report, column 527W, to the hon. Member for Hackney South and Shoreditch (Meg Hillier).
South West Regional Development Agency: Pay
Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether staff employed by the South West England Development Agency received retention bonuses after the announcement by the Government of the abolition of regional development agencies. [98376]
Mr Prisk: The eight regional development agencies have put in place arrangements to secure the retention of key staff until the agencies are closed. They have made these arrangements with the approval of the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and HM Treasury. This is to safeguard the taxpayer's interest in the efficient and timely closure of the agencies. A retention payment process had been recommended to be put into place by the National Audit Office. At the South West Regional Development Agency to date, two staff have received retention payments on completing their duties when they were made redundant.
Trading Standards
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the number of problems for consumers arising from faulty goods and services purchased within the last 12 months; what assessment he has made of the total consumer detriment arising from faulty goods and services; and if he will make a statement. [98278]
Norman Lamb: Between 1 March 2011 and 29 February 2012, 255,000 consumers contacted Consumer Direct about faulty goods and services, which represents 28% of all consumer problems reported to them. Based on the reported value of these faulty goods or services, Consumer Direct estimate the total value of the goods and services involved at around £344 million, but this value is not necessarily the same as the actual losses suffered or the detriment caused. However, it is difficult to estimate with any certainty the total number of problems arising from faulty goods and services and any consequent consumer detriment if the problems are not satisfactorily resolved because most issues do not result in any formal complaint.
Consumer detriment is particularly difficult to define and measure. However, in 2008 the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) estimated that one type of detriment—that suffered by consumers post-transaction—amounted to £6.6 billion per annum arising out of an estimated 26.5 million cases of consumer mistreatment.
University Technical Colleges
Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had with the Department for Education on the establishment of university teaching schools. [98302]
Mr Willetts: There have been no recent discussions on the establishment of university training schools.
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Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what criteria his Department used to determine which universities to invite to attend meetings about establishing a university teaching school; on which dates universities that had expressed an interest were invited to attend such meetings; and which universities attended the meetings; [98304]
(2) which universities have registered an interest in establishing a university teaching school. [98414]
Mr Gibb: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Education.
In the White Paper: ‘The Importance of Teaching', we said that we would invite higher education providers of initial teacher training to open university training schools. Officials from the Department and the Training and Development Agency have been responding to universities who have expressed an interest. The Department has not published formal criteria as yet so has not invited any universities to attend meetings. Our working assumption has been that universities will run a school, provide outstanding initial teacher training and continuing professional development and undertake research. We aim to make an announcement shortly.
Independent of this announcement, the Institute of Education, in partnership with a group of parents, submitted an application last year. As the Free School bid had many of the features of a prospective university training school all of the parties involved agreed to develop the proposal as a pathfinder UTS and this is now progressing through the Department's Free School application process. The university of Birmingham has also registered an interest in setting up a university training school as part of their proposals submitted this year.
Universities, which would like to discuss their plans to set up a university training school, should contact Michele Marr at the Training and Development Agency (TDA) at:
michele.marr@tda.gov.uk
Energy and Climate Change
Departmental Ethnic Minority Staff
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many and what proportion of senior civil servants in his Department were from an ethnic minority in March (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; and if he will make a statement. [98874]
Gregory Barker: The number and proportion of senior civil servants in the Department for Energy and Climate Change are shown in the following table:
| Date | Number | Proportion (%) |
| (1) The data for March 2012 are not yet available but will be published in our annual accounts. The data shown are the latest available. | ||
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The full diversity data for our senior civil servants are published in our annual accounts, the latest of which can be viewed at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/about/our_goals/annual_reports/annual_reports.aspx
Natural Gas: Exploration
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the scientific study undertaken by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Colorado, Boulder, on the leakage levels of methane gas from drilling for shale gas published in Nature on 9 February 2012; and what requirements there are on companies drilling for shale gas in the UK to monitor and publicly report levels of methane leakage. [98398]
Charles Hendry: The Environment Agency has commissioned a study to investigate the monitoring and control of unplanned emissions of methane from unconventional gas operations which will include a survey of the relevant literature. This study will help the agency to understand how fugitive emissions can be quantified, managed and minimised.
DECC petroleum production licences contain provisions that require the licensee to prevent the escape of hydrocarbons, and there are controls on the venting of gas within the Energy Act 1976. DECC has also commissioned a separate piece of research which will assess how we should incorporate any methane emissions from this activity in our greenhouse gas inventory, which forms the basis for our international emissions reporting obligation under the Kyoto protocol.
Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the expected levels of take-up for the Green Deal in relation to households installing photovoltaics. [96544]
Gregory Barker: The Green Deal may offer an attractive route to householders considering installing solar PV and wishing to improve the energy performance of their property in order to be eligible for the highest tariffs available under the feed-in tariffs scheme, but we have not quantified this.
Work and Pensions
Atos Healthcare
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have met the chief executive officer of Atos since May 2010; and what was discussed on each occasion. [97121]
Chris Grayling: This Department has published on a quarterly basis since October 2009, details of all ministerial meetings with external organisations. The information you have requested can be found via the attached link to the Department's website:
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http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/corporate-publications/ministers-meetings-overseas.shtml
Information for the period 1 July 2011 to 31 December 2011 has yet to be published.
Carer's Allowance
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people ceased to receive carer's allowance due to receipt of (a) a pension and (b) another income replacement benefit in (i) England, (ii) the North West and (iii) Cumbria in each of the last five years. [98653]
Maria Miller: Information on why a person no longer receives carer's allowance is not collected.
Housing Benefit
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people's local housing allowance was paid direct to their landlord in (a) the London borough of Bexley and (b) London in the latest period for which figures are available. [97426]
Steve Webb: The information is in the following table:
Mortgages: Government Assistance
Mr Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many older people in receipt of pension credit and payments towards housing cost, excluding housing benefit, are in receipt of a support for mortgage interest payment to meet the interest cost on loans taken out for the purpose of undertaking home improvements; and what the average weekly payment in such cases was in the latest period for which figures are available. [96667]
Steve Webb: The information is not available.
The Department's administrative data cannot reliably identify people who receive support in respect of home improvement loans, as they are often consolidated into the main mortgage loan.
Nuclear Information
Paul Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what rules have been made by the Office for Nuclear Regulation to prevent the unauthorised
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transmission of nuclear information; and whether he is aware of any breaches of any such rules. [96331]
Chris Grayling: It is the responsibility of all staff of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to ensure that HSE's assets are given adequate protection, including the security of the information they use. This responsibility includes staff of the Office for Nuclear Regulation, which is an agency within HSE. Guidance to ensure staff are able to understand and adhere to HSE security policies and practices is published on HSE's intranet. The guidance is fully open under Open Government provisions.
A breach of these policies and practices occurred in November 2011. While abroad, a member of ONR personnel lost an unencrypted USB pen driver containing safety information about a UK nuclear power station. The document was marked ‘restricted’ but did not contain any significantly sensitive information. An internal investigation was conducted and work is in hand to ensure that lessons are learnt.
Pensions
John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of administering an increase in the basic state pension of 25 pence for recipients over the age of 80. [98193]
Steve Webb: The 25p increase in state pensions, the Age Addition, is currently made to recipients aged 80 or over. Payments are made automatically as part of the person's ongoing state pension entitlement. The DWP does not maintain data on the specific administrative costs of Age Addition.
Redundancy: Private Sector
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were made redundant from jobs in the private sector in each of the last three years. [98779]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2012 :
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were made redundant from jobs in the private sector in each of the last three years [98779].
The requested information is not available. Official estimates of redundancies are derived from the Labour Force Survey. However, the details required to identify how many of those redundancies are in the private sector are not collected.
Social Security Benefits
Derek Twigg:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 7 February 2012, Official Report, column 238W, on social security benefits, how many working-age households in (a) the Borough of Halton, (b) Cheshire, (c) Merseyside and (d) England were in receipt of benefits that totalled more than the proposed benefit cap under the
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provisions of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 excluding those households which are exempted in the latest period for which figures are available. [98313]
Chris Grayling: In the borough of Halton it is estimated that fewer than 100 households will be affected by the cap, when it is introduced in the financial year 2013-14. The combined total for Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, and Warrington authority areas is 300 households. The combined total for Liverpool, St. Helens, Sefton, Wirral and Knowsley authority areas is 1,000 households. The estimate for England as a whole is 61,600 households.
The figures presented above are consistent with the recent Impact Assessment published on 23 January 2012. This assumes that the situation of these households will go unchanged, and they will not take any steps to either work enough hours to qualify for working tax credit, renegotiate their rent in situ, or find alternative accommodation. In all cases the Department is working to support households through this transition, using existing provision through Jobcentre Plus and the Work Programme to move as many into work as possible.
It is important to note that these estimates were produced before the additional easements announced on 1 February which included the exemption of households who were in receipt of the support component of employment and support allowance and a nine-month grace period for claimants who were in work for 52 weeks or more before the start of their claim. This means that these figures are subject to change.
Social Security Benefits: Hyndburn
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the Hyndburn borough council area receive combined benefits at the rate of (a) £2,000, (b) £1,600 and (c) £1,000 a month which will be affected by the benefits cap proposed in the Welfare Reform Bill. [97192]
Chris Grayling: The information requested about the combined benefits that people receive is not available.
On 23 January 2012 the Department published an updated impact assessment for the household benefit cap. This estimated that in the first year of its implementation (the financial year 2013-14), in Great Britain 67,000 households would be affected by the cap. On 6 February, the breakdown of the number of households we expect to be affected in each local authority was deposited in the House of Commons Library.
On the basis of this impact assessment, fewer than 100 households in the Hyndburn borough council area will be affected. It is important to note that these estimates were produced before the additional easements announced on 1 February which included the exemption of households who were in receipt of the support component of employment and support allowance and a nine-month grace period for claimants who were in work for 52 weeks or more before the start of their claim.
This means that these figures are subject to change, ahead of the Welfare Reform Bill gaining Royal Assent. We will consider the scope for further analysis of the households when we prepare the revised impact assessment following Royal Assent.
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As set out in the impact assessment, these figures are based on the assumption that the situation of these households will go unchanged, and they will not take any steps to either work enough hours to qualify for working tax credit, renegotiate their rent in situ, or find alternative accommodation. In practice, for all of these households the Department is working to support households through this transition, using existing provision through Jobcentre Plus and the Work programme to move as many into work as possible.
Social Security Benefits: Northern Ireland
Dr McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what representations he has received from voluntary organisations in Northern Ireland over his proposed benefit reform; [93550]
(2) what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive over his proposed benefit reform. [93551]
Chris Grayling: Welfare Reform will bring significant benefits to people throughout the United Kingdom including that work will always pay, targeted support for disabled people, fairness and equality, affordability and simplification.
Northern Ireland is responsible for its own social security system. However, there is an expectation that the NI and GB systems will operate in parallel under what is termed the parity principle. Under this arrangement the same benefits are paid at the same rates subject to the same conditions and rules. To achieve this aim discussions take place regularly with the Northern Ireland Executive on all new legislation at both a ministerial and official level.
Northern Ireland stakeholders have responded to consultation exercises on measures in the GB Bill and the Northern Ireland Executive has also carried out its own separate consultation exercises. Ministers have met with a wide range of organisations to discuss the Bill.
Universal Credit: Housing Benefit
Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the number of weeks' rent arrears will be which will trigger direct payment of housing benefit on the application of a social landlord following the introduction of universal credit. [97097]
Chris Grayling: The Government are committed to supporting working-age recipients of housing benefit make the transition to a single monthly direct payment of benefit as part of universal credit. This change is seen as key to helping people develop the financial management skills required to move with ease from benefits into work by mirroring a regular salary. Maintaining single payment is also important so that claimants can see clearly the effect of their decisions about work on total household income.
Although most of those in the private rented sector are already used to receiving their payments directly and managing their finances accordingly, it is recognised that for others, including many in the social rented sector, the change may raise additional challenges.
On 19 January, DWP announced five housing benefit demonstration projects which will involve selected local authorities, housing association partnerships and between
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10,000 and 12,000 social housing sector housing benefit customers nationwide. One of the key aims of these projects is to look at the range and level of support that different customers will need to help them to manage their finances, including how intervention can be best targeted if they start to struggle with meeting payments.
In exceptional circumstances, alternative payment arrangements may be needed to support them in the move to universal credit. We are working with housing associations, local authorities and claimant representative groups to determine the circumstances in which we would consider making such alternative arrangements. This work will be informed by the outcome of the demonstration projects, factoring in independent evaluation of the projects conducted by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research.
International Development
Conflict Prevention
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures his Department plans to use to assess the effectiveness of its governance and conflict programme. [97811]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) measures the effectiveness of its governance and conflict work at both country and aggregate levels. Information on how we measure progress against our objectives is available on the DFID website. The DFID Business Plan and Results Frameworks include indicators for our governance and conflict programmes; for example, "Number of women and girls with improved access to security and justice services through DFID support".
All DFID Country Offices have published Operational Plans which will be revised annually. Each contains a results framework setting out the high level outcomes we are seeking to achieve, including governance and conflict results. Progress is reported annually.
Individual conflict and governance programmes set out specific results they intend to achieve through their lifetime. Effectiveness in achieving these results is regularly monitored, and assessed in a project completion report at the end of the programme.
In addition, all DFID Country Offices are required to develop, publish and implement an evaluation strategy, in accordance with international best practice guidelines set out by the OECD. A number of Country Offices plan to have evaluations of projects in the area of governance over the next few years.
Corruption
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will place in the Library a copy of the report on UK anti-corruption policy which was recently prepared for his Department. [97860]
Mr Duncan: Copies of the report “Enhancing Action against international Corruption Annual Review 2011”, referred to in The Times newspaper on 22 February 2012, will be deposited in the House Library.
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Developing Countries: Health Services
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to help pharmaceutical companies assist with the development of (a) HIV/AIDS, (b) tuberculosis, (c) malaria, (d) maternity and (e) other health programmes in developing countries. [98535]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) supported the establishment of the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) through our contributions to UNITAID. This has the potential to increase access to more appropriate and affordable anti-retrovirals in developing countries. The UK continues to encourage the pharmaceutical industry to engage actively with the MPP. The UK's contributions to UNITAID also increases access to quality-assured treatments for malaria and tuberculosis in low-income countries by using innovative, global market-based approaches to make treatment products more affordable and widely available. The UK's increased support to the United Nations Population Fund helped Bayer HealthCare Jadelle reduce the price of its five year contraceptive implant, and save thousands more women's lives. The UK works closely with a number of pharmaceutical companies that donate drugs that combat neglected tropical diseases. For example DFID and GSK jointly support the Liverpool School for Tropical Medicine's programme to control lymphatic filaria.
DFID supports a range of product development partnerships (PDPs) that work as virtual pharmaceutical companies to develop new drugs, vaccines and diagnostic tools (technologies) for developing countries. PDPs are developed by a range of different partners including large pharmaceutical companies and those in middle income countries. There is a strong track record of PDPs working with, and leveraging funding from, the private sector including pharmaceutical companies to help further their aims.
DFID is a founding member of the Harnessing Non-State Actors for Better Health for the Poor (HANSHEP) group established in 2010. This seeks to improve the performance of the private sector (PS) in delivering better health care for the poor.
Developing Countries: HIV Infection
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he expects to achieve the target for universal access to treatment for patients with HIV/AIDS. [98852]
Mr O'Brien: The UK is committed to scaling up HIV diagnosis, treatment, care and support, and supporting international commitments to get 15 million people on treatment by 2015. We set out our plans in an HIV position paper, ‘Towards Zero Infections’, in May 2011.
The UK is working with the pharmaceutical industry to increase the number of people on life saving treatment to help meet unmet need, driving down costs for medicines, securing lower prices and better value for money. Work with the Clinton Health Access Initiative to lower the price of the drug tenofovir will generate enough cost-savings to buy medicines for an additional 500,000 people by 2015. Support to the Global Fund will provide 268,000 HIV positive people with treatment and 37,000 women with treatment to prevent transmission to their babies.
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Private Sector
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures his Department plans to use to assess the effectiveness of its private sector programme. [97810]
Mr O'Brien: All of the Department for International Development's (DFID's) programmes—including private sector programmes—are subject to a rigorous assessment process. Information on how we measure progress against our objectives is available on the DFID website:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/How-we-measure-progress/
The DFID Business Plan and Results Framework (both available at the link above) include indicators for our work with the private sector; for example, "The number of people with access to financial services as a result of DFID support".
For DFID Country Offices and UK-based Departments, the measures of effectiveness are available in the relevant Operational Plans:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/What-we-do/Publications/?p-OP
and at project level through the project database:
http://projects.dfid.gov.uk/
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how his Department's private sector programme funding will be delivered; and which bodies and organisations will be involved in delivery. [97812]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) work with the private sector is implemented through a range of funding mechanisms and implementation partners. A case-by-case approach is taken to programme design to ensure maximum value for money and implementing partners include multilateral organisations, civil society organisations, and the private sector.
Further information on implementation of private sector programmes, including on the bodies and organisations that will be involved in delivery, can be found in the relevant Operational Plans:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/What-we-do/Publications/?p=OP
http://projects.dfid.gov.uk/
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what objectives his Department has set for its private sector programme. [97813]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) work with the private sector is about generating opportunity and prosperity for poor people in developing countries. This work will deliver results for poor people through: better job opportunities and incomes; more readily available and affordable finance for households and small businesses; and more accessible, better quality healthcare, schooling and basic services.
More detail on DFID's approach to working with the private sector is contained within the paper titled "The Engine of Development: The Private Sector and Prosperity for Poor People"
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http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Media-Room/News-Stories/2011/Mitchell-Harness-dynamism-and-energy-of-private-enterprise-in-international-development/
DFID's priorities and headline results can be found in the business plan and results framework
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/How-we-measure-progress/
Country offices' and UK-based departments' objectives are available in the relevant operational plans
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/What-we-do/Publications/?p=OP
and project level objectives are available on the project database
http://projects.dfid.gov.uk/
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion and how much in real terms of his Department's budget will be allocated to private sector projects in each year of the comprehensive spending review period. [97814]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not allocate a specific proportion of the budget to private sector projects. The DFID annual report and accounts 2010-11 set out the plans for the priority pillars for the four years of the spending review period and private sector department plans for the next two years. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to her on 7 September 2011, Official Report, column 704W:
‘For planning purposes the Department for International Development (DFID) allocates money by priority pillars. The pillars are wealth creation, governance & security, climate change and global partnerships, as well as DFID funding in support of the Millennium Development Goals (education, health, water & sanitation and humanitarian assistance).’
DFID's new private sector department will play a key role in promoting private sector activities within wealth creation, as well as the other pillars. More detail on DFID's approach to working with the private sector is contained within the paper titled "The Engine of Development: The Private Sector and Prosperity for Poor People". This can be found on the DFID website:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Media-Room/News-Stories/2011/Mitchell-Harness-dynamism-and-energy-of-private-enterprise-in-international-development/
For more information on current activities in this area and budget allocations please see the DFID annual report and accounts 2010-11, which can also be found on the DFID website:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/about-us/how-we-measure-progress/annual-report/
Further information on DFID projects/programmes can be accessed from our Project Information Database
http://projects.dfid.gov.uk/
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Where-we-work/
and in the DFID departmental operational plans
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Site-search/?g=operational+plans
Somaliland
Alun Michael:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) development assistance and (b) other aid his Department provided to Somaliland (i) in each year from 2005 to 2010 and
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(ii) in the first half of 2011; and what the difference was between commitments and disbursements in each period. [97602]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not compile formal aid expenditure statistics broken down at sub-national level, or record commitments separately for actual aid spending. UK bilateral aid expenditure to Somalia (including Somaliland) for each year 2005-06 to 2010-11, is given in the following table:
| DFID bilateral aid— Somalia | ||
| Total (£000) | of which: Humanitarian assistance | |
| Source: Statistics on International Development, 2011, 2010 http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/How-we-measure-progress/Aid-Statistics/ | ||
In the year 2011-12, the UK intends to spend up to £103 million across Somalia, focused on heath services, private sector development, governance and peace-building and humanitarian assistance, subject to results. Up to 60% of this development funding (not including humanitarian aid) from 2011-12 to 2014-15 will be to Somaliland, dependent on results achieved.
Sudan: Debts
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral arrangements have been made with Sudan in respect of debt relief; and what conditions Sudan will need to meet before it qualifies for debt relief. [93190]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK has led international efforts to establish a technical working group to oversee the progress on the technical steps required before Sudan can receive debt relief, which last met in September 2011. Additionally we have made clear on a number of occasions to the Sudanese Government that debt relief remains conditional on the need to see genuine progress towards inclusive peace and justice in Sudan, and resolving the outstanding issues from the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
Syria
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Homs; what plans are being made for the distribution of food and aid; and if he will make a statement. [98241]
Mr Andrew Mitchell:
We are gravely concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria. The UK has provided assistance to humanitarian agencies working in Homs and other areas to support emergency medical services and supplies for injured civilians, food rations for over 20,000 people, and other basic services, such as emergency water for 2,750 people. In addition,
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the UK has increased core funding significantly to humanitarian agencies this year such as the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to cover their ongoing operations all over the world, including in this region.
Although humanitarian agencies are able to meet the needs of some of those in need, the actions of Assad and his regime are making it incredibly difficult to reach all civilians. We are continuing to call on the regime to allow unhindered and sustained access into the Baba Amr neighbourhood in Homs and other areas for humanitarian agencies to distribute aid and evacuate the civilians that are most in need.
We welcome the Syria Humanitarian Forum on Thursday 8 March, jointly chaired by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Arab League, which will bring the international community together to mobilize the humanitarian response.
West Africa
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports he has received on the humanitarian situation in Niger and Mali caused by drought and conflict; and what steps he is taking to provide humanitarian assistance to aid agencies. [98248]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: In direct response to severe food shortages in the region, in January I announced an urgent package of UK support to help mitigate the crisis. British aid will help treat 83,000 severely malnourished children in Niger, Chad and Mali and provide emergency livelihood support to some 34,000 families to enable them to buy food for the coming months. In addition, British aid is already reaching those in need across the Sahel through the release of £10.7 million from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund—to which Britain is a major contributor.
Over the last couple of weeks the EC Humanitarian Office (ECHO) has revised its assessment of the food crisis in the Sahel. Currently, ECHO estimates that almost 12 million men, women and children across the Sahel region of West Africa are at risk of food shortages in the coming months. Of these, nearly 3 million are estimated to be at severe risk. These figures are expected to rise as the annual hungry period between harvests has started early this year.
An upsurge in fighting between Tuareg rebels and the Malian Government has resulted in the displacement of 130,000 people, with 65,000 of these fleeing into neighbouring countries. In Niger and Burkina Faso, the refugees have arrived in some of the areas worst affected by food insecurity.
My officials continue to monitor the situation closely, and liaise with their opposite numbers in other Governments to ensure other countries take their fair share of the response.
Women and Equalities
Equality and Human Rights Commission
John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities when the Equality and Human Rights Commission will publish its revised departmental strategic plan to reflect the changes to its services and staff numbers in the last 12 months. [98545]
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Lynne Featherstone: The Equality and Human Rights Commission's strategic plan for 2012-15 will be published shortly.
Equality and Human Rights Commission: Scotland
Ann McKechin: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many frontline staff the Equality and Human Rights Commission (a) employs and (b) will employ after the new organisational design has been implemented in Scotland. [98420]
Lynne Featherstone [holding answer 6 March 2012]: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an arm's length body; the following is based on information it has provided.
The EHRC currently employs eight staff in Scotland who work directly on its helpline. The EHRC employs a further 27 staff in Scotland; many of these individuals have direct contact with external organisations and individuals as part of their day-to-day responsibilities.
The number of staff who will be employed in Scotland after the new organisational design has been implemented will be determined by the EHRC in due course, as a result of ongoing work and consultations.
Education
Academies
Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on the formation of military academies; and if he will make a statement. [97856]
Mr Gibb: Ministers have read with interest the report ‘Military Academies: Tackling disadvantage, improving ethos and changing outcomes’, published by ResPublica in January this year. I welcome the role the military and cadet forces can play in engaging young people. The Department is currently considering the ideas set out in this paper.
Academies: Private Finance Initiative
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the annual charges for private finance initiative contracts on schools which subsequently take independent academy status are paid by the school or by the local education authority; and whether the financial allowances of local education authorities will be increased to limit any effect on other schools. [98373]
Mr Gibb: Under a private finance initiative (PFI) contract the local authority (LA) is normally responsible for paying the unitary charge to the PFI contractor throughout the lifetime of the contract. When a school becomes an academy, there should be no change and the local authority continues to pay this charge.
LAs receive contributions towards the unitary charge from maintained schools involved in the PFI contract. Schools that become academies continue to make that contribution to the LA.
LAs also receive revenue funding from the Department as a contribution to the PFI unitary charge. This funding continues whether or not schools become academies.
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Sometimes, the LA arrangements are such that the contributions from their schools plus the departmental revenue funding do not fully meet the unitary charge. Any shortfall is met by the LA. Again, arrangements are in place for this to continue when a school becomes an academy.
The LA receives no extra funding since the arrangements described above are designed to make sure that the funding available to an LA for the unitary charge prior to a school in its area becoming an academy is the same as after the school has taken academy status.
Boarding Schools
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the name is of each publicly-funded boarding school or school with boarding houses; in which local authority each such school is located; how many pupils are on the roll at each school; and what proportion of pupils at each school (a) are eligible for free school meals, (b) have special educational needs, (c) are from ethnic minorities and (d) have been selected on the basis of (i) academic ability and (ii) aptitude. [96496]
Mr Gibb: The available information has been placed in the House Libraries.
The table shows which of the boarding schools are classed as wholly selective. Other than this, information on the proportion of pupils who are selected on the basis of academic ability is not collected. Information on selection by aptitude is not collected.
Building Schools for the Future Programme
Mr Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the cost per pupil of each school that has so far been built through the Building Schools for the Future programme. [97554]
Mr Gibb: Building Schools for the Future (BSF) projects were funded on pupil numbers, and the funding for floor space was calculated on the basis of 50% new build, 35% refurbishment and 15% minor works. This provided an overall funding envelope, and it was decided locally how the funds were invested across groups of schools within a project. Local authorities and schools could supplement those resources if they wished to. The following table shows the capital cost per pupil, excluding any local authority contribution, for those completed schools for which we have complete and validated data.
| £ | |||
| Type of school | Average cost per pupil | Minimum cost per pupil | Maximum cost per pupil |
| (1) Includes residential accommodation. | |||
The variation in cost per pupil reflects the range of projects, from major rebuilding to minor refurbishments. Special educational need schools and pupil referral units have a higher cost per pupil as they are built to a
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higher specification and have significantly fewer pupils than mainstream secondary schools.
There are also 68 academies which are in procurement or construction through the BSF framework. These projects are significantly less expensive as a result of cost savings from a reduction in area and reduced specification.
| £ | |||
| Type of school | Average cost per pupil | Minimum cost per pupil | Maximum cost per pupil |
Food Technology: Curriculum
Anna Soubry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to include the teaching of practical cooking skills in schools in his Department's curriculum review. [97987]
Mr Gibb: Schools have an important role to play in ensuring that children and young people learn practical cooking skills and acquire the knowledge that will equip them to prepare healthy meals. Whether we can best support schools to play that role by including practical cooking in the statutory curriculum is a matter that we will give consideration to as the current review of the National Curriculum proceeds. We will be announcing our proposals later this year.
Free School Meals
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the future of free school meals. [91665]
Mr Gibb: I have regular meetings with Ministers in the Department of Work and Pensions about the future of free school meals.
Ministers and officials from both Departments are considering the options for new eligibility criteria. The Department for Education will consult on free school meal eligibility proposals in 2012, ahead of the introduction of universal credit from October 2013.
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which English local authorities provided free school meals in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in the most recent period for which figures are available. [97792]
Mr Gibb: Wherever there is a child who is eligible for and claiming free school meals the school has to provide a meal. There are, therefore, no local authorities in England which do not provide any free school meals.
Information on the number of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals by local authority as at January 2011 is published in tables 11a and 11b 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
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GCSE
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils received grades at (a) A, (b) B, (c) C and (d) D or below in GCSE (i) English language, (ii) mathematics and (iii) combined science from (A) AQA, (B) CCEA, (C) Edexcel, (D) OCR and (E) WJEC in each year since 2000. [96663]
Mr Gibb: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries. Information for years prior to 2008 can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what support and resources will be given to teachers to help them implement proposed changes to GCSEs in geography, history, English literature and mathematics. [98160]
Mr Gibb: The Government are committed to restoring confidence in GCSEs as rigorous and valued qualifications. I therefore welcome the action being taken by the independent regulator, Ofqual, to help ensure that GCSEs in these subjects are challenging, requiring students to demonstrate that they have covered the appropriate range and depth of subject content. It will be for the Awarding Organisations to set out for schools and colleges the changes they will be making to these GCSEs as a result.
GCSE: Disadvantaged
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals did not achieve five GCSEs at A* to C in 2011 in (a) England and (b) Leeds North West constituency. [97001]
Mr Gibb: The information requested can be found in the following table. Figures for Leeds North West constituency for 2010/11 will not be available until around mid March 2012.
| Percentage of pupils (1,2,3) not achieving 5 A*- C grades at GCSE and equivalent in Leeds North West constituency (4) and England (5) , years: 2009/10 to 2010/11 | ||||
| 2009/10 | 2010/11 | |||
| Number of pupils eligible for FSM | Percentage of pupils eligible for FSM not achieving 5+ A*-C grades | Number of pupils eligible for FSM | Percentage of pupils eligible for FSM not achieving 5+ A*-C grades | |
| (1) Figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. (2) Figures include all maintained schools {including CTCs and academies). (3) Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in each academic year. (4) Parliamentary constituency figures are based on the postcode of the school. (5) England figures are the sum of all local authority figures. Source: National Pupil Database (2009/10 final data, 2010/11 revised data) | ||||
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Literacy: Secondary Education
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what measures his Department has put in place to identify and support GCSE students with poor reading and comprehension skills; and if he will make a statement. [98048]
Mr Gibb: Decisions on how to identify and support secondary school pupils with poor reading and comprehension skills are best made at a local level. It is the responsibility of schools to identify and support those pupils at all stages, including at GCSE.
Mathematics: GCSE
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students taking GCSE mathematics in Gillingham and Rainham constituency achieved a pass rate of A* to C in the most recent period for which figures are available; and how many such students continued to study that subject at A-level. [96723]
Mr Gibb: Estimates of the number of pupils in Gillingham and Rainham constituency entering and achieving A*-C grades in maths, for the cohort who completed Key Stage 4 in 2007/08, are shown in Table 1 as follows. The number and proportion of these who went on to enter maths AS-levels by 2008/09, and maths A-levels by 2009/10, are shown in Tables 2 and 3 respectively.
| Table 1: Number of pupils (1, 2, 3) entering maths GCSE and percentage achieving A*-C grades (4, 5) in Gillingham and Rainham constituency (6) , 2007/08 | |||
| Number of pupils: | |||
| GCSE subject | Taking maths | Achieving A*-C | Percentage achieving A*-C grades |
| Table 2: Number and percentage of pupils (1, 2, 3) achieving maths GCSE at A*-C (4, 5) who entered maths (7) AS-levels by 2008/09 | |||
| From GCSE A*-C | |||
| AS-level maths | |||
| GCSE subject | Number of pupils achieving A*-C | Number | Percentage of A*-C |
| Table 3: Number and percentage of pupils (1, 2, 3) achieving maths GCSE at A*-C (4, 5) who entered maths (7) A-levels by 2009/10 | |||
| From GCSE A*-C | |||
| A-level maths | |||
| GCSE subject | Number of pupils achieving A*-C | Number | Percentage of A*-C |
| (1) Figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. (2) Figures include all maintained schools (including CTCs and academies). (3) Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in the 2007/08 academic year. (4) Percentage achieving A*- C based on the number of pupils entering each subject. (5) Including attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years. (6) Parliamentary constituency figures are based on the postcode of the school. (7) Includes maths, mechanics, pure, applied, discrete, statistics, further and additional maths. Source: National Pupil Database | |||
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Military Academies
Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on the proposed formation of military academies. [96920]
Mr Gibb: I have met my hon. Friend the Member for Canterbury (Mr Brazier) and Colonel Hugh Purcell to discuss a range of issues including military academies.
Ministers have also read with interest the report "Military Academies: Tackling disadvantage, improving ethos and changing outcomes" published by ResPublica in January this year. I welcome the role the military and cadet forces can play in engaging young people, and I have asked officials from the Department to discuss with the Reserves Forces and Cadets Association the ideas set out in this paper.
Ofsted: Inspections
Elizabeth Truss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the cost was of Ofsted inspections of (a) childminders, (b) nurseries and (c) schools in the latest year for which figures are available. [97663]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 1 March 2012]: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to my hon. Friend, and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Sir Michael Wilshaw:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
The information you have requested is set out in the table.
All costs relate to the most recent full year, 2010-11, and include direct and indirect costs plus overheads less income. It should be noted that overall costs in Ofsted have reduced since 2010-11 and are planned to reduce in total by 30% by the end of the Comprehensive Spending Review period in 2014-15.
Please note that for schools, the costs for 2010-11 show no impact from the changes to inspection frameworks made in January 2012 or the planned framework changes anticipated in September 2012.
For Early Years the table shows, as requested, the 2010-11 costs relating to the registration and inspection of child minders separately from the cost of other provision. The costs exclude other 'non-inspection related visits' such as following up complaints and interviewing new managers to ensure they understand the requirements of the EYFS well enough to deem them to be suitable for their new role.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for Schools, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
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Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects the internal review of personal, social, health and economic education to be published. [97270]
Mr Gibb: We are currently considering the representations made to the review of personal social health and economic education (PSHE), the national and international research evidence, and views obtained from meetings with stakeholders. We expect to publish proposals on PSHE later this year, after the next stage of the National Curriculum review.
Private Education
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which formerly independent schools have joined the state sector, broken down by (a) local education authority and (b) school type in each of the last five years. [96490]
Mr Gibb: The following table sets out the names of independent schools which have joined the state sector in each of the last five years, the local authorities they are sited in and the type of school they have become.
| Year (January to December) | Local authority | School name | School category |
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Schools: Admissions
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of pupils in each local authority in England attending wholly selective secondary schools (a) were eligible for free school meals, (b) had special educational needs and (c) were from ethnic minority families in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the equivalent figures were for (i) the local authority in which these schools are located and (ii) England. [96493]
Mr Gibb: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils in publicly-funded grammar schools including fully selective academies aged (a) 11 to 18, (b) 11 to 15 and (c) 16 to 18 years were eligible for free school meals in the latest period for which figures are available. [96494]
Mr Gibb: The requested information is shown in the following table.
| State-funded selective schools (1) , number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals by age (2,3,4) : January 2011, England | |||
| Selective schools (1) | |||
| Pupils aged: | Number on roll | Number known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals (3) | Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals (5) |
| (1)Includes 164 selective secondary schools, including selective academies. (2) Age as at 31 August 2010. (3) Includes all full-time and part-time pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. Includes boarders. (4)The Department's usual measure of free school meal eligibility includes full time pupils aged 0 to 15 and part time pupils aged five to 15 because far fewer pupils below and over compulsory school age claim for free school meals. (5) Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals expressed as a percentage of number (headcount) of pupils in each age group. (6) Middle deemed secondary schools and all through schools deemed as secondary result in some pupils aged under 11 in secondary schools. Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five. Source: School Census | |||
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Schools: Capital Investment
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to announce what resources are being allocated to Warrington under his capital programme. [98344]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 6 March 2012]: On 13 December 2011, Official Report, columns 92-5WS, the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), announced capital funding for all local authorities for 2012-13, including allocations for basic need (funding for additional pupil places) and maintenance. Capital funding totalling £6 million was allocated to Warrington and its schools.
This funding does not include an additional £600 million for basic need which was allocated to the Department in the Chancellor's autumn statement, 29 November 2011, Official Report, columns 799-810. We are considering how best to allocate this funding and an announcement will be made in due course.
All applications for funding through the Priority School Building Programme are currently being assessed and an announcement about those projects approved to proceed will be made as soon as possible.
Schools: Crimes of Violence
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2012, Official Report, columns 439-40W, on teachers: crimes of violence, what steps he has taken since coming to office to reduce the number of incidents of physical assaults of teachers. [98103]
Mr Gibb: The Department deplores any incidents of assault against teachers. The Education Act 2011 contained measures to ensure that teachers and head teachers have the powers they need to restore adult authority in schools. We have already commenced provisions that remove the requirement on schools to give parents 24 hours notice of detention.
Provisions in the Act will be commenced shortly that give teachers additional powers to search pupils for any items that have been, or could be, used to cause harm or break the law and for any items banned by school rules. In September 2012, provisions in the Act will be commenced replacing independent appeal panels with independent review panels so that schools cannot be forced to reinstate violent or disruptive pupils who have been permanently excluded. Further provisions that will grant teachers anonymity when facing allegations from, or on behalf of, a pupil will come into force in October 2012.
Teachers who have been subjected to abuse or violence should report any such incident to their employer, which in most schools is the governing body or the local authority. Their employer is under a duty of care to address and resolve any issues as swiftly and effectively as possible.
Schools: Governing Bodies
Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to update his Department's guide to the law for school governors. [97529]
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Mr Gibb [holding answer 5 March 2012]: The Government are strongly committed to streamlining the bureaucratic requirements that affect schools and streamlining guidance and other paperwork. We are currently considering the best approach to correcting those sections of the Governors' Guide to the Law that are out of date.
Schools: Standards
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools have been placed in special measures by Ofsted in each year since 1992. [97069]
Mr Gibb: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to my hon. Friend, and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Sir Michael Wilshaw:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
The term ‘special measures' was established under the Education Act 1993 and has been incorporated into subsequent legislation. A school made subject to special measures is one where her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that a school is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.
Ofsted records all judgements made by inspectors on inspections, including the summative judgement for the overall effectiveness of a school. Information provided in this response includes ail inspections where a school was made subject to special measures between the academic years 1993/94 and 2010/11.
The number of schools placed in special measures between 1993/94 and 2010/11 can be found in Table A.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for Schools, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
| Table A: Schools placed in special measures in each academic year 1993/94 to 2010/11 | |
| Academic year | Total number of schools placed in special measures |
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools have successfully appealed against being placed in special measures by Ofsted in each year since 1992. [97070]
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Mr Gibb: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to my hon. Friend, and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Sir Michael Wilshaw, dated 5 March 2012:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
The term ‘special measures’ was established under the Education Act 1993 and has been incorporated into subsequent legislation. A school made subject to special measures is one where her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that a school is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.
Accordingly, 2,903 schools have been placed in special measures since the academic year 1993/04, as in the following table.
| Academic year | Total number of schools placed in special measures |
Ofsted holds figures on the number of special measures judgements for schools, which were corroborated by Her Majesty's Inspectors (HMI), between 2000 and 2009, as in the following table.
Ofsted does not hold data centrally about the number of schools where a special measures judgement was changed prior to 2000.
| Academic year | Schools moderated from Special Measures to Serious Weaknesses/Notice to Improve (1) | Schools moderated from Special Measures to Satisfactory |
| (1) The designation for this judgement changed from ‘serious weaknesses’ to ‘notice to improve’ during the period in question. | ||
In 2009, the responsibility for this work transferred to Ofsted's Quality Assurance Division. The following figures show the number of special measures judgements that have changed in each academic year since 2009.
| Academic year | Schools moderated from Special Measures to Notice to Improve | Schools moderated from Special Measures to Satisfactory |
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A school given a notice to improve is, like a school placed in ‘special measures’, judged to be providing an unacceptable standard of education, although the leaders and managers in the former have demonstrated their capacity to improve provision.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for Schools, and will be placed in the Library of both Houses.