25 Feb 2013 : Column 27W
Military Decorations: Kilmarnock
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service medals have been awarded to armed forces personnel from Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency; and how this figure compares to the (a) Scottish and (b) national average. [143718]
Mr Francois: Data for how many service medals have been awarded to armed forces personnel from specific geographical locations such as Kilmarnock and Loudon are not held. Consequently, it is not possible to compare the figure for medals issued to those personnel from Kilmarnock and Loudon to that of the Scottish and national averages.
Since 7 February 2012, a total of 186,850 medals have been issued to serving personnel and veterans.
The figure refers to campaign and official commemorative medals, including the Diamond Jubilee Medal, and does not include honours or awards.
National Army Museum
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on the National Army Museum in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13. [143613]
Mr Francois: The National Army Museum plays a key role in preserving the Army's heritage. It is pivotal in acting as a bridge between communities and the present day Army and in improving awareness of the Army's role within society.
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The cost to Defence in maintaining the National Army Museum since financial year 2010-11 is shown in the following table:
| Financial Year | Total (£) |
| (1) Expenditure as at January 2013. | |
North Africa
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date he plans to publish cost estimates for operations in North Africa. [143534]
Mr Robathan: The operation in Mali in West Africa has been under way for only four weeks and continues to evolve. Cost estimates are currently being compiled and they will be available in due course. The net additional cost of military operations in Mali in this financial year will be published in the Ministry of Defence's annual report and accounts 2012-13.
Nuclear Power: Research
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on research, development and demonstration for (a) nuclear fission and (b) nuclear fusion in each year since 2005. [143871]
Mr Dunne: Since 2005 the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has spent the following amounts on research into the physics of nuclear fission and computer modelling of the fusion process, focused on the safety security and performance of the deterrent warhead:
| £000 | |||||||
| Financial Year | 2005-6 | 2006-7 | 2007-8 | 2008-9 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 |
Specific costs for years 2005 to 2007 are not available so an estimate has been provided.
These figures do not include research into the much wider area of submarine nuclear propulsion, which uses fission.
The MOD has not demonstrated nuclear fission nor fusion since the last underground nuclear weapons test in 1991.
Offshore Industry: Security
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to the public purse of the provision of security for the UK’s offshore oil and gas industry. [143412]
Mr Robathan: The surveillance and security of the UK’s maritime areas and borders is the responsibility of a number of Departments and law enforcement agencies, including the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, DEFRA and the UK Border Force. Defence maintains a range of maritime capabilities which other Government Departments and civil powers can request under standard Military Aid to Civil Authorities (MACA) principles. There have been no recent requests for this support for the security of the offshore oil and gas industry. If there were, and in line with HM Treasury guidance, Defence would seek to recover its costs, except where there is an immediate threat to life.
Overtime Payments
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) average cost per member of staff and (b) total cost was of overtime payments in (i) his Department and (ii) each of its arm's length bodies in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12 and (C) 2012-13 to date. [141475]
Mr Francois: The number of staff being paid overtime in the Department is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. It is therefore not possible to provide an average cost per member of staff who claimed overtime payments.
The total overtime costs for the years in question are set out in the following table, including the forecast for 2012-13. The figures include overtime payments made
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to MOD Police and the Defence Fire Service, as well as civilian industrial and non-industrial staff and civilian staff engaged locally overseas.
| Financial year | Total overtime costs (£ million) |
| (1 )Forecast. | |
The total overtime costs for the Trading Funds over the years in question are in the following table:
| Trading Funds overtime | |||
| £ million | |||
| Financial year | Dstl | UKHO | DSG |
| (1 )To January 2013. | |||
Property
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which sites owned by his Department are currently earmarked for disposal; how long each site has been on the market; and what is the size of each site. [R] [137221]
Mr Francois: The latest list of sites for disposal will be placed in the Library of the House. While this list states the area of each site, it does not state the length of time the properties have been on the market. This information is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Property Transfer
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has gained from sales of its property in Wrexham in the last 10 years. [143579]
Mr Francois: The Ministry of Defence sold two Reserve Forces and Cadet Association (RFCA) properties at Kingsmill Road, Wrexham in October 2011 for £290,000. The receipts from these sales went to the RFCA, who held legal title, and were therefore not directly attributable to the departmental disposal targets. However, the RFCAs are required to use any such receipts to deliver departmental priorities.
Public Appointments
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people he appointed to public bodies in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; (i) how many and (ii) what proportion of those appointees were (A) black or from an ethnic minority, (B) Hindu, (C) Muslim and (D) Chinese in each of those years; and if he will make a statement. [144103]
Mr Francois: The number of personnel appointed to public bodies in 2010-11 was 192 and in 2011-12 it was 23.
The Commissioner for Public Appointments collates and publishes information on the number of appointments of candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds; however this information is not broken down by ethnic group.
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Copies of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 annual reports are available at:
http://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk
and in the Library of the House.
QinetiQ: Pensions
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions his Department has had with QinetiQ regarding the clarification of pension costs supplied by that company as part of the long-term partnering agreement. [R] [143276]
Mr Dunne: The Ministry of Defence is closely engaged with QinetiQ regarding the company's proposed changes to pension arrangements associated with the long-term partnering agreement contract, to understand the impact that such proposals may have on pension costs and to ensure that the interests of both the taxpayer and the work force are protected.
Radiation Exposure
Mr Gordon Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether he has made a public request for potential polluters of Almondbank, Perth to self-identify; [144266]
(2) what process his Department has agreed with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to identify the polluter at Almondbank; [144267]
(3) what legal documentation was required on the designation of the polluter prior to the decision to remove radiation materials at Almondbank in Perth. [144278]
Mr Francois: The former Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA) site at Almondbank was sold to Vector Aerospace Ltd as a going concern in 2008. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) will be undertaking remediation work as part of a contractual condition agreed under the terms of that sale.
Pursuant to the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) would be the lead regulator in Scotland for all matters pertaining to radioactively contaminated land. Consequently it would be for SEPA and not the MOD to determine who the appropriate persons are, in the event that the Almondbank site was deemed to be radioactively contaminated land.
Mr Gordon Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to identify other possible polluters of radioactive contamination at Dalgety Bay Beach, Fife. [144268]
Mr Francois: Pursuant to the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is the lead regulator in Scotland for all matters pertaining to radioactively contaminated land. Consequently it would be for SEPA and not the Ministry of Defence to determine any possible polluters at Dalgety Bay.
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RAF Museum
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on (a) Royal Air Force Museum London and (b) Royal Air Force Museum Cosford in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13. [143612]
Mr Francois: The Royal Air Force museum plays a key role in preserving the Royal Air Force's heritage by conserving, preserving, managing and exhibiting artefacts and documents. Their role is to educate and inform the public and members of the Royal Air Force about the history and traditions of the Royal Air Force and increase awareness of the Royal Air Force's role within society.
The Royal Air Force museums are funded through grants in aid. The cost to Defence in maintaining the Royal Air Force museums since Financial Year 2010-2011 are shown in the following table:
| £ | ||
| Financial Year | RAF Museum London | RAF Museum Cosford |
| (1) Expenditure as at January 2013. | ||
Rare Earths
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the importance of rare earth elements to defence guidance and control systems and electronic warfare; and what estimate he has made of how much of each such metal is required by UK defence industries. [143819]
Mr Dunne: The Ministry of Defence's Science and Technology Programme has conducted analysis of the importance of certain materials, including the rare earth elements, to a range of defence capabilities. The research is used to advise equipment procurement and support teams to understand which materials are important and enable them to discuss this with defence suppliers who may then need to take steps to ensure ongoing security of supply and cost management.
Regulation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and which regulations his Department has repealed between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and what estimate he has made of the savings which will accrue to those affected by each such regulation as a result of its repeal. [142022]
Mr Francois: Between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013 there were no regulations repealed by the Ministry of Defence.
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many regulations his Department introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and what the anticipated cost is of each. [144202]
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Mr Francois: Between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013, the Ministry of Defence introduced seven new items of secondary legislation:
The Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) (Amendment) Order 2012
The Armed Forces Act (Continuation) Order 2012
The Armed Forces (Enhanced Learning Credit Scheme and Further and Higher Education Commitment Scheme) Order 2012
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Armed Forces) (Amendment) Order 2012
The Armed Forces (Powers of Stop and Search, Search, Seizure and Retention) (Amendment) Order 2012
The Armed Forces Act 2011 (Commencement No.2) Order 2012
The Caversfield Service Family Accommodation Byelaws 2012
These new instruments have come as the result of the regular updating and consolidation of departmental secondary legislation and have been prepared within existing departmental resources.
Reserve Forces
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) employers, (b) trade unions and (c) other organisations were consulted by his Department on the planned changes to the reserves. [142398]
Mr Francois [holding answer 11 February 2013]: The Ministry of Defence ran a public consultation from 8 November 2012 to 18 January 2013 during which all employers, trade unions and other organisations were able to comment on our proposals for the future reserve forces. This included a comprehensive programme of national and regional workshops with employers of all sizes. We received a significant number of responses from reservists, employers and a wide variety of organisations. A full summary will be published alongside the White Paper in the spring.
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the potential risks associated with not recruiting a sufficient reserve force to complement regular capability. [144667]
Mr Francois: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Armed Forces, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Leicestershire (Mr Robathan), on 3 September 2012, Official Report, column 66W, to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones).
Reserve Forces: Northern Ireland
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress has been made towards the implementation of Future Reserves 2020 in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [143573]
Mr Francois:
Implementation of Future Reserves 2020 is progressing for reserve forces based in Northern Ireland, as it is with the reserve forces of all three armed forces based elsewhere. Work to improve the Maritime Reserves infrastructure has commenced. New equipment has been fielded with Territorial Army units in Northern Ireland including Wolf Land Rover, MAN trucks and new combat uniforms, and elements of 2nd Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment (TA) and 253 Medical Regiment
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have each conducted a two-week exercise in Cyprus in 2012. Work is in hand to establish a new Royal Auxiliary Air Force Squadron at Aldergrove. As the Secretary of State for Defence announced on 8 November 2012, the forthcoming White Paper, to be published in the spring, will set out our detailed proposals for the way forward to deliver the changes required for reserve forces.
Royal Naval Museum
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on the National Museum of the Royal Navy in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13. [143611]
Mr Francois: The National Museum for the Royal Navy draws together the Royal Naval Museum, the Fleet Air Arm Museum, and the Royal Navy Submarine Museum into a single entity that, alongside HMS Victory, improves awareness of our naval heritage.
The funding provided through grants in aid to the National Museum of the Royal Navy in financial years 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 is shown in the following table:
| Financial year | £ |
| (1) Expenditure March 2012 to January 2013 | |
Senior Civil Servants
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of officials of the three most senior grades in his Department have (a) resigned, (b) taken voluntary early retirement, (c) left the Department for alternative employment, (d) been dismissed, (e) taken long-term sick leave and (f) taken administrative leave since May 2010. [139214]
Mr Francois: The number of officials in the three most senior grades in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has fluctuated in the period since May 2010. We cannot therefore provide the information requested as a proportion of all officials of these grades.
12 officials in these grades have resigned since May 2010, including those who resigned to retire.
20 officials in these grades have taken voluntary early release since May 2010.
The MOD does not record what people intend to do when they leave us. We cannot therefore provide full details of the number of officials who have left for alternative employment. However, eight officials in these grades are known to have transferred to other Government Departments during this period.
No officials in these grades have been dismissed during this period.
No officials in these grades have taken long-term sick leave since May 2010.
Administrative leave is not a term recognised by the MOD.
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Shipbuilding: Portsmouth
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the value of the Terms of Business Agreement between his Department and BAE Systems in respect of the shipbuilding facility in Portsmouth. [143192]
Mr Dunne: The Terms of Business Agreement (TOBA) between the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and BAE Systems (BAES) is an overarching agreement under which contracts are placed for complex warship building and support work. The TOBA itself does not have any financial value attached and the value of the underlying contracts depends on the work awarded to BAES.
The TOBA does not specify a value of the company's total shipbuild workload to be carried out at its facility in Portsmouth.
Sickness Absence
Mr Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many days of paid sickness leave per individual member of staff are authorised in his Department on an annual basis; [144484]
(2) what steps he is taking to reduce sickness absence in his Department. [144498]
Mr Francois: I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave on 21 November 2012, Official Report, columns 496-8W, and 17 December 2012, Official Report, column 626W, to the hon. Member for Vale of Clwyd (Chris Ruane).
Staff
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate his Department's total staffing requirement in full-time equivalent posts for fulfilling its minimum statutory obligations. [143330]
Mr Francois: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is one of the UK's largest employers and landowners conducting one of the most complex operations in the country. In addition to recruiting, training, paying, equipping and supplying the armed forces, supporting the delivery of military capability in the field also includes: providing domestic accommodation; providing primary and specialist medical care; running schools and colleges; providing welfare services; operating complex industrial and research facilities; and running a national police force and guard service.
As a public body we are also bound by the obligations of the Official Secrets Act, the Public Records Act and the Freedom of Information Act. All functions undertaken by military and civilian personnel are undertaken within the relevant national statutory and regulatory frameworks and it is simply not possible to estimate centrally how much time is attributable specifically to fulfilling statutory obligations.
Timothy MacColl
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with officials in Dubai regarding the disappearance of Timmy MacColl. [143223]
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Mr Francois: Leading Seaman MacColl is a missing person abroad, and the Government lead for engagement with the Dubai authorities remains with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
Defence Ministers have had no direct contact with officials in Dubai, but Royal Navy personnel, working closely with the FCO, continue to liaise with and provide assistance to the Dubai authorities, as well as continuing to support Leading Seaman MacColl's family.
Training
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on training and education for civil servants in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [144083]
Mr Francois: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) invests in both external and internal training for civilian personnel. The estimated cost of the provision of training to civilian staff in the MOD was £49 million in financial year (FY) 2010-11 and £35 million in FY 2011-12. These figures include external training, including specialist non-core civilian training that cannot be carried out in house and the provision of training by the Defence Academy.
The Defence Academy is the primary provider of training and education to civilian personnel, both through courses run on site, and through the provision of e-learning, including the running of Defence e-learning centres. Some training is also delivered locally, usually by civilian or military staff for whom training is not a full-time responsibility.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Mr Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost has been of using unmanned aerial vehicles on security missions to date. [142839]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 12 February 2013]: The current portfolio of unmanned air systems were all purchased as urgent operational requirements and have been used on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The total financial approval for delivering and sustaining these unmanned air systems at various times from 2007 until the end of 2014 in both theatres of operations is £774 million. Collectively these have flown for well over 140,000 hours.
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to review the UK Reaper remotely piloted air system as required by article 36 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva convention; and if he will place in the Library a copy of any such review. [133831]
Mr Robathan
[holding answer 18 December 2012]: The Reaper unmanned air system has been the subject of legal reviews during the acquisition process, in accordance with the UK’s responsibilities under article 36 of Protocol I Additional to the Geneva conventions of 1949. The reviews concluded that Reaper is capable of being used lawfully and in accordance with all relevant international
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and domestic law. The reviews are subject to legal professional privilege and I am unwilling, therefore, to place copies in the Library of the House.
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the use of unarmed unmanned aerial systems in the UK; and what plans he has for their future use. [143636]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has no plans for the operational use of any unmanned air systems in the UK.
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will undertake an assessment of the aural and psychological effects of the use of armed and unarmed unmanned aerial vehicles on those affected by strikes from such vehicles in Afghanistan. [143637]
Mr Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 December 2012, Official Report, columns 707-08W.
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2013 to the hon. Member for Plymouth Moor View (Alison Seabeck), Official Report, column 50W, on unmanned air vehicles, if he will place in the Library a copy of all documents and guidance governing the use and engagement of the Watchkeeper fleet in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [143679]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has no plans to conduct operational flights of the Watchkeeper unmanned air system in the UK; Watchkeeper will be used in the UK for training purposes only. The information requested will take time to collate. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available.
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2012, Official Report, column 29W, on unmanned air vehicles, whether his Department has provided any unarmed drone assistance in countries other than (a) Afghanistan and (b) Libya against non-terrorist suspects in the last three years. [143854]
Mr Robathan: During the previous three years the Ministry of Defence has only operated unmanned aircraft systems—armed and unarmed—in support of UK and coalition forces on ground operations in Afghanistan.
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 12 November 2012, Official Report, column 31W, on Afghanistan, how many unmanned aerial vehicle strikes have been conducted by the UK since 1 November 2012; and if he will make a statement. [143855]
Mr Robathan: As of 1 February 2013, 18 Hellfire precision guided missiles and no (zero) laser guided bombs have been employed by the UK Reaper remotely piloted air system (RPAS) in Afghanistan since 1 November 2012. Reaper is the only UK RPAS which carries weapons.
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Reaper is not an autonomous system and all weapons employment depends upon commands from the flight crew. The weapons may be released under the command of a pilot who uses Rules of Engagement (ROE) that are no different to those used for manned UK combat aircraft. The targets are always positively identified as legitimate military objectives, and attacks are prosecuted in strict accordance with the Law of Armed Conflict and UK ROE. Every effort is made to ensure the risk of collateral damage, including civilian casualties, is minimised.
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance he plans to provide to the UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-terrorism and Human Rights' inquiry into the use of unmanned aerial vehicles; and if he will make a statement. [144022]
Mr Robathan: Her Majesty's Government will be co-operating with the UN Special Rapporteur's inquiry where appropriate. As part of this co-operation, officials from the Ministry of Defence are meeting Mr Emmerson QC in March during the evidence gathering stage of his inquiry.
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to review the use of unmanned aerial and maritime vehicles as required by Article 36 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva convention; and if he will place a copy of any such review in the Library. [144046]
Mr Robathan: The Reaper and Watchkeeper unmanned air systems (UAS) have been subject to legal reviews during the acquisition process, in accordance with the UK's responsibilities under Article 36 of Protocol I Additional to the Geneva conventions of 1949. Legal reviews are subject to legal professional privilege and I am unwilling to place copies in the Library of the House.
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will undertake an assessment of the legality of targeted killings by remotely piloted air systems. [144048]
Mr Robathan: The UK complies fully with its obligations under international law, as set out in Article 36 of Additional Protocol 1 to the Geneva conventions, to review all new weapons, and means and methods of warfare to determine whether their employment would in some or all circumstances be prohibited by the protocol or any other rule of international law.
The UK only operates one armed remotely piloted aircraft system, Reaper, which has been in service since 2007 and is predominately used for surveillance and reconnaissance tasks providing vital intelligence in support of our forces on the ground in Afghanistan. All UK forces in Afghanistan operate in accordance with international humanitarian law and UK rules of engagement, under the command of the NATO International Security and Assistance Forces (ISAF), under the legal authority of UN Security Council resolutions and with the consent of the Government of Afghanistan.
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Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) psychological and (b) physical assessments his Department has undertaken on Royal Air Force pilots of unmanned aerial vehicles; and if he will place in the Library copies of any such studies. [144179]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence takes seriously the psychological and physical health of all armed forces personnel. The RAF Reaper remotely piloted air systems (RPAS) force, alongside other frontline forces, has robust Trauma Risk Management strategies in place to ensure this is continually monitored. The RAF Medical Services have not detected any adverse psychological and physical trends for RAF pilots of RPAS.
Uzbekistan
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Government of Uzbekistan about military equipment to be transferred to the latter in exchange for shipping out UK military hardware following the UK's withdrawal from Afghanistan; and whether his Department plans to seek any undertakings in respect of the use of such equipment. [144126]
Mr Robathan: My right hon Friend the Secretary of State for Defence met Government of Uzbekistan Ministers in February and May 2012 to discuss reverse transit, including the potential gifting of military equipment.
We take our export responsibilities very seriously and operate one of the most rigorous export control regimes in the world. We will only gift or sell equipment which meets the EU Consolidated Criteria, which includes an assessment of whether the equipment could be used for human rights violations or internal repression. The proposed gifting package for the Uzbek Ministry of Defence has been examined and cleared against these criteria. The text of our Memorandum of Understanding with Uzbekistan on defence co-operation makes clear that co-operation—which includes any gifted equipment—will be on the basis of generally recognised principles of international law and a commitment to democratic values, human rights and freedoms.
Veterans
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure that his Department retains the expertise and knowledge of senior former members of the armed services. [144028]
Mr Francois: The expertise and knowledge of former senior officers of the armed forces is highly regarded by the MOD.
The career-long experience of retired senior officers, Rear Admiral, Major General and Air Vice Marshal and higher, is retained via a range of methods, both formal and informal, including dialogue, mentoring and annual briefing days.
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Wind Power: Planning Permission
Dr Whitehead:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what planning applications for onshore wind turbines were objected to by his Department between the period (a) 1 June and 31 December 2010, (b) 1 January and 31 May 2011, (c) 1 June and 31 December 2011, (d) 1 January and 31 May 2012 and (e) 1 June
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and 31 December 2012; and what proportion of onshore wind applications to which his Department had been invited to respond were objected to in each such period. [143678]
Mr Francois: The following numbers of onshore wind farm planning applications were received by the Ministry of Defence and objected to in the periods requested:
| Period | Number of applications received | Of which the following were objected to | Objected to as a percentage of applications received (%) |
Yorkshire and the Humber
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff of his Department are employed in (a) Hull and (b) East Yorkshire. [144411]
Mr Francois: As of 1 October 2012 there were 1,310 members of staff in the East Riding of Yorkshire Unitary Authority and 110 in Kingston upon Hull Unitary Authority. These figures include both civilian and service personnel.
Prime Minister
Mass Media
Chris Bryant: To ask the Prime Minister (1) for what reason his meetings with media executives and journalists have not been published since June 2012; [143901]
(2) if he will publish the details of all meetings between himself and media executives and journalists since June 2012; [143902]
(3) if he will publish the details of all meetings between his special advisers and media executives and journalists since June 2012. [143903]
The Prime Minister: Details of my meetings with external organisations, including meetings with newspaper and other media proprietors, editors and senior executives can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website.
Nuclear Weapons
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Prime Minister on which occasions he has discussed the funding of a future nuclear deterrent with the Secretary of State for Defence in the last 12 months. [143705]
The Prime Minister: It is long-standing Government practice not to disclose information relating to ministerial meetings.
Northern Ireland
Regulation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what regulations her Department introduced between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013; and at what cost to the public purse. [143081]
Mike Penning: One set of regulations were made by my Department in the period between 1 June 2012 and 31 January 2013, namely, the Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012. There were no implementation costs to the public purse arising from these regulations.
Education
Academies Capital Maintenance Fund
Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many additional academy places have been created through the Academies Capital Maintenance Fund to date. [118970]
Mr Laws: 60 projects that primarily address overcrowding and/or expansion were approved in June 2012. The applications indicate that these will provide 5,836 additional places.
Adoption: Brigg and Goole
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many couples in Brigg and Goole constituency adopted a child in each of the last three years. [142797]
Mr Timpson [holding answer 11 February 2013]: Information on the exact number of couples who adopted a child is not available. The Department collects information on the numbers of looked after children who have been adopted by single people, civil partners, married and unmarried (same sex and different sex) couples. Some couples will adopt two or more children. The number of couples who adopt will therefore be lower than the number of children adopted.
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Information on numbers of adoptions is not available at constituency level. The information has therefore been provided showing the numbers of looked after children adopted by single people and couples in the local authorities of East Riding of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. This is shown in the following table:
Armed Forces: Cadets
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what disciplinary procedures relating to child protection he has put in place for adults working with the cadet forces taking part in the national military skills and ethos programme; [144628]
(2) what recent steps he has taken to ensure that the appropriate priority is awarded to child protection and safeguarding in cadet units. [144629]
Elizabeth Truss: All schools must have regard to statutory guidance from this Department on safeguarding, “Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education”. That guidance covers the issue of volunteers working with children—for example in school cadet units, which the Department's military ethos programme will expand.
In addition, from 2013-14 (date to be announced) any organisation that permits an unsupervised volunteer to start working regularly and closely with children will have a legal duty to check that the volunteer is not barred from such work. In addition, organisations can require an enhanced criminal record check. Any organisation that removes a person (staff or volunteer) from such work because of risk of harm to children must refer that person to the Disclosure and Barring Service for possible barring. These duties apply equally to the four MOD sponsored cadet forces (The Combined Cadet Force, Sea Cadet Corps, Army Cadet Force and
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Air Training Corps). Disciplinary procedures are an internal matter for these voluntary youth organisations, and fit with wider MOD safeguarding regulations.
Child Minding: Birmingham
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many childminders in Birmingham were registered with Birmingham city council in each year since 2005. [141814]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 5 February 2013]:This is a matter for Ofsted. HM chief inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Sir Michael Wilshaw, dated 5 February 2013:
Your recent Parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
Ofsted took over responsibility for registering and inspecting childminders from local authorities in 2001. Since then, childminders have been required to register with Ofsted rather than the local authority. The number of active childminders registered with Ofsted in the Birmingham local authority area at the end of each year since 2005 is in the following table. The figure for September 2012 is the latest published data.
| Date | Number of active providers |
A copy of this reply has been sent to Elizabeth Truss MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Education and Childcare, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
Children in Care
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he will publish the reports of the work of the task and finish groups on children's homes; and if he will make a statement. [142956]
Mr Timpson: The expert groups on children's homes have completed their work, and the Expert Group on Quality has produced a very helpful analysis which we will soon be publishing on our website. I announced next steps on children's homes in my speech on 5 February on vulnerable children. These include: improved data collection about children who go missing; removing regulatory barriers to make it possible to share information on the Ideation of children's homes with the police; and consulting on measures to strengthen the accountability of local authorities and children's homes for safeguarding vulnerable children, especially when they are placed significant distances away from their home communities.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he will publish the results of the consultation on the sharing of registration details of children's homes; and if he will make a statement. [142958]
25 Feb 2013 : Column 43W
Mr Timpson: Almost all those responding to the Department's consultation supported the proposal to change the regulations, to enable Ofsted to share the names and addresses of children's homes with the police. Our response to the consultation will be published shortly.
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the prevalence of (a) alcohol and (b) substance abuse amongst parents whose children have been taken into care. [142991]
Mr Timpson: The Department for Education does not collect figures on the prevalence of alcohol and substance abuse among parents of children who have been taken into care. Table A1 in the Department's latest Statistical First Release “Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England year ending 31 March 2012” gives the category of need at the time the child started to be looked after. The table can be accessed from the following link:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001084/index.shtml
Some of these categories may be linked to the prevalence of alcohol and substance abuse among parents of these children.
Two studies have yielded some insights into the prevalence rates for alcohol and substance misuse among parents of children involved in care proceedings. The CAFCASS care application study 2012, “Three weeks in November....three years on” showed that of the 247 cases included in the study sample, parental drug and/or alcohol misuse was found to be a contributing factor to the care application in 61% of cases.
The Care Profiling Study (Masson et al, MOJ Research Series 4/08) looked at 381 s31 care cases completed in 2004 and found that alcohol was a cause of the LA's concern in relation to some 25.3% of mothers and 18.9% of fathers. Drugs were a risk factor for 38.6% of mothers and 34.8% of fathers.
From April 2013 the Department will be asking local authorities, as part of the Children in Need census, to record information about factors identified as part of an assessment of a child's needs. These factors include whether there are concerns about a parent or a carer's substance or alcohol misuse. The data will be available in autumn 2014.
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the prevalence of (a) alcohol and (b) substance abuse amongst children in care. [142992]
Mr Timpson: Table 5 of ‘Outcomes for Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England as at 31 March 2012’, published by the Department in December 2012, shows that there were 1,900 children who had been looked after continuously for at least 12 months and identified as having a substance misuse problem during the year ending 31 March 2012. The table can be accessed from the following link:
http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00217266/outcomes-children-looked-after-las-england-march-2012
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These figures are compiled from local authority SSDA903 returns submitted to the Department in accordance with technical guidance notes. These explain that the term ‘substance misuse’ refers to both drugs and alcohol, but not tobacco.
Children: Day Care
Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to his Department's “More Great Childcare” report, what consultations his Department undertook with people who work in child care to inform its policy proposals. [142012]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 7 February 2013]: I, and officials of the Department, held a number of meetings with interested parties in advance of the publication of our “More Great Childcare” report. This included discussions with representative bodies, providers, local authorities and academics to discuss our emerging proposals. Our report incorporates the Government's response to Professor Cathy Nutbrown's independent review of qualifications for the early education and child care workforce, and that itself was subject to extensive consultation and discussion with a very wide range of interested individuals and organisations.
We are committed to continuing to discuss our proposals further with all who have an interest in them. We have launched a public consultation on how early education and child care staff may be deployed in the future and this runs until 25 March 2013. In addition, we expect the Teaching Agency to launch a consultation shortly on new criteria to underpin new early years qualifications, and we intend to consult on new statutory guidance to reflect the role of local authorities set out in “More Great Childcare”. Further consultations may also follow.
Children: ICT
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the effect of new digital technology and media on the attention span of pupils and students. [142213]
Mr Laws: The Department for Education has assessed the evidence about the effect of new digital technologies on the attention span of pupils and students. There is some evidence that digital technology can support improved attention by pupils.
The ‘listening programme', a computer-delivered 10-week intervention, has been shown to not only improve listening skills, but also to develop attention skills necessary for a child with behavioural difficulties to be integrated effectively into the classroom (Underwood et al 2009).
In their evaluation of the Interactive White Board (IWB), Somekh et al (2007) found that although the use of an IWB in whole class teaching appeared to have little impact on raising the attainment of pupils with special educational needs, it had a marked impact in engaging their attention and often improved their behaviour.
References:
Somekh, B., Haldane, M., Jones, K., Lewin, C., Steadman, S., Scrimshaw, P., Sing, S., Bird, K., Cummings, J., Downing, B., Harber Stuart, T., Jarvis, J. Mavers., D and Woodrow, D (2007b) Evaluation of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Expansion Project. Report to the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
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Centre for ICT, Pedagogy and Learning Education and Social Research Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University.
Underwood. J. Banyard, P. Betts, L. Farrington-Flint, L., Kerlin, L. and Stiller, J., (2009) Narrowing the Gap: The Evidence. Coventry: Becta.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what research his Department has commissioned on the effect of digital technology on the brains of children and young people. [142214]
Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education has not commissioned any research on the effect of digital technology on the brains of children and young people. It has assessed the evidence about the effect of digital technology on learning.
A systematic review on the effects of digital technology on learning concluded that there is a small positive, but not causal, link between the use of digital technologies and pupils' attainment. The review did not find any evidence on the beneficial impact of e-learning on pupils' achievement. It also found that sustained use of computer technology can have a detrimental effect on the health and well-being of young children (Higgins et al, 2012).
Other evidence has found that information and communication technology (ICT) increases pupils' confidence and motivation by making school work more enjoyable (Passey et al, 2004).
References:
Higgins, S. et al (2012) The impact of digital technology on learning: a summary for the Education Endowment Foundation. November 2012.
Passey, D., Rogers. C., with Machell, J., and McHugh, G. (2004) The Motivational Effect of ICT on Students. Department of Educational Research, Lancaster University. DFES RR 523.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the effect of the overuse of digital technology on academic standards. [142216]
Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education has conducted in-house analysis examining the impact of the use of digital technologies on academic standards such as reading, but has not specifically focused on overuse. International evidence shows mixed findings of the impact on standards, for example:
Twist et al (2007) report finding a negative association between the amount of time children spent reading stories and articles on the internet and reading achievement in most countries in PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) data.
In contrast, the Scottish Executive (2004), in their analysis of data for Scotland from PISA (the Programme for International Student Assessment), found that those reading from the internet score well in reading assessments, and PISA reports that children who are extensively engaged in online reading activities are generally found to be more proficient readers (OECD, 2010).
References:
OECD (2010) PISA 2009 Results: Executive Summary
Scottish Executive (2004). Programme for International Student Assessment 2000—Scotland Analysis. Statistics Publication Notice: Education Series.
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Twist, L., Schagan, I. and Hogson, C. (2007). Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS): Reader and Reading National Report for England 2006. NFER and DCSF.
Child Poverty
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how the Government plan to analyse the responses to their consultation entitled, Measuring Child Poverty: a consultation on better measures of child poverty, published in November 2012. [144122]
Mr Laws: The consultation on better measures of child poverty closed on 15 February and a large volume of responses was received. All responses will be read and analysed to ensure that all important points are captured, and inform future policy decisions.
Child Protection
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2013, Official Report, column 813W, on children: protection, for what reasons his Answer did not also include the information provided to the Procedure Committee during his evidence session on 23 January 2013 relating to Spain; and if he will review the initial response to that question, tabled on 24 January, to identify if any other countries have been excluded from the Answer. [141727]
Mr Timpson: At the Procedure Committee on 23 January 2013, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education agreed to invite the hon. Member to a meeting with me to review the answers to his questions on child protection. A meeting is in the process of being arranged, and I look forward to discussing this with him.
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to reform social work training to ensure social workers have an understanding of the effect of maltreatment on older children. [142086]
Mr Timpson: The content of initial social work training is the responsibility of each Higher Education Institution delivering social work degree courses subject to approval by the Health and Care Professions Council.
The College of Social Work has a key role in quality assurance through its Professional Capabilities Framework and a series of curriculum guides which include information on specific areas of knowledge including adolescent development.
We would expect initial social work education, which leads to qualified social worker status, to equip newly qualified social workers with the knowledge they need to undertake a wide range of social work roles, including work with older children.
As part of a long term programme of social work reform, the Department continues to keep the quality and relevance of social work training under review.
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Children's Centres
George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the funding of new nursery places will be in addition to the funding of children's centres; and whether the funding of such children's centres will be cut in the (a) current and (b) next financial year. [142584]
Elizabeth Truss: The Government are providing additional funding to extend early education places to two-year-olds from lower income households, rising to £760 million in 2014-15. From 2013-14 this funding will be included in the Dedicated Schools Grant. The Government announced additional funding allocations to local authorities on 27 November 2012. Details can be accessed on the Department's website:
http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/earlylearningandchildcare/delivery/Free%20Entitlement%20to%20Early%20Education/b0070114/eefortwoyearolds/la-funding-allocations
In April 2011 the Department for Education introduced the Early Intervention Grant (EIG). The grant is un-ringfenced and does not contain any notional allocations for different policy areas. This gives local authorities greater freedom and flexibility in how they spend their funding, enabling them to make judgments based on local needs and what works best. Subject to that local decision making, the EIG can support a full range of services for children, young people and families including Sure Start children's centres. Information on 2012-13 EIG funding levels is available at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/earlylearningandchildcare/a0070357/early-intervention-grant-frequently-asked-questions/?cid=LAemail&pla=25feb2011&type=email
The EIG—along with a number of other central Government grants—will from 2013-14 become part of the new local government funding scheme (the Business Rates Retention scheme). The EIG allocation for local authorities will be visible within Business Rates Retention funding in 2013-14 and 2014-15. For more information on 2013-14 and 2014-15 EIG levels see:
http://www.local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/1314/settle.htm
As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education has explained, the overall funding for early intervention is increasing, from £2.2 billion in 2011-12 to £2.5 billion in 2014-15. The transfer of funding for early education for two-year-olds from lower income households from the EIG to the Dedicated Schools Grant reduced the size of the EIG from 2012-13 to 2013-14. However, this funding is still allocated to local authorities. In 2013-14 the total EIG itself will be £1,708,918,200, and in 2014-15 it will be £1,600,026,400.
Crimes of Violence: Females
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) for what reasons his Department's expert advisory group on violence against women and girls was disbanded; [142953]
(2) what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for (a) the Home Department and (b) Culture, Media and Sport to tackle women and girls' safety online; [142954]
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(3) which Minister in his Department is responsible for leading on violence against women issues; [142962]
(4) what recent discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with experts on gender and violence against women. [142963]
Mr Timpson: As the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, I lead the Department for Education's input to cross-Government work on violence against women and girls.
The Home Office leads cross-Government work on this issue and holds regular meetings of Ministers and officials, some of which are attended by voluntary sector organisations working in this field. On 1 November 2012 I attended an Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group meeting at which such organisations had the opportunity to put their views on the cross-Government Action Plan and its implementation to Ministers. These organisations also meet Government officials, including officials from the Department for Education, in a stakeholder group, chaired by the Home Office, which is due to meet four times this year.
The Department for Education's expert advisory group on violence against women and girls was disbanded because the Home Office has sufficient arrangements in place to take the views of experts in the sector. The Home Office's March 2012 update to the Action Plan, ‘Taking Action—the next chapter’, set out the intention to combine the DFE advisory group with the Home Office stakeholder group.
I regularly meet the Minister of State for Crime Prevention, the hon. Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Communications and the Creative Industries, my hon. Friend the Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey), to discuss child internet safety, including women and girls' safety, at UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) board meetings. We three Ministers chair these board meetings jointly. The most recent meeting took place on 11 February at DFE, and was chaired by myself.
Departmental Responsibilities
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his Department's core statutory obligations are; and what estimate he has of the annual cost of delivering each such obligation. [142758]
Elizabeth Truss: The Secretary of State’s core statutory obligations are:
to promote the education of the people of England (Education Act 1996, section 10); and
to promote the well-being of children in England (Children and Young Persons Act, 2008, section 7).
The Department's annual budget is directed to these obligations. The Department's budget for 2012-13 is set out in the Main Supply Estimate available on the HM Treasury website here:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/dfe_mainsupplyestimates_ 201213.pdf
The Department also manages a policy and regulatory framework under which many other bodies, such as local authorities and academy sponsors, invest their own funds to promote the education and well-being of children.
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Dominic Cummings
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what travel expenses his special adviser, Dominic Cummings, has claimed from the public purse since his appointment; and what the (a) date, (b) venue and (c) purpose of the engagement for which expenses were claimed was in each case. [109231]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 24 May 2012]: Mr Cummings has not claimed any travel expense from the Department for Education since his appointment.
Education: Qualifications
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils who did not have a statement of special educational needs in each school achieved no qualifications by the end of key stage 4 in the most recent year for which figures are available. [142568]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 11 February 2013]: Information on pupils who did not have a statement of special educational needs in each school who had achieved no passes at GCSE level by the end of key stage 4 in 2011/12 has been placed in the House Libraries.
Empty Property
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the empty or largely empty buildings owned by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [110837]
Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education does not own any empty or largely empty buildings.
GCE A-level
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students who studied (a) politics and (b) geography at GCSE level went on to study it further at A-level in each of the last five years. [142490]
Elizabeth Truss: There are currently no GCSE courses available in politics.
The following tables show the number of entries in Geography GCSE in 2006 to 2010 compared with the number of entries in A-level geography two years later.
| Entries in GCSE and A-level geography | |
| KS4 year | Number of GCSE geography entries |
| KS5 year | Number of A-level geography entries | A-level entries as a percentage of GCSE entries |
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GCSE
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education at schools at which more than 50 per cent of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 were eligible for free school meals, how many and what proportion of pupils achieved (a) A* to C grades in English and mathematics GCSE, (b) five A* to C grades in GCSE including English and mathematics but excluding equivalents, (c) five A* to C grades at GCSE including English and mathematics including equivalents, (d) A* to C grades in English, mathematics, two sciences, a foreign language and history or geography GCSE excluding equivalents and (e) five A* to A grades at GCSE excluding equivalents, in the most recent year for which figures are available. [142569]
Elizabeth Truss: Information on pupil attainment for those pupils who are eligible for free school meals is not published at school level. This is in order to protect the identity of pupils in care as these numbers could be inferred given data are published for disadvantaged pupils. Disadvantaged pupils are defined as those who are either eligible for free school meals (FSM) in last six years or have been looked after continuously (CLA) by the local authority for six months.
Information on pupil attainment at the end of Key Stage 4 by school type and for disadvantaged pupils for parts (a), (c) and (d) is available in the School Performance tables at the following link:
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/
For part (b), information is only available for five A* to C grades in GCSE including English and mathematics including equivalents. Information excluding equivalents could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Information for part (e) has been placed in the House Libraries. This information includes GCSE equivalents and as above providing information excluding equivalents could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to his answer of 24 January 2013, Official Report, columns 397-400W, on GCSE, if he will provide the figures broken down by (a) boys and (b) girls. [143013]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 12 February 2013]: Pursuant to my answer of 24 January 2013, Official Report, columns 397-98W, PQ 136139, a table has been placed in the House Libraries providing school level information for pupils who did not have a statement of special educational needs for both boys and girls, for each of the 2010/11 GCSE attainment indicators:
(a) five A* to C GCSE grades including English and mathematics but excluding equivalents,
(b) five A* to C GCSE and equivalent grades including English and mathematics,
(c) no GCSEs at A* to C grade excluding equivalents,
(d) no GCSE and equivalent grades at A* to C,
(e) A* to C grades in English GCSE,
(f) A* to C in mathematics GCSE and
(g) A* to C in both English and mathematics GCSE.
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Pursuant to my answer of 24 January 2013, Official Report, columns 398-400W, PQ 136141, the tables provided give national figures for boys and girls, in each ethnic group in England, who did not have statements of special educational needs, by free school meal eligibility, whom did not achieve an A* to C grade in (i) English GCSE, (ii) mathematics GCSE and (iii) English and mathematics GCSE for 2010/11.
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the total cost was of his Department's consultation on reform of GCSEs; and if he will make a statement. [143260]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 14 February 2013]: The Reforming Key Stage 4 Qualification Consultation involved a number of activities including the publication of formal consultation documents, meetings with interested parties/listening events, online communications and analysis of the evidence gathered.
It is standard practice for the Department for Education to evaluate policy proposals through consultation. The specific information requested is not collated on a central basis and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Government Procurement Card
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the mean average spend using a Government procurement card was per member of staff in (a) his Department and (b) each of its arm’s length bodies in (i) 2011 and (ii) 2012. [141456]
Elizabeth Truss: The answer is shown in the following table.
| £ | |||
| DFE | OCC | CAFCASS | |
As part of the closure of ALBs on or before March 2012, the Department put in place arrangements to capture and maintain the minimum amount of information to satisfy statutory requirements. In respect of the ALBs that have now closed, we no longer hold information at the requested level of granularity.
Grievance Procedures
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many formal complaints his Department has received about the conduct of special advisers in his Department since May 2010 from (a) other members of staff, (b) officials from other departments and (c) members of the public; [143239]
(2) how many formal grievance procedures by staff have taken place in his Department in each of the last five years; [143244]
(3) how many grievance procedures by staff in his Department have resulted in payments to those staff in each of the last five years; and what the size of each such payment was. [143245]
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Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 14 February 2013]: The Department has received one formal complaint about a special adviser that was not upheld. The Department has not received any other formal complaints from officials from other Departments, or members of the public about special advisers.
The Department has a clear policy and expects grievances to be resolved by managers without HR involvement where possible. The number of grievances that have been escalated to HR from employees over the last five years is set out in the following table:
| Number of grievances | |
| (1) Less than five. | |
There have been no payoffs as an outcome of an internal grievance being upheld.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the procedure is for reporting (a) grievance procedures and (b) payoffs resulting from grievance procedures to his Department's Education Board; and on which dates these matters were referred to in papers circulated to the Board or discussed at the Board. [143246]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 13 February 2013]: The Department's grievance policy and procedure are available to staff on the Department's intranet. A financial payoff is not an outcome of the internal grievance procedure, although there may be occasions where an employee is in dispute with the Department and the two parties reach a settlement.
Neither grievances nor settlements are reported at Board level due to their personal and confidential nature. All decisions on settlements are taken by the HR Director reporting to the Permanent Secretary as Accounting Officer. They are reported in the end of year financial accounts and are anonymised.
Health Education: Sex
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress he has made on providing age-related guidance for sex and relationship education in primary schools. [143157]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 14 February 2013]: Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) is a not a statutory subject in primary schools. However, if primary schools choose to teach SRE they must have regard to the Secretary of State's Sex and Relationships Guidance, which, among other things, ensures that such teaching is age-appropriate.
Home Education
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education who is responsible for the safeguarding and security of home schooled children. [143389]
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Mr Timpson: The safeguarding and security of children who are receiving home education is the responsibility of their parents. This includes ensuring that any other person involved in providing the children's education has undergone appropriate checks. Local authorities have a duty under s. 175(1) of the Education Act 2002 to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and this applies equally to children educated at school, at home, and in other settings.
ICT: Education
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to encourage the teaching of computer coding in schools. [142488]
Elizabeth Truss: On 7 February the Government published proposals for the reform of the national curriculum for consultation. These include a proposal to replace the existing, outdated and discredited ICT curriculum with a new, ambitious computing curriculum at all four key stages. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, this will mean that all maintained schools will be required to teach practical programming from September 2014.
The recent announcement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education that GCSE computer science is to be part of the EBacc performance measure from 2014 will also strengthen the teaching of computer programming in schools. These changes will support progress to higher-level study and professional careers in this field.
Ofsted
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to increase the power of Ofsted to monitor and report as a standard part of all inspections on the quality and sustainability of the provision made by local authorities for older children. [142621]
Mr Laws [holding answer 11 February 2013]: All Ofsted inspection frameworks are clearly focused to assess the quality of provision for children and young people, including vulnerable groups. We have regular discussions with Ofsted to ensure that all inspection frameworks adequately reflect relevant Government policy.
A number of changes to the inspection of children's social care services, that protect and promote the welfare of children in need and children in care, have taken place over the last six months. Two new inspection programmes are planned in 2013. They are the ‘Joint-inspection of multi-agency arrangements for the protection of children' and the ‘Inspection of services for children looked after and care leavers'. These will examine in particular how local authorities exercise their role as lead partners in protecting children, and acting as corporate parents.
Primary Education
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average number of forms of entry is of primary schools in England and Wales. [142949]
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Elizabeth Truss: The Department does not collect information on the number of forms of entry in primary schools centrally.
The number of pupils in state-funded mainstream primary schools in England is published as part of the Statistical First Release “Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2012”. This is available on the Department's website:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001071/index.shtml
The proportion of state-funded mainstream primary schools by the number of pupils in Year 1 (headcount) is set out in the following table. The maximum class size for Year 1 pupils in most circumstances is 30.
| Number of Year 1 pupils | Percentage of all schools |
| Coverage: All state-funded mainstream primary schools with at least one pupil in Year 1 (15,508 schools). Source: School Census, January 2012. | |
Education in Wales is the responsibility of the Welsh Government.
Publications
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his private ministerial office has spent on subscriptions to (a) the New York Review of Books and (b) the Times Educational Supplement in the last 12 months. [116738]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 12 July 2012]: The annual subscription costs are not held in such a way that the costs for specific publications can be separately identified.
Pupils: Disadvantaged
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in Brigg and Goole constituency received funding from the pupil premium in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13; and how much such funding schools in Brigg and Goole constituency will receive in 2013-14. [142811]
Mr Laws [holding answer 11 February 2013]: The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011. Pupil Premium funding is provided to schools which have on roll pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (the Deprivation Premium); children in care who have been continuously looked after for at least six months (the Looked After Child Premium); and children whose parents are serving in the armed forces (the Service Child Premium).
In the financial year 2011-12, Brigg and Goole parliamentary constituency attracted £645,000 Pupil Premium funding in respect of 1,340 pupils eligible for the Deprivation Premium or Service Child Premium. It is not possible to identify, at constituency level, the number of pupils eligible for the Looked After Child Premium or the number of pupils eligible for the Deprivation Premium in Alternative Provision settings.
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In the financial year 2012-13, eligibility for Pupil Premium was extended and Brigg and Goole parliamentary constituency attracted £1,380,000 Pupil Premium funding in respect of 2,240 pupils eligible for the Deprivation Premium or Service Child Premium.
The Pupil Premium will increase from £623 to £900 per pupil in 2013-14 and the Service Premium will increase from £250 to £300 per pupil. Illustrative allocations, based on numbers of pupils eligible for the Deprivation Premium or Service Child Premium in 2012, suggest that Brigg and Goole parliamentary constituency will attract around £1,991,000 Pupil Premium funding in 2013-14. Final allocations for 2013-14 based on 2013 pupil numbers will be published later this year.
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the report by Sir Michael Wilshaw on the pupil premium, what additional measures his Department is taking to ensure that the pupil premium effectively reaches the poorest pupils. [144617]
Mr Laws: The Government are absolutely determined to close attainment gaps between disadvantaged children and their peers. The pupil premium is the means by which we provide schools with additional support to raise the attainment of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Our investment will be £900 per pupil in 2013-14, and will rise further to £2.5 billion overall in 2014-15.
The allocation of the pupil premium to schools corresponds to numbers of pupils who have been looked after in public care for more than six months in the year, or known to have been eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any time during the past six years (“Ever 6 FSM”). These are our best available objective indicators of the disadvantage faced by individual children: the strong correlation between FSM eligibility and under-achievement suggests that using these criteria helps to channel funding to those pupils who need it most. As we are able to identify these children from school and local authority census returns, FSM eligibility is the best indicator of disadvantage available. Notwithstanding these benefits, we recognise that there remain some problems in using FSM to determine a school's pupil premium budget. The first is that not all families claim their entitlement to FSMs; we also know that some poor families are not entitled to FSMs because they receive working tax credit. Our expansion of pupil premium eligibility to include the Ever 6 FSM measure is designed to help overcome both problems, and we are also reforming the benefits system, through universal credit, in order to address the second issue.
The Government are also committed to increasing the take-up of free school meals for all pupils who are entitled to them. We are doing all we can to ensure that disadvantaged children benefit from a nutritious meal, and are pleased that take-up increased nationally by 60,000 between 2010 and 2012. The Department's website suggests ways to encourage parents to register their child's eligibility for free school meals:
www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/premium/ppfaas/a0076064/free-school-meals-faqs
We have made registration easier, by streamlining the application process and developing an online FSM Eligibility Checking Service (ECS). The ECS allows local authorities to establish a family's free school meal
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eligibility quickly, by checking data held by the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs and the Home Office. We are encouraging local authorities to increase their use of this resource, which, as well as reducing bureaucracy and cost at a local level, encourages more parents to sign up their children for a free school lunch. For those authorities that choose to use it, the ECS allows parents to check their own eligibility and apply for FSM online—all without the stigma of applying through school or local authority administrative staff.
In November 2012, we further encouraged FSM take-up by drawing local authorities' attention to the Government's research report, ‘Pupils not claiming free school meals’. The report looked at take-up of FSM by different local authorities and found registration ranges between 67% and 100%, with around 14% of the 1.4 million children aged four to 15 in England entitled to receive FSM but not claiming them. This represents 21% of children nationally, around 200,000 pupils.
The Government welcome Ofsted's most recent report in February 2012 on the pupil premium, its case studies showing how schools are using the premium to close attainment gaps, and its accompanying analytical toolkit. Sir Michael Wilshaw's analysis of the characteristic features of good and poor practice is extremely important, and should be studied carefully by all school leaders. One of his observations is that effective schools “carefully ring-fenced their funding so that they always spent it on the target group of pupils”. Where schools do this, it will enable them to provide better outcomes for their disadvantaged pupils, and help schools in responding to constructive dialogue on closing attainment gaps with their inspectors.
Pupils: Languages
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the cost to the public purse was of support staff in schools for children whose first language is not English in the latest period for which figures are available. [142392]
Mr Laws: The Department does not collect this information. It is a matter for each local authority and its schools to determine locally the level of funding for each of its services, based on local circumstances.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children whose first language is not English attend (a) primary and (b) secondary school. [142441]
Mr Laws: The information requested has been published in the ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2012’ Statistical First Release at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/datasets/a00209478/schl-pupil-charac-jan-2012
Table 5a shows the number and percentage of pupils by first language in state-funded primary and state-funded secondary schools.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the quality of education in classes where there are children who have very limited knowledge of English. [142492]
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Elizabeth Truss: The Government's priority for children learning English as an Additional Language (EAL) is to promote rapid language acquisition and include them in mainstream education as quickly as possible. Internal analysis undertaken in 2009, a copy of which has been placed in the House Libraries, found that the proportion of EAL pupils in a school does not appear to have an effect on the performance of non-EAL pupils when prior attainment and contextual factors, such as deprivation and ethnicity, are taken into account. This analysis was based on the National Pupil Database and focused on outcomes at the end of key stage four.
Local authorities have a legal duty to ensure that education is available for all children of compulsory school age that is appropriate to their age, ability, aptitudes and any special educational needs they may have. This duty applies irrespective of a child's immigration status, country of origin or rights of residence in a particular area.
Under the new Ofsted framework schools are held accountable for the progress and attainment of all their
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pupils. This means that schools need to consider the data on all groups and individuals (including attainment, progression, behaviour and attendance), with a particular emphasis on how well gaps are narrowing between the performance of different groups of pupils in the school, including EAL pupils and compared to pupils nationally.
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils for whom English is a second language there are in schools in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber. [143486]
Mr Laws [holding answer 14 February 2013]:The information requested is shown in the table.
The latest information on first language has been published as part of the ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2012' Statistical First Release at
http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00209478/schl-pupil-charac-jan-2012
| All schools(1): Number and percentage of pupils by first language(2, 3) January 2012 | |||||||
| Number of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English | Percentage of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English(4) | Number of pupils whose first language is known to be English | Percentage of pupils whose first language is known to be English(4) | Unclassified(5) | Percentage unclassified(4) | Total(3) | |
| (1) Includes maintained primary schools, primary academies including free-schools, maintained secondary schools, city technology colleges, secondary academies including free schools, maintained special schools, non-maintained special schools, special academies and pupil referral units. Excludes general hospital schools. (2) Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. In pupil referral units, also includes pupils who are registered with other providers and further education colleges. (3) Pupils of compulsory school age and above were classified by first language. (4) The number of pupils by their first language expressed as a percentage of the number of pupils of compulsory school age and above. (5) Information was not sought or refused, also includes pupils where classification of first language is pending. Note: National and regional numbers and all totals have been rounded to the nearest 5. There may be discrepancies between totals and the sum of constituent parts. Source: School Census | |||||||
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for how many pupils in schools in (a) Hull and (b) Kingston upon Hull North constituency English is a second language. [144569]
Mr Laws: The information requested is shown in the table.
The latest information on first language has been published as part of the ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2012' Statistical First Release at
http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00209478/schl-pupil-charac-jan-2012
| All schools(1): Number and percentage of pupils by first language(2, 3) January 2012 | |||||||
| Number of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English | Percentage of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English(4) | Number of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be English | Percentage of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be English(4) | Unclassified(5) | Percentage unclassified(4) | Total(3) | |
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| (1) Includes maintained primary schools, primary academies including free schools, maintained secondary schools, city technology colleges, secondary academies including free schools, maintained special schools, non-maintained special schools, special academies and pupil referral units. Excludes general hospital schools. (2) Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. In pupil referral units, also includes pupils who are registered with other providers and further education colleges. (3) Pupils of compulsory school age and above were classified by first language. (4) The number of pupils by their first language expressed as a percentage of the number of pupils of compulsory school age and above. (5) Information was not sought or refused, also includes pupils where classification of first language is pending. Note: National numbers and all totals have been rounded to the nearest 5. There may be discrepancies between totals and the sum of constituent parts. Source: School Census | |||||||
Pupils: Leave
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if his Department will provide guidance to schools on tailoring their policy with regard to study leave for students taking end of year examinations at 16 years old to ensure that students who would benefit from study leave receive it, and students who would not benefit from study leave can remain in school. [142417]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 11 February 2013]:The Department for Education has no plans to provide guidance to schools with regard to study leave for students taking end of year examinations at 16.