Primary Education: Class Sizes
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department gives on the maximum acceptable class size at Key Stage 1. [149676]
Mr Laws: The School Admissions (Infant Class Size) (England) (Regulations) 2012 and School Admissions Code is available here:
www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/schooladmissions/a00195/current-codes-and-regulations
Private Education
Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how he is ensuring that independent schools have the ability to provide scholarships and bursaries to talented students who cannot afford the fees in support of his policies of increasing social mobility. [147807]
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Mr Laws: Independent schools make their own decisions on admitting pupils and considering whether they should offer bursaries or scholarships. Many independent schools are registered charities and choose to offer financial assistance to some pupils through considering how they offer public benefit. Children who have outstanding potential to train for a career in dance or music are able to apply for means tested support through the Department's Music and Dance Scheme.
Procurement
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many private companies have been awarded contracts since May 2010; what the monetary value was of such contracts; and in which areas of his Department they are working. [146102]
Mr Laws: The Department does not hold a central repository of all contracts from May 2010 and to provide the information would incur disproportionate costs.
However, contracts over £10,000 are held on the Contracts Finder website which has been in operation since the beginning of 2011. The web address is:
www.contractsfinder.co.uk
Pupils: Per Capita Costs
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average level of funding per school child place for children between the ages of four and 16 is in the (a) Dudley metropolitan council area, (b) Walsall council area, (c) Wolverhampton city council area and (d) Staffordshire county council area in 2012-13 to date. [147842]
Mr Laws: Each local authority receives dedicated schools grant (DSG) funding from the Department for Education. The DSG includes funding for pupils in early years provision as well as school age pupils, therefore it is not possible to provide an average level of funding for children solely between the ages of four and 16.
In the 2012-13 financial year, the DSG guaranteed unit of funding for Dudley local authority is £4,895.46 per pupil and will be paid in relation to 46,908 pupils.
In the 2012-13 financial year, the DSG guaranteed unit of funding for Walsall local authority is £5,131.27 per pupil and will be paid in relation to 42,370 pupils.
In the 2012-13 financial year, the DSG guaranteed unit of funding for Wolverhampton local authority is £5,348.26 per pupil and will be paid in relation to 35,495 pupils.
In the 2012-13 financial year, the DSG guaranteed unit of funding for Staffordshire local authority is £4,653.02 per pupil and will be paid in relation to 115,297 pupils.
We are currently reforming the funding system so that it reflects the current needs of pupils and is more consistent across the country. We are committed to introducing a new national funding formula during the next spending review period.
In addition to DSG funding, the Department for Education allocates pupil premium funding for pupils who are in receipt of free school meals (FSM) or who have been entitled to FSM in the past six years, for
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children in care who have been continuously looked after for six months and for Service children.
In the 2012-13 financial year, pupils in Dudley local authority attracted £7.527 million of pupil premium funding in relation to 12,100 pupils.
In the 2012-13 financial year, pupils in Walsall local authority attracted £9.125 million of pupil premium funding in relation to 14,660 pupils.
In the 2012-13 financial year, pupils in Wolverhampton local authority attracted £8.2 million of pupil premium funding in relation to 13,170 pupils.
In the 2012-13 financial year, pupils in Staffordshire local authority attracted £14.317 million of pupil premium funding in relation to 23,260 pupils.
Recruitment
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many officials were recruited to (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies in each of the last five years. [147966]
Elizabeth Truss: The information is as follows:
Recruits | |
Number | |
In March 2010 the Department had 15 advisory and Executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) and two non-ministerial departments. From April 2012, only five of the 17 remain. These are: two non-ministerial departments which receive funding direct from HMT—Ofsted and Ofqual; two Executive NDPBs—the Office of the Children's Commissioner (OCC) and the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (CAFCASS); and one advisory NDPB—the School Teachers Review Body.
Four new Executive agencies have been established: the Standards and Testing Agency (in October 2011); the Education and Funding Agency; the Teaching Agency; and the National College for School Leadership (in April 2012). Overall the full-time equivalent staffing figure for the departmental family has reduced by more than 1,000 since 2008.
Equivalent figures for the Department's arm's length bodies are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
School Leaving
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many extra students he predicts will be in the education system in 2015 as a result of the raising of the school leaving age in 2015. [150688]
Mr Laws: We are committed to raising the age of compulsory participation in education or training to 18 in 2015. Young people will be able to participate through full-time education, an apprenticeship, or part-time study where they are undertaking full-time employment or volunteering.
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Our most recent data on young people's participation in education or training:
http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00210462/participation-in-education-training-employment-16-18
takes into account significant revisions from ONS to population data following Census 2011. The revised participation rates mean that there is further to go to reach full participation. Copies of the Statistical First Release which includes this data will be placed in the House Libraries.
Our lagged system of funding means that we will fund a place for every 16 to 19-year-old who enrols in education or training. In the academic year 2013/14, we plan to fund nearly 1,550,000 education and training places for 16 to 19-year-olds. The Education Funding Agency will publish participation planning assumptions for 2014/15 and 2015/16 prior to the start of each academic year.
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what preparations his Department has made for the increase in the number of students in 2015 due to the raising of the school leaving age. [150689]
Mr Laws: We will commence the necessary parts of the Education and Skills Act 2008 to introduce duties on young people to participate in education or training until the end of the academic year in which they turn 17 from summer 2013 and to their 18th birthday from summer 2015.
Our lagged system of funding means that we will fund a place in education or training for every young person who enrols, including those additional 16 and 17-year-olds who participate in schools, colleges, apprenticeships and other training as a result of this new duty. Our planned budget for education and training places will increase slightly from a total of £7,335 million in 2012-13 to £7,430 million in 2013-14. The Education Funding Agency will publish planned budgets for future years prior to the start of each academic year.
Latest ONS population projections suggest that the overall population of 16 to 18-year-olds will reduce by around 40,000 between the end of 2013 and the end of 2015, which means that participation rates can increase without putting as much additional pressure on numbers of students.
We are taking a range of further action to prepare for the raising of the participation age. We have recently published Statutory Guidance for local authorities setting out their role in increasing young people's participation:
http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/participation/g00222993/stat-guide-young-people-edu-employ-train
Copies of this guidance will be placed in the House Libraries.
We are introducing new 16-19 Study Programmes from September, increasing the quality of apprenticeships and developing a new traineeships programme to help young people prepare for apprenticeships and other sustainable employment. Our £180 million 16-19 Bursary Fund provides targeted financial support to help young people overcome financial barriers to participation and
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we are providing additional support to 16 to 17-year-olds who are NEET and have low qualifications through the Youth Contract.
Sickness Absence
Priti Patel:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies have had (i) fewer than five days, (ii) five to 10 days, (iii) 10 to 15 days, (iv) 15 to 20 days, (v) 20 to 25 days, (vi)
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25 to 50 days, (vii) 50 to 75 days, (viii) 75 to 100 days, (ix) 100 to 150 days, (x) 150 to 200 days, (xi) more than 200 days, (xii) more than three months, (xiii) more than six months and (xiv) more than one year on paid sick leave (A) consecutively and (B) in total in each of the last five years. [148004]
Elizabeth Truss: The figures within the following table refer to DfE staff. The Department does not have data for non-departmental public bodies.
Days in total | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
Special Educational Needs: Bury St Edmunds
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in Bury St Edmunds constituency received statements of special educational needs in each of the last three years. [148086]
Mr Laws: Information on children receiving newly made statements is not available at parliamentary constituency level.
Information on the number and percentage of pupils with statements of special education needs in the Bury St Edmunds parliamentary constituency is shown in the table.
Information on the number of pupils with statements of special educational needs as at January 2012 is published in the Statistical First Release 'Special Educational Needs in England, January 2012' available at
http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00210489/sen-england-jan-2012
Copies of this report will be placed in the House Libraries.
Special Guardianship Orders
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many special guardianship orders were made (a) in total, (b) to a relative or friend connected to the child and (c) to an unrelated foster carer in (i) 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 and (ii) each of the last 10 years in (A) England and Wales and (B) each region. [150147]
Mr Timpson [holding answer 26 March 2013]: Special guardianship orders were introduced in December 2005. Therefore information is only available for year ending 31 March 2006 and later.
The Department collects information on the number of children looked after who cease to be looked after due to the granting of a special guardianship order. Information is collected on whether the order was granted to a former foster carer or to a carer other than a former foster carer. Information on whether the special guardianship order was granted to a relative or friend is not available.
The following tables shows the number of children who have ceased to be looked after following the granting of a special guardianship order for the year ending 31 March 2006 to 2012. Please note the figures in this table relate to England only. Information for Wales can be accessed at:
https://statswales.wales.gov.uk/Catalogue/Health-and-Social-Care/Social-Services/Childrens-Services/Children-Looked-After/EpisodesFinishingForChildrenLookedAfterDuringYearTo31March- by-LocalAuthority-ReasonForFinishing
Information on all special guardianship orders made by the family courts (including in respect of children who are not, and have not been looked after) is published by the Ministry of Justice in their Court Statistics Quarterly publication, available at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/courts-and-sentencing/judicial-quarterly
Information on special guardianship orders is available under the section covering family courts. The current family court data collection system has a facility to collect data on the applicant and the respondent’s relationship to the child in special guardianship cases but the system does not record information on who is named in the resulting court order. It is therefore not possible for the Ministry of Justice to tell how many special guardianship orders have been made which name someone other than a parent.
Copies of these documents will be placed in the House Libraries.
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Children who ceased to be looked after during the year ending 31 March due to the granting of a special guardianship order(1, 2, 3, 4), year ending 31 March 2006 to 2012, England | ||||||
2006(5) | 2007 | |||||
Of which: | Of which: | |||||
Number of children who ceased to be looked after due to the granting of a special guardianship order | Special guardianship order made to former foster carers | Special guardianship order made to carers other than former foster carers | Number of children who ceased to be looked after due to the granting of a special guardianship order | Special guardianship order made to former foster carers | Special guardianship order made to carers other than former foster carers | |
2008 | 2009 | |||||
Of which: | Of which: | |||||
Number of children who ceased to be looked after due to the granting of a special guardianship order | Special guardianship order made to former foster carers | Special guardianship order made to carers other than former foster carers | Number of children who ceased to be looked after due to the granting of a special guardianship order | Special guardianship order made to former foster carers | Special guardianship order made to carers other than former foster carers | |
2010 | 2011 | |||||
Of which: | Of which: | |||||
Number of children who ceased to be looked after due to the granting of a special guardianship order | Special guardianship order made to former foster carers | Special guardianship order made to carers other than former foster carers | Number of children who ceased to be looked after due to the granting of a special guardianship order | Special guardianship order made to former foster carers | Special guardianship order made to carers other than former foster carers | |
2012 | |||
Of which: | |||
Number of children who ceased to be looked after due to the granting of a special guardianship order | Special guardianship order made to former foster carers | Special guardianship order made to carers other than former foster carers | |
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n/a = Not applicable. (1) Only the last occasion on which a child ceased to be looked after in the year has been counted. (2) Figures exclude children who were looked after under an agreed series of short term placements. (3) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may therefore not appear to sum to constituent parts. (4) Special guardianship orders were introduced in December 2005, figures for 2006 only therefore reflect data for a period of three months only. (5) Data for special guardianship orders in 2006 cannot be disaggregated further. Source: SSDA903. |
Staff
Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what increase in staff there has been in the Academy Failures Unit of his Department in the last 18 months. [144668]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 18 February 2013]: Within the Department, Open Academies Performance Division has responsibility for monitoring the performance of academies. The division was established in September 2011 with 12.64 full-time equivalent staff. As at 1 April 2013, Open Academies Performance Division has 13.64 full-time equivalent staff.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2013, Official Report, columns 855-56W, on staff, for what reasons he cannot provide a breakdown of the responsibilities of safeguarding staff in his Department as at February 2013; and if he will provide the information for the latest period for which figures are available. [150508]
Mr Timpson: The Department now has confirmed work force numbers for February 2013. The responsibilities of safeguarding staff in February 2013 are as follows:
Responsibilities of safeguarding staff in February 2013 | |
Division | FTE |
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what responsibilities were covered by staff in the safeguarding department in (a) the latest period for which figures are available and (b) May 2010. [150509]
Mr Timpson: The Department now has confirmed work force numbers for February 2013. The responsibilities of safeguarding staff in February 2013 and May 2010 are as follows:
Responsibilities of safeguarding staff in February 2013 | |
Division | FTE |
Responsibilities of safeguarding staff in May 2010 | |
Division | FTE |
Teachers: Industrial Disputes
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the current (a) state of negotiations is and (b) areas of disagreement are between his Department and the National Union of Teachers and NASUWT. [149321]
Mr Laws [holding answer 21 March 2013]: We have met frequently with both the NUT and the NASUWT to discuss their concerns and will continue to do so. The Secretary of State for Education and the Minister of State for Schools have met with the NUT 13 times and with the NASUWT 22 times since the general election.
While the NUT and NASUWT disputes are different and cover more than one issue, we understand the main common area of current disagreement centres around pay. Our pay reforms are based on recommendations made by the independent School Teachers' Review Body. These recommendations have been reached following a set process run by the Review Body which involves consultation with all teacher unions, head teacher unions and employer representative bodies. NUT and NASUWT contributed to that process but the STRB has to consider the views of all statutory consultees. The proposed
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changes to teachers' pay will give schools more freedom to decide how much they pay a teacher and how quickly pay progresses. We believe the best teachers should be rewarded, and our reforms will make it easier for schools to do so.
We will continue discussions with the NUT and NASUWT with the aim of seeking a resolution to the current disputes.
Teachers: Training
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of expected final recruitment to initial teacher training in each subject and phase in the 2012-13 academic year. [149666]
Mr Laws: Table A shows the expected recruitment numbers to initial teacher training for each subject and phase in academic year 2012-13.
Table A—Recruitment to initial teacher training in academic year 2012-13 in England | |
Subject | Recruitment numbers for 2012/13 |
Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Not all training begins at the start of the academic year so the figures include an estimate of in-year starts. Source: Initial Teacher Training Trainee Number Census 2012/13 |
Telephone Services
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department's customer service telephone lines are restricted to those beginning 0870. [149021]
Mr Laws: No central record of all telephone numbers in use by the Department and its agencies is held. A survey of telephone numbers in use by the Department and its agencies showed that the Department has no telephone lines beginning 0870.
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Termination of Employment
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies have left that body due to (i) resignation, (ii) retirement, (iii) redundancy, (iv) transferral to another public sector post and (v) another reason in each of the last five years. [147947]
Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education was established on 10 May 2010. Figures for the Department and its predecessor, the Department for Children Schools and Families, are set out in the table. The Department has made no redundancies during the period in question, but has funded a number of approved voluntary exits which are included in the table.
Number | |||||
Reason | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
Equivalent figures for the Department's arm's length bodies are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Third Sector
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list all those organisations which have been successful in his Department’s recent grant awarding round for community and voluntary groups delivering services for children and young people; and how much has been awarded to each organisation. [150512]
Mr Timpson: Successful organisations who bid for the National Prospectus Grants Programme have been notified individually and are now in negotiation with the Department for Education regarding their grant funding agreements. A list of organisations and funding allocations will be made public once these negotiations have been finalised. Due to the local election period, we will be deferring any public announcement until after 2 May once the period of purdah has ended.
Training
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many away days his Department has held since 2010; and what the cost was of each such event. [139957]
Elizabeth Truss: The Department has previously provided an answer to this question on 9 February 2012, Official Report, column 430W.
Arrangements for away days are made locally. Details are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. All staff are aware that events to bring staff together should be held in the most appropriate of our buildings and that refreshments are provided in exceptional circumstances.
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Young People: Education
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many young people aged 17 are in full-time education or training as of 2013; and how many young people aged 18 are expected to be in full-time education or training at age 18 in 2015. [150727]
Mr Laws: Data on the number of young people participating in education, training and employment are published in our Statistical First Release (SFR) "Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 Year Olds in England" which is available at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00210462/participation-in-education-training-employment-16-18
The latest published data are for end of 2011 and show there were 522,500 17-year-olds in full-time education or work-based learning. Data for end 2012 (relating to the 2012/13 academic year) will be published in June 2013.
Our lagged system of funding means that we will fund a place for every 16 to 19-year-old who enrols in education or training. In the academic year 2013/14, we plan to fund nearly 1,550,000 education and training places for 16 to 19-year-olds. The Education Funding Agency will publish participation planning assumptions for 2014/15 and 2015/16 prior to the start of each academic year.
Young People: Mental Health
Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will set out the arrangements in his Department for developing policy and providing advice to Ministers on children and young people's mental health, including the number of staff and their responsibilities, the directorate those staff are part of and when these arrangements were last reviewed and changed. [150065]
Mr Timpson: Policy on children and young people's mental health services is the responsibility of the Department of Health, which published the wider Government strategy, 'No Health Without Mental Health' in February 2011. In summer 2011 the overview of mental health policies in the Department for Education transferred to the special educational needs and disability division, to help to secure alignment with the reforms set out in the 'Support and Aspiration' Green Paper.
However, a wide range of Departmental policies have elements which are relevant to mental health issues and aspects of the wider Government strategy, therefore a range of officials advise Ministers, drawing on support from Department of Health. The Department is currently restructuring to make better use of flexible deployment in policy work, allowing staff to develop expertise across broader policy areas and allow resource to be focused on specific priorities.
Youth Organisations: Business
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding his Department will provide to the United Futures Consortium after March 2013. [149319]
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Mr Timpson [holding answer 21 March 2013]: As the hon. Gentleman is aware the Department holds a current grant agreement with the United Futures Consortium to scale up and improve business brokerage in the youth sector. The £320,000 grant has funded work that began in January 2012 and that will end, as was always intended, in April 2013.
The Department for Education announced a new round of VCSE funding under the National Prospectus Grants Programme 2013-15 on 26 October 2012. The bidding exercise for this programme, which will offer up to £30 million a year in 2013-14 and 2014-15, closed on 30 November 2012 and was open to any VCS organisation which chose to bid. The Department is in the final stages of this exercise and we expect to announce the successful bidders shortly.
Youth Services
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what youth projects will be funded by his Department after April 2013. [149815]
Mr Timpson [holding answer 25 March 2013]: The Department for Education announced a new round of VCSE funding under the National Prospectus Grants Programme 2013-15 on 26 October 2012. One of the themes under which projected projects could apply related to the development of services to support improved outcomes for young people. The Department is in the final stages of this exercise and we expect to announce the successful bidders shortly.
In addition, we are extending the funding allocated to the British Youth Council to support a range of activities relating to improving “youth voice”, including the management of the UK Youth Parliament and support for the National Scrutiny Group which scrutinises policy development. We expect to confirm details of the grant shortly, which will cover the two financial years 2013/14 and 2014/15.
Culture, Media and Sport
BBC
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the BBC Trust on the parity of the BBC’s expenditure across regions. [150525]
Mr Vaizey: There have been no discussions with the BBC Trust on the parity of the BBC’s expenditure across the regions. The BBC is an independent body governed by the royal charter. Under the terms of the BBC’s charter and agreement, the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of Government and there is no provision for the Government to intervene in the corporation’s day-to-day operations. How the BBC allocates its funding, in meeting its objectives, is a matter for the BBC.
In 2008, the BBC made the following commitments to growing regional production outside of London:
That 50% of network spend will be made outside London by 2016;
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That 17% of network spend will come from the Nations by 2016; and
That a proportion of network spend would be made in Scotland, equivalent to Scotland’s share of the UK population, with a comparable approach in relation to Wales and Northern Ireland.
Local Broadcasting: Midlands
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will discuss with the BBC Trust the petition of the Campaign for Regional Broadcasting Midlands on increasing network television and radio production by the BBC in that region. [150526]
Mr Vaizey: The BBC is an independent body governed by the royal charter. Under the terms of the BBC’s charter and agreement, the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of Government and there is no provision for the Government to intervene in the corporation’s day-to-day operations. How the BBC allocates its funding, in meeting its objectives, is a matter for the BBC. Therefore there are no planned discussions with the BBC Trust regarding the Campaign for Regional Broadcasting Midlands.
The Midlands remains an important part of the BBC production landscape. In 2008, the BBC made the following commitments to growing regional production outside of London:
That 50% of network spend will be made outside London by 2016;
That 17% of network spend will come from the Nations by 2016; and
That a proportion of network spend would be made in Scotland, equivalent to Scotland’s share of the UK population, with a comparable approach in relation to Wales and Northern Ireland.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government are taking to encourage local media and regional broadcasting in the Midlands. [150527]
Mr Vaizey: The Government have put in place a comprehensive framework for the development of local television, supported by funding from the BBC Trust. We expect the first of the 19 new local television services licensed by Ofcom to begin broadcasting by the end of 2013.
Ofcom has awarded local digital service licences to operators Birmingham and Nottingham following a competitive process. The Birmingham licence was awarded to City TV Broadcasting on 6 November 2012. The Nottingham licence was awarded to Notts television on 20 November 2012. Both companies are currently in discussion with Comux, the multiplex licence holder to agree arrangements for transmission of services including firm launch dates for the start of services.
Ofcom is currently seeking expressions of interest from potential bidders for 30 new areas identified by Ofcom as suitable for local television. These are set out in the following list:
Aberdeen
Ayr
Bangor
Barnstaple
Basingstoke
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Bedford
Bromsgrove
Cambridge
Carlisle
Derry/Londonderry
Dundee
Guildford
Hereford
Inverness
Kidderminster
Limavady
Luton
Maidstone
Malvern
Middlesbrough
Mold
Plymouth
Reading
Salisbury
Scarborough
Stoke on Trent
Stratford upon Avon
Swansea
Tonbridge
York
In addition to the locations listed above, Ofcom will consider advertising licences for further locations where it is possible to demonstrate technical feasibility and the existence of a local operator interested in holding the licence. If a local operator is interested in a location not listed above, it would need to agree a technical plan with Comux as the multiplex operator before Ofcom can consider advertising a licence for that area.
Mobile Applications: Children
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will estimate the number of apps available to buy in the UK that are aimed at children and feature in-app purchases. [150258]
Mr Vaizey: I have no plans to estimate how many of the over 100,000,000 apps now available are aimed at children and feature in-app purchasing. Rather, DCMS efforts are focused on discussion with industry about the steps it should be taking to ensure that parents are properly informed about in-app purchasing and have easy access to the tools to block it where they choose to do so.
Museums and Galleries
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will draw attention of public galleries to the value of salon-style hangs to ensure that the general public may enjoy the works of artists whose paintings are currently not on display. [150590]
Mr Vaizey: The Government do not dictate or influence public galleries or museums on the curation or display of their art.
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Olympic Games 2012
Mr Sutcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the exclusion to the Supplier Recognition Scheme for industrial lighting includes those who supplied entertainment lighting to the London 2012 games; and if she will make a statement. [150477]
Hugh Robertson: The excluded categories exist to protect the rights of worldwide Olympic sponsors, whose investment makes the games possible. The provision of lighting equipment and systems used within commercial, industrial and residential settings falls within one of these excluded categories. This includes lighting used by the entertainment industry.
Companies whose supply includes lighting services, for example, installation and design, may be eligible and are encouraged to contact the British Olympic Association for further guidance.
Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make it her policy that all companies and suppliers involved with the London 2012 Olympics shall be permitted to publicise that involvement; and if she will make a statement. [150559]
Hugh Robertson: Every London 2012 supplier played an important part in the success of the games and we recognise how vital it is for suppliers to be able to share their experiences when bidding for and working on future projects. In recognition of this, all suppliers are able to make factual statements around their involvement in the games, as set out in the marketing protocol which LOCOG published in 2007 and which was extended in 2010. This protocol enables all 2012 suppliers to make factual statements relating to their work on the games—by, for example, including references to their work in client lists and pitch and tender documents.
In addition we have established, with the British Olympic Association (BOA) and with the agreement of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Supplier Recognition Scheme, which the BOA manages. This is another first for London 2012—no such schemes have been set up following earlier games. The purpose of the new Recognition Scheme is to allow 2012 suppliers much greater scope to promote their involvement in the 2012 games, over and above the existing arrangements. Suppliers must meet the eligibility criteria of the scheme and some categories of business are excluded to protect the rights of worldwide Olympic sponsors whose investment makes the games possible. Excluded suppliers can continue to make factual statements about their involvement in the games. Suppliers wishing to undertake this activity for the first time should seek guidance from the BOA. The Recognition Scheme was launched on 27 January 2013 and as at 9 April, 537 licences had been approved, 118 applications had been declined and 44 were being processed.
For companies who gain a licence under the new scheme, there is much greater scope to actively promote their involvement with the games, for example, at trade fairs in the UK and overseas, and by describing themselves
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on their website and elsewhere as a supplier of goods or services to the 2012 games. Licences are provided free of charge to eligible suppliers.
Definitions of each of the excluded categories can be viewed in the section on the Supplier Recognition Scheme on the BOA website. I would encourage any supplier which is uncertain about whether it may be eligible for a licence under the new scheme to seek clarification from the BOA. The BOA takes decisions on individual applications on a case-by-case basis, taking account of whether the eligibility criteria are met, the nature of the goods or services provided and the nature of the core business of the supplier concerned.
Pay
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was paid to officials in (a) her Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies in bonuses and other payments in addition to salary in each of the last five years; how many officials received such payments; and what the monetary value was of the 20 largest payments made in each year. [148021]
Hugh Robertson: DCMS makes bonus payments to its staff for two purposes: (a) special bonuses to reward outstanding contributions in particularly demanding tasks or situations; and (b) performance related bonuses to reward highly successful performance over a whole year. Awards were made in line with Cabinet Office principles and guidelines on performance-related pay.
Such information that is available is shown in the following tables:
Financial year | Number of staff awarded special bonuses and performance related bonuses |
Financial year | Total all bonuses (£) |
Largest 20 bonuses of any type | ||||||
£ | ||||||
2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |
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Sports: Schools
Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education concerning funding for teacher release from September 2013 and the implications for her School games and 14 to 25 year olds programmes; and if she will make a statement. [151065]
Hugh Robertson: The Government are completely committed to doing all we can to inspire a generation to get involved in sport on the back of the Games. As part of that, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), has worked closely with her counterparts in Education and Health on the recently announced School Sport Premium. The £150 million per annum funding aims to improve the quality of provision in every state primary school in England. It will also complement our £1 billion youth and community sport strategy that is increasing opportunities for secondary school age children to play more sport. In fact, at secondary schools, sport provision is being further enhanced by sports governing bodies. With funding from Sport England, they will provide a multi-sport satellite club in every secondary school, which will be available to every secondary school pupil, on top of the sport and PE offer they receive as part of the curriculum.
Tour de France
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what Government funding is available to support the Grand Départ of the 2014 Tour de France; and if she will make a statement. [150360]
Hugh Robertson: We are delighted that the Tour de France is coming to England in 2014. This will be a fantastic way to inspire more people to take up and enjoy cycling.
The three stages in Yorkshire, Cambridge and London will showcase some of our most iconic venues and will be a very fitting part of the London 2012 legacy.
The Government will make funding available to UK Sport, to support the Grand Départ 2014, subject to UK Sport working with Welcome to Yorkshire and other event partners to review current plans and identify how these can be made more robust, to ensure value for
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money for any public investment. Up to £10 million of funding will be made available, but the level of support will be determined by the outcome of this exercise and subject to need.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will attach a condition to the next grant-in-aid settlement for the Victoria and Albert Museum to require it to give consideration to marking the centenaries of leading British artists whose work it holds. [150591]
Mr Vaizey: The Department operates an ‘arm's length' relationship with its sponsored bodies such as the Victoria and Albert Museum. It does not, therefore, intervene in curatorial decisions about whether to mark the centenaries of important British artists, which are the responsibility of the Museum's board of trustees and its executive.
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will consult with the Federation of British Artists before appointing future trustees to the Victoria and Albert Museum. [150592]
Mr Vaizey: Ministerial public appointments to the Board of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum are made, on merit, under a fair, open and transparent process which is regulated by the Commissioner for public appointments. Applications are considered by a selection panel, whose function is to assess candidates impartially against the selection criteria and to submit a report to Ministers for their decision. Candidate applications are treated in confidence. It would not be appropriate to consult external organisations prior to taking a decision under this regulated process.
World Heritage Sites
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many times between 1 March 2008 and 1 March 2013 the UNESCO World Heritage Centre has had an opportunity to provide advice on a proposed development within a World Heritage Site or its buffer zone before a planning application has been determined; how many times in that period UNESCO has been informed only after such planning applications for any proposed development have been determined; and if it is her policy not to consult UNESCO on planning applications which may have an effect on the Outstanding Universal Value of a World Heritage Site until after a planning decision has been made and before it has been announced. [151044]
Mr Vaizey: DCMS does not normally collect this data and to collate this information would incur disproportionate cost.
The UK Government operate in accordance with paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention (set out below) and informs UNESCO at appropriate points in the planning process. We are not aware of any cases during the period between 1 March 2008 and 1 March 2013 when UNESCO has been informed only after planning applications for any relevant proposed
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development have been determined. We are aware of at least 10 cases during the period from 1 March 2011 to 1 March 2013 when the UNESCO World Heritage Centre has had an opportunity to provide advice on a proposed development before a planning application has been determined.
Information received from states parties and/or other sources
172. The World Heritage Committee invites the States Parties to the Convention to inform the Committee, through the Secretariat, of their intention to undertake or to authorize in an area protected under the Convention major restorations or new constructions which may affect the Outstanding Universal Value of the property. Notice should be given as soon as possible (for instance, before drafting basic documents for specific projects) and before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse, so that the Committee may assist in seeking appropriate solutions to ensure that the Outstanding Universal Value of the property is fully preserved.
Cabinet Office
Average Earnings: Scotland
Pamela Nash:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what the average salary was in (a) Scotland and (b) Airdrie and Shotts constituency for (i) women
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and (ii) men in each of the last three years for which figures are available; [150506]
(2) what the average salary was in Airdrie and Shotts constituency in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012. [150572]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average salary was in (a) Scotland and (b) Airdrie and Shotts constituency for (i) women and (ii) men in each of the last three years for which figures are available (150506), and what the average salary was in Airdrie and Shotts constituency in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012 (150572).
The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. Annual levels of earnings are estimated from ASHE, and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay, who have been in the same job for more than a year.
I attach a table showing the median gross annual earnings for male employees, female employees and all employee jobs in (a) Scotland and (b) Airdrie and Shotts constituency, for each year from 2010 to 2012.
Median gross annual earnings—for all employee jobs, all male employee jobs and all female employee jobs(1) in (a) Scotland and (b) Airdrie and Shotts constituency from 2010 to 2012 | ||||||
£ | ||||||
Scotland | Airdrie and Shotts constituency | |||||
All | Male | Female | All | Male | Female | |
(1) Employees on adult rates who have been in the same job for more than one year. (2) 2011 results based on Standard Occupational Classification 2000. (3) 2011 results based on Standard Occupational Classification 2010. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population average to be within the range 180-220. Key: CV < = 5% * CV > 5% and < =10% ** CV > 10% and < = 20% Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics. |
Betting Shops
Ian Lavery: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people are employed by licensed betting offices. [150415]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated April 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people are employed by licensed betting offices [150415].
Annual employment statistics are available from the Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES). The latest estimate, covering 2011, for the number employed in the gambling and betting activities sector in the UK is 99,500.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
Childbirth: Foreign Nationals
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for what (a) number and (b) proportion of births (i) one parent and (ii) both parents were foreign born in (A) London and (B) each London borough in the latest year for which figures are available. [150600]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question on what the (a) number and (b) proportion of births was where (i) one or (ii) both
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parents were foreign-born in (A) London and (B) each London Borough within Greater London in the most recent year for which figures are available. (150600)
Figures for live births where one or both parents are non-UK born have been compiled from birth registration data. The most recent figures available are for 2011, and these were provided in answer to parliamentary question 123519, in October 2012. Information on country of birth of parents is provided by the informant at registration.
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for what (a) number and (b) proportion of births (i) one parent and (ii) both parents were foreign born in (A) England and Wales, (B) each region of England and (C) Scotland in the latest year for which figures are available. [150601]
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Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what (a) number and (b) proportion of births (i) one parent and (ii) both parents were foreign born in (A) England and Wales and (B) each region of England and (C) Scotland in the latest year for which figures are available. (150601)
Figures for live births where one or both parents are non-UK born have been compiled from birth registration data. The following table shows the number and proportion of live births in 2011 in the areas requested, according to registration data. Information on country of birth of parents is provided by the informant at registration.
Number and proportion of births in England and Wales (A), the regions of England (B), and Scotland (C) where one or both parents are non-UK born, 2011(1) | ||||
Area of usual residence of mother | Number of births where only one parent is foreign born(2,3) | Percentage of births where only one parent is foreign born | Number of births where both parents are foreign born | Percentage of births where both parents are foreign born |
(1) For more information on parents' country of birth please see: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/parents--country-of-birth--england-and-wales/index.html www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/vital-events/general/ref-tables/2011/section-3-births.html (2) The number of live births where one parent is foreign born includes sole registered live births (births registered by the mother alone, where information on the father was not recorded) where the mother is foreign born. (3) For England and Wales the number of live births where one parent is foreign born includes live births, where either the mother or the father's country of birth was not stated. For Scotland these parents whose country of birth is not stated are assumed to be UK born. (4) Includes births registered in England and Wales to mothers not usually resident in England and Wales. (5) For England and Wales, birth statistics are based on the number of births occurring in the year, while Scottish statistics relate to the number of births registered in the year. In England and Wales where a birth is registered too late to be included in the count for the year of occurrence, it will be included in the count for the following year. The differences between reporting occurrences and registrations are relatively minor and figures are broadly comparable (in 2009, 2010 and 2011 differences between registrations and occurrences of live births in England and Wales were around 0.2%). Source for England and Wales data: Office for National Statistics Source for Scottish data: National Records of Scotland |
Civil Servants: Conditions of Employment
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of negotiations with the PCS trade union on jobs, pay, pensions and terms and conditions of staff within the Civil Service; and if he will make a statement. [149684]
Mr Maude: Engagement with the PCS, and all civil service trade unions, has been consistent and comprehensive during this administration, both centrally and by individual Government Departments.
I have recently set up, with Sir Bob Kerslake, the Civil Service Forum. This provides the nationally-recognised civil service trade unions a central point of engagement to discuss those employment matters which have civil service-wide relevance.
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On pensions reform I led significant negotiations with the trade unions, including the PCS, and my officials continue to discuss with them details of the implementation of the pension reforms.
Consumers
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information his Department holds on the long-term trends in consumer spending by the richest and poorest income deciles in the UK. [150648]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information his department holds on the long-term trends in consumer spending by the richest and poorest income deciles in the UK. (150648)
The primary source of information on average household expenditure is the Living Costs and Food Survey (LCF), which is a sample survey covering approximately 5,500 households in the UK. The LCF also collects detailed information on household income.
The ONS “Family Spending” publication uses LCF data to report on household expenditure using Classification Of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP) categories. COICOP is an internationally agreed system of classification for reporting consumption expenditure. The COICOP system has been used to classify expenditure on the LCF and its predecessor the Expenditure and Food Survey (EFS) since 2001/02. This means that expenditure
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patterns can be presented on a consistent basis for years from 2001/02 to 2011, the most recent year for which data are currently available.
An expenditure survey has been conducted each year from 1957, but comparisons with years before 2001/02 must be treated with caution because of the change in classifications used to categorise expenditure.
Table 1 presents expenditure by COICOP category, by gross income decile, for 2001/02 and 2011. These figures are not adjusted for inflation, so the values are current to the time the survey was conducted.
Table 2 presents expenditure by COICOP category as a proportion of total expenditure, by gross income decile, for 2001/02 and 2011. This enables the patterns of spending to be compared between the two years.
These estimates, as with any involving sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
For further information, the latest edition of “Family Spending” is available from the ONS website:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/family-spending/family-spending/family-spending-2012-edition/index.html
The data from the LCF also enable a range of related analyses to be conducted. For example, “The Effects of Taxes and Benefits on Household Income” is an annual publication containing analysis of household income and the impact that taxes paid and benefits received have on different income deciles. This publication does not directly report on expenditure, though expenditure data are used to calculate the value of indirect taxes, such as VAT and fuel and alcohol duties. In addition, ONS has also published a number of ad hoc articles looking at either overall household expenditure or individual components of expenditure, by income.
Both “The Effects of Taxes and Benefits on Household Income” and these ad hoc articles are available through the ONS website:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/taxonomy/index.html?nscl=Income+Inequality+of+Households
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(1) Excluding mortgage interest payments, council tax and Northern Ireland rates. Notes: 1. The commodity and service categories are not comparable to those in publications before 2001-02. 2. Figures in this table are not adjusted for inflation, so values are current to the times the surveys were conducted. Sources: ONS, Family Spending 2002, 2011. |