Probation
Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what assessment he has made of the cost of introducing competition to probation services under his plans for transferring rehabilitation; [155587]
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost of moving probation cases from the Probation Trust to a private sector provider on an occasion when the assessed risk of particular cases changes. [155588]
Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice's “Transforming Rehabilitation: A Strategy for Reform” published on 9 May sets out the reforms for how offenders will be rehabilitated in the community. We are committed to opening up rehabilitative services to a range of new providers, who will be paid by results to help offenders turn their lives around.
We anticipate that introducing competition to probation services will release efficiencies and drive down unit costs across the system. Our proposals are that the efficiencies released will enable us to extend the range of services provided. However, this will need to ensure our proposals will be affordable within the context of the MOJ commitment to deliver annual savings of over £2 billion by 2014-15.
We have indicated that protecting the public is our top priority, and we are clear that management of the offenders who pose the highest risk of serious harm
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should remain with the public sector. It will then be for the public sector probation service to decide who manages that offender subsequently, but we do not anticipate large scale movement of offenders between providers, and so any associated costs would not be substantial.
Probation: Wiltshire
Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of local initiatives for the provision of probation services including the formation of a staff spin-off mutual by Wiltshire Probation Trust. [155589]
Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice's “Transforming Rehabilitation: A Strategy for Reform”; published on 9 May sets out the reforms for how offenders will be rehabilitated in the community. We are committed to opening up rehabilitative services to a range of new providers, who will be paid by results to help offenders turn their lives around. As a part of this we expect to see more use of innovative approaches, such as mentoring and signposting to services aimed at housing, training and employment, to tackle the root causes of offending.
A number of Probation Trusts, including Wiltshire, have entered expressions of interest to gain support under the Cabinet Office's Mutuals Support Programme. The Secretary of State for Justice is not involved in that process as it would be improper, given mutuals set up by the staff of Probation Trusts may be bidders in the competition process to provide rehabilitative services.
Remand in Custody
Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many defendants were remanded into custody in England and Wales in each month between January 2008 and April 2012. [154866]
Jeremy Wright: The tables show the number of prisoners received into prison on remand in England and Wales in each month from January 2008 to December 2012. The figures provided are a further breakdown of those published in Table 1.2 of the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin available on the:
www.gov.uk
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
| Remand receptions into prison establishments(1) by type of remand 2008-12 | |||||
| Untried receptions, by month 2008-12, England and Wales | |||||
| Month | 2008 | 2009 | 2010(2) | 2011 | 2012 |
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| Convicted unsentenced receptions, 2008-2012, England and Wales | |||||
| Month | 2008 | 2009 | 2010(2) | 2011 | 2012 |
| (1) Excludes police cells. (2) Data for 2010 are unavailable due to problems in the supply of data for statistical purposes—see Definitions and Measurements document for more details: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/192439/omsq-definitions.pdf Note: Untried and convicted unsentenced receptions cannot be combined to give total remand receptions as some individuals are counted under both types of remand reception. | |||||
Reoffenders
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many crimes were committed by those released from prison while on licence who were (a) low risk, (b) medium risk or (c) high risk in each of the last five years. [155541]
Jeremy Wright: The figures cannot be provided. The information held centrally on prison discharges (which is used to identify those released on licence) does not currently include an assessment of risk.
Education
Academies
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the answer of 14 May 2013, Official Report, column 122W, on academy brokers, if he will publish anonymised details of (a) the nature of the two partially upheld complaints and (b) the grounds on which they were upheld. [156321]
Mr Timpson: With reference to the answer provided on 14 May, the two complaints against brokers that were partially upheld regarded matters of conduct constituting minor procedural infractions. In both cases the complainants fully accepted and were satisfied with the conclusions of investigations.
Providing further information about the nature of the complaints, and the grounds on which they were partially upheld, would risk identifying individual cases and therefore jeopardise the confidentiality afforded to the complainant and subject, and be prejudicial to the effective conduct of public affairs.
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the potential effects of reclassifying academies as private sector bodies on accountability arrangements. [156516]
Mr Timpson: The Secretary of State keeps the accountability arrangements for schools and academies under review. The Department for Education has no plans to reclassify academies as private sector bodies. Strong accountability will be at the heart of any future plans for the academies programme.
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many multi-academy trust arrangements there are; and what proportion of academies are in such an arrangement. [156618]
Mr Timpson: There are 369 multi-academy trusts, within which there are 1,166 academies. This is 40% of the 2,924 open academies, and 5% of all state-funded schools.
Childminding
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) when he expects to consult on the creation of childminder agencies as described in the More Great Childcare policy document published by his Department in January 2013; and if he will make a statement; [156213]
(2) how many childminder agencies as described in More Great Childcare have been established; and if he will make a statement; [156214]
(3) what estimate he has made of the number of childminder agencies as described in More Great Childcare: Raising quality and giving parents more choice which he expects will be established by September 2013. [156215]
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Elizabeth Truss: The legislation to provide for the creation of childminder agencies is currently before Parliament, with the aim of enabling childminder agencies to operate from September 2014. No childminder agencies currently exist.
We plan to consult later this year on the key requirements to be placed on agencies in regulations.
Children: Day Care
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what meetings he, Ministers and officials in his Department have had with representatives of the child care sector in each of the last 12 months. [155124]
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Elizabeth Truss: As Minister responsible for education and child care, I meet representatives of the child care sector on a regular basis. A list of my meetings concerning child care issues since appointment in September 2012, is included in Table 1.
Prior to my appointment the hon. Member for Brent Central (Sarah Teather), also met representatives of the child care sector in her capacity as Minister responsible for children and families. A list of her meetings is included in Table 2.
In addition, Department for Education officials continue to have numerous meetings with representatives of the child care sector, as well as with others with an interest in early years and child care policy.
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Free School Meals
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many school students in (a) England and (b) Harlow constituency are eligible for free school meals. [155503]
Mr Laws: Information on the number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals in Harlow constituency, Essex local authority and England is shown in the table.
Information on the number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals as at January 2012 is published in the Statistical First Release Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2012.(1)
(1 )Available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2012
| Maintained nursery, state-funded primary, state-funded secondary, special schools and pupil referral units(1, 2, 3, 4, )number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(5, )(6, 7, )January 2012, Harlow constituency, Essex local authority and England | |||||||||
| Maintained nursery and state-funded primary schools(1, 2) | State-funded secondary schools(1, 3) | Special schools(4) | |||||||
| Number on roll(5, 6) | Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(5, 6) | Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals | Number on roll(5, 6) | Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(5, 6) | Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals | Number on roll(5, 6) | Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(5, 6) | Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals | |
| Pupil referral units | Total(7) | |||||
| Number on roll(5, 6) | Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(5, 6) | Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals | Number on roll(5, 6) | Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(5, 6) | Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals | |
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| (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes all primary academies, including free schools. (3) Includes city technology colleges and all secondary academies, including free schools. (4) Includes maintained special schools, special academies and non-maintained special schools, excludes general hospital schools. (5) Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. Includes boarders. In pupil referral units includes pupils registered with other providers and further education colleges. (6 )Pupils who have full-time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part time attendance and are aged between 5 and 15. (7) Includes maintained nursery, state-funded primary, state-funded secondary, special schools, and pupil referral units. Excludes pupils in alternative provision as full and part-time status is not collected. Note: National and total numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5. Source: School Census. | ||||||
ICT
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) computers, (b) mobile telephones, (c) BlackBerrys and (d) other pieces of IT equipment were lost or stolen from his Department in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [156424]
Elizabeth Truss: Data for 2010-11 and 2011-12 were previously provided to the hon. Member on 9 January 2013, Official Report, column 342W. The following departmental IT equipment was reported as being lost or stolen in 2012-13:
| 2012-13 | Lost | Stolen | Total |
Information about mobile phones is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
All Department for Education IT equipment is fully security encrypted. The replacement cost of laptops includes encryption software to allow the handling of sensitive material up to ‘Restricted’ and to meet the Code of Connection for the Government Secure Intranet.
Internet: Curriculum
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make lessons on online safety and responsible use of social networking sites part of the national curriculum. [156499]
Elizabeth Truss: We recently consulted on proposals for the new national curriculum for computing. For the first time, this will require pupils aged five to 11 to be taught how to communicate safely and respectfully online, and to use technology responsibly, securely and safely. The final version of the new national curriculum will be published in the autumn and will be taught from September 2014.
Annual Leave
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 15 April 2013, Official Report, column 132W, on leave, how many staff on his Department's payroll were eligible for privilege days in 2012; and what the total payroll bill was in 2012. [155982]
Elizabeth Truss: The headcount of the Department as of December 2012 was 3,886. All staff on the Department's payroll qualify for one day's leave for the Queen's birthday and a further 1.5 days in addition to their annual leave entitlement and public holidays.
The total paybill costs are currently being prepared for the end year accounts and have yet to be audited. However, the paybill costs for 2011-12 can be found on the Department's website(1).
(1 )Department for Education consolidated annual report and accounts 2011-12:
http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc1213/hc00/0042/0042.asp
Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what consideration he has given to introducing teaching about teratogenic medicines into the National Curriculum. [155919]
Elizabeth Truss: Our proposals for the new national curriculum were published for consultation on 7 February 2013 and the consultation closed on 16 April 2013. The proposed science national curriculum for key stage 3 includes content on the effects of drugs (including medicines as well as substance misuse) on behaviour, health and life processes such as conception, growth and development.
We believe it is for teachers to decide the detail of what is taught within that framework, including which type of medicines should be covered. There is also scope to teach about teratogenic medicines as part of personal, social, health and economic education lessons.
Pupils: First Aid
Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many school children have received training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation in (a) Feltham and Heston constituency, (b) Hounslow, (c) London and (d) England in the last five years; [156638]
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(2) how many secondary schools in (a) Feltham and Heston constituency, (b) London and (c) England will be offering cardiopulmonary resuscitation training in 2013. [156640]
Elizabeth Truss: The Department does not collect data on training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation in schools.
Pupils: Health
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many times the word wellbeing occurred in school inspection guidelines in (a) 2010 and (b) 2013. [156447]
Mr Laws: This question is a matter for Ofsted. Her Majesty's chief inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to the hon. Member, and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Libraries.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent changes he has made to the inspection criteria governing pupils' wellbeing at schools. [156449]
Mr Laws: This question is a matter for Ofsted. Her Majesty's chief inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to the hon. Member, and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Libraries.
Pupils: Stress
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect of standardised testing on stress levels in school pupils. [156443]
Elizabeth Truss: The main purpose of national curriculum tests is to provide an accurate picture of children's attainment, so that they can be supported by their schools and teachers to achieve their best. There is no reason why young people cannot work hard, sit tests and enjoy their education. Good teachers in good schools will ensure that they achieve this.
Teachers and parents can support children to prevent tests becoming stressful. The tests should not cause stress if they are approached and administered calmly and sensitively, and pupils understand that the results will be used to plan their future learning.
Regulation
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what processes his Department has put in place to (a) monitor, (b) collate cost information on, (c) review and (d) respond to requests to amend or revoke regulations introduced by his Department. [155792]
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Elizabeth Truss: Since 1 January 2011, the Department has published a statement of new regulation every six months where there are regulations in scope. Each statement of new regulation sets out the costs of new regulations that have an impact on the business sector (private businesses and civil society organisations) and that are due to come into force in the relevant period.
The Department regularly reviews regulation which relates to maintained schools with a view to simplifying or removing any unnecessary requirements. We have also established two stakeholder groups: the Bureaucracy Reference Group comprising teachers, school business managers and head teachers; and a sub-group of the Education Forum on reducing bureaucracy, which is made up of representatives from teacher unions and head teacher associations. These groups regularly meet to advise how existing bureaucracy can be reduced, and the most likely impact of new policies and legislation.
The Department has also set up the following e-mail account:
bureaucracy.views@education.gsi.gov.uk
so that any practitioners or members of the public can provide views on further steps that could be taken to reduce burdens—including amending or removing regulations.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if he will provide the estimated cost of each regulation introduced by his Department since May 2010; and what the estimated benefits of each regulation (a) amended and (b) revoked were; [155958]
(2) what the title was of each set of regulations introduced by his Department in each month since May 2010; and which of those regulations have been (a) subject to the (i) one-in, one-out and (ii) one-in two-out procedure and (b) (i) revoked and (ii) amended. [155814]
Elizabeth Truss: Since 1 January 2011 the department has published a statement of new regulation every six months. Each statement of new regulation sets out the cost of new regulations that are due to come into force to private businesses and civil society organisations. Table 1 sets out the Department's regulations that have been included within these statements. Of the 13 regulations included on the Department's statements of new regulation, 11 have been net beneficial, and two have been broadly neutral.
From 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2012, the Department reduced costs to the business sector by £11.11 million a year. From 1 January 2013 to 30 June 2013, the Department reduced costs to the business sector by a further £2.6 million a year.
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Schools
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to promote maintained federations. [156617]
Mr Laws: The Department for Education supports schools working in partnership to improve standards. The new Governors' Handbook, published on 14 May 2013, provides governors with information about how to enter into a federation.
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many local authority maintained federations there are in England; and how many such federations are of (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools. [156619]
Mr Laws: The Department does not hold a complete list of federations and their composition. Since September 2009 there has been a duty to inform the Department of the establishment of a formal or ‘hard’ federation made under section 24 of the Education Act 2002. However, this does not provide data on all federations since it includes neither federations established prior to September 2009 nor less formal federations that have been established under section 26 of the Act. In addition, there is no duty to inform the Department of the dissolution of a federation.
Sign Language
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will add British Sign Language to the list of prescribed languages of study at maintained schools. [155835]
Elizabeth Truss: While we recognise the importance of British Sign Language, the Government have no plans to add it to the list of languages that will meet the statutory requirement to teach a foreign language at key stage 2 from September 2014. We believe it is important that all pupils have the opportunity to learn one of the languages on the proposed list, for the reasons set out in the report of our consultation on this matter(1).
Schools will remain free to offer British Sign Language in addition to one of the seven languages from the prescribed list, should they wish to do so.
(1 )This is available at:
www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum/nationalcurriculum2014/a00221243/ks2-languages-consultation-report
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he plans to take to ensure that there are no restrictions to allowing deaf and hearing impaired young people in maintained secondary schools to study British Sign Language at GCSE level. [155836]
Elizabeth Truss: The Department does not place restrictions on deaf and hearing impaired young people studying for a GCSE. We recognise that there is currently no GCSE qualification offered by examination bodies in British Sign Language (BSL) but there is a range of vocational-related BSL and other signing media qualifications up to degree level.
The Department is aware that Signature is developing a GCSE qualification in BSL. It is in discussion with the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) to ensure that any GCSE is of the right quality and reflects the richness of BSL as a language.
Special Educational Needs
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will assess the report Future of AAC Services in England: A framework for equitable and effective commissioning. [156541]
Mr Timpson: The Government are taking account of the report, “The Future of AAC Services in England: A framework for equitable and effective commissioning”, in establishing arrangements for the commissioning of highly specialised alternative and augmentative communication services (ACC) by the National Health Service Commissioning Board. It provides useful recommendations for the AAC sector to consider when developing services in the future.
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Teachers: Pay
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on how many occasions in 2013 (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) departmental officials have met representatives of teaching organisations and trade unions to discuss the 2013 School Teachers' Pay and Conditions document. [156562]
Mr Laws: Our records show the Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has met representatives from trade unions on five separate occasions where teachers' pay—although not necessarily the 2013 School Teachers' Pay and Conditions document (STPCD)—was discussed. Ministers within the Department met trade union representatives on two occasions where teachers' pay was discussed. The Secretary of State and Ministers have met representatives from trade unions on numerous other occasions for general discussions, during which teachers' pay may have been raised.
During 2013, as part of the consultation on the 2013 STPCD, officials from the Department met statutory consultees of the School Teachers Review Body (STRB), who include representatives of teaching organisations and trade unions, on nine occasions. Since publication of the document six meetings have been held with statutory consultees about implementation of the 2013 STPCD.
Teachers: Pensions
Dan Rogerson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education on how many occasions in 2013 (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) departmental
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officials have met representatives of teaching organisations and trade unions to discuss the teachers' pension scheme. [156561]
Mr Laws: In 2013 the Secretary of State has had one meeting with a union general secretary at which the teachers' pensions scheme (TPS) was discussed. A further five meetings with unions and teaching organisations have also taken place during this period where issues related to TPS may have been discussed but were not specifically tabled for discussion.
I have met trade union representatives on five occasions, none specifically to discuss TPS.
During this period officials have had a total of 13 meetings with trade unions at which the TPS was discussed. This has included seven meetings with union officials to discuss the detailed implementation of the reformed TPS.
Teachers: Termination of Employment
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of teachers who have left their employment with between two and five years' experience in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013 to date. [156556]
Mr Laws: The number of teachers with between two and five years' experience who have left service from publicly funded schools in England in 2010 is 5,940. This figure includes teachers who are retiring and is estimated to exclude 10% to 20% of part-time teachers. The figure is provisional.
The Department will publish updates to its teacher mobility statistics (covering 2011 and 2012) in July 2013. Figures for 2013 will not be available until 2014.