Children: Protection

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many notifications of significant incidents were provided to Ofsted for each month of 2012 and 2013 that has been quality assured in full; what the date of each such incident was; whether a serious case review was performed of each such incident; what the age range of the child concerned in each such incident was; what the local authority was; whether the child was a child in care; and on what date Ofsted was notified of whether or not a serious case review was to be performed for each such incident; [181014]

(2) how many notifications of significant incidents were provided to Ofsted in November 2013; what the date of each such incident was; whether a serious case review was performed of each such incident; what the age range of the child concerned in each such incident was; what the local authority was; whether the child was a child in care; and on what date Ofsted was notified of whether or not a serious case review was to be performed for each such incident; [181015]

(3) how many notifications of significant incidents were provided to Ofsted in October 2013; what the date of each such incident was; whether a serious case review was performed of each such incident; what the age range of the child concerned in each such incident was; what the local authority was; whether the child was a child in care; and on what date Ofsted was notified of whether or not a serious case review was to be performed for each such incident; [181016]

(4) how many notifications of significant incidents were provided to Ofsted in September 2013; what the date of each such incident was; whether a serious case review was performed of each such incident; what the age range of the child concerned in each such incident was; what the local authority was; whether the child was a child in care; and on what date Ofsted was notified of whether or not a serious case review was to be performed for each such incident; [181017]

(5) how many notifications of significant incidents were provided to Ofsted in August 2013; what the date of each such incident was; whether a serious case review was performed of each such incident; what the age range of the child concerned in each such incident was; what the local authority was; whether the child was a child in care; and on what date Ofsted was notified of whether or not a serious case review was to be performed for each such incident. [181018]

Mr Timpson: These questions are matters for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, will write to the hon. Member, and a copy of his response will be placed in the House Libraries.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many serious case reviews have been published since the Serious Case Review Panel was established; and if he will list them. [181321]

6 Jan 2014 : Column 85W

Mr Timpson: It is for Local Safeguarding Children Boards to determine when to publish Serious Case Reviews (SCRs). ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children 2013’ states that Local Safeguarding Children Boards should send copies of all SCR reports to the national panel of independent experts at least one week before publication.

The national panel has been sent copies of 27 completed SCR reports, which were published between 1 July and 20 December 2013. The reports are listed in the following table:

Christmas

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) Christmas card postage in each year from 2005 to 2012. [180935]

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education does not allocate resources for this type of expenditure. If members of staff wish to send Christmas cards they have to purchase them and pay for the postage themselves.

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on Christmas (a) trees, (b) decorations, (c) parties and (d) drinks in each year from 2005 to 2012. [180936]

6 Jan 2014 : Column 86W

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education does not allocate resources for this type of expenditure. Members of staff wishing to decorate their areas of work must do so at their own expense.

The Department has held no centrally organised or funded Christmas parties for staff. Individual divisions or teams will have organised their own events, but these would have been funded by contributions from the staff themselves.

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much ministerial private offices in his Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) Christmas card postage in each year from 2005 to 2012. [180937]

Elizabeth Truss: Records of expenditure on Christmas cards, including postage, are held centrally for the year 2007 onwards. I refer the hon. Member to my response of 14 February 2013, Official report, column 795W on Christmas cards.

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much ministerial private offices in his Department spent on (a) Christmas trees, (b) Christmas decorations (c) Christmas parties and (d) Christmas drinks in each year from 2005 to 2012. [181093]

Elizabeth Truss: Ministerial private offices spent no money on Christmas trees or decorations in 2012. Records on expenditure prior to this date are not held centrally; however, it is understood that ministerial private offices purchase any Christmas decorations from personal funds. Records are not held centrally for expenditure on Christmas events for the years 2005 to 2012.

Directors

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2013, Official Report, column 589W, how many hours each non-executive member of his Department's board spent in the Department in the last 12 months. [181177]

Elizabeth Truss: This information is not collected by the Department.

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2013, Official Report, columns 588-89W, on directors, what roles are played in his Department's formal government structures by each non-executive board member. [181212]

Elizabeth Truss: Non-executive board members play a key role across Government, offering advice and challenge on the management of Departments. They support and challenge the executive on a range of areas, including operational and delivery implications of departmental policy proposals.

The formal governance structure of the Department for Education consists of a departmental board and three sub-committees. All of the Department's non-executive board members sit on the departmental board, chaired by the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove). Paul Marshall chairs the Audit and Risk Committee

6 Jan 2014 : Column 87W

and is the only one of our non-executives who attends. Theodore Agnew chairs the Performance Committee. All non-executives are members of this committee and they attend depending on their availability. The Permanent Secretary chairs the Management Committee, to which there is a standing invitation for all non-executives.

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2013, Official Report, column 589W, on directors, what support and facilities his Department provides to each non-executive board member. [181213]

Elizabeth Truss: The level of support and range of facilities provided to the Department for Education's non-executive board members varies over time and depends on each of the non-executive's roles. The Department's Board Secretariat provides administrative support to all non-executives, and all have access to meeting rooms, office equipment and office space as and when required. In addition, the Academies Group provides additional office support to Theodore Agnew for his role on academies.

Discovery New School

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the (a) projected and (b) actual costs of establishing the Discovery New School, Crawley, West Sussex were. [180733]

Mr Timpson: The first free schools were funded for pre-opening by negotiation and their subsequent revenue funding has been based on their estimated pupil numbers.

Pre-opening and post-opening revenue expenditure can be found on our website at:

http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/freeschools/b00222175/open/capital-expenditure

The capital budget for Discovery New School can also be viewed online at:

http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/xlsx/f/free%20schools%20revenue%20expenditure_002.xlsx

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what continuing liabilities his Department has in respect of the property occupied by the Discovery New School, Crawley after the school closes; and what plans it has for future use of the premises. [180826]

Mr Timpson: Officials at the Department for Education are in discussion with the Discovery New School Academy Trust regarding the transfer of the lease and capital assets funded by the Department.

Our aim is that the Department's investment should continue to support education in the area.

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what arrangements he has put in place for the continuing education of pupils at the Discovery free school following its closure. [181218]

Mr Timpson: Officials at the Department for Education are working closely with the Chair of Governors of Discovery New School and West Sussex county council

6 Jan 2014 : Column 88W

(WSCC) to ensure that pupils can move to other local schools with as little disruption as possible. WSCC is committed to working with the Department for Education to ensure that there are suitable places ready in good local schools.

WSCC contacted the school and parents of pupils on the day of the announcement; visited the school to offer advice to parents on 16 December; and wrote to update parents and offer further advice on securing a new school place for their children on 19 December. The Department will continue to liaise with WSCC and offer support throughout the process.

Dyslexia

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what objectives he has set for the Dyslexia-SpLD Trust to ensure schools and local authorities are provided with the best possible guidance over the next two years. [181220]

Mr Timpson: The Dyslexia SpLD Trust is contracted to provide high quality information to parents, schools and local authorities. The Trust provides online information, including a database of effective interventions for dyslexia and literacy difficulties, and a professional development framework that allows teachers to assess their current skills and identify further training materials. Specific objectives include: increasing the number of users of the website by 20% by March 2015; increasing the number of registered users of their Professional Development Framework to 4,000 by March 2015; providing information packs to more than 50 Initial Teacher Training providers by March 2015; and disseminating information on identification, screening and signposting for dyslexia and literacy difficulties to more than 12,000 individuals by March 2015.

Full details of the contract between the Department for Education and the British Dyslexia Association, which hosts the Dyslexia SpLD Trust, are available on the Government Contracts Finder website at:

www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk

Early Intervention Grant

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what amount of funding from the early intervention grant his Department has clawed back for projects initiated by his Department; and to what uses that funding has been put. [181174]

Mr Timpson: The Department has not clawed back any money from the early intervention grant. When the early intervention grant was transferred into the Business Rates Retention system (from the 2013-14 financial year), £150 million was retained centrally by the Department in 2013-14 and 2014-15. In 2013-14, this money has been allocated to local authorities via the adoption reform grant. In 2014-15, £70 million is to be allocated to local authorities via a new special educational needs reform grant, and £50 million via the continuation of the adoption reform grant. Both of these grants are unringfenced. We will be giving further details shortly on how the remaining £30 million will be used to support children's services.

6 Jan 2014 : Column 89W

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what change there was in the level of early intervention grant funding to each local authority (a) by amount, (b) by percentage and (c) per capita between 2010-11 and 2013-14; [182032]

(2) what estimate his Department has made of the likely change in the level of early intervention grant funding to each local authority by (a) amount and (b) percentage between 2011-12 and 2014-15. [182033]

Elizabeth Truss: The information requested is set out in the table.

The early intervention grant (EIG) was an unhypothecated grant formed in 2011-12 from several ring-fenced intervention grants. In May 2012, it was announced that from 2013-14 the EIG would become part of the Business Rate Retention Scheme. At the same time, it was decided that funding for early learning for two-year-olds, which had previously formed part of the EIG, would be included in the dedicated schools grant. Department for Education also retained responsibility for distributing the early intervention grant topslice.

As the table shows, overall funding for early intervention through these three funding streams is increasing from £2.2 billion in 2011-12 to £2.5 billion in 2014-15. The table excludes the per capita changes which the Department does not collect.

6 Jan 2014 : Column 90W

6 Jan 2014 : Column 91W

6 Jan 2014 : Column 92W

Education: Finance

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what specific evidence he considered to inform his decision of 10 December 2013 to reduce funding for 18-year-olds in full-time education. [181193]

Mr Laws: We looked at the evidence we had from the individual learner record and schools census and we considered the impact on 16 to 19 providers.

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what research he has undertaken into the comparative per pupil funding levels given by his Department to the different phases of education; and if he will make a statement. [181194]

Mr Laws: The Department for Education has not, since 2010, commissioned any comprehensive comparative research which looks at per pupil funding levels given by the Department to the different phases of education.

On 18 December 2013, the Department for Education published the dedicated schools grant (DSG) allocations for 2014-15. The table setting out allocations for each local authority has been placed in the House Library.

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding his Department has given to the education of 16 to 18-year-olds in each of the last five years; and what the expected funding will be to provide for the same age group in the next three years. [181195]

Mr Laws: Funding allocations for 16 to 18-year-olds for the last five years are as follows:

These figures are for further education courses, but do not include apprenticeships.

6 Jan 2014 : Column 93W

The figures cannot be directly compared across all years.

1. The funding figure for 2009/10 does not include 19 to 24 year-old students with learning difficulties and disabilities (LLDD), who were included in the funding remit in subsequent years.

2. A new funding formula was introduced for 2013/14. The number of institutions funded directly for 16 to 18 year-olds' provision increased, and some funding was moved to the dedicated schools grant (DSG).

The Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), will determine funding for future years in due course.

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reasons his Department plans to reduce by 17.5 per cent the funding for 18-year-olds in education from September 2014; and if he will make a statement. [181809]

Matthew Hancock: Following the spending round in June and the autumn statement on 5 December 2013, Official Report, columns 1101-1113, the Department for Education has had to find further savings from its unprotected budget. The Department's policy priorities for the 16-19 participation budget are: to support the increased participation age for 16 and 17-year-olds; to maintain the additional funding for disadvantaged students; and, as far as possible, to maintain the national funding rate per student.

We have therefore decided to make the savings required in the academic year 2014/15 by reducing the participation requirements for full-time 18-year-olds.

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make an assessment of the effect of the changes announced to funding for 18-year-olds in full-time education, including the effect on 18-year-olds who will not have received two years of post-16 education. [181934]

Matthew Hancock: The change to funding for full-time 18-year-olds in education in academic year 2014/15 applies to less than a fifth of 16 to 18-year-old students. The change will cause a loss of funding of around 2% across the 16 to 18 education sector. We plan to publish the impact assessment in due course.

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reason his Department did not undertake a consultation before announcing a reduction in funding for 18-year-olds in full-time education. [181935]

Matthew Hancock: We wanted to inform colleges and schools of the decision as soon as possible, to support planning for the 2014/15 academic year. It has been standard practice under various Governments not to consult on funding rates.

Foster Care

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how public sector spending reductions affect his Department’s plans for foster care services. [180833]

6 Jan 2014 : Column 94W

Mr Timpson: In October 2013, the Department for Education published a statistical release which provides a summary of the planned expenditure by local authorities on a range of services relating to schools, education, children and young people’s services for the financial year 2013-14. This shows that, for looked-after children, local authorities were planning to increase spending by £64 million to £3,262 million in 2013-14. This will include funding the 75% of looked-after children who are supported in foster care placements. No specific information on foster care spending is available.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 10 December 2013, Official Report, column 213W, which set out a range of activities the Government are funding to support the recruitment and retention of foster carers.

In addition to those mentioned in my previous response, the Department for Education has:

1. funded research into the make-up of the foster carer work force and the potential to attract a broader range of people into fostering;

2. awarded a two-year contract to FosterTalk to deliver Fosterline, a confidential, free of charge advice service for foster carers;

3. provided almost £10.5 million in 2013-14 to 58 local authority partnerships for the development and roll-out of evidence-based interventions, many of which support foster carers; and

4. awarded £90,000 to a consortia led by Research in Practice to develop training materials for social workers on fostering and adoption.

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what arrangements he is making to extend the provision of foster care up to age 21. [901754]

Mr Timpson: The Government intend to propose an amendment to the Children and Families Bill that will make a significant change to the legislation regarding care leavers. This amendment will be tabled for the House of Lords Third Reading of the Children and Families Bill.

The amendment will place a new legal duty on local authorities to support every care leaver who wants to stay with their former foster parents until their 21st birthday (“staying put” arrangements). This duty will come into force from April 2014 and we will be giving local authorities £40 million over the next three years to put the support arrangements in place.

Free School Meals

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when his Department plans to make an announcement on the new criteria for free school meals under universal credit. [181030]

Mr Laws: The gradual introduction of universal credit, which is scheduled to be rolled out to the majority of claimants during 2016 and 2017, will mean that the current entitlement criteria for free school meals will no longer apply. We are currently working with the Department for Work and Pensions to simplify free school meals criteria under universal credit, while making sure that free lunches continue to be available to those families on the lowest incomes. The move to universal credit will not reduce the number of children entitled to free school meals.

6 Jan 2014 : Column 95W

We will announce our proposals in due course, and will allow time for schools, local councils and children's charities to comment on those proposals.

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he will continue to assess free school meal eligibility for children aged five, six and seven after the introduction of universal free school meals for this age group. [182006]

Mr Laws: The criteria currently used to assess eligibility for free school meals are also used to determine eligibility for a range of other deprivation-related benefits and payments, such as the pupil premium. We will continue to use these criteria to assess whether pupils are disadvantaged and should attract the pupil premium, following the introduction of universal free school meals for children in reception, year 1 and year 2 in September 2014.

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the pupil premium allocation will continue to be calculated on the number of children at a school who have been registered for free school meals at any point in the last six years after the introduction of universal free school meals for children aged five, six and seven. [182007]

Mr Laws: Pupil premium funding allocations for 2014-15 will continue to be based on the number of pupils recorded in the January 2014 school census as having been registered for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

After this the entitlement will continue as at present, via the appropriate passporting benefits and for the existing periods.

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the criteria for free school meal eligibility will change for children aged five, six and seven after the introduction of universal free school meals for this age group. [182008]

Mr Laws: Under the Government's policy of universal infant free school meals all pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 will be eligible for free school meals from September 2014. This means that the current free schools meals criteria will no longer apply to that age group for the purposes of identifying pupils eligible to receive free school meals. The criteria will however continue to apply to pupils of other ages, including pupils aged seven once they leave year 2.

The criteria currently used to assess eligibility for free school meals are however also used to determine eligibility for a range of other deprivation-related benefits and payments, such as the pupil premium. We will continue to use these criteria to assess whether pupils are disadvantaged and should attract the pupil premium, following the introduction of universal free school meals for children in reception, year 1 and year 2.

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how schools can apply for funding for upgraded kitchen and dining facilities to support the introduction of universal free school meals for children aged five, six and seven. [182010]

6 Jan 2014 : Column 96W

Mr Laws: As the Chancellor announced in the autumn statement, we are making £150 million capital funding available to support the introduction of the universal infant free school meals entitlement from September 2014. Capital funding for maintained schools has been allocated to individual local authorities and local authorities will work with maintained schools to ensure appropriate capital support is available. Funding to support academies has been added as a distinct element to the academies capital maintenance fund (ACMF), and academies can apply to access this funding through the usual ACMF arrangements.

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools will require new or upgraded (a) kitchen, (b) dining and (c) kitchen and dining facilities to support the introduction of universal free school meals for children aged five, six and seven. [182011]

Mr Laws: We have discussed the capital needs of schools with stakeholders, sought advice from local authorities and considered the findings of the School Food Trust's 2012 school lunch take-up survey in determining our approach to implementing the policy. As a result, we have allocated £150 million of capital funding to improve kitchen and dining facilities in schools in 2014-15. It will be for local authorities to decide how to allocate the funding among their schools. Academies and free schools that have capital needs can bid to the Academies Capital Maintenance Fund.

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has identified those schools which will require new or upgraded kitchen and dining facilities to support the introduction of universal free school meals for children aged five, six and seven. [182012]

Mr Laws: The Government are providing £150 million of capital funding to improve kitchens and dining facilities in schools ahead of the introduction of universal free school meals for pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 from September 2014. It will be for schools and local authorities to identify their own particular needs, and we believe that this is best achieved at a local level.

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he expects schools which will require new or upgraded kitchen and dining facilities to support the introduction of universal free school meals for children aged five, six and seven to have those new facilities in place by September 2014. [182013]

Mr Laws: The Government expect all state-funded schools to offer a free, nutritious school lunch to all pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 from September 2014.

We are providing £150 million of capital in 2014-15 to improve kitchens and dining facilities in schools; this will enable new facilities to be in place by September 2014.

Further Education: Finance

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what consultation his Department carried out before taking its decision to resume funding for full-time 18-year-old learners by 17.5 per cent in 2014-15. [180688]

6 Jan 2014 : Column 97W

Mr Laws: The decision to reduce funding for full-time 18-year-olds by 17.5 % in 2014-15 was made following the Department for Education's funding settlement in the Spending Round in June, and the further reduction to the Department's budget announced in the autumn statement. We wanted to inform colleges and schools of the decision as soon as possible, as they were planning for the 2014-15 academic year.

Kings Science Academy

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2013, Official Report, column 476W, on Kings Science Academy, if he will request and then publish a copy of the report on the reference which his Department made to Action Fraud which was submitted by them to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau relating to crime reference number NFRC130400222669; [181206]

(2) pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2013, Official Report, column 400W, on Kings Science Academy, whether the decision to report the findings in relation to Kings Science Academy by telephone rather than in writing was authorised by a Minister. [181208]

Mr Timpson: The Department for Education does not intend to make a request for any report by Action Fraud arising from the reporting of allegations of fraud at Kings Science Academy.

Ministerial authorisation was given to report the allegations. Officials at the Department for Education reported the case to Action Fraud's national call centre on 25 April. An additional telephone call was made to West Yorkshire Police's Economic Crime Unit, who confirmed that this was the correct way to report fraud and that no further action was required.

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what action was taken by his Department as a result of the email to his Department on 5 September 2013 from Action Fraud regarding Kings Science Academy, case reference NFRC130400222669; [181936]

(2) when (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department were made aware of the email to his Department on 5 September 2013 from Action Fraud, case reference NFRC130400222669, which indicated that the Department's reference to Action Fraud regarding Kings Science Academy was being dealt with as an information report rather than for criminal investigation. [181937]

Mr Timpson: Following receipt of the email from Action Fraud of 5 September, the Department for Education continued working with the academy on its implementation of the recommendations of both the investigation report and the evaluation of financial management and governance. The Department is in regular dialogue with the academy on a number of issues arising from the investigation, but it would not be appropriate to comment further on this—or conversations between Department officials and Action Fraud—while a police investigation is ongoing.

The decision to investigate rests with the police authorities. When the Department was informed that a decision not to investigate had been made, the Department

6 Jan 2014 : Column 98W

continued to work with the trust on matters it is responsible for. Ministers were informed of the police authorities' decision on 21 October as part of a progress report.

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what recent assessment he has made of the progress of the disciplinary investigation being carried out by Kings Science Academy; [181940]

(2) how many times and on what dates his Department has contacted Kings Science Academy since 25 April 2013 to be updated about the status of any disciplinary action relating to the Education Funding Agency report; [181941]

(3) which of the invoices in Annex A of the Education Funding Agency's report on the Kings Science Academy were reported during the telephone call his Department made reporting the Academy to Action Fraud; [181966]

(4) who authorised the statement of 25 October 2013 by his Department on Kings Science Academy that the police had decided to take no further action; [181967]

(5) what the duration was of the telephone call that his Department made to Action Fraud in relation to Kings Science Academy on 25 April 2013. [182039]

Mr Timpson: Responsibility for a Principal's performance rests with the governing body of the Academy, not the Department for Education. The Department is in regular dialogue with the Academy on a number of issues arising from the investigation, but it would not be appropriate to comment further on this, or on conversations between Department officials and Action Fraud, while a police investigation is ongoing.

The Department does not hold notes of the telephone call to Action Fraud on 25 April, or a record of how long the telephone call was. Action Fraud notified the Department on 1 November by telephone that the information provided had been wrongly classified as an information report rather than a crime report.

The statement issued on 25 October was authorised by the Education Funding Agency's senior member of staff with lead responsibility for the investigation after discussion with departmental officials.

Meetings

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what his Department’s policy is on (a) recording and (b) retaining official records of ministerial meetings with external organisations; [181103]

(2) whether meetings between (a) him and (b) Ministers of his Department and external organisations are routinely minuted. [181323]

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education’s policy is that meetings between Ministers and external organisations are recorded appropriately and that Private Offices keep records of any minutes taken.

A list of these meetings is published by the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis. These lists are available online at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministers-quarterly-returns-2013

6 Jan 2014 : Column 99W

Music: Education

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 14 October 2013, Official Report, column 606W, on music education, how much funding his Department has allocated for music education in each financial year since 2010; and how many pupils studied music as a subject in each financial year since 2010. [181203]

Elizabeth Truss: Funding for the provision of music as a national curriculum subject at both primary and secondary level forms part of the overall Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG). This provides general funding to schools to support education. It is not broken down by subject or curriculum area.

Music is a statutory part of the national curriculum in key stages 1 to 3, which means that all pupils in maintained schools will study it. In 2012/13, 41,236 Key Stage 4 pupils were entered for a music GCSE and 19,154 pupils were entered for a vocational music qualification.

Data on numbers of pupils in academies and free schools studying music at key stages 1 to 3 are not

6 Jan 2014 : Column 100W

available, but we expect the vast majority of pupils will do so as part of a broad and balanced curriculum. The Department for Education (DfE) has established a number of free schools that specialise in music, for example, Dixon's Music Primary, which expects children to learn a number of musical instruments and offers free individual and ensemble tuition by specialist musicians; and Hackney New School, which has partnered with the award-winning Hackney Music Development Trust to prepare performances, offer co-curricular projects and provide teaching expertise.

In addition to funding through the DSG, the DfE is providing substantial funding for music education, as part of its ambition that every child should experience a high quality music education throughout their time at school. In November 2011, the Department published the National Plan for Music Education. It announced that, from 2012, music education would be provided by a new national network of music education hubs to drive excellence in music education across England, and secure improved value for money through a focus on frontline delivery.

In addition to funding through the DSG, the total amount of DfE funding allocated for music education from 2010-11 to 2013-14 is shown in the following table.

National College for Teaching and Leadership

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish the most recent appraisal of the performance of the leader of the National College for Teaching and Leadership undertaken in line with the senior civil service performance management system. [181820]

Mr Laws: No. Performance appraisals are a private document and as such we cannot publish that of the leader of the National College for Teaching and Leadership. To do so would be a potential breach of the Data Protection Act.

Pre-school Education

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many two-year-olds are receiving early years education in settings rated as satisfactory or requires improvement. [181327]

Elizabeth Truss: Local authorities have been under a statutory duty to secure a place for any eligible two-year-old since 1 September 2013. By October 2013, local authorities estimated that around 92,000 two-year-olds were already accessing a place. Formal data on the number of two-year-olds in funded places will be gathered through the Early Years and Schools Censuses, which will take place in January 2014 and will be published in summer 2014. This will include information on the number of two-year-olds accessing free early education places, together with information on Ofsted ratings.

Pupil Exclusions

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what steps he has taken to reduce the number of school exclusions for children with special educational needs; [181183]

(2) how many special educational needs pupils have been excluded from maintained schools in each year since 2010. [181184]

Elizabeth Truss: We are addressing the underlying causes of exclusion for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) through provisions in the Children and Families Bill and the revised SEN Code of Practice. A key focus of our reforms is the earlier identification of SEN and a more targeted response to these needs.

We have reinforced in statutory guidance on exclusion that early intervention for disruptive behaviour should include an assessment of whether appropriate provision

6 Jan 2014 : Column 101W

is in place to support any SEN that a pupil may have. The guidance also makes clear that head teachers should avoid excluding permanently any pupil with a statement of SEN.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his latest assessment is of how the pupil premium is helping the poorest students. [181969]

Mr Laws: Since the pupil premium was introduced in 2011, the gap between free school meal pupils and their peers has narrowed by three percentage points, according to results from the 2013 key stage 2 mathematics tests.

We are spending an additional £900 per pupil this financial year on the poorest children to raise attainment, with an additional payment of £53 for primary-aged pupils. The rate is increasing from April to £1,300 per pupil for primary-aged pupils and £935 for secondary-aged pupils. Looked after children and those leaving care through adoption, under a Residence Order or Special Guardianship Order will attract £1,900 from April.

Since September 2013 there has been a heightened focus in Ofsted school inspections and new measures in performance tables to make schools more accountable for the performance of their disadvantaged pupils.

Regional Schools Commissioners

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding has been provided to establish regional school commissioners in (a) the current financial year and (b) each of the next three years. [181196]

Mr Timpson: Regional schools commissioners will be established from summer 2014, so no new funding has been assigned in the current financial year. As work is ongoing to recruit these individuals and secure their offices, the costs in future years are still to be determined. However, any costs will be met within existing departmental administration budgets, which are being cut overall by 50% in real terms by 2015.

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether regional school commissioners will advise him on education for 16 to 19-year-olds in their respective regions. [181197]

Mr Timpson: Regional schools commissioners (RSCs) will undertake functions on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education. These are expected to include: monitoring performance and intervening to secure improvement in underperforming academies; taking decisions on the creation of new academies; and supporting the national schools commissioner to ensure that there are sufficient sponsors to meet local need. The RSC will fulfil this role for all academies, including where academies and free schools offer 16-19 provision.

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what interaction he will expect regional school commissioners to have with (a) the Education Funding Agency and (b) Ofsted. [181198]

6 Jan 2014 : Column 102W

Mr Timpson: Regional schools commissioners, as civil servants in the Department for Education, will work closely with colleagues in the Education Funding Agency and with Ofsted to fulfil their roles.

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether principals of further education and sixth form colleges will be represented on the headteacher boards to be established to support regional school commissioners. [181199]

Mr Timpson: The headteacher boards will comprise of local education leaders, including headteachers from academies rated as outstanding by Ofsted. This will ensure that skilled academy leaders have a voice in the development of the academy system in their region. The remit of the boards will not extend to further education or sixth form colleges and, therefore, we do not anticipate automatic representation for their Principals.

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on which of his specific statutory responsibilities he expects the regional school commissioners to advise him. [181200]

Mr Timpson: Regional schools commissioners will undertake functions on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove). These are expected to include: monitoring performance and intervening to secure improvement in underperforming academies; taking decisions on the creation of new academies; and supporting the national schools commissioner to ensure that there are sufficient sponsors to meet local need.

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans that the new regional schools commissioners will take office. [181256]

Mr Timpson: Regional schools commissioners are expected to take up post in time for the 2014/15 academic year.

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the estimated cost is of establishing the new regional schools commissioners. [181257]

Mr Timpson: Regional schools commissioners will be established from summer 2014, and therefore no new funding has been assigned in the current financial year. As work is ongoing to recruit these individuals and secure their offices, the costs in future years are still to be determined. However, any costs will be met within existing departmental administration budgets, which are being cut by 50% in real terms by 2015.

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the terms of employment will be of the new regional schools commissioners. [181258]

Mr Timpson: It is planned that the regional schools commissioners will be appointed as civil servants on five-year fixed-term contracts.

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the powers will be of the new regional school commissioners. [181259]

6 Jan 2014 : Column 103W

Mr Timpson: No new powers are being introduced. As fixed term civil servant appointees, the regional schools commissioners will undertake functions on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove). These are expected to include: monitoring performance and intervening to secure improvement in underperforming academies; taking decisions on the creation of new academies; and supporting the national schools commissioner to ensure that there are sufficient sponsors to meet local need.

Samsung

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether a (a) member of his Private Office and (b) policy official attended the meeting he had in May 2013 with representatives of Samsung; and for what reason no minute or record was taken of that meeting. [181322]

Elizabeth Truss: One official from the private office of the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), attended the meeting. No policy officials attended. The purpose of the meeting was to find out more about the work of Samsung and their involvement in education. Only one action arose from the meeting: to invite Samsung to the technology round table and this was carried out.

School Information (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2013, Official Report, column 651W, on School Information (England) Regulations 2012, what the level of compliance with the School Information (England) Regulations 2012 is. [181205]

Mr Laws: We do not routinely collect this information centrally. While Ofsted routinely checks school websites before inspections, the ultimate responsibility for ensuring compliance with legal requirements rests with governing bodies and head teachers. If a parent, or other party, believes that a school is not complying with the requirements, they are entitled to raise this with the governing body. If their complaint is not resolved and they believe that the school has failed to discharge its duty or acted unreasonably, they can raise their complaint with the Secretary of State.

Schools: Buildings

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the cost of the additional 8,000 surveys that will be undertaken for the Property Data Survey. [182009]

Mr Laws: The Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has recently instructed the Education Funding Agency to proceed with additional surveys as part of the on-going work of the Property Data Survey Programme. The current estimate for the additional 8,000 surveys is an average of £704 per survey, before VAT. This is a modest additional cost to ensure that our significant maintenance budgets are well spent.

6 Jan 2014 : Column 104W

In 2005 the last Government decided to stop collecting information on the conditions of school buildings. This meant it was impossible to know the condition of all school buildings and therefore where investment was needed. We believe this decision was flawed which is why the Department for Education has been collecting up to date information on school buildings through the Property Data Survey.

These data will enable us to make sure future funding is targeted towards those educational establishments where it is most needed.

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department has spent on contractors to (a) carry out property data surveys and (b) provide asset management software to support the delivery of the Property Data Survey programme. [182026]

Mr Laws: The Secretary of State instructed the Education Funding Agency to proceed with the Property Data Survey programme in response to recommendations made in the James Review. This included undertaking an additional 11,708 surveys. The Department has spent an average of £642 per survey, before VAT, on contractors to (a) carry out property data surveys and (b) provide asset management software to support the delivery of the Property Data Survey programme.

In 2005 the last Government decided to stop collecting information on the conditions of school buildings. This meant it was impossible for the Department to know the condition of all school buildings and therefore where investment was needed. We believe this decision was flawed, which is why the Department for Education has been collecting up-to-date information on school buildings through the Property Data Survey.

These data will enable us to make sure future funding is targeted towards those educational establishments where it is most needed.

Schools: Finance

Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the expected timeframe for the introduction of a new National Funding Formula for schools is. [181029]

Mr Laws: The Chancellor announced in June that we would consult on how best to introduce a national fair funding formula, with implementation starting in 2015-16.