Creationism

Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the appropriateness of the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom rewarding establishments which promote creationism with a Quality Badge award. [187962]

Elizabeth Truss: We are committed to making sure that all children receive a high-quality science education. The national curriculum ensures that pupils will be taught the scientific knowledge, such as evolution, which is essential to sound understanding of, and progression in, biology and other scientific disciplines.

While the Department for Education is interested in the work done by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC), it does not provide funding for them, nor is it involved in deciding which organisations are accredited by the Council. It is entirely a decision for the CLOtC as to which organisations merit their Quality Badge.

Education: Assessments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with Ofsted about altering the evaluation schedule to better incentivise healthy outcomes for pupils. [188238]

24 Feb 2014 : Column 212W

Mr Laws: Ofsted are members of the cross-Government Ministerial Board on PE and sport that meets monthly to discuss issues on PE and sport and were also consulted by Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent, the authors of the School Food Plan.

Ofsted revised the school inspection handbook from autumn 2013 to ensure that primary schools are inspected on their use of the additional sports funding. Specifically inspectors now look at how schools are improving the quality and breadth of provision, including increasing participation in PE and sport so that all pupils develop healthy lifestyles.

Ofsted also revised its subsidiary guidance for inspectors to include new content on dining and health.

Education: Finance

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which local authorities provided information to the Education Funding Agency regarding high needs funding for people aged between five and 25 years old by 23 December 2013; which local authorities failed to meet this deadline; and which local authorities had failed to provided the information by 31 January 2014. [188478]

Mr Laws: The Education Funding Agency received information from 124 local authorities by 23 December 2013. All local authorities provided the information by 31 January 2014.

The 28 local authorities that returned their information after 23 December 2013 are:

Barnsley

Bracknell Forest

Brent

Buckinghamshire

Durham

Greenwich

Hammersmith and Fulham

Hampshire

Herefordshire

Kensington and Chelsea

Lambeth

Middlesbrough

North East Lincolnshire

North Lincolnshire

Nottinghamshire

Peterborough

Richmond upon Thames

Rutland

Sheffield

Southend

Southwark

Stockton-on-Tees

Sunderland

Tameside

Westminster

Wokingham

Wolverhampton

York

24 Feb 2014 : Column 213W

Education: Standards

Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2014, Official Report, column 549, when the consultation will be published; what criteria are outlined in the consultation; when it started; who is being consulted; and if he will look to address the problem of absenteeism amongst Traveller communities. [188503]

Michael Gove: Section 444 of the Education Act 1996 states that it is an offence for parents of school registered pupils to fail to secure their attendance at school. Subsection (6) provides that it is a defence if the parents can prove that, (a) the child has no fixed abode, (b) the parent's job requires them to travel and that the child has attended as regularly as the job permits, and (c) where the child is at least six years of age, that the child has made at least 200 attendances. With the aim of improving the average poor school attendance and levels of attainment for pupils from of Gypsy, Roma and Travelling communities, the Department consulted on whether or not to repeal subsection (6) of the Act. The consultation documents can be viewed at the following link:

https://www.education.gov.uk/consultations/index.cfm?action=conResults&consultationId=1851&external =no&menu=3

The formal public consultation ran from 30 November 2012 to 22 February 2013. It was a public consultation directed at schools, local authorities, Travelling communities and included a child-friendly version. We are continuing to hold consultative meetings with members of the Travelling community, stakeholders and interested groups to discuss this sensitive and complex issue. The Government are now carefully considering the facts and issues to support educational improvements for children from these communities, and aims to publish a response shortly.

Education: West Midlands

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what (a) capital and (b) revenue funding has been allocated by his Department to (i) Coventry City Council and (ii) each local authority in the West Midlands in each year since 2009-10. [187038]

Mr Laws: The following table shows the total revenue allocations (£ millions) made to local authorities in the west midlands from financial year 2009-10 to 2013-14 by the Department for Education (DFE) and its agencies.

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For the financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11 the allocations in the table include the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), Standards Fund Grants and School Standards Grants. In 2011-12, funding previously allocated through the Standards Fund and Schools Standards Grants was added to the DSG. From 2011-12 onwards, the allocations also include the pupil premium. For all the years in the table DSG allocations include allocations for pupils in schools that have converted to academy status since 2008, and pupil premium figures include pupils in all academies. The data also include children's services grants.

It is not possible to compare funding from year to year. During this time there were some transfers of funding between the DFE and other Government Departments. These were mainly small amounts but the most significant were the education services grant, which transferred from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to the DFE in 2013-14, and the Early Intervention Grant, which was introduced in 2011-12 and transferred from the DFE to DCLG in 2013-14. These grants are included in the figures for the years in which they were funded by the DFE. The 2013-14 figures also include physical education and sport premium allocations.

The following table sets out capital allocations (£ million) made to local authorities in the west midlands from financial year 2009-10 to 2013-14. Figures have been rounded to the nearest million and there may be small variations due to rounding of different funding streams.

It is not possible to compare funding across years, because we fund school building and maintenance differently over time, with, for example, less money now going to local authorities, and more being used to deliver centrally-managed programmes or going directly to academies and free schools.

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The data for the financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11 are taken from publicly available information on the website of the DCLG, and include a wide range of grants. We have also included funding for Building Schools for the Future (BSF), for short breaks, and for the legacy academies programme. It does not include funding for 14-19 capital or young people's secure accommodation.

The data for the financial years 2011-12 onwards are taken from publicly available information on the DFE website, and include formulaic allocations for new school places (basic need), and for maintenance (including devolved formula capital). They also include funding for BSF, for short breaks, and for the legacy academies programme as above.

Maintenance funding allocations made to individual local authorities have fallen over the period shown as maintained schools have converted to become academies and so instead are eligible to receive funding through the academies capital maintenance fund, which is not shown in this table.

The table does not include funding allocated through targeted and bid-based programmes such as the Targeted Basic Need (TBN) programme and the Demographic Growth Capital Fund (DGCF). It does not include centrally-managed programmes, such as the Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP), or capital funding allocated directly to academies and free schools. It does not contain funding allocated to deliver MyPlace projects.

English Baccalaureate: Special Educational Needs

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 6 January 2014, Official Report, columns 105-6W, on special educational need, what guidance his Department gives schools on whether to enter special educational need pupils in the English Baccalaureate instead of GCSEs. [188219]

Mr Timpson: The Department for Education encourages all pupils—including those with SEN—to pursue achievement in EBacc qualifications where possible.

Foster Care

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2013, Official Report, column 213W, on foster care, when his Department's human resources policy for staff who foster or are kinship carers will be available. [188444]

Mr Timpson: This policy is scheduled to be published shortly.

24 Feb 2014 : Column 216W

Free School Meals

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what effect the Government's plans for free school lunches for reception, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils in state schools will have on his Department's use of the number of pupils from reception to Year 11 eligible for free schools meals at any point in the last six years when calculating pupil premium. [187717]

Mr Laws: Schools will continue to receive pupil premium funding on the same basis as before. Funding allocations for 2014-15 will be based on School Census data collected this January. In subsequent years, the Department for Education will continue to use the School Census to gather the same data about pupils in families that receive the relevant benefits that currently entitle them to a free school meal. This information will be used to allocate the pupil premium, as well as other deprivation-related school funding.

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the uptake of funding for free school lunches for reception, year 1 and year 2 pupils in state schools; and whether there will be clawback of this funding where uptake is less than 100%. [188548]

Mr Laws: All pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 in state-funded schools in England will be offered free meals from September 2014. The take-up of meals by pupils involved in the universal primary free school meal pilots between 2009 and 2011 averaged 78% in Newham and 85% in Durham in the first year, and 83% in both authorities in the second year, as published in the impact report on the pilot areas.¹

The revenue funding allocated to schools will be based on actual take-up of meals by newly eligible infant pupils, when this is available. This will be measured in the school census from October 2014. Revenue funding allocations will be adjusted to reflect take-up.

¹ Available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-free-school-rneals-pilot-impact-report

Free Schools

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many independent schools have applied to become free schools to date; how many such applications have been approved; and what the cost of the application and approval process is. [187722]

Mr Timpson: The Department for Education received 199 applications from independent schools seeking to become free schools in the first four waves. Of those applications, 13 independent converters have opened to date with a further three in the pre-opening stage.

We do not gather information on the costs of running the application and approval stage of the process.

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reasons independent schools can convert to free schools but maintained schools are unable to do so; and if he will change this policy to allow maintained schools to so convert. [187724]

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Mr Timpson: Free schools are a type of academy with the same legal structure and freedoms. Maintained schools have their own conversion process which allows all schools to become academies either by themselves or as part of an established trust. Thousands of head teachers in maintained schools have already chosen to take advantage of the benefits that come with academy status.

Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many existing free schools (a) have a leasehold or rental agreement for the site of their school and (b) own the freehold of their school site. [187899]

Mr Timpson: Of the 174 free schools that are currently open, 125 have exchanged or completed contracts for their permanent sites. Of those 125, 54 own the freehold of their site and 71 occupy them on a leasehold basis.

We are in the process of negotiating permanent sites for the remaining 49.

Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many free schools that have a rental or leasehold agreement for the site of their school are owned by a (a) local authority, (b) public body, (c) company and (d) private individual. [187905]

Mr Timpson: We do not hold the information requested centrally for all open free school sites and collating it would incur disproportionate cost.

Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many planned free schools that have a rental or leasehold agreement for the site of their school are owned by a (a) local authority, (b) public body, (c) company and (d) private individual; [187906]

(2) how many planned free schools (a) have a leasehold or rental agreement for the site of their school and (b) own the freehold of their school site. [187907]

Mr Timpson: It is still early stages for schools due to open in September 2014. We are confident that sites will be agreed for the vast majority of schools due to open this September. So far we have already, exchanged or completed contracts for sites for 16 free schools. This is in line with previous years at the same stage.

Eight have a rental or leasehold agreement and eight already own the freehold. Of the eight which have rental or leasehold agreements, five of those are owned by local authorities, two are owned by public bodies and one is owned by a company.

Further Education: Birmingham

Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many young people in Birmingham, Hall Green constituency will be affected by the reduction in funding for 18-year-olds at further education colleges. [187432]

Matthew Hancock: There are 249 students aged 18 who are affected by the reduction in funding who live in Birmingham, Hall Green constituency.

24 Feb 2014 : Column 218W

Data are based on the 2012/13 R14 Individualised Learner Record, the latest available full year of data. Data refer to 18-year-old non-high needs students on full-time (540+hours) programmes in a further education institution (GFE colleges, sixth-form colleges and commercial and charitable providers). This will not include any students on apprenticeship provision. Students who live in Birmingham, Hall Green constituency do not necessarily study there.

Data supplied include student numbers for further education colleges (FE), defined as sixth-form colleges and general FE colleges, including tertiary colleges.

Gender Recognition

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress has been made by his Department in implementing the commitments contained in the Government’s action plan for transgender equality; and if he will make a statement. [188088]

Elizabeth Truss: Good progress has been made in delivering the commitments identified in 'Advancing Transgender Equality: A Plan for Action'.

A report on progress on the action plan will be published in due course.

Guardianship

Mrs Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if his Department will carry out a review of the effectiveness of child guardians and the effect their involvement has on the length of care proceedings. [188470]

Mr Timpson: The length of care proceedings and the role of the children's guardian were examined as part of the Family Justice Review. This is available online at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/217343/family-justice-review-final-report.pdf

Under the new framework for inspecting Cafcass, which was launched in December 2013, Ofsted will look closely at the effectiveness of children's guardians.

As set out in the Family Justice Board Action Plan for 2013-15, we are gathering data on the causes of court adjournments, including advice provided by children's guardians. The action plan is available online at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/226853/family-justice-board-action-plan.pdf

ICT: Education

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding or support his Department has provided to the Year of Code. [188530]

Elizabeth Truss: The Year of Code campaign, which was launched on 4 February 2014, is an independent campaign. Although the Government did not contribute any funding to this campaign, we believe that it will inspire young people to learn to code and develop an interest in computer science, something that will be taught in schools as part of the new computing curriculum from September 2014.

24 Feb 2014 : Column 219W

Institute of Physics

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the success rates by route of entry is for physics ITE place acceptances. [188001]

Mr Laws: The following table is derived from published initial teacher training (ITT) performance profiles.¹ The latest published data are for the academic year 2011/12. The data for the academic year 2012/13 will be published in the autumn of this year.

In 2011/12, 48% of physics entrants to employment-based routes and 52% of physics entrants to school-centred routes with a UK degree had a 2:1 or above, compared with 43% of physics entrants to higher education institution routes.

¹ Available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-performance-profiles-2013-management-data

Kings Science Academy

Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2014, Official Report, column 427W, on Kings Science Academy, if he will publish the assessment of the leasehold options against a freehold acquisition of Hartley Business Park in Lidget Green. [187965]

Mr Timpson: The Department for Education does not publish such assessments. To do so could inhibit the free and frank provision of advice and impact on the Department's ability to maintain a strong bargaining position for other free school sites.

Languages: Education

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to help students who want to learn foreign languages. [187819]

Elizabeth Truss: Learning a foreign language provides an opening to other cultures, fostering pupils' curiosity and deepening their understanding of the world. It also equips pupils to study and work in other countries.

The English Baccalaureate is already encouraging more young people to take a language at GCSE level. The number of pupils at the end of key stage 4 (ages 14 to 16) in England entered for a modem foreign language GCSE increased by over 20% from 2012 to 2013.

We have introduced a foreign language at key stage 2 (ages seven to 11) as part of the new national curriculum, which comes into force in England from September 2014. Schools will be able to teach any modern or ancient foreign language.

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Ministers' Private Offices

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the size, in square metres, of the offices assigned to each of his Department's Ministers is; and how many officials, at what grade, work in the private offices of each of his Department's Ministers. [188314]

Michael Gove: The annual cost of staffing Ministers' private offices in the Department for Education has been reduced by more than £440,000 under this Government. The size of Ministers' allocated offices and the number and grades of officials working for each Minister is presented in the following table. Apart from the office for the Minister for Skills, a new joint Business, Innovation and Skills and Department for Education post created after the election in May 2010, the offices used by Ministers in the Department for Education are the same as those used by Ministers in the previous Government:

Private Office staff work in the open plan office space adjacent to ministerial offices.

24 Feb 2014 : Column 221W

Mathew Hancock works jointly at the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. One EO grade member of staff working in Matthew Hancock's private office is employed by the Department for Education.

Pre-school Education

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many three and four-year-olds in each parliamentary constituency receive free early years education outside of reception classes. [188534]

Michael Gove: The numbers of three and four-year-olds accessing funded early years education, by local authority, is available on the Department for Education's website at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/provision-for-children-under-5-years-of-age-in-england-january-2013

Priority School Building Programme

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects the next round of priority school building funds to be available. [188277]

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Mr Laws: By the summer we will have collected up-to-date, reliable and validated condition information for the entire schools estate, and our intention remains to use the information from the surveys to better target funding according to need from 2015-16.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 6 January 2014, Official Report, column 101W, on pupils: disadvantaged, what estimate his Department has made of the number of pupils who will benefit from the pupil premium in (a) the West Midlands, (b) Worcestershire and (c) Redditch. [188455]

Mr Laws: Pupil premium allocations for financial year 2014-15 will be finalised in summer 2014 when the January 2014 school census data are available. The numbers of pupils eligible for the pupil premium in 2013-14 in the requested areas are:

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills of 29 January 2014, Official Report, column 534W, on pupils: disadvantaged, when data on the number of eligible pupils in each school which will be used to allocate the pupil premium for 2014-15 and beyond will be available. [188580]

Mr Laws: Pupil premium allocations for financial year 2014-15 will be finalised in summer 2014, when the January 2014 school census data are available. Data from the January 2015 school census, used to calculate the 2015-16 pupil premium allocations, will be available in summer 2015.

Pupils: Ethnic Groups

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what initiatives his Department is undertaking to monitor and raise educational attainment among children of minority ethnic origin. [187427]

Mr Laws: The Government's education reforms are designed to ensure that all pupils, including those from minority ethnic groups, receive the high-quality education they deserve. We refuse to accept that children from low-income backgrounds or minority ethnic groups cannot be expected to do just as well and perform just as highly as their peers.

Our academies programme is specifically benefiting black and minority ethnic (BME) pupils who most need new educational opportunities. Sponsored academies have higher levels of BME pupils than the rest of the state sector, both at secondary and at primary. BME pupils in sponsored academies outperform pupils from similar backgrounds in comparable local authority schools.

Free schools also have higher proportions of BME pupils than the national average—and in some cases higher than the average for their local area.

Reforms such as the new secondary accountability measures, emphasis on core academic qualifications through the EBacc, and the refocusing of Ofsted's school inspection regime on teaching and learning, will ensure high standards for all and hold schools to account. The pupil premium will also help raise standards for many minority ethnic pupils in low-income families.

Sandymoor School

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether any additional funding (a) has been and (b) is planned to be allocated to Sandymoor Free School in Runcorn during 2014. [187954]

24 Feb 2014 : Column 223W

Mr Timpson: The total revenue funding awarded to Sandymoor Free School in 2013-14 is published online:

http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa/efafundingfinance/b00213953/academies-funding-2013-14/academyallocations1314

There are no plans for any additional revenue funding to be provided in the current academic year.

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils are currently enrolled in Sandymoor Free School, Runcorn. [187955]

Mr Timpson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Scunthorpe (Nic Dakin), on 6 January 2014, Official Report, column 72W.

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the current funding level per pupil is at Sandymoor Free School, Runcorn. [187956]

Mr Timpson: The total revenue funding awarded to Sandymoor Free School in 2013-14 is available here:

http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa/efafundingfinance/b00213953/academies-funding-2013-14/academyallocations1314

This was based on an estimated 119 pupils. Where free schools are funded in an academic year of its estimated pupil numbers, we will make an adjustment in line with its funding agreement in the following year, clawing back or awarding more funding if the estimated numbers are not realised.

All open free schools are funded using the local authority funding formula in the same way as academies and local authority maintained schools in their area. Typically, any new school with a new intake each year would be on estimated pupil numbers.

Schools: Asbestos

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which Government Department has responsibility for asbestos policy for schools in Wales. [188046]

Mr Laws: Responsibility for asbestos policy for schools in Wales is a devolved matter for the Welsh Government.

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which Government Department is responsible for the management of asbestos in schools in Wales. [188123]

Mr Laws: Responsibility for the management of asbestos in schools in Wales is a devolved matter for the Welsh Government.

Schools: Construction

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2014, Official Report, column 60W, on schools: construction, which schools (a) have started construction and (b) will start construction before May 2015 under the current timetable. [187069]

Mr Laws: We are currently working with 221 schools in the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP). Before building work can begin, plans must be drawn

24 Feb 2014 : Column 224W

up, contracts negotiated and planning permission secured. Under Building Schools for the Future (BSF), it took three years from first planning for building works to begin. We have cut this to one year under the PSBP programme.

Construction work has already started at 20 schools (17 under main works contracts and three under early works agreements), and we expect work to start on a further six to eight schools this month.

A list of the schools can be found as follows:

i. Alice Stevens School

ii. Durham Trinity School and Sports College

iii. Ernesford Grange Community School

iv. Fountaindale School

v. Garston Manor School

vi. Hill Top School

vii. Ian Ramsey C of E Aided Comprehensive School

viii. King James I Academy Bishop Auckland

ix. Lees Brook Community School

x. Mill Green School

xi. St Thomas More Catholic Primary School

xii. Stratford School Academy

xiii. The Cedar School

xiv. Usworth Grange Primary School

xv. West Cornforth Primary School

xvi. Whitmore Park Primary School

xvii. Wyken Croft Primary School

xviii. Goole High School

xix. Collegiate High School

xx. Highfurlong School

We will be working with all schools in the programme by the end of 2014 and the first school will open later this year. All schools in the programme will be delivered by the end of 2017.

Schools: Fire Prevention

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 23 October 2013 to the hon. Member for Poplar and Limehouse, Official Report, column 208W, on schools: buildings, what progress his Department has made with its review of the guidance on fire safety in schools; and what his policy is on the installation of fire sprinklers in schools. [187917]

Mr Laws: The Department for Education will be publishing revised guidance titled ‘Fire Safety Design for Schools’, later this year. This will replace the current guidance contained within Building Bulletin 100:

http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/schoolscapital/buildingsanddesign/environmental/a0063718/fire-safety-design-guidance-building-bulletin-100

Regarding the installation of sprinklers in schools, the Department's policy is that they should be installed in new school buildings where there is a real and significant risk, as identified in a fire risk assessment.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Mary Macleod: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of how schools can best support pupils to pursue further education and careers in STEM subjects. [185179]

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Elizabeth Truss: There has been a 30% rise in GCSE physics, chemistry and biology entries since 2010 and record numbers of pupils are taking maths and sciences at A level.

We are also making it clear to pupils and their parents that mathematics is vital whatever career they want to go into. Those achieving A level maths earn up to 10% more as adults than those without. Mathematics, computer science and engineering are among the top five degrees for future earnings.

The key to getting more students to take mathematics is the quality of teaching. To ensure high quality teaching we offer bursaries of up to £25,000 to attract the best graduates into teaching mathematics and science. We also fund programmes to provide good quality subject specific professional development, through the Regional Science Learning Centres and the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics. We have recently announced £11 million to fund 30 new maths hubs to drive up the quality of mathematics teaching from primary school onwards.

We have an ambition for the overwhelming majority of young people in England to study mathematics at least to age 18 by 2020. We want to be in a position where all students and their parents think about which kind of maths they will pursue as part of their post-16 programme rather than if they will continue to study mathematics at all. That is why students who have not achieved at least a grade C in GCSE mathematics by the age of 16 are required to continue to study mathematics post-16. Furthermore, new core maths qualifications will be available from 2015, which build on GCSE study and develop competence in more advanced mathematical thinking and problem solving, and will be suitable for those students who do not go on to study A level mathematics.

We are also funding Cambridge university to develop challenging materials for both mathematics and physics A Levels to better prepare students for STEM degree courses. These extension materials aim to boost students' problem solving skills and should give state school pupils a better chance of studying at the best universities. They will be made available online for schools and colleges to access and will be supported by a programme of professional development for teachers.

Our reform of the national curriculum and qualifications will ensure young people have the essential skills and knowledge to progress to further study post-16.

Secondary Education: Copeland

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to improve the quality of secondary education in Copeland constituency. [187883]

Mr Timpson: We will challenge poor performance in any school. We will seek academy solutions when schools fail.

Secondary Education: Cumbria

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from (a) headteachers, (b) Ofsted and (c) parents on the quality of secondary education in (i) Cumbria and (ii) Copeland constituency. [187884]

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Mr Timpson: In the last 12 months the Department for Education has not received any written representations from head teachers or parents about the quality of secondary education in Cumbria or Copeland.

In November and December last year, Ofsted carried out focused inspections of a group of secondary schools in Cumbria. The findings from these inspections are summarised in a letter from Ofsted to the chief executive of Cumbria county council, which was published on Ofsted's website on 10 February 2014:

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/local-authorities/cumbria

Social Workers: Crimes of Violence

Mrs Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the adequacy of current legislative provisions to protect social workers from violence when carrying out their work. [188469]

Mr Timpson: There are a range of offences having general application that criminalise disorderly and violent behaviour, which would apply in cases of violence towards people whose work brings them into contact with members of the public. These offences cover the full spectrum of unacceptable behaviour, from using abusive language to the most serious and violent offences.

Moreover, sentencing guidelines specify that, where an assault is committed against someone providing a service to the public, this is an aggravating factor and so should result in a higher sentence within the current maxima.

Special Educational Needs

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2013, Official Report, columns 217-8W, on special educational needs (SEN), what guidance his Department plans to issue to local authorities on building on existing parent partnership services in order to provide information, advice and support to parents and young people up to 25 years old with SEN, about education, health and social care. [188241]

Mr Timpson: The SEN Code of Practice will set out more detail on what impartial advice and information should be offered to children and young people with SEN or disabilities, and their parents.

Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether information about the statutory guidance on social care for deafblind children and adults guidance will be included in special educational needs code of practice. [188573]

Mr Timpson: The Department for Education recently consulted publicly on a draft special educational needs (SEN) code of practice. We are making revisions to it to take account of developments during the passage of the Children and Families Bill and responses to the consultation.

As this is taken forward, we will continue to work with people who must have regard to the code of practice and those who support children, young people

24 Feb 2014 : Column 227W

and families. Once this work is completed, the revised code of practice will be placed before both Houses of Parliament for approval.

Staff

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of staff recruited to his Department since 5 May 2010 identified their ethnicity as (a) white British and (b) from a minority ethnic background. [188071]

Michael Gove: The Department has no mandatory or contractual requirement for staff to share their diversity data. As a result, the figures we have will include people we have categorised as 'prefer not to say'.

We are unable to identify the ethnicity of those people that were recruited via external recruitments without exceeding the cost threshold. We have provided information on people that have been added to our headcount in the period.

The percentage figures in the table are all rounded to two decimal places.

Teachers: Industrial Disputes

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will enter into talks with the National Union of Teachers and NASUWT to resolve their trade disputes. [188212]

Mr Laws: The Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has met frequently with the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) to discuss their concerns and will continue to do so. The Secretary of State has offered a programme of talks with all representative organisations, including the NUT and NASUWT. These talks will focus on policy implementation across a range of policy areas, including those covered by the NUT and NASUWT trade disputes.

Teachers: Training

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether sixth form colleges are able to access the funding announced on 5 February 2014 to encourage graduates to teach mathematics. [188464]

Matthew Hancock: This funding is for further education colleges and training providers.

Sixth form colleges and school sixth forms already have access to Initial Teacher Training bursaries, student loans, subject knowledge enhancement payments, support from specialist leaders of education and grants from the School Direct programme to cover recruitment and training of graduates.

These are not available to further education and the new scheme has been introduced to address this.

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Young People: Visual Impairment

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what plans he has to update the publication Quality Standards: Delivery of Habilitation Training (Mobility and Independent Living Skills) for Children and Young People with a Visual Impairment, published in January 2011; and whether that guidance will be put on a statutory footing; [188336]

(2) what the role of the local offer will be in the commissioning of habilitation and other specialist services; [188337]

(3) how (a) habilitation and (b) other specialist services will be commissioned after implementation of the provisions of the Children and Families Bill; [188338]

(4) whether local authorities will be expected to include (a) habilitation services and (b) other specialist services in their local offer for children and young people with special educational needs. [188341]

Mr Timpson: The Quality standards for Delivery of Habilitation Training (Mobility and Independent Living Skills) for Children and Young People with a Visual Impairment were developed by the Royal National Institute for Blind People with funding from the then Department for Children, Schools and Families. They are available for local authorities and others to use if they wish.

The Government have amended the clauses on joint commissioning and the local offer in the Children and Families Bill to include services for disabled children and young people alongside those with special educational needs (SEN). The draft SEN Code of Practice, published for consultation in October 2013, makes clear that local authorities should include in their local offer information about special educational provision made available to mainstream schools, early years providers, special units, alternative provision and other settings such as sensory support services. Local authorities will therefore be able to include information about habitation and other specialist services for children and young people with a visual impairment.

It will be up to local authorities and their partner commissioning bodies to decide what services to commission, taking account of local needs. Such services could include habilitation and other specialist services.

Youth Custody

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the annual cost is of a place at a secure children’s home; and what estimate his Department has made of the likely annual cost of a place at secure college or secure training college. [188369]

Mr Timpson: Placements in secure children's homes occur via two different routes. Either young people will have been remanded or sentenced by the courts; or a secure welfare order is made under section 25 of the Children Act 1989 when they become a danger to themselves or others. The Youth Justice Board (YJB) only has responsibility for those young people that are remanded or sentenced by the courts and has a series of block contracts for that purpose. Welfare beds are spot purchased by individual authorities as required. The

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2013/14 average annual price for YJB-contracted beds is £209,000. The average annual price for welfare beds is £277,000.

In its response to the consultation Transforming Youth Custody, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) announced it would be introducing a new model of youth custody, the secure college, which could accommodate all young people currently placed in YOIs and secure training centres (STCs), as well as some currently placed in SCHs. We anticipate retaining some specialist custodial provision for the very youngest and most vulnerable young people remanded or sentenced to custody by the courts, but our vision is for secure colleges to cater for the vast majority of young people in custody. The average cost of a place in youth custody is around £100,000 per annum. Secure colleges will achieve ongoing savings by operating at a significantly lower cost per place than the current average, while allowing withdrawal from more expensive and inefficient provision. The larger sizes of secure colleges will allow a broader curriculum and range of services to be provided at a lower cost, without any compromise in the safeguarding of young people. The MOJ will not be able to confirm the annual cost per place until it has completed the operator competition for the pathfinder secure college.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will place in the Library staff codes of conduct currently in use at secure children homes. [188374]

Mr Timpson: Staff in children's homes, including secure children's homes, have to meet the regulations, statutory guidance, and national minimum standards issued under the Children Act 1989 and the Care Standards Act 2000. Copies can be found at:

http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/families/childrenincare/g00222870/children-act-1989-childrens-homes

and

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130903163257/http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/families/childrenincare/childrenshomes/a00191997/childrens-homes-regulations-guidance-and-national-minimum-standards

Copies have been placed in the House Library.

In 2012 the Youth Justice Board issued 'Managing the Behaviour of Children and Young People in the Secure Estate Code of Practice'. A copy can be found at:

http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/youth-justice/custody/mmpr/behaviour-management-code-of-practice.pdf

A copy has been placed in the House Library.

Transport

Abellio Greater Anglia

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of the number of commuters who will use Greater Anglia services at peak time in each of the next 20 years; and what plans he has to increase capacity (a) between London and Colchester and (b) on other key sections. [187403]

Stephen Hammond: The Government's Rail Investment Strategy (HLOS) sets out our forecast of peak passenger growth to be accommodated into Liverpool Street station

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by 2019 and provides the necessary funding to facilitate this. The West Anglia Route Strategy is refreshing the longer-term usage forecasts and these will inform future investment decisions.

Assets

Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials in his Department are working on the sale of (a) the Government's shareholding in Eurostar International Ltd and (b) London and Continental Railways property assets. [187745]

Stephen Hammond: No sale processes for the UK Government's 40% shareholding in Eurostar International Ltd or London and Continental Railways (LCR) Limited 'major property holdings' have been launched. Both assets are held by LCR, which is 100% owned by the Department for Transport.

We currently have a total of three full-time equivalents (where one FTE is from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) working on the sale feasibility of Government's shareholding in Eurostar.

In line with the autumn statement of 5 December 2013, Official Report, columns 1101-1113, the potential for these sales and targeted timeframe of 2014-20 for both are subject to value for money assessments and key policy objectives.

Aviation: India

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he take steps to facilitate direct flights from Heathrow to Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India; and if he will make a statement. [188404]

Mr Goodwill: The opportunities already exist under the bilateral UK/India Air Services Arrangements for airlines to operate this route. Airlines operate in a competitive commercial environment and it is entirely for individual airlines to assess and determine the services they plan to operate.

Bus Services: Greater London

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what the total value is of the bus service operator grant that has been devolved to the Greater London Assembly since 1 October 2013 to date; [188044]

(2) what estimate his Department has made of the total value of the bus service operator grant that will devolve to the Greater London Assembly in (a) 2014-15, (b) 2015-6 and (c) 2016-17. [188045]

Stephen Hammond: A sum of £45.875 million was paid to the Greater London Authority and Transport for London in 2013 in the form of Business Rate Retention (BRR) and General Grant to replace the Bus Service Operators Grant previously paid to bus operators in London. A total of £92.404 million will be paid to these bodies in due course for 2014-15, for the same purpose. The amount devoted to supporting bus services in 2015-16 will be for the GLA/TFL to decide from within their overall BRR and grant allocation for that year.

The figures for 2016-17 have yet to be agreed, and will be addressed as part of the next spending review.

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Bus Services: Technology

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost of installing facilities to announce the next stop and the final destinations in all buses used for public transport in the UK. [187750]

Stephen Hammond: Our recent Accessibility Action Plan progress report, published on 23 December 2013, estimated that installing audio-visual announcement systems (including next-stop and final destination information) on all new buses could cost between £5.75 million to £9.7 million every year, based on industry projections.

The total cost of retrofitting audio/visual technology onto all buses is more difficult to estimate as this depends greatly on the complexity and layout of the existing core system and on a variety of different vehicle designs. Bearing in mind the number of uncertainties involved, we have estimated that installing these systems on all buses in the UK under five years old could somewhere between £29 million and £38.8 million. These figures do not include London, where all buses operate with audio/visual announcement systems.

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many bus companies have voluntarily introduced audio-visual announcements into their fleets to date; and what the (a) number and (b) percentage of buses in operation is which provide audio-visual announcements; [187814]

(2) what assessment he has made of the success of his policy of encouraging voluntary uptake of audio-visual announcements on buses. [187815]

Stephen Hammond: Research commissioned by the Department for Transport estimates that in 2012 there were 8,877 buses operating in England that offered audio announcements on the destination of the bus and the next stop, compared to 8,812 buses in 2011. This amounts to approximately 25% of all buses in England.

Although we do not hold specific data from each bus operator on the number or percentage of buses using audio/visual systems in 2013, we are currently examining whether this information can be gathered as part of the Department's next annual bus operator survey, due to be published in the autumn.

Since 2012, we are aware that local operators such as Reading Buses and Go North East have added on-board audio visual announcements to a number of their major bus routes, while Nottingham City Transport have invested over £5 million in 2013 on new buses with audio visual announcements to enhance 20 routes across their city bus network.

In addition, at least five local authorities (Bournemouth, Hampshire, Milton Keynes, York and the West Midlands ITA) are implementing plans to increase the provision of audio-visual systems on buses in their local area as part of projects bid for under the Department's £70 million 'Better Bus Area' fund.

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which bus companies have received what value of incentive payments for use of (a) low carbon emission buses, (b) smart ticketing technology and (c) automatic vehicle location technology to date. [187908]

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Stephen Hammond: A list of the bus companies which received funding under each of these incentives as of May 2013 can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/199169/list-of-English-bus-operators.pdf

The total paid out under each incentive is set out in the following table. Figures for individual operators are not readily available.

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to launch a review into future incentive payments to bus operators for (a) using low carbon emission buses, (b) fitting buses with smartcard technology and (c) fitting buses with automatic vehicle location equipment; and whether the public will be consulted over the findings of such a review. [187909]

Stephen Hammond: We intend that the low carbon emission, smartcard and automatic vehicle location incentives paid under the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) system will be reviewed this year as part of a planned wider review of BSOG. We envisage that those with an interest would be given an opportunity to submit their views as part of the review.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce the outcome of his review of the work of the Driver and Vehicle Agency in Northern Ireland. [188275]

Stephen Hammond: We were keen to listen to all representations from Northern Ireland elected representatives and consider the full implications before reaching such an important decision. No final decision has been taken. Once a decision is made an announcement will be made as soon as possible.

Driving Offences

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many new drivers accumulated six penalty points within the two year probationary period in each of the last five years; [187893]

(2) how many notifications by a court or fixed penalty office were received by the DVLA following the accumulation of six penalty points by a new driver within the two year probationary period in each of the last five years; [187903]

(3) how many notifications of endorsement from a court or fixed penalty office of a driver who meets the criteria of the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995 were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency following the accumulation of six penalty points by a new driver within the two year probationary period in each of the last five years. [187904]

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Stephen Hammond: The information requested is available only from 2010 onwards. Details of driving convictions prior to this will have been removed from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) record on expiry of the endorsement—normally four years from the date of the offence. The following table shows the information requested from 1 February 2010 to 1 February 2014:

Driving: Licensing

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2014, Official Report, column 238W, on driving: licensing, what proportion of new drivers have had their licence revoked by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency during their two year probationary period in each of the last five years. [188222]

Stephen Hammond: The information requested is not usually collated. In 2009 the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency did carry out detailed analysis of driving tests; this analysis showed that of the 714,904 drivers who passed their first test in 2009, 12,666 were revoked during the probationary period. This equates to 2% of the total.

East Coast Railway Line

Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which areas of the InterCity East Coast rail passenger franchise contract that bidders will be encouraged to resource in addition to the acquisition price set through the locked box mechanism. [187746]

Stephen Hammond: The acquisition price for the East Coast Main Line Company Ltd will reflect the value that Directly Operated Railways place on certain assets (such as ticket barriers, driver simulators and the value of points in the customer loyalty scheme) of the business that is being sold through the locked box mechanism to the successful bidder for the new Intercity East Coast Franchise. In addition to acquiring these assets, bidders will be expected to submit tenders for the franchise in accordance with the forthcoming Invitation to Tender, which will include a proposed profile of premium payments.

Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) for what reasons 7 December 2013 was selected as the locked box balance sheet date in the prospectus for the InterCity East Coast franchise; [187747]

(2) for what reasons 7 December 2013 was selected as the locked box balance sheet date for setting the acquisition price in the Invitation to Tender document for the InterCity East Coast franchise. [187748]

Stephen Hammond: The locked box balance sheet date was set at 7 December 2013 to allow Directly Operated Railways' and East Coast Main Line's reporting

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accountants sufficient time to undertake a full audit of those accounts prior to them being released to bidders as part of the Invitation to Tender. The specific date was picked as this is the end of a railway reporting period.

Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the acquisition price that the successful bidder will pay for the InterCity East Coast franchise is capped at £20 million; and what recent estimate he has made of the acquisition price for that franchise. [187749]

Stephen Hammond: The prospectus for the new Intercity East Coast franchise explains that we expect the acquisition price that the successful bidder will pay for the company will be no more than £20 million. The final price will be set out in the forthcoming Invitation to Tender.

East-West Rail Link

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made on identifying and evaluating potential routes for the East-West rail link from Bedford to Cambridge; and if he will make a statement. [187813]

Stephen Hammond: The East West Rail Consortium is working with the Department and Network Rail to identify the transport needs and economic opportunities a new railway between Bedford and Cambridge might meet. The results are expected in March and will be used to explore route options.

Equality

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) total departmental expenditure, (b) number and (c) cost of people employed for the purpose of promoting equality and diversity was for each of the last five years. [187648]

Stephen Hammond: The total departmental expenditure for the purpose of promoting equality and diversity for each of the last five years was:

2010-11: £227,876

2011-12: £282,975

2012-13: £270,991

2013-14: £185,229 (projected to 31 March 2014).

Expenditure records are not held centrally for financial years prior to 2010-11.

The number and cost of people employed for the purpose of promoting equality and diversity for each of the last five years was:

2009-10: eight people¹

2010-11: five people: £172,420

2011-12: three people (2.5 full-time equivalent): £130,631

2012-13: three people (2.5 full-time equivalent): £132,064

2013-14 (projected): three people (2.5 full-time equivalent): £132,865.

¹ Expenditure records are not held centrally for financial years prior to 2010-11.

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First Capital Connect

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from First Capital Connect seeking compensation from Network Rail in the event of Network Rail infrastructure failings; and if he will make a statement. [188032]

Stephen Hammond: The policy regarding compensatory mechanisms for delays and cancellations attributed to Network Rail are a matter for operators and Network Rail. First Capital Connect provides its management accounts to the department on a four-weekly basis, which includes commercial and performance information, although no further representations have been received from First Capital Connect on this specific subject.

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received from First Capital Connect on whether compensation from Network Rail in the event of delay to operating services as a result of Network Rail infrastructure failings (a) over the Great Northern route and (b) the Hertford Loop will be passed on to the cost of passengers' tickets; and if he will make a statement. [188033]

Stephen Hammond: The operator compensation regime for delays and cancellations attributed to Network Rail is entirely separate from First Capital Connects Delay Repay compensation scheme, under which passengers are entitled to claim compensation for delays to journeys of over 30 minutes whatever their cause. No recent representations have been received on this subject from First Capital Connect.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which properties in Phase 1 and Phase 2 areas have (a) been purchased to date, (b) exchanged contracts for purchase and (c) undergone a regulation to purchase by HS2 Ltd in each local authority area. [188179]

Mr Goodwill: Land and property information for Government Departments which falls under the responsibility of English Ministers is published online at the following link:

http://data.gov.uk/dataset/epims

This therefore includes the addresses of property owned by the Secretary of State for Transport, for question (a).

The most recently published dataset relates to properties purchased by the end of October 2013. The following is a summary of those data by local authority area and HS2 Phase area:

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The information requested in questions (b) and (c) is not externally published data. For data protection purposes, it would be inappropriate to disclose such information as it relates to incomplete purchases, potentially where an individual property-owner has not yet decided how to proceed. Once a purchase has been concluded, it is externally reported via regular publishing on data.gov.uk.

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2014, Official Report, column 555W, on High Speed 2: railway line, whether his Department has received further representations on this issue; and what his policy is on outside investment in High Speed 2 infrastructure. [188458]

Mr Goodwill: The Department for Transport has received no further representations pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2014, Official Report, column 555W, on High Speed 2.

Due to the scale, complexity and time frame of the project, our base assumption remains that the funding and financing will be provided in large part by central Government. Through the funding envelope allocated to both phases of HS2 during the spending round, the Government reiterated their ongoing commitment to ensuring the delivery of HS2.

The Government will take forward dialogue on potential funding contributions with a range of third parties in specific localities, with a view to securing a fair deal for the taxpayer, the localities involved and other interested parties.

The case for HS2 has been calculated on the basis of the project being fully publicly funded. However, the Department is considering the potential for private financing to play a role in helping reduce the up-front costs to the taxpayer.

Mrs Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take immediate steps to reverse the recently-announced decision by Dialogue by Design that it will only accept responses to the Environment Statement Consultation on High Speed 2 that are under 25MB. [188486]

Mr Goodwill: There is no limit on the size of consultation responses that will be accepted. There is a limit of 25 MB on the size of emails that the consultation email address can receive. This is normal practice for email service providers, with gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail all having the same 25 MB limit. Such limits are put in place to ensure that email to all users is not blocked by very large files.

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Email is not the only route by which people can respond to the consultation. We are happy to receive responses over 25 MB by alternative means, including via a memory stick through the post. So far we are only aware of one response that exceeds 25 MB and HS2 Ltd are in the process of finding a mutually agreeable solution.

Large Goods Vehicles: Speed Limits

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the benefits and costs of increasing the speed limit for hauliers from 40 mph to 50 mph where current limits apply. [187856]

Stephen Hammond: The Department consulted in November 2012 on raising the speed limit for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) on single carriageway roads from 40 to 50 mph. An impact assessment was released with that consultation, and has been placed in the Libraries of the House. Ministers are considering whether to raise the speed limit following consultation, and a further impact assessment is being undertaken as part of that process.

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average time was for issuing a registration certificate to vehicle keepers by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in each year from 2010. [188419]

Stephen Hammond: The information requested is shown in the following table:

The drop in performance in 2013-14 is due to an increase of 7% in the total number of transactions the DVLA is processing based on estimated outturn for 2013-14.

These figures include certificates issued when a vehicle is first registered, when there has been a change of details, including a change of keeper, and requests for replacements. The average time refers to the time taken from the application being received at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to the customer receiving the certificate. Three days have been included in the time shown to allow for Royal Mail to deliver the certificate.

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average time was for processing an application for confirmation of non-eligibility for a grounds of disability by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in each year from 2010. [188422]

Stephen Hammond: The information requested is not readily available. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has used several data sources to provide a best estimate of the time taken to process driving licence applications where medical investigations are needed, whether a driving licence was refused or issued. A considerable amount is spent engaging with medical professionals. This information is shown in the following table:

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Parking: Fees and Charges

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2014, Official Report, columns 307-08W, on parking: fees and charges, what the (a) name and (b) region of registration is of each of the 27 companies suspended from requesting vehicle keeper details from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in 2013. [188034]

Stephen Hammond: Of the 27 companies, only 20 were private parking companies. The other companies that have been suspended include finance, insurance and security companies.

The following table provides the names and regions of the 20 companies that have been suspended from requesting vehicle information from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency:

Pokesdown for Boscombe Station

Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to improve disability and pushchair access to Pokesdown for Boscombe Railway Station; and if he will make a statement. [187449]

Stephen Hammond: Last year the railway industry was asked to nominate stations for the Access for All programme for 2015-19. Although 277 stations were nominated, Pokesdown for Boscombe was not among

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them. It will not therefore be considered for the programme. We are not aware of any proposals by SSWT or third parties to improve access to the station.

Railways: Franchises

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will include in the new Greater Thameslink franchise agreement a conditional level of customer satisfaction on the current Great Northern services with an option to withdraw from the franchise if breached; [187866]

(2) if he will include in the new Greater Thameslink franchise agreement a conditional level of customer satisfaction on the current Great Northern route services with an option to withdraw from the franchise if breached across (a) the entire franchise area and (b) the Hertford Loop; [188035]

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to include a passenger satisfaction obligation in the new Greater Thameslink Northern Line Franchise. [188031]

Stephen Hammond: The winning bidder for the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise will be required to meet a certain level of customer satisfaction, as measured by the National Passenger Survey, together with a certain level of quality relating to station and on-train facilities (called 'QuEST'), and will be incentivised to exceed those levels. Part of the assessment as to which bidder will operate the franchise is an assessment of the plans each bidder has produced to meet and exceed the customer satisfaction and train and station quality benchmarks.

If during the franchise period there is sustained performance below the levels required, and there is either (a) no action taken by the franchisee, or (b) action is taken but does not result in performance improvements that bring performance back up to the levels required, then the franchisee will be considered to be in contravention of the franchise agreement and may be subject to formal remedial action. In that case, the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), would ultimately have the option to terminate the franchise if the franchisee materially fails to implement the actions that are agreed as part of the formal remedial process.

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to increase passenger access to WiFi in the new franchise on the Greater Thameslink Northern line route from September 2014 . [187971]

Stephen Hammond: The invitation to tender (ITT) for the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise, published 26 September 2013, did not explicitly specify an increase in passenger access to WiFi.

However, Section 5.7.7 of the ITT (On train facilities and services) states that the Department requires a franchisee who will provide on-train facilities and services (e.g. toilets, luggage space, heating and ventilation, facilities for mobile communications, catering) that are appropriate to the needs of the markets served and operate to a high standard of reliability.

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Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to include a renewal of rolling stock on the Hertford Loop Line in a new franchise granted from September 2014. [187977]

Stephen Hammond: The Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise, published on 26 September 2013, does not mandate the introduction of new rolling stock on the Hertford Loop. However, Section 5.4.3 of the ITT makes clear that additional credit would be available to Bidders in the evaluation process for Bids that

“improve the quality of rolling stock used by the Franchisee ... in ways that address identified passenger priorities for improvement”.

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to roll out electronic ticketing on the Greater Thameslink Northern Line franchise. [187980]

Stephen Hammond: In the combined Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (TSGN) franchise Invitation To Tender published in September 2013, the Department requires a franchisee who will:

exploit new technology in relation to ticket retailing to benefit customers, drive efficiencies and support sustainable growth of the business;

operate a fully interoperable smart and integrated ticketing scheme for the duration of the franchise where already in operation, and for the remainder of the franchise map as soon as possible;

allow passengers to use a single smart ticket or token on the TSGN network and other South East Flexible Ticketing (“SEFT”) TOC and TFL networks;

encourage the uptake and use of smart ticketing on the franchise, working with the SEFT Programme including detailed proposals and strategy for innovative smart ticketing arrangements.

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will include in the new Greater Thameslink franchise agreement a conditional level of customer satisfaction in the current Great Northern services. [188027]

Stephen Hammond: The winning bidder for the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise will be required to meet a certain level of customer satisfaction, as measured by the National Passenger Survey, together with a certain level of quality relating to station and on-train facilities (called ‘QuEST’), and incentivised to exceed those levels. Part of the assessment as to which bidder will operate the franchise is an assessment of the plans each bidder has produced to meet and exceed the customer satisfaction and train and station quality benchmarks.

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will include in the new Greater Thameslink franchise agreement an unconditional requirement to refund season ticket holders automatically when required to do so. [188036]

Stephen Hammond: The combined Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (TSGN) franchise will include the improved system of compensation known as Delay/Repay. Under Delay/Repay all passengers, including season

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ticket holders, are entitled to claim compensation for each delay of more than 30 minutes which they experience, whatever the cause.

The TSGN invitation to tender was published in September 2013 and is available on the GOV.UK website here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/245041/invitation-to-tender.pdf

This sets out the full specification for the franchise. Bids have been received and are currently being evaluated.