| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
19 Feb 2007 : Column 248W—continued
Electronic Learning Credits
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what restrictions there are on the spending of Electronic Learning Credits awarded to schools. [118567]
Jim Knight: The DfES provides schools with detailed guidance on the use of Electronic Learning Credits (eLCs), including details of restrictions on the use of this funding.
This guidance is highlighted as part of the general funding circular to schools and is displayed on the Curriculum Online website:
http://www.curriculumonline.gov.uk/Helpdesk/Helpdesk+page.htm#tobuy
The information is available in the House of Commons Library.
Emissions Reduction and Recycling
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what Government funding is available to help schools take part in (a) energy saving schemes to reduce their carbon footprint and (b) initiatives to increase the amount of waste they recycle. [111495]
Jim Knight: In November 2006, local authorities were offered advance capital funding totalling £375 million, and are encouraged to invest this funding in measures to improve sustainability, with a strong focus on energy and water efficiency. Further funding for specific measures are available from numerous other sources, including joint DfES/DfT investment in sustainable school travel, and grant funding for renewable energy within the DTI’s low carbon buildings programme.
Ethnicity: Schools
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of pupils at each secondary school in each local education authority in (a) London, (b) Birmingham, (c) Leicester, (d) Derby, (e) Nottingham, (f) Bradford, (g) Slough, (h) Bolton, (i) Rochdale, (j) Luton, (k) Bristol and (l) Blackburn and Darwen are (i) white British, (ii) black Caribbean, (iii) black African, (iv) Indian, (v) Pakistani and (vi) Bangladeshi. [117542]
Jim Knight [holding answer 30 January 2007]: The information requested has been placed in the House Library.
Families: Kent
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) if he will take steps to ensure that the children’s family centres in the most deprived areas in Kent receive proportionally more funding from 2008 onwards; [119874]
(2) what estimate he has made of the annual running costs of each children’s family centre in Kent from April 2008. [119875]
Beverley Hughes: Our guidance for local authorities on planning and delivering Sure Start Children’s Centres makes it clear that the most intensive support should be available for the most disadvantaged families. For the period 2006-08 we allocated funding to local authorities based on numbers of children under five and levels of deprivation. Local authorities have responsibility for allocating that funding to children’s centres in their area; securing value for money; and ensuring the overall quality of services in children’s centres. We have appointed the “Together for Children” consortium who will support and challenge local authorities to plan a suitable range of services at each centre. The Government are undertaking a comprehensive spending review and decisions on funding for Sure Start Children’s Centres beyond March 2008 will be taken in that context.
Further Education Funding
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total funding has been for further education colleges from his Department in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of total departmental expenditure each figure represents. [118312]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 2 February 2007]: We have increased funding for further education providers by 48 per cent. in real terms between 1997-98 and 2005-06. The following table shows the total spend on FE providers, including colleges, between 1997-98 and 2005-06 and the proportion this represents of the total departmental expenditure including local government formula education spending. Figures for the current 2006-07 academic year will not be available until later in the year.
Further Education: Coventry
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) young people and (b) adults participated in further education in Coventry in each year since 1992. [118997]
Bill Rammell: Figures for those participating in further education (FE) funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) can be derived from the Individualised Learner Record (ILR). The FE ILR was collated for the first time in 2002/03 and figures are given from that time. The following table shows the total number of learners aged under 19, and 19 and over, in FE in Coventry local authority since 2002/03 based on home post code of the learner. Earlier, consistent figures are not available at a local level.
| Under 19 | 19 and over | Total | |
Further Education: Darlington
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) young people and (b) adults participated in further education in Darlington in each year since 1992. [118540]
Bill Rammell: Figures for those participating in further education (FE) funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) can be derived from the Individualised Learner Record (ILR). The FE ILR was collated for the first time in 2002-03 and figures are given from that time. The following table shows the total number of learners aged under 19, and 19 and over in FE in Darlington local authority since 2002-03 based on home post code of the learner. Earlier, consistent figures are not available at a local level.
| Young people | Adults | Total | |
| Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. | |||
Further Education: Residential Specialist
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many residential specialist further education colleges for individuals with disabilities (a) opened and (b) closed in each year since 1997. [118860]
Bill Rammell: There have been no establishments meeting the above criteria opened or closed since 1997.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many residential specialist further education colleges for individuals with disabilities are funded by the Learning and Skills Council. [118861]
Bill Rammell: We are committed to ensuring that all learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities have access to suitable provision. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has a duty to provide for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities which can include, where appropriate, the provision of boarding accommodation.
The LSC currently funds 65 specialist colleges to provide residential accommodation for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. LSC investment in this provision has increased significantly in recent years. In 2001-02 the LSC spent £65 million on this provision and this increased to £126 million in 2004-05. Investment in this provision is set to continue to rise to £181 million by 2007-08.
General Certificate of Secondary Education
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils in England were entered for at least one GCSE in 2006; and how many and what percentage of those were entered for GCSE History. [119434]
Jim Knight [holding answer 6 February 2007]: 628,700 pupils in England at the end of Key Stage 4 were entered for at least one GCSE in 2006; and, of these 208,100 (33.1 per cent.) were entered for GCSE History(1, 2, 3)
(1) One attempt only is counted—that which achieved the highest grade.
(2 )Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in the 2005/06 academic year.
(3) Includes attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years.
General Certificate of Secondary Education: Standards
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of children received five A* to C GCSE grades in each year since 1996, not including (a) GNVQs and (b) other qualifications previously included as equivalent to GCSEs. [119030]
Jim Knight [holding answer 6 February 2007]: The following table shows the number and percentage of 15-year-old pupils(1) who obtained five or more grades A*-C at GCSE only(2) and GCSE and equivalent(3) (excluding GNVQs).
(1) Pupils aged 15 at the beginning of the academic year i.e. 31 August.
(2) Includes full GCSEs and GCSE short courses.
(3) These other qualifications are not the same as GCSEs. Not all approved qualifications are exactly the same, but they can be measured and accredited on a common scale, which gives point scores according to their different challenges and different breadth. The value of a qualification will depend entirely on the young person’s needs and aspirations and the context for their learning.
| GCSE only( 1) | Excluding GNVQ | GCSE and all equivalents | |||
| Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Percentage | |
| (1) Includes full GCSEs and GCSE short courses. | |||||
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |