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29 Apr 2004 : Column 1271W—continued

Performance Tables

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the merits of adjusting performance tables to take account of schools' performance in a wider range of vocational qualifications; and if he will make a statement. [169452]

Mr. Miliband: We have piloted, with 244 schools, the   reporting of achievements in a wider range of qualifications. That pilot study was published on 1 April, along with a statement of our intentions to include this wider change in this year's secondary school performance tables. Of the 244 schools that participated in the pilot study, 199 achieved a higher capped point score as a result of the inclusion of this wider range of qualifications.

Primary Schools (Administrative Staff)

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many administrative staff were employed in primary schools in (a) England and (b) Wales in each year since 1997. [167978]

Mr. Miliband: The following table shows the full-time equivalent number of administrative staff employed in maintained primary schools in England who are helping to free teachers to teach and supporting the efficient running of their schools in each year from 1997 to 2003, the latest information available.

	Number
1997	19,210
1998	19,560
1999	19,980
2000	21,180
2001	22,260
2002	23,060
2003	23,330

Source:
Annual Schools Census.




 
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Information regarding the number of administrative staff employed in Welsh schools is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

Register of Interests

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the requirements are on officials in his Department to declare current interests; and what register of interests is kept for his departmental officials. [164701]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Civil Service Management Code sets out the requirement for civil servants to declare a conflict of interest.

In my Department, individuals are required to declare to management in writing, any personal financial activities or official dealings with individuals or groups who share private or business interests.

Where a conflict, (or potential conflict), of interest arises, management will decide whether to transfer the   work which gives rise to the conflict, to another person to avoid any potential embarrassment to the Department.

School Closures

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many primary school closures there were in (a) England and (b) Wales in each year since 1997. [167977]

Mr. Miliband: The numbers of primary schools in England that closed during the calendar years 1997 to 2003 are as follows:

	Number of primary schools closed
1997	171
1998	174
1999	197
2000	188
2001	227
2002	223
2003	207

Source:
DfES.




 
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The figures include schools that closed as a result of the amalgamation or merger of two or more schools; schools that have closed but re-opened as voluntary schools with a religious character; and schools that have closed in local education authorities that have moved from a three-tier to a two-tier system.

The National Assembly for Wales is responsible for schools in Wales and can supply this information on request.

Schools Funding (Norfolk)

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent representations he has received regarding funding of schools in Norfolk. [169217]

Mr. Miliband: We have received few recent representations on the funding of schools in Norfolk.

School Standards (Liverpool and Berkshire)

Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools in Liverpool, Walton have (a) been deemed to be failing since 1997   and (b) subsequently achieved satisfactory standards. [166960]

Mr. Miliband: Three schools in Liverpool, Walton, have been deemed to be failing since 1997, one primary school, one special school and one secondary school. Two of these schools have subsequently closed. The secondary school was judged by Ofsted in 2003 to have made satisfactory progress since the inspection which removed it from special measures in 2001.

Solvent Abuse

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what research his Department has commissioned into the extent of solvent abuse by children; [169059]

(2) what estimate he has made of the number of children in care who engage in solvent abuse. [169061]

Margaret Hodge: Although there is no centrally collected data on the extent of solvent abuse by looked after children, information on the use of volatile substances among young people aged 11–15 years is collected in an annual national survey of secondary school children commissioned by the Department of Health. Latest information is given in the statistical release "Drug use, smoking and drinking among young people in England in 2003: headline figures" which was published on 31 March 2004. Drug use, smoking and drinking among young   people in England in 2003 http://www. publications.doh.gov.uk/public/sddsurvey2003.pdf.

Special Educational Needs

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils with special
 
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educational needs live more than three miles away from the (a) primary school, (b) secondary school and (c) special school that they attend; and if he will make a statement. [166866]

Margaret Hodge: The information requested is shown in the table.
Numbers of pupils living more than three miles⁽⁴³⁾from the maintained primary, secondary and special schools⁽⁴⁴⁾ that they attend, as at January 2003

	Primary	Secondary	Special
Number of pupils travelling more than       three miles	155,187	583,446	48,447
Percentage of pupils travelling more       than three miles(45)	3.7	17.8	52.1
Number of pupils with SEN travelling       more than three miles	28,720	72,548	47,966
Percentage of pupils with SEN       travelling more than three miles(46)	3.8	14.3	52.3

⁽⁴³⁾ Distances calculated are straight line.
⁽⁴⁴⁾ Includes middle schools as deemed.
Source:
Pupil Level Annual Schools' Census.

Sports Facilities

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of secondary schools offer their sports facilities for wider community use outside school hours. [169074]

Mr. Stephen Twigg [holding answer 27 April 2004]: The Department does not collect information on the number of schools that offer their sports facilities to the wider community. But, many LEA's and schools have arrangements with the local community that provide for this and the development of extended schools will encourage and promote this trend.

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to increase sports facilities within existing schools. [169127]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: The Government are investing significant funding to enhance school sports facilities across England. The New Opportunities for PE and Sport Programme is providing £581.25 million in England (£25 million of which has gone towards the Space for Sport and the Arts programme) and schools from all local education authority areas are benefiting. The Space for Sport and the Arts Programme is providing £130 million to support projects at primary schools in 65 target areas. The schools benefiting from these schemes are required to open up and share their new facilities with other schools and their local community. In addition, the Sporting Playgrounds Programme is providing £10 million to enhance primary school playgrounds to increase physical activity and sport in 27 target areas.

This funding is on top of the Department for Education and Skills capital investment in school buildings and facilities, which has grown from under £700 million in 1996–97 to £3.8 billion in 2003–04, and will rise to £5.1 billion in 2005–06. The bulk of this investment is allocated to schools and local authorities on a formulaic basis, and is available for improving school sports facilities where these are prioritised in local asset management plans.
 
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From 2005–06, the Government are also introducing Building Schools for the Future, which aims to rebuild and renew all secondary schools, (including their sports facilities) within 10 to 15 years, subject to future spending decisions.

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