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63875

registered interest
date	25/06/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Public Expenditure
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on how many occasions ministerial authorisation has been granted for expenditure which exceeded his Department's internal efficiency control thresholds for (a) advertising, marketing and communications, (b) consultancy and (c) external recruitment; and what the (i) purpose and (ii) value of any such agreed expenditure has been in the last 12 months.
tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
tabling member printed	Mr Tom Watson
uin	202359
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Education has its own internal efficiency controls thresholds and complies with the Cabinet Office controls.</p><p> </p><p>1. Advertising, Marketing and Communications expenditure above the Departmental threshold of £100,000 is submitted to Efficiency and Reform Group at Cabinet Office for final clearance.</p><p>2. Consultancy expenditure above £20,000 (and is a new contract expected to exceed 9 months, an existing contract to be extended beyond 9 months or is expenditure for procurement related consultancy) is submitted to Cabinet Office for final clearance.</p><p>3. Cabinet Office is not directly involved in recruitment approvals.</p><p> </p><p>The approved expenditure requests which have exceeded Departmental thresholds are published on a quarterly basis on the Department's website:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/approved-exemptions-to-the-efficiency-controls" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/approved-exemptions-to-the-efficiency-controls</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 01/07/2014 17:11:19 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

63876

registered interest
date	25/06/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children: Day Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2014, Official Report, column 284W, on children: day care, if he will estimate the average annual cost of childcare in the UK for a child aged (a) two and under and (b) three to four using his Department's Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents 2012-13 data.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne North
tabling member printed	Catherine McKinnell
uin	202400
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2014 answer text <p>The Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents report provides information on the average (mean and median) amount paid by families for childcare in a reference week for pre-school age children. This information is not available broken down by age or on an annual basis.</p><p> </p><p>This information could be produced only at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 30/06/2014 15:31:46 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
tabling member	4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell

63877

registered interest
date	25/06/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Government Procurement Card
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many transactions were made by each (a) Minister and (b) official in his Department on government procurement cards held by his Department in the last financial year; and what the cost, date and reasons for each such transaction was.
tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
tabling member printed	Mr Tom Watson
uin	202410
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2014 answer text <p>Government Procurement Card transactions over £500 are published on: <a href="http://data.gov.uk/dataset/gpc-spend-dfe" target="_blank">http://data.gov.uk/dataset/gpc-spend-dfe</a></p><p>Information on transactions below that level is not held centrally and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 01/07/2014 13:08:32 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

64016

registered interest
date	25/06/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Languages: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to improve the quality and increase the uptake of foreign language training in schools; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Hackney North and Stoke Newington
tabling member printed	Ms Diane Abbott
uin	202499
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2014 answer text <p>The new national curriculum introduces the teaching of a foreign language to key stage 2 (ages 7 to 11) from September 2014, which will increase the uptake of foreign languages in both primary and, over time, secondary schools. By starting languages earlier, pupils will have longer to develop their skills to a high level before continuing with language learning in secondary school. The English Baccalaureate is already encouraging more young people to take a language at GCSE level. Take up by key stage 4 pupils in England of a modern foreign language increased by over 20% between 2012 and 2013.</p><p>The Department for Education believes it is important to give teachers the flexibility to decide how to teach. We expect schools to identify the support that they need to prepare for the new curriculum, recognising that different schools will face different challenges.</p><p>We are allocating £350,000 this year to fund training on the new national curriculum for teachers of modern foreign languages in primary and secondary schools. We have also allocated some £1.9m to teaching schools to lead curriculum change across and within their teaching school alliances. 46 of the projects being supported involve languages.</p><p>The independent Expert Group, chaired by a leading primary headteacher, has published links to useful resources, which are hosted on the website of the Association for Language Learning. This is specifically to support the introduction of a compulsory foreign language at key stage 2. We are also making extensive use of social networking, including using high profile headteachers and others to raise the profile of the new curriculum, including for languages, through podcasts, webchats and blogs.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 01/07/2014 13:19:38 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
tabling member	172 label Biography information for Ms Diane Abbott

63488

registered interest
date	24/06/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Teachers: Harassment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department gives schools and teachers on online abuse from a student towards a teacher.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	202117
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2014 answer text <p>Guidance to schools about online abuse by pupils towards teachers is set out in our advice document, ‘Preventing and Tackling Bullying'. This guidance signposts schools to ‘Digizen.Org' who offer a range of advice and support for school staff. Schools can also access a range of practical resources from the UK Safer Internet Centre<em>.</em></p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 01/07/2014 13:21:25 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

63489

registered interest
date	24/06/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department gives teachers and those working in schools on responding to a violent student with special educational needs.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	202118
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2014 answer text <p>We have issued advice to schools on the use of reasonable force, which makes clear that teachers have a specific power to use reasonable force to prevent pupils from causing injury to themselves or others, causing damage to property or from causing disorder. While there is no requirement for schools to have a policy on the use of force, we say that it is good practice to do so. Our advice says that any school policy on the use of reasonable force should acknowledge their legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled children and children with special educational needs (SEN). Whether or not to physically intervene is down to the professional judgement of the staff member concerned and should always depend on individual circumstances and the needs of the individual pupil.</p><p>Additionally, we have laid before Parliament a new 0-25 SEN and Disability Code of Practice. This makes it clear that schools should seek to identify whether there are any factors, such as undiagnosed special educational needs, that might underlie disruptive behaviour. We also issued advice on Behaviour and Mental Health in June 2014 to help teachers differentiate between pupils that are simply behaving badly, and behaviour – whether it is disruptive, withdrawn, anxious, depressed or otherwise – that may be related to an unmet mental health need. This advice also outlined how these children can be supported.</p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 01/07/2014 13:24:22 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

63616

registered interest
date	24/06/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children's Centres
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the guidance published by his Department on 25 March 2014, on Sure Start centres: local authority duties, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the core purpose of Sure Start children's centres.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	202251
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2014 answer text <p>Sure Start children's centres statutory guidance was published in April 2013; the web page containing it was last reviewed on 25 March 2014.</p><p>The statutory guidance states the core purpose of Sure Start children's centres is to improve outcomes for young children and their families, with a particular focus on those in greatest need. The Department extensively consulted on draft statutory guidance, including the core purpose, in 2012. The response was positive, with 85% of respondees (local authorities, children's centre managers, voluntary sector bodies and others) finding the document clear on statutory duties.</p><p>As I said to the Education Committee on 18 June, Ofsted is going to be moving to a local-authority-based inspection regime for children's centres and I am very happy to look at the core purpose, particularly in the light of what Ofsted put out as their inspection regime, if there is a lack of clarity.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 30/06/2014 15:35:55 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

63620

registered interest
date	24/06/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Educational Testing Service
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what current contracts (a) his Department and (b) each of his Department's executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies hold with the educational testing service or any of that organisation's subsidiaries.
tabling member constituency	Bognor Regis and Littlehampton
tabling member printed	Mr Nick Gibb
uin	202233
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2014 answer text <p>The Department and agencies have no current contracts with the educational testing service or its subsidiaries.</p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 01/07/2014 13:26:07 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
tabling member	111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb

62256

registered interest
date	17/06/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Magna Carta
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will estimate the cost of sending a copy of the Magna Carta to every school.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	201015
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Magna Carta and the emergence of Parliament are included within the new history curriculum, to be taught in maintained secondary schools from September 2014.</p><p>To support teachers to commemorate the 800<sup>th</sup> anniversary, a range of projects and resources are being provided by Parliament and others for primary and secondary school pupils.</p><p>We have no plans to send a copy of the Magna Carta to every school and therefore have not made an estimate of what this might cost.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 23/06/2014 10:05:13 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

61957

registered interest
date	16/06/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Science: Females
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he has taken to increase the proportion of girls taking separate science at GCSE.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hodge Hill
tabling member printed	Mr Liam Byrne
uin	200798
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2014 answer text <p>The number of girls taking separate science GCSEs increased between 2010 and 2013 from 53,000 to 74,800 (41%) in biology, from 51,400 to 73,600 (43%) in chemistry and from 50,700 to 73,200 (44%) in physics. Girls now make up approximately 49% of all those taking each of the separate sciences, compared to approximately 45% in 2010.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to increasing take-up of separate science GCSEs, including increasing the proportion of girls as part of its commitment to improve overall take up of STEM subjects at A level and beyond.</p><p> </p><p>The “Your Life” Campaign, launched in May 2014, brings together business, educators, civil society and government to show how science and mathematics leads to exciting, successful careers. This will include a publicity campaign aimed at 14-16 year olds, which will aim to change the way they think about science-based subjects from boring, specialist and niche to empowering, exciting, enabling and for everyone.</p><p> </p><p>We are funding the Triple Science Support Programme to provide intensive support to schools with either no take-up or relatively low take-up of all three separate science GCSEs, and more general support to all other schools. We are also funding the Stimulating Physics Network to increase progression to physics A level, especially of girls. Much of the work the network does focuses on improving engagement and interest of pupils in physics at GCSE.</p><p> </p><p>Excellent teaching is vital and we are offering bursaries worth up to £20,000 and teacher training scholarships worth £25,000 to recruit more specialist science teachers. We are also funding up to 50 local science learning partnerships to provide CPD for existing science teachers.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Business Innovation and Skills funds the STEM Ambassadors programme, a nationwide network of over 27,000 volunteers from industry and academia, 40% of whom are women, who work with schools across the UK to raise awareness of the range of careers that STEM qualifications can offer.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 23/06/2014 10:02:18 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
tabling member	1171 label Biography information for Liam Byrne