Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many 16 to 19 year olds who have not achieved English and mathematics to level two are not continuing to study these subjects.
Answered by Edward Timpson
In 2012/13, 28% (481,600) of 16- to 18-year-olds had not achieved Level 2 English by the end of the previous academic year, and of those 53% (254,100) were not continuing to study the subject at any level.
In 2012/13, 30% (518,300) of 16- to 18-year-olds had not achieved Level 2 mathematics by the end of the previous academic year, and of those 57% (295,500) were not continuing to study the subject at any level.
This is why this Government has introduced a condition of funding to ensure that all 16- to 19-year-olds who have not secured a good GCSE pass in English or maths have the opportunity to achieve these subjects by 19.
2012/13 is the latest year that we have participation data linked to prior attainment.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what occasions each Minister within his Department has taken domestic flights on official business since May 2010.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The Department for Education does not hold a list of domestic flights taken by each Minister on official business. A list could only be compiled at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much his Department spent on legal fees in cases relating to the release of information requested under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in each of the last five years.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
Legal fees on cases relating to the release of information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 are not held centrally by the Department for Education and the cost of determining these over the past five years would exceed the disproportionate limit.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what professional development courses are made available to staff of his Department; and what the cost to the public purse is of each such course.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The Department for Education's staff use the Civil Service Learning Portal to access development courses. The Portal currently offers 298 face-to-face courses, 217
e-learning programmes and 6,000 learning resources.
E-learning courses and learning resources are free to access. Costs for face-to-face courses are dependent on where the course takes place and the number of delegates.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many senior civil servants appointed to positions in his Department since 2010 were previously (a) political appointees within that Department and (b) employed by a political party.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
No senior civil servants appointed to positions in the Department for Education since 2010 were previously (a) political appointees within the Department and (b) employed by a political party.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of the 20 per cent most disadvantaged two year olds who are currently taking up their free childcare place.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
In February 2014, local authorities reported that around 103,000 two-year-olds were already accessing a funded early learning place. Of these, around 95,000 were from the 20% most disadvantaged cohort, which represents 73%.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average cost of a primary school meal was in 2013.
Answered by David Laws
The Department for Education does not hold the information requested.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many childcare places for disadvantaged two year olds have been created since September 2013.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The Department for Education does not hold information on how many childcare places for disadvantaged two-year-olds have been created since September 2013. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that every eligible child, whose parents want a childcare place, is able to take one. We are reforming the early education market so that places are both more affordable and accessible. We are encouraging more schools to provide places for two-year-olds, including as part of an offer of provision between 8am and 6pm. The introduction of childminder agencies will also provide a new way for parents to find places that are suited to their needs.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of additional catering staff needed in schools to deliver the extension of free school meals to all pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 in September 2014.
Answered by David Laws
This information is not held centrally.
In his autumn statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced over £1 billion revenue funding for universal free school meals for pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 between 2014 and 2016. This funding, which includes special provision of £22.5 million for small schools in 2014-15, will be used by schools to pay for the cost of producing school lunches for newly eligible pupils, including any additional staff required.