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 are not undertaking a study programme.
Answered by Edward Timpson
At the end of 2013, 1,094,000 young people aged 16-18 were studying on full-time study programmes in state-funded post-16 institutions (excluding higher education and independent schools). Of the remainder, 494,000 were in full-time education in independent schools, higher education, or part-time education; 220,000 were in other training or employment; and 148,000 were not in education, training or employment (NEET).
It is up to schools, colleges and training providers to tailor study programmes to meet the career aspirations of students based on their prior attainment. The principal components of a 16-19 study programme include typically a substantial qualification (such as one or more A levels or Tech Levels), work experience and other non-qualification activity. English and maths also feature for students who failed to achieve an A*-C GCSE in maths and English by age 16.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academy brokers there are; and how much her Department has spent on academy brokers in the last financial year.
Answered by Edward Timpson
There are currently 34 academy brokers. The Department for Education spent £3,031,794.39 on academy brokers in 2013-14.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has spent on legal costs on appealing decision notices served by the Information Commissioner since 2010.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Legal costs on appealing decision notices served by the Information Commissioner 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, 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.