Results 2941–2960 of 3334 for speaker:Stephen Twigg

Oral Answers to Questions — Education and Skills: Refugee Children (Mainstream Schools) (24 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: I am grateful to my hon. Friend, and I certainly agree with him. It is my experience that, once settled, refugee children play a positive part in many of our schools. I see that in my constituency. The accommodation centres seek to deal with the turnover of new arrivals in schools. We are carefully considering our position following the vote in the other place, but we will seek to overturn...

Oral Answers to Questions — Education and Skills: Refugee Children (Mainstream Schools) (24 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, and very much agree with him. Our Department is working on the plans for education services for the children in accommodation centres. Learning English will be an absolutely top priority, as will delivering the rest of the national curriculum.

Oral Answers to Questions — Education and Skills: Secondary Schools (Normanton) (24 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: Wakefield local education authority's educational development plan sets out the steps being taken to ensure best value in educational standards in the secondary schools in the Normanton constituency. In addition, the Ofsted inspection system also ensures that all LEAs and schools provide best value in educational standards.

Oral Answers to Questions — Education and Skills: Secondary Schools (Normanton) (24 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: I am aware that my hon. Friend has made representations to my hon. Friend the Minister for School Standards as well as to previous Ministers. I am happy to give an undertaking that we are prepared to meet representatives from his consistituency and, if possible, will arrange for one of the ministerial team to visit that secondary school.

Oral Answers to Questions — Education and Skills: Disruptive Pupils (24 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: We continue to invest in a range of measures to establish good behaviour and discipline in all schools. Teachers dealing with the most challenging behaviour have access to in-school support from learning mentors and others. We stand by the head teacher's right to exclude the most disruptive pupils in the best interests of the school community as a whole. Such pupils now have access to...

Oral Answers to Questions — Education and Skills: Disruptive Pupils (24 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: I will be very happy to receive the dossier from my hon. Friend, who highlights one example from a number of very disturbing cases. Much of the focus of the strategy has so far been on secondary schools, but he is right to emphasise that, tragically, many such cases are arising in primary schools. Staff in our schools have a right to work in an environment where they are not subject to...

Oral Answers to Questions — Education and Skills: Disruptive Pupils (24 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: That is exactly what we are doing. We are saying that we want appeals panels to be more effective and want to ensure that somebody with practical classroom experience is included on every panel. We do not want the panels to overturn the decision made by a head teacher simply on the basis of a technicality. We want to balance the interests of the individual child who might appeal with the...

Oral Answers to Questions — Education and Skills: Disruptive Pupils (24 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: I met my hon. Friend earlier this week, when he took the opportunity to present me with the report of his local inquiry into the use of heroin. The findings are extremely disturbing. I am considering the advice and guidance that is given to schools on drugs, alcohol and tobacco. We are listening to a range of people who work in the field and we will be looking to see that the curriculum meets...

Oral Answers to Questions — Education and Skills: Disruptive Pupils (24 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: I want to ensure that people have full and equal access to education regardless of their disability or their special educational needs. That is why we legislated in the previous Parliament with the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001. That is also why we have extended the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to cover schools. I absolutely agree with the hon. Lady, however, that...

Oral Answers to Questions — Education and Skills: School Transport (24 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: The statutory maximum walking distances were set in 1944. Local education authorities have the power to consider applications for help with transport costs that are not covered by the statutory criteria, using their discretionary powers.

Oral Answers to Questions — Education and Skills: School Transport (24 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: As I said in my answer, local authorities have discretionary powers, and there are some good examples of authorities that have chosen to exercise them. My hon. Friend's own local authority does so in a number of respects. The social exclusion unit is conducting an inquiry into the links between poor transport and access to key services, including education, and work. We are awaiting the...

Oral Answers to Questions — Education and Skills: School Transport (24 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: I cannot promise to make it coincide with the new funding formula. This is an immensely challenging area. I have been taking a look at the matter and I will continue to do so. If the hon. Gentleman has a scheme in mind that would be workable and that I can sell to colleagues and to the House, I would be delighted to consider it.

Oral Answers to Questions — Education and Skills: School Transport (24 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I must confess that I was not aware of that rule, but I will take a look at it, as requested.

Oral Answers to Questions — Education and Skills: School Transport (24 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: It makes a change for the Department for Education and Skills to be accused of not being centralist enough, but I will certainly look at the representations that the hon. Gentleman makes. It is clear that support exists in all parties for looking at this matter, but I repeat that any change would involve losers as well as winners, so I need to look very carefully at how such change would...

Written Answers — Education and Skills: Advertising (23 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: Departmental spend on advertising in the Guardian for the periods specified are as follows: 2001–2002 = #334,062.93 2002–2003 (to end Sept) = #79,429. The Department uses national press advertising, including the Guardian, for a variety of reasons, including informational or publicity purposes and for internal and external recruitment exercises.

Written Answers — Education and Skills: School Transport (23 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: Compulsory school age pupils are entitled to free transport if their nearest suitable school is beyond statutory walking distance from their home. In other circumstances, LEAs have the discretion to provide help with travel in accordance with their own locally determined policies and priorities. Although we keep the arrangements under regular review we will not consider changing the current...

Written Answers — Education and Skills: Exam Marks (23 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority is responsible for ensuring the efficient delivery of exam results in England. We have recently strengthened their powers in the Education Act 2002. An Examinations Taskforce, which will include the awarding bodies, QCA and representatives of teachers, schools and colleges, is being established to oversee the delivery of examinations in 2003.

Written Answers — Education and Skills: Child Mental Health (23 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: My hon. Friend David Miliband, in his written answer of 19 September, outlined the ways the Secretary of State aims to ensure that children's mental health needs are being met. In June 2001 the Department issued guidance, Promoting Children's Mental Health within Early Years and School Settings. This is strongly recommended and we would expect schools to have regard to it. The guidance is...

Written Answers — Education and Skills: Child Mental Health (23 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: The aims of Behaviour and Educational Support Teams (BESTs) are to promote emotional well-being, positive behaviour and school attendance among children and young people. They help in the identification and support of those with, or at risk of developing, emotional and behavioural problems, through the provision of multi-agency support in schools and to individual families. BESTs will take...

Written Answers — Education and Skills: Child Mental Health (23 Oct 2002)

Stephen Twigg: This is a matter for the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted). HM Chief Inspector for Schools, David Bell will write to the hon. Gentleman and a copy will be placed in the Library.


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