§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many staff are employed in the Schools Directorate of his Department; and what the establishment is for that directorate; [137306]
(2) how many staff are employed in the Lifelong Learning Directorate of his Department; and what the establishment is for that directorate; [137307]
815W(3) how many staff are employed in the Employment, Equality and International Relations Directorate of his Department; and what the establishment is for that directorate; [137308]
(4) how many staff are employed in the Legal Adviser's Office of his Department; and what the establishment is for the directorate; [137309]
(5) how many staff are employed in the Government Offices for the Regions on business relating to his Department; [137310]
(6) how many staff are employed in the Strategy and Communications Directorate of his Department; and what the establishment is for that directorate; [137311]
(7) how many staff are employed in the Personnel and Support Services Directorate of his Department; and what the establishment is for that directorate; [137312]
(8) how many staff are employed in the Finance and Analytical Services Directorate of his Department; and what the establishment is for that directorate. [137313]
§ Mr. Wills[holding answer 8 November 2000]: This is a breakdown of the work covered by the following Directorates in DfEE:
Schools Directorate:
The Schools Directorate deals with most aspects of education policy for children up to 16 years, including early years. The aim of the Directorate is to transform standards in schools, enabling all children to fulfil their potential, to make an effective transition to adulthood and the world of work and to develop an appetite for lifelong learning.Corporate Services and Development Directorate:
The Corporate Services and Development Directorate is responsible for the delivery of value-for-money services within the Department, covering information technology, human resources, facilities management and procurement. It fosters and supports the modernisation of DfEE by implementing policies and practices which encourage and facilitate new ways of working.Employment, Equality and International Relations:
Is responsible for developing a programme of labour market interventions—including the New Deals—designed to help people to move from welfare into work; Developing policies to combat discrimination in employment, based on gender, race, disability and age; Designing and implementing the National Childcare Strategy; and influencing EU and other international partners, so that their policies and initiatives support domestic policies.Government Offices for the Regions:
The role of Government Offices is to manage programmes on behalf of parent Departments, to support and facilitate effective linkages between partners and programmes and to inform the development of Departments' policies from the regional perspective.Legal Adviser's Office:
The Legal Adviser's Office is responsible for providing legal advice to the Department for Education and Employment.Lifelong Learning Directorate:
816WThe Lifelong Learning Directorate is responsible for supporting Ministers in creating policies aimed at developing in everyone a commitment to lifelong learning, so as to enhance their lives, improve their employability in a changing labour market and create the skills that our economy and employers need. The Directorate supports the modernisation of the DfEE through the introduction of new ways of working.Finance and Analytical Services Directorate:
The Finance and Analytical Services Directorate covers a broad range of work aimed at ensuring good value for money from the Department's resources. This includes securing and allocating the resources needed to deliver the Department's overall aim and objectives through the regular Spending Reviews. Policy work is also supported by the analytical teams who produce statistical reports, including production of the school performance tables on which school improvement is measured; provide an evidence base on which the whole Department can depend; and commission and manage research aimed at informing policy development. All of this will help us to get our priorities right and ensure that we make the most of our limited resources.Strategy and Communications Directorate:
SCD is responsible for effectively developing the Department's strategy at national, regional and local levels, and ensuring that it is communicated with target audiences across everything DfEE does. SCD manages DfEE policy interests with Government Offices and Regional Development Agencies, and sponsors closer working by the rest of DfEE with employers. It also has responsibility for cross-Government initiatives including those on social exclusion and regeneration, and manages relationships with the public whether through correspondence, telephone or Internet.The Department aims to deliver high quality public services as part of a modernised civil service. Against this background we have created a unit to drive forward a continuous improvement strategy that encompasses: a programme of Better Quality Services reviews to assess whether our current delivery arrangements are the best available; "Identifying Efficiency Action" reviews which are incisive scrutinies of a range of the Department's activities that offer scope for efficiency action; and the promotion of the European Foundation For Quality Management Model and Benchmarking in the development of Divisional Improvement Plans. These reviews are key in moving resources to deal with new pressures.
A breakdown of staffing figures for the Department is shown in the following table.
Directorate Staffing figures as of 1 July 2000 Schools Directorate 1,247 Corporate Services and Development Directorate 954 Employment, Equality and International Relations 643 Government Offices for the Regions 1753 Legal Adviser's Office 10 Lifelong Learning 11,013 Strategy and Communications 231 Finance and Analytical Services 586 1Some functions currently carried out in these areas will transfer in April 2001 to the Learning and Skills Council.