§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people appointed as advisers and in other capacities under the Connexions scheme, are qualified teachers; and of these how many were teaching immediately before their appointment to Connexions. [5822]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisI will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on developments in the Connexions Service. [5676]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisThe first 12 Partnerships began delivering the Connexions Service on 1 April 2001. A further four Partnerships will start in September 2001, with the remaining 31 Partnerships starting during 2002–03, subject to the production of satisfactory business plans that demonstrate their readiness to deliver the Service effectively.
It is very early days, but information from the first 12 Partnerships is encouraging. For example, reports from Partnerships at the end of May 2001 show that there are almost 1,000 full-time equivalent Personal Advisers in 770W post; almost 150,000 young people have been assisted; and over 40 Connexions 'one-stop' shops have been opened.
§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will set out the salary levels for personal advisers/mentors under the Connexions Scheme. [5824]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisPersonal Advisers will be drawn from a range of professional backgrounds, including the Careers Service and Youth Service, as well as those who are newly recruited by Connexions Partnerships. Personal Advisers from Careers and Youth Services will be employed under existing terms and conditions. Salary rates for new Personal Advisers are being determined by local Partnerships, taking account of their local labour market situation.