Education Inspections (Government Intervention)

HC Deb 11 November 2003 vol 413 cc216-8W

Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list(a) those council education departments and (b) those council children's services in which there has been Government or ministerial intervention that would not otherwise have taken place, as a result of a critical inspection report or other evidence of service failure, in each year since 1997. [137763]

Mr. Miliband

The list of councils with social services responsibilities where there has been statutory intervention as a consequence of poorly performing children's services is as follows:

• London borough of Hackney in 1999 (under section 7 of the Local Authorities Act 1970)
• London borough of Lambeth in 2000 (under section 7 of the Local Authorities Act 1970)
• London borough of Hackney in 2000 (under section 7 of the Local Authorities Act 1970).

The list of councils with social services responsibilities placed on "special measures"¹ as a consequence of poorly performing children's services is as follows:

1997

• Cambridgeshire²
• London borough of Ealing²
• Kingston upon Hull²

1998

• Coventry²
• London borough of Hackney²
• Hillingdon²
• Newcastle²
• Peterborough²
• Sheffield²

1999

• London borough of Lambeth²
• North East Lincolnshire²
• Wirral²

2001

• London borough of Haringey²
• London borough of Merton²
• Newham²

2002

• Birmingham
• London borough of Bromley
• Swindon
• Wakefield²
• Walsall²
• Coventry²
• Bedfordshire
• London borough of Waltham Forest
• Royal borough of Windsor and Maidenhead²

2003

• Cumbria
• Plymouth
• Oldham

¹ Councils are put on "special measures" to improve poorly performing services. When a council is on special measures the Department of Health receives quarterly reports of councils' progress against action plans. Special measures are designed so that councils have every opportunity, with the support of the Department's Social Services Inspectorate, to put their affairs in order. In May 2002 star ratings were introduced for social services. Since May 2002 councils awarded zero stars for their social services, the lowest marking, have been automatically placed on special measures; the list shows in 2002 and 2003 those "zero star" councils where children's services have been at issue.

² These 19 councils, out of the 27 placed on special measures since 1997, have improved (some with targeted external support since the advent of star ratings in May 2002) and are no longer on special measures.