To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will commission an inquiry into the effects of alcoholism on children and families and to explore possible solutions. (79327)

I have been asked to reply.

The Government are aware that the quality of a parent-child relationship has a significant impact on the child's health and well-being. With this in mind, through the new provisions of the Children Act 2004 and ‘Every Child Matters’ Change for Children programme, we are building a much stronger statutory and multi-agency framework that will strengthen services for all children in need, and in need of protection, including those affected by alcoholism.

The effects of alcoholism are well understood and the Government are committed to working with local frontline services to support children and families affected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the planned harder questions at A-level for advanced students will be (a) sat as separate exams and (b) included as additional questions on examination papers sat by all students. (81772)

We received advice from QCA on A-level stretch and challenge last year and in January. Ministers agreed to trial three options: a separate section at the end of A-level papers; a separate paper; incorporate harder questions into all A2 papers and add to grading scale. QCA will begin to trial/model these options from the autumn through to February 2007.

The changes to A-levels will build upon the strengths of the existing qualifications in order to increase stretch and challenge, to provide greater differentiation in order to help universities choose between candidates with similar results.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the work of the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency. (80863)

[holding answer 28 June 2006]: In line with Government practice that some non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) were reviewed every five years, the Department conducted an overall assessment of the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) which was published in March 2003. Copies of the report are lodged in the House of Commons Library.

Becta’s work is assessed through the governance and programme management arrangements that the Department has in place, which include:

representation as an assessor on Becta’s Board by the Department’s Technology Group Director;

regular business reviews of Becta's delivery against the Department’s priorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to replace the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency inclusion team with a new support team for special educational needs; and if he will make a statement. (80861)

The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) is a non-departmental public body responsible for ensuring the successful delivery of my e-strategy priorities in education and children's services—which includes support for all learners including those with special educational needs. BECTA's internal organisational structures are a matter for the organisation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what guidelines he has issued to the local authorities asked to participate in the Building Schools for the Future programme on the renovation of sports facilities; (79705)

[holding answer 22 June 2006]: The Building Schools for the Future programme adopts an area approach to transforming secondary provision. For each phase of the programme, local authorities are required to develop an educational vision in line with our guidance, which takes into account a range of policy areas, including PE and sport facilities, and community use. Our Building Schools for the Future guidance to local authorities covers the preparation of educational visions, joining up all potential sources of funding and the design of school buildings and facilities. All of our guidance documents make clear that schools and local authorities should consider the extent to which any proposed new or refurbished facilities will enable all pupils to take part in at least two hours each week of high quality PE and sport, and if they want to, up to four hours including out of normal school hours. Authorities’ plans are subject to rigorous challenge before projects can proceed to procurement.

Ministers from this Department meet regularly with our Culture, Media and Sport counterparts to discuss our joint schools' PE and sports strategy, including curriculum matters and the community use of facilities.

Schools which have received investment through other sources of funding such as the Big Lottery Fund (formerly the New Opportunities Fund) are still eligible for Building Schools for the Future investment. We encourage local authorities and schools in Building Schools for the Future to seek other sources of funding to join up with their projects. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Big Lottery Fund contribute to our guidance, which also seeks to ensure that investment from various sources remains complementary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research into the child care market his Department has commissioned in the past 12 months; what research reports have been published; and if he will make a statement. (80313)

[holding answer 26 June 2006]: The Department is highly committed to furthering our understanding of the child care market to enable the effective development and implementation of policy in this area.

To help achieve this the Department has commissioned a number of studies in this area in the past 12 months. These are:

2006-08 Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers;

Evaluation of the London Childcare Affordability Pilot;

The Childcare Market.

The Department has also published the following research reports in this area:

A Longitudinal Study of Local Childcare Markets (June 2005);

Childcare and Early Years Provision: A Study of Parents’ Use, Views and Experiences (March 2006);

2005 Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey (May 2006).

These reports are available on the DfES website at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many admission appeals there have been in each City Technology College in each year since they opened. (81462)

City Technology Colleges (CTCs) are independent schools. The Department does not hold this information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with the Treasury regarding the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007; and if he will make a statement. (81771)

I have had and will continue to have regular discussions with the Treasury about the key challenges and issues for the Comprehensive Spending Review period and about the work programme that the Treasury and my Department are engaged in as part of the Review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many women began construction-related NVQs at (a) Level 1, (b) Level 2, (c) Level 3 and (d) Technical Level in (i) England and (ii) Merseyside in each year since 2001-02, broken down by age; and how many completed those courses. (80608)

40 per cent. of apprentices are female but we recognise there are some major imbalances in different occupations. One of the ways we are addressing this is working with the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and sector bodies to improve information, broaden choice and explore more flexible Apprenticeship learning opportunities. These include new entry arrangements into Apprenticeships to help young people develop skills before they find an employer. We are also trialling Apprenticeships for more mature workers.

The LSC maintain a website detailing starts, leavers and completions of individual frameworks http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/partners/frameworks/apprenticeshipsdata/ However, published figures are not broken down to the level of detail requested. For this reason Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, has written to the hon. Member with this information and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.

Letter from Rob Wye, dated 28 June 2006:

I am responding on behalf of Mark Haysom, due to him currently being on annual leave, to your Parliamentary Question that asked the number of completed Heavy Vehicle Fitter Apprenticeships in England and Greater Merseyside, broken down by gender in each of the last 5 years.

The Vehicle Fitting Apprenticeship framework was implemented on 1^st September 2005. This is in effect its first year for apprentices to enrol onto and as yet there is no usable framework completion data at any geographical level.

Prior to 1^st September 2005 there were more generic Apprenticeship frameworks in operation for the Retail Motor Industry. An analysis of these framework completions where the NVQ within the framework is for “Vehicle Fitting” shows the following results,

Specific information regarding heavy vehicle fitting is not available at framework level or at NVQ qualification level, hence this response can only look at vehicle fitting in general.

The Learning and Skills Council publishes regular statistical information on Apprenticeships including framework completion data on its website (www.apprenticeships.org.uk). The information is provided for each Apprenticeship framework and as such the volume of completers nationally will be provided in future updates.

Consistent and high quality data is only available from the first full academic year following the commencement of the Learning and Skills Council in April 2001. For this reason the table above only shows information for the past three full academic years.

I trust this provides the information you require.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many separate pieces of guidance to schools have been issued by his Department in each of the last nine years. (80039)

The number of documents sent automatically to all primary and all secondary schools is detailed in the following table. Where a document has been sent to both primary and secondary schools it will appear in the totals for both.

The Department only sends hard copy publications automatically to schools in England in exceptional cases having stopped regular paper mailings in December 2004. Discussions with Head teachers and detailed research showed that schools wanted to be able to choose the printed publications they needed, when they needed them, and to be able to order multiple copies.

The online ordering system enables schools to choose whether to download electronic copies or order the paper based publications they need at the right time for them and in the multiples they require. This system is linked directly to the fulfilment service and an existing telephone ordering line. A fortnightly email service to schools informs them of new and important publications.

This has resulted in schools being able to order a wider variety of publications from the Department, putting schools in direct control of what they receive, when they receive it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many documents were sent from his Department to head teachers of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) hard copy and (ii) via e-mail in the past 12 months. (80457)

[holding answer 26 June 2006]: The Department sent 27 e-mails automatically to all primary and secondary schools within the last 12 months. These e-mails provided schools with a regular update on the information and resources available to them online and in hard copy. No hard copy documents were sent to all schools in the last 12 months.

The Department only sends hard copy publications automatically to all primary and secondary schools in England in exceptional cases having stopped regular paper mailings in December 2004. Discussions with head teachers and detailed research showed that schools wanted to be able to choose the printed publications they needed, when they needed them, and to be able to order multiple copies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many circulars were sent by his Department to schools via email in the past 12 months. (80465)

[holding answer 26 June 2006]: The Department sent 27 emails automatically to all primary and secondary schools within the last 12 months. These emails provided schools with a regular update on the information and resources available to them online and in hard copy.

The Department only sends hard copy publications automatically to schools in England in exceptional cases having stopped regular paper mailings in December 2004. Discussions with head teachers and detailed research showed that schools wanted to be able to choose the printed publications they needed, when they needed them, and to be able to order multiple copies.

The online ordering system enables schools to choose whether to download electronic copies or order the paper based publications they need at the right time for them and in the multiples they require. This system is linked directly to the fulfilment service and an existing telephone ordering line. A fortnightly email service to schools informs them of new and important publications. This has resulted in schools being able to order a wider variety of publications from the Department, putting schools in direct control of what they receive, when they receive it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils will sit at least one (a) GCSE, (b) AS and (c) A-level examination paper written by Edexcel in the summer of 2006; and what proportion that figure represents of all pupils taking each level of examination. (82003)

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), through the National Assessment Agency, regularly collects during the examination series data from the unitary awarding bodies in England on the total number of candidates entered for GCE and GCSE examinations. It does not, however, hold data on how many individual pupils sit at least one GCSE, AS or A-level paper.

Provided as follows is the number of entries for each examination unit and the number of candidates seeking a qualification award in summer 2006. (The figures are provisional.)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the operation of section (a) 444 and (b) 509 of the Education Act 1996; what recent representations he has received about the operation of this Act; and whether he has plans to amend this Act. (80417)

These sections of the Education Act 1996 deal with school attendance and school transport. We believe that parents must take responsibility for their children’s attendance at school. Where children do not attend school regularly, a prosecution or a penalty notice under section 444 may be needed if parents are not doing their best to ensure that their child attends school.

The Department receives representations from a range of sources, including pupils, parents, local authorities and MPs about the operation of sections 444 and 509. There is widespread agreement that the transport provisions are out of date.

The Education and Inspections Bill includes amendments to sections 444 and 509 of the Education Act 1996. These will confirm that it is for a parent to prove that they have a good reason for failing to ensure their child attends school. The Bill also extends the right to free transport for low-income groups, and clarifies local authority duties relating to school transport.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) Green Papers, (b) White Papers and (c) Bills on education have been produced since May 1997. (80455)

[holding answer 26 June 2006]: The following table shows a list of Green and White Papers. Information on all Bills produced is not readily available, but a list of Acts on education is included.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students aged 16 years or above were receiving education maintenance allowances in each (a) school and (b) college in the City of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (i) at the start of the school year in 2005-06 and (ii) on the most recent date for which figures are available. (75214)

This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council, who operate education maintenance allowances for the DfES and hold the information about take-up of the scheme. Mark Haysom, the council’s Chief Executive, has written to my hon. Friend with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.

Letter from Mark Haysom:

I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked “how many students aged 16 years or above were receiving education maintenance allowances in each (a) school and (b) college in the City of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (i) at the start of the school year in 2005-06 and (ii) on the most recent date for which figures are available”.

By the end of April 2006, 3,113 young people received one or more EMA payment with schools or colleges in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne area during the academic year 2005/06.

The attached table displays the data for EMA take-up for all schools and colleges in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne area at the end of October 05 and at the end of March 06. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payment in the academic year 2005/06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many residents of Stroud constituency are (a) eligible for and (b) in receipt of education maintenance allowance. (77821)

This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council, who operate Education Maintenance Allowances for the DfES and hold the information about take-up of the scheme. Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, has written to the my hon. Friend with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.

Letter from Rob Wye, dated 28 June 2006:

I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked “how many residents of Stroud constituency are (a) eligible for and (b) in receipt of Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).”

Information on the number of young people who have applied, enrolled and received EMA is available at Local Authority (LA) level, but not at constituency level. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payment in the academic year 2005/06.

Projections of the number of young people eligible for EMA are formed by applying income distributions (derived from the Family Resources Survey) and expected numbers in full-time further education. When applied to individual localities the figures may be subject to some variation but they provide a useful estimate.

The following table displays the data for Gloucestershire.

In practice, not all eligible young people will take up EMA. For modelling purposes we therefore take account of what the actual take-up was in the previous year. In 2004/05 the take-up in Gloucestershire was 2,125 and on this basis we expected take-up in 2005/06 to be 3,850.

I trust this information is helpful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how much funding his Department has provided for English as an additional language support in schools in (a) England and (b) the London borough of Newham in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06 and (iii) 2006-07; (80627)

Schools receive funding to provide English as an additional language (EAL) support to their pupils through two sources: mainstream school funding and the ethnic minority achievement grant (EMAG).

Mainstream school funding is calculated to take account of the additional cost of support required by pupils, EAL needs.

Figures below for 2004-05 and 2005-06 represent the funding allocated through the EAL part of the education formula spending. The changes to school funding following the introduction of the dedicated schools grant in 2006-07 mean that it is no longer possible to identify the exact proportions of the overall funding allocated on the basis of EAL. For illustrative purposes, however, an estimate is provided below for 2006-07:

Mainstream school funding through the dedicated school grant has increased by 6.8 per cent. per pupil in 2006-07 and 6.7 per cent. in 2007-08. Funding levels beyond 2007-08 are subject to the outcomes of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.

Each local authority receives an ethnic minority achievement grant (EMAG), which must be used to support underachieving minority ethnic pupils and pupils with EAL needs. Local authorities are required to pass 85 per cent. of their allocation to schools using a locally agreed formula. Newham's EMAG allocation has increased significantly and well above the rate of inflation over the period 2004-05 to 2006-07 and will increase further in 2007-08. Allocations beyond 2007-08 are subject to the outcomes of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to promote (a) European cultural identity and (b) positive attitudes to (i) mathematics, (ii) foreign languages and (iii) the English language. (79930)

Promoting cultural identity is an integral and important part of the way languages are taught and studied in England. Intercultural understanding is promoted at each key stage. For example, at Key Stage 2 intercultural understanding is one of the five key strands of the Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages. At Key Stage 3 the programme of study, produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), states that pupils should make progress in developing cultural awareness, and in QCA's Key Stage 4 document, “Modern foreign languages in the Key Stage 4 curriculum”, it states that studying languages develops students’ understanding and appreciation of different countries, cultures and communities, making students aware that they are citizens of the world as well as of the United Kingdom.

Citizenship teaching is compulsory at Key Stages 3 and 4. Pupils are taught about the world as a global community, and the political, economic, environmental and social implications of this, and the role of the European Union, the Commonwealth and the United Nations and about the United Kingdom's relations in Europe, including the European Union, and relations with the Commonwealth and the United Nations. Through the citizenship curriculum, pupils are also taught to think about political and cultural issues which could include a discussion about cultural identity. It is also possible for European cultural identity to be taught through the non-statutory framework for PSHE, which covers teaching about and developing a sense of their own identity.

Following on from the recommendations of the Adrian Smith report on mathematics, published in 2004, and our 14-19 White Paper, we have appointed a chief adviser for mathematics to be the champion of mathematics and lead in developing the mathematics strategy. We are establishing a National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics that will support the professional development of teachers of mathematics at every stage of their career. We are adopting a range of measures at GCSE and A-level to promote a positive attitude amongst pupils, teachers and employers to mathematics. For example, we will be targeting our support to ensure that the teaching of ‘functional mathematics’ is available to all; from this September, attainment of at least a ‘C' grade in both Maths and English will be a key component of our understanding of the 5 good GCSEs benchmark; in the longer term, the curriculum and qualifications in mathematics for 14 to 19-year-olds will be revised as part of the wider reform programme; and finally, improvements planned for A-level as part of our 14-19 reforms will benefit all those embarking on A-level programmes.

Our national languages strategy ‘Languages for All; Languages for Life—a strategy for England' outlines our positive approach to language learning and stresses the importance for society and the global economy for learners of all ages to acquire “the ability to understand and communicate in other languages”. Our commitment to language learning is backed by considerable investment, and by the end of the financial year 2007-08 we will have invested £137 million in the promotion of, and support given to, language learning programmes at all stages of education.

English is a core subject and statutory from Key Stages 1-4. The national curriculum programmes of study for English set out the importance of English. English is a vital way of communicating in schools, in public life and internationally. In studying English, pupils develop skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Literature in English is rich and influential, reflecting the experience of people from many countries and times. It enables pupils to express themselves creatively and imaginatively and to communicate with others effectively. Pupils learn to become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and drama as well as non-fiction and media texts. The study of English helps pupils understand how language works by looking at its patterns, structures and origins. Using this knowledge, pupils can choose and adapt what they say and write in different situations.

In addition, both primary and secondary national strategies, through their work with schools and local authorities, provide strong and varied support to teachers. This support enables teachers to provide effective and tailored teaching that engages all pupils across the range of subjects and enables them to fulfil their potential. The national strategies provide a range of materials to support teachers, school librarians and others to ensure that their schools both provide high quality teaching and learning, and promote an environment which encourages children's enthusiasm for reading and writing and helps them achieve their potential. Reading for pleasure is essential as it increases children's chances of success and the Department is taking action on several fronts to encourage children and young people to read more. Both strategies have a specific remit for raising attainment in mathematics and English. The secondary strategy extends this remit to modern foreign languages.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action his Department has taken against examination boards which have delivered (a) GCSE, (b) AS and (c) A-level examination papers containing errors or omissions to schools in each of the last nine years. (82269)

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is responsible for the regulation of awarding bodies in England. QCA expects awarding bodies to make sure that question papers do not contain any errors that might affect candidates. The regulator’s code of practice for GCE and GCSE examinations requires awarding bodies to have procedures in place to ensure the suitability and accuracy of the papers. QCA monitors the awarding bodies to ensure they comply with the regulatory requirements.

QCA has set performance expectations for awarding bodies governing the quality and accuracy of the question papers they produce. These performance expectations allow QCA to monitor and report on awarding body performance each year. QCA has collected and reported the number of question papers containing errors or omissions since 2004 but does not hold data for previous years.

If a question paper does contain an error that requires correction, awarding bodies are expected to send an erratum notice to centres (schools and colleges) before the examination is sat to make sure candidates are aware of the errors.

Data on the number of question papers issued without errors in June 2006 will be finalised after the examination series and published by QCA in March 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) errors in and (b) omissions from (i) GCSE, (ii) AS and (iii) A-level examination papers there were in each of the last three years. (82274)

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) collects data each year from awarding bodies regarding the number of examination papers issued requiring correction including errors and omissions. These data are collected in the autumn following each examination series and are normally published in March the following year. Consequently, data on the summer 2006 examination series are not yet available.

In 2004 out of the 3,400 question papers produced by the England-based unitary GCE and GCSE awarding bodies (AQA, Edexcel and OCR) 83 question papers contained errors that required correction. This represents 2.4 per cent. of the total number of examination papers issued.

In 2005 out of more than 1,500 GCSE question papers 18 contained errors that required correction. Out of more than 1,700 GCE question papers 22 contained errors that required correction.

Although the figures quoted indicate the number of instances of papers that contained errors requiring correction, in nearly all cases centres were informed of the errors before the date of the examination. In both 2004 and 2005 centres were not informed about errors in nine GCSE, AS and A-level question papers. This represents 0.27 per cent. of the total number of question papers produced in 2005 and 0.26 per cent. of the total number of question papers produced in 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many eligible adults have taken up the level 2 entitlement for free tuition, as announced in the White Paper, 21st Century Skills, broken down by (a) race, (b) gender and (c) disability; and what proportion of participants have dropped out. (75966)

[holding answer 12 June 2006]: In October 2005, 122,000 adults aged 19+ were studying on full level 2 programs in LSC-funded FE colleges—this is an increase of 3.4 per cent. on the previous year. Approximately 70 per cent. of these students received free tuition because of the level 2 entitlement or because of other reasons.

The chief executive of the Learning and Skills Council, Mr. Mark Haysom, has written to the hon. Member with a detailed breakdown of level 2 entitlement recipients. A copy of his letter has been placed in the House Library.

Letter from Rob Wye, dated 28 June 2006:

I am write on behalf of Mark Haysom, due to him currently being out of the office on annual leave, in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked how many eligible adults have taken up the level 2 entitlement for free tuition, as announced in the White Paper, 21st Century Skills, broken down by race, gender and disability; and what proportions of participants have dropped out.

Early information shows that in 2005/06 approximately 118,000 adult learners enrolled on a full level 2 qualification. Of these approximately 28,000 adults were on a first¹ full level 2 qualification and in receipt of tuition fee remission. Of these approximately 12,000 were claiming tuition fee remission specifically through the level 2 entitlement. It is important to note that the level 2 entitlement was rolled out nationally in 2005/06 within existing college budgets and with no major marketing campaigns. A breakdown of these figures by race, gender and disability is shown in the attached annex. The proportions for ethnicity and gender are in line with the proportions of these groups in further education as a whole.

The proportion of learners recorded as being in receipt of the level 2 entitlement who left their current learning aims in 2004/05 before completion or achievement was 15%. This is the only full year data that we have for the level 2 entitlement and only refers to learners in the two trialling regions of the North East and South East.

In 2006/07 the level 2 entitlement is a key element of the recently launched Train to Gain service and I would be happy to provide you with further data when this becomes available.

I trust this letter provides the information you require.

¹ Only for those adult learners where the prior qualifications information is known.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average change is in funding for further education colleges in (a) England, (b) each region and (c) each county for (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08. (80139)

I announced last October as part of our post-16 funding strategy—Priorities for Success—that planned expenditure for further education would increase to £4.8 billion in 2006-07 and £4.9 billion in 2007-08, a 3 per cent. increase in funding compared to 2005/06 baselines. These figures cover both 16-18 and adults but do not include work-based learning, Personal Community and Development Learning (PCDL) or additional funds for the roll out of Train to Gain, of which we expect colleges to receive a significant proportion.

Providers should now have received confirmed further education funding allocations from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for 2006/07. The LSC will be writing to all further education providers shortly with a more detailed analysis of the 2006/07 allocations and this information will also be available on the LSC website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what formula was used when setting the funding allocations for further education colleges for (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08; and what criteria were used in deciding on the formula. (80140)

The process of setting funding allocations began last October when we announced our funding strategy, Priorities for Success. The strategy made clear that higher participation among young people must have the highest priority, alongside helping disadvantaged adults gain basic and Level 2 skills for employability. The allocations for 2006-07 are based on the principles that we outlined in Priorities for Success. The LSC have published a number of documents detailing how these principles would be applied in practice and the funding formula used to determine allocations is set out in the LSC's document “Funding Guidance for Further Education in 2006/07”.

The original Priorities for Success strategy laid out a clear path for funding priorities leading into 2007-08. We intend to provide an update to Priorities for Success in October 2006 and funding allocations will continue to be based on the principles outlined.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average annual wage was of (a) secondary and (b) primary head teachers in each year since 1997. (79878)

The following table provides the average salary of full-time head teachers in nursery, primary and secondary schools in England and Wales in each March from 1997 to March 2003, the latest year for which information is available.

For both nursery/primary and secondary heads, the average salary has increased by 19 per cent. in real terms over the period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average length of time served in post by head teachers in England was according to the most recently available figures. (80014)

The information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2006, Official Report, column 1704W, on head teachers, what percentage of all teachers in the leadership group retired early in (a) 2002-03, (b) 2003-04 and (c) 2004-05. (80534)

The following table provides the percentage of teachers in the leadership group who retired early (defined as before the normal pension age of 60 on premature, actuarially reduced (ARB) or ill health grounds) in each year from 2002-03 to 2004-05, the latest information available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what support his Department gives to (a) teachers, (b) academics, (c) therapists and (d) psychologists who are supporting the Inclusion agenda in state (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools; and if he will make a statement. (80862)

[holding answer 28 June 2006]: The Department provides substantial support to schools and those who work with them in delivering an inclusive education that meets the needs of all children, through the funding it provides for schools and local authorities, the funds it provides for the Training and Development Agency for Schools and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the guidance it issues. The extent of the Government's commitment to supporting children in schools is illustrated by the fact that since 1997-98, total funding in England has increased nationally, by £1,170 per pupil from £2,940 in 1997-98 to £4,110 per pupil in 2005-06. This represents a rise of nearly 40 per cent. per pupil.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which UK non-governmental organisations have been funded by the project lines set to be combined in the Integrated Action Plan in the Field of Lifelong Learning. (80738)

The following list contains the names of UK non-governmental organisations (ie bodies which are not education institutions) funded in 2005 by the Leonardo da Vinci and Socrates programmes which will be replaced by the Lifelong Learning Programme from 2007. This is the latest year for which complete details are available.

A.D.A.P.T. (Action by Differently Abled People in Tynedale)

Age Concern Calderdale

All cultures together in education (ACTE)

An Eochair

Arch

Ballybeen Women’s Centre

Banbury Homes—Foyer

Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre

British Dyslexia Association

Business Boffins Ltd.

Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce

Cresco Trust Ltd.

Dyslexia North West

ECTARC

Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.

ENGAGE

European Multicultural Foundation

Free Form

Furniture Matters

Grampus Heritage and Training Ltd.

Institution of Mechanical Engineers

INTERGEN

InterMinds

Learning Link Scotland

My Time Ltd.

National Children’s Bureau

Northern Ireland Childminding Association

NTP Ltd.

Pathways: Inspirational development Ltd.

Plain English Society Ltd.

Radio Regen

Red2Green

Sherico Care Homes Ltd.

SWAPwest

The Forum Trust Ltd.

The Foundation for European Initiatives

The Prince’s Trust

The Smallpiece Trust

The Straight Talking Project

The Vauxhall Centre

Third Age Foundation

Toucan Europe

Tourist Board Training

TWIGS (Training for work in communities)

U-Too Community Business Ltd.

WCCVS

WEA Reach Out Project

Westden Rural Links

Workers’ Educational Association

Yorkshire and Humber Development Consortium

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many UK (a) institutions and (b) academics have been funded by the project lines which are to be combined in the Integrated Action Plan in the field of lifelong learning. (80739)

The most recent data available for 2004/05 show that 156 UK higher education institutions benefited from the Erasmus programme. 1,304 teacher visits took place under the programme. This will become a part of the new action programme in the field of lifelong learning from the beginning of 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the teaching on non-EU languages as part of the EU integrated action plan in the field of Lifelong Learning. (80740)

The proposed Lifelong Learning programme will support the teaching of non-EU languages. It will provide for community funds to support projects and the production of materials for teaching and learning world languages such as Chinese, as well as the languages of our minority ethnic communities and indigenous regional languages such as Welsh and Gaelic. This is in line with our own national languages strategy, and support offered nationally by our new voluntary languages recognition scheme, the languages ladder.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the development of the (a) Jean Monnet programme and (b) Erasmus Mundus programme as part of the EU integrated action plan in the field of lifelong learning. (80741)

We welcome the continuation of the Jean Monnet project under the new action programme in the field of lifelong learning and believe that it can continue to be of direct benefit to UK higher education institutions by providing funding towards academic posts and course modules. The Erasmus Mundus programme is a separate programme running until 2008 and there are currently no plans to integrate it in the new action programme in the field of lifelong learning.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the involvement of non-EU countries as part of the EU integrated action plan in the field of lifelong learning. (80742)

The European Union's proposed action programme in the field of lifelong learning seeks to contribute to the development of the Community as an advanced knowledge society by fostering interchange cooperation and mobility between education and training systems. Intercultural dialogue and exchange are key elements of the programme, and so membership is rightly not limited to the EU member states, but also includes the EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. In addition, Switzerland and the countries of the Western Balkans will be able to participate once bilateral agreements are concluded. Finally, the Jean Monnet sub-programme allows participation of higher education institutions in any other third country.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the Integrated Action Plan in the Field of Lifelong Learning with sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996, with particular reference to the teaching of viewpoints on European integration; and if he will make a statement. (80743)

The European Union's proposed action programme in the field of lifelong learning seeks to contribute to the development of the Community as an advanced knowledge society by fostering interchange cooperation and mobility between education and training systems.

The programme has no bearing on sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996. The programme does not promote partisan political activities. DFES policy is to teach about the nature and roles of all democratic institutions, including the European Union, as well as the UK Parliament, United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, and the Commonwealth.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what legal obligations arise for his Department from Article 1 (3)(C) of the Integrated Action Plan in the Field of Lifelong Learning; and if he will make a statement. (80744)

The Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an action programme in the field of lifelong learning is legally binding on member states, as are all decisions. Article 1(3)(C) of the Decision states that a specific objective of the programme is to help improve the quality, attractiveness and accessibility of the opportunities for lifelong learning available within member states, which is in line with DfES policy. As Article 4 of the Decision makes clear, the Lifelong Learning Programme is aimed at supporting and supplementing action at member state level, and fully respects the responsibility of member states for the content of their education and training systems.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the proposed Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning; and whether he plans to incorporate them into the national curriculum. (79931)

This Recommendation forms part of EU Education Ministers' response to the Lisbon Agenda and makes a reasonable and well balanced addition to the tools which the 25 member states have at their disposal when looking how best to modernise and reform their education and training systems.

The UK's policies already incorporate many aspects of this Recommendation and we have no plans to change the national curriculum in the light of the Recommendation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator in solving disagreements between students and universities; and if he will make a statement. (80595)

The provisions of the Higher Education Act 2004 require the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) to produce an annual report which must include information about:

the complaints referred under the scheme;

the decisions and recommendations made by reviewers;

the extent to which recommendations made by the reviewers have been followed; and

the way in which the operator has used the fees paid in connection with the scheme.

We receive and monitor this information regularly and I will make an assessment on the basis of the OIA's annual report which will be published later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) grants and (b) training schemes are available through his Department (i) for people over 55 years and (ii) for people in retirement to learn new job skills. (80745)

In England the priorities for public funding of adult learning are to help those adults without the skills for life and employability, regardless of age. Tuition in literacy and numeracy is free and there will be an entitlement to free tuition for a first full level 2 qualification across England from September this year for all adults irrespective of age. All adults can access a wide range of training courses offered by further education college and other FE providers where, currently, on average 72.5 per cent. of the tuition costs of courses are met by public funding through the Learning and Skills Council. In addition all those on income related benefits and their families are eligible for free tuition on further education courses.

There is also financial support to meet the costs of learning, such as books, equipment, child care and transport; it is discretionary, disbursed by colleges and targeted on the most disadvantaged and needy regardless of age. The Adult Learning Grant offers an entitlement of up to £30 per week to individuals on low income undertaking a first full level 2 or level 3 qualification. From September 2006 this will be available to adults aged 19 plus in 24 of the 47 LSC areas, and nationally from September 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people started studying for a degree on a part-time basis in each of the last 10 years. (81342)

The available information is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people completed a degree via part-time study in each of the last 10 years. (81343)

The latest available information is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many women aged (a) 18 to 24, (b) 25 to 34, (c) 35 to 44 and (d) 45 years and over are enrolled in part-time study at universities in England. (81344)

The latest available information is given in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many trained physical education teachers there were in England in each of the last five years. (81219)

Information on the number of teachers teaching by subject and qualification is collected for England in periodic staffing surveys the last of which was conducted in November 2002.

The following tables provide the available information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the collection by schools of pupils' personal data, with particular reference to fingerprints. (82201)

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 27 February 2006, Official Report, column 504W, to the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Mr. Gibb).

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the statutory duty to promote race equality in schools. (78948)

Ofsted, as the inspectorate for children and learners in England, routinely evaluates and reports to the Department on the work carried out by schools in eliminating unlawful racial discrimination. Ofsted inspection reports have found schools’ compliance with the specific duties has improved since the introduction of the statutory duty which came into force for schools in 2002. In 2005 Ofsted published a thematic inspection report Race Equality in Education identifying good practice in schools and Local Authorities. The report found areas of strength in promoting racial harmony and raising ethnic minority achievement in schools but weakness in effectively handling racist incidents.

We are working closely with the Commission for Racial Equality and Ofsted to support schools in taking forward the requirements of the Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria have to be met before a rural primary school can be closed; what process has to be followed by (a) the Government and (b) the local education authority; and what right of appeal parents have at each stage of the process. (81003)

Changes to local school organisation, including school closures, are decided under local decision-making arrangements. Ministers have no role in the process. Individual proposals are determined by the local authority if they published the proposals and there are no objections. In all other cases the proposals are decided by the local School Organisation Committee (SOC) or the schools adjudicator, if the SOC cannot reach a unanimous decision.

SOCs and schools adjudicators must have regard to Decision Makers’ Guidance issued by the Secretary of State when deciding proposals. The guidance includes a presumption against the closure of rural schools and sets out a range of factors that must be considered for the different types of proposals. For rural school closures the factors include: whether the case is strong and in the best interests of educational provision in the area; the overall effect of the closure on the local community; the transport implications and whether the possibilities of federated or extended schools to increase viability have been considered.

Where a local authority or governing body plan to close a school they must first consult interested parties, allowing sufficient time for people to consider the proposal and respond. Then, after considering views, and if they wish to proceed, the proposer must publish statutory proposals. Following publication and a six- week representation period the proposal will be decided by the appropriate decision maker. Once statutory proposals have been approved there is a duty for them to be implemented.

Parents are able to register their views on a proposal during the consultation and representation periods. Any comments made during the representation period are taken into account when the final decision is taken on the proposal. More information can be found on the Department’s School Organisation website at www.dfes.gov.uk/schoolorg

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) if he will take steps to increase the amount of time allocated to sport in schools in the national curriculum; (81220)

Head teachers are responsible for curriculum planning and it is for them to decide how much time they devote to physical education and sport in the national curriculum. The Department for Education and Skills shares an ambitious PSA target with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to increase the percentage of five to 16-year-olds who take part in at least two hours high quality PE and school sport each week, to 75 per cent. by 2006 and on to 85 per cent. by 2008. The long term aim, by 2010, is for all children to be offered at least four hours of sport every week. This will comprise at least two hours high quality PE and sport at school and the opportunity for at least a further two to three hours beyond the school day, delivered by a range of school, community and club providers.

The annual National School Sport Survey is our prime tool for measuring progress towards these targets. The results of the 2004/05 survey showed that schools in school sport partnerships provided, on average, 15 different sports for their pupils. These ranged from football, which was provided by 97 per cent. of schools, to less traditional sports like rowing, bowls and squash. The results of the survey were published in September 2005 and copies were placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his Answer of 22 May 2006, Official Report, column 1373W, on school finance, when he expects the information to be available. (80625)

In my reply to the hon. Member's earlier question to which he refers I explained that the Department is awaiting a complete dataset relating to the 2006-07 financial year. The Department now has the full dataset but is in the process of validating it. I will write to the hon. Member once the checks have been completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made towards implementing the recommendations of the Egan review of skills for sustainable communities. (79288)

I have been asked to reply.

Sir John Egan was commissioned in April 2003 by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister to review the skills and training required to deliver sustainable communities. His “Review of Skills for Sustainable Communities” was published in April 2004. His key recommendation was the formation of a national centre to drive forward a new integrated approach to skills development.

The Government responded by establishing the Academy for Sustainable Communities (ASC) to improve the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to deliver and maintain sustainable communities across the country. The ASC's aim is to challenge the tendency to adopt a silo approach by encouraging greater cross-profession and cross-organisation working. It focuses in particular on broader, generic skills such as project management, visioning, communication, partnership working and community engagement.

It is not a major training provider but rather looks to influence other providers and to lead the market where gaps exist. Through the establishment of a learning framework and resource hub, it will inform and spread best practice across the range of sustainable communities' issues and professions.

The ASC is also working with partners in the EU to identify generic skills gaps across Europe and share good practice between member states. It will host a European Skills Symposium in Leeds in November 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to his answer of 20 June 2006, Official Report, column 1763W, on abortion, if he will require organisations which he funds to sign a statement that they do not support or participate in coercive abortion or involuntary sterilisation as a condition to further funding; and if he will make a statement. (81161)

DFID does not provide funds to organisations that support or participate in coercive abortion or sterilisation. We do not intend to request organisations which are funded by DFID to sign such a statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the average cost to his Department was of replying to a letter written (a) by an hon. Member and (b) by a member of the public in the latest period for which figures are available; and how much of that sum is accounted for by (i) officials' time, (ii) cost of stationery and (iii) postage costs. (80487)

The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members/ Peers correspondence. The Report for 2005 was published on 30 March 2006, Official Report, columns 76-78WS.

The information requested is not recorded and could be obtained only by incurring a disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what resources his Department will be providing as its commitment to the Darfur-Darfur dialogue. (81313)

DFID is already providing support for the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), of which the Darfur-Darfur Dialogue and Consultation (DDDC) forms a part. The DDDC will play an important role in promulgating the DPA and starting the process of reconciliation in Darfur. We are already engaging on publicity work and capacity building for the African Union and the rebel faction which signed the agreement. We are encouraging the African Union to begin holding meetings of the preparatory committee for the DDDC and we stand ready to support it if asked to do so by the organisers.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact of the withdrawal of British direct budgetary support to the Ethiopian Government on the human rights situation in Ethiopia; and if he will make a statement. (80617)

We withdrew our direct budget support because the Government of Ethiopia breached one of the three commitments underlying our aid partnership—respect for human rights. As set out in our 2005 conditionality policy, a violation of any one commitment could lead to aid being interrupted, withdrawn or delivered in a different way.

We have, therefore, not carried out a formal assessment of the impact of the withdrawal of British budget support on the human rights situation in Ethiopia; however, we are determined to see an improvement. We monitor the human rights situation closely, and many of those detained last November have now been released and an inquiry into the events of June and November 2005 has also been launched by the Government of Ethiopia. We await its conclusions.

All donors have agreed that the development partnership needs a greater focus on governance and human rights. This involves developing programmes to support governance reforms, but it also involves insisting on an open dialogue between government and donors on governance issues. This has begun.

In order to minimise the impact of withdrawing general budget support on the poor, we have developed with the World Bank a new Protection of Basic Services (PBS) grant. The aim is to protect and promote the delivery of basic services by local government in Ethiopia while making the administration of local services much more transparent and accountable to people at the local level.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the EU's aid efforts on water and sanitation. (79560)

The EU, that is the 25 member states and the European Commission, is the largest donor on water and sanitation in Africa, spending over £1.4 billion in the sector in 2003-04. The EU Water Initiative was set up to co-ordinate these efforts, identify gaps and ensure that the money we spend is used more effectively to deliver services to the poor. The UK attaches great importance to more and better aid for water and sanitation, particularly in sub- Saharan Africa where the MDG targets for access to these basic services are so off track.

There has, however, been concern that political commitment to the EU Water Initiative has declined and that it is not delivering its objectives. A further problem is that with very limited monitoring and reporting mechanisms it has not been sufficiently accountable to its stakeholders. We have therefore raised these issues in the EU Water Initiative Steering Group and are now working with a number of other member states to reinvigorate the initiative, including developing proper indicators for monitoring and improving the focus of work in partner countries. We hope this will lead to renewed political commitment and better implementation on the ground.

The EU Consensus on Development, agreed during the UK Presidency, referred to the EU Water Initiative and the importance of increased aid more broadly. In addition, the EU-Africa Strategy also included a reference to access to water supply and sanitation. In raising the political profile of water and sanitation through these policy documents, we hope that other member states will be encouraged to increase their support to the sector, particularly as their levels of development funding increase.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effect on health services in developing countries of health worker migration from those countries to the UK. (81830)

International health worker migration is a complex issue and one that the UK takes seriously. Some low-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, have less than one health worker per 1,000 population. The proportion of African doctors who leave is very significant. Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Zambia lose between a third and a half of the doctors they train to international migration. This rapid increase in health worker migration has been partly due to staff leaving their country for greener pastures. As a result the UK has been criticised for employing workers from developing countries. However, poor working conditions, poor salaries and a lack of training and opportunity for advancement have meant that many staff in developing countries leave the public health service. In addition to this, loss of staff through AIDS has depleted many health services.

The UK NHS has responded by putting in place policies to prevent active international recruitment of health care professionals. The UK is the only developed country to have a code of practice preventing its national health service from targeting health care professionals from developing countries. While the code on its own cannot address all the root causes of migration, it plays an important role in ensuring that recruitment is undertaken in an ethical, managed way. In addition to this, DFID supports efforts to strengthen health services in many countries, including to increase human resources. For example, DFID is providing £100 million over six years to support the Government of Malawi's health sector programme, which includes doubling the number of nurses and tripling the number of doctors over the next six years.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the UK has allocated to the Iraqi health care system since 2003. (81011)

Improving health care is a priority for Iraq's reconstruction and for the Iraqi people's quality of life. In the health sector, DFID has given funding directly to specialist organisations. Since 2003, we have provided:

£5 million to the World Health Organisation for emergency medical supplies, support to clinics and hospitals in Baghdad and Basra, and support to the Iraqi Government's Ministry of Health.

£30 million to the UN Trust Fund, which was earmarked for spending on health, education, water, sanitation, electricity, refugees, mine action, governance and electoral support.

£40 million to the World Bank Trust Fund, which funds reconstruction work in a number of areas including health.

£85 million to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNICEF, in response to the UN Emergency Appeals launched in March and June 2003, to help avert major humanitarian crisis, and to assist in the restoration of essential services, including primary and child health care.

£32 million to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent (IRRC) movement for their Humanitarian Appeals from 2003 to 2006, for emergency rehabilitation and repair of health, water and sanitation facilities.

£7.2 million to NGOs for their post-conflict humanitarian work in Iraq, in a number of sectors including health and nutrition.

During 2004-05, DFID also supported the secondment of a senior adviser from the UK's Department of Health, who provided technical assistance to the Iraqi Ministry of Health in Baghdad.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of Iraq's progress towards the UN Millennium Development Goals. (81012)

Monitoring progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is the responsibility of the UN, and DFID uses their official assessments. The recently published United Nations Millennium Development Goals Report is a comprehensive account of progress to date on each of the goals worldwide, and how great an effort remains necessary to meet them. It can be found at:

http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mi/mi_dev_report.htm

It is difficult to assess progress towards the MDGs in Iraq accurately, due to lack of official data. However, UNICEF is currently conducting a Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey in Iraq, which will collect data on the MDGs. The results of this survey, expected to issue by the end of 2006, will enable the Government of Iraq and the international community to take better stock of Iraq's progress towards the MDGs. DFID's most recent analysis of the available data on the MDGs in Iraq, conducted in February 2006, identifies the following:

Child malnutrition rose from 12 per cent. in 1991 to 16 per cent. in 2000.

Primary school completion rates fell from 62 per cent. in 1988 to 56 per cent. in 1999.

Women's representation in Parliament fell from 11 per cent. in 1990 to 8 per cent. in 2003. But in Iraq's new Parliament, elected in December 2005, just over 25 per cent. of representatives are women.

Under-5 mortality rose from 50 deaths per 1,000 births in 1990 to 125 deaths per 1,000 births in 2003.

Numbers of children immunised against measles rose from 80 per cent. of children in 1990 to 90 per cent. of children in 2003.

The number of births attended by health staff rose from 54 per cent. in 1989 to 72 per cent. in 2000.

Deaths from tuberculosis (TB) rose from 21 deaths per 100,000 in 1990 to 33 deaths per 100,000 in 2003.

The proportion of people with access to drinking water remained stable at around 83 per cent. between 1990 and 2004.

The proportion of people with access to sanitation fell from 81 per cent. in 1990 to 64 per cent. in 2004.

Gender equality remained stable between 1990 and 2002, at around 82 girls for every 100 boys in primary school.

The proportion of slum dwellers in Iraqi cities remained stable between 1990 and 2001 at 43 per cent.

Iraq's forest cover has remained stable between 1990 and 2000, at around 2 per cent.

In all cases, the end year quoted is the last year for which data were available.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the level of British contributions to (a) each multilateral aid and development agency and (b) agencies concerned with abortion and reproductive health issues (i) is in 2006-07, (ii) was in 2005-06 and (iii) is planned for 2007-08. (80206)

The 2005-06 estimated outturn of the level of core DFID contributions to each of the multilateral aid and development agencies is given in the following table. Core commitment figures for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are still under negotiation individually.

Entries highlighted * indicate organisations involved in the provision of reproductive health services or programming. Exact reproductive health expenditure data for each agency cannot be provided without incurring a disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his assessment is of the current strength and quality of the Afghan National Army; and if he will make a statement. (81139)

Around 28,200 Afghan National Army soldiers have been trained and equipped under a US-led development programme. The five Afghan National Army regional commands are now operational. Afghan troops, supported by the UK’s operational mentor and liaison team, have already performed well alongside UK forces in the south of Afghanistan.

The international community is investing significant resources in increasing the Afghan National Army’s capability still further. The UK’s contribution to this includes non-commissioned officer and junior officer training in Kabul, and an operational mentor and liaison team in Helmand.