Written Answers to Questions
Monday 9 October 2006
Culture, Media and Sport
Tote
My Department has been in discussion with a racing consortium regarding the sale of the Tote at full market value.
Unfortunately we have not been able to reach an agreement with the consortium.
We will announce shortly how we intend to meet the intentions of the manifesto—achieving value for money for the taxpayer and recognising racing’s interest in the Tote.
Sport at School
The results of the 2005-06 school sport survey will be published in the near future.
We are confident that we are on track to meet the 2006 PSA target of 75 per cent. of 5 to 16-year-olds who spend at least two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport, within and beyond the curriculum.
The 2004-05 School Sport Survey showed an 11 per cent. increase in the percentage of children in school sport partnerships spending at least two hours in a typical week on school sport.
Digital Television
Ofcom estimates that over 80 per cent. of households in Dundee currently have access to digital terrestrial television.
Digital TV take-up in Scottish regions is 66 per cent.
Ofcom estimates that around two thirds of homes in the Forest of Dean constituency currently receive digital terrestrial services. The majority of homes are able to receive digital TV via satellite, using appropriate equipment.
Three quarters of UK households are able to receive digital terrestrial television. Digital switchover will allow all those who currently receive a good analogue signal to receive digital TV via an aerial, ensuring that the vast majority of people have a choice of digital platform.
We recognise the importance of ensuring that digital services are readily accessible from new-build housing, and my officials are working with others in Government on the production of good practice guidance in this area for house builders.
According to Digital UK, in Q2 2006, awareness of digital switchover in the ITV regions covering the South West was as follows:
ITV region Percentage West country 77 West 175 Central 66 1 Small base size, to be viewed as indicative only.
Information is not available by parliamentary constituency.
We estimate that around 7 million UK households will qualify for assistance from the digital switchover help scheme between 2008 and 2012. This represents around 25 per cent. of all UK households by 2012.
Ofcom calculate digital terrestrial television coverage using a computer model dividing the UK into units of 50 metre squares using a database with details of all UK transmitter locations, frequencies, heights and powers. The model also makes assumptions about the height and condition of viewers’ aerials, the effects of incoming interference from distant UK and continental transmitters.
The digital terrestrial television network cannot be extended before digital switchover as additional transmitters would interfere with the existing analogue signals.
DCMS does not hold specific information for Blaenau Gwent.
Research for Ofcom/Digital UK Switchover Tracker, which measures readiness for switchover in each region, demonstrates Wales has one of the highest levels of switchover awareness (71 per cent.). Wales has the highest take-up of digital television in any UK region. As of March 2006, 80 per cent. of Welsh households already had digital TV (Ofcom, Q1 2006).
Online Gambling
Since 1997 there have been no prosecutions for violating the advertising provisions of the 1968 Gaming Act.
The joint DCMS/Gambling Commission guidance on remote gambling advertising has led to a dramatic reduction in offensive adverts.
BBC
The new arrangements for BBC governance take full effect from 1 January. The separation of the Trust from the executive board will strengthen the BBC's independence from Government and its accountability to licence fee payers.
Travelling Circuses
The Government remain committed to evaluating the impact of the new licensing requirements on travelling circuses after their first season of operating under the new regime.
I look forward to meeting the hon. Member shortly to discuss these issues with him.
Olympic Games
A Nations and Regions Group (NRG) has been established to provide leadership and strategic direction in ensuring that the whole of the UK is engaged with and benefits from the 2012 Games. Local authorities are represented on the working groups which, in each nation and region, are developing a delivery plan to ensure that these opportunities are realised.
This has been one proposal for widening access to the 2012 Games that has been put forward within the Department in the context of the consultation that was launched on 19 July. We want to encourage the widest possible debate about how we might maximise all our valuable assets, while recognising that all proposals need to fit in with existing infrastructure and plans for the Games. But no decisions have been taken at this stage.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Wellingborough (Mr. Bone) on 26 April 2006, Official Report, columns 1133-34W. Decisions on the future use and location of all of the temporary venues constructed for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will be made on a needs basis, in close consultation with the Home Country Sports Councils and UK Sport, closer to 2012.
The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff will host group stages of the football competition in the 2012 Olympic Games.
Wales also has venues that could be used to provide facilities for pre-Games training and for the holding camps that a country’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) and/or National Paralympic Committee (NPC) may choose to set up prior to the Games.
In order to assist NOCs and NPCs, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) is putting together a ‘Pre-Games Training Camp Guide’ in which facilities in the UK that have been selected as providing a suitable training environment are listed by location and by sport.
Applications to have a facility listed in the Pre-Games Training Camp Guide can be made on the London 2012 website: www.london2012.com/trainingcamps. They will then be collated at regional level and a proposed list of facilities submitted to LOCOG for final selection. The guide will be distributed to NOCs and NPCs in July 2008.
The information is as follows.
(a) The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport plans to meet periodically with the Secretary of State for Wales to review progress towards maximising the benefits to Wales of the 2012 games. Additionally, as Sports Minister, I have met with Alun Pugh on a number of occasions.
(b) A Nations and Regions Group (NRG), has been established to provide leadership and strategic direction in ensuring that the whole of the UK is engaged and makes the most of the opportunities to benefit from the games in 2012. Each nation and region, including Wales, is represented on the NRG and is developing a delivery plan to ensure that it gains the maximum benefits from the games and its legacy.
The Welsh Steering Group for the London 2012 games has also been established to create a direct link with the work of the London 2012 organising committee, DCMS, and wider organisations in Wales. Officials from the Steering Group represent Welsh interests on the Nations and Regions Group.
We commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to produce an Olympic Games Impact Study (OGIS) to assess the net benefits of hosting the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012 in social and economic terms to London and the UK. This study (published in December 2005) shows there are likely to be significant benefits for the UK.
Through the Nations and Regions Group we will work with regional development agencies and other key regional bodies to develop plans and strategies to maximise these opportunities.
The OGIS report can be accessed on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport website at: www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications/archive_2005/ogis
The Olympic Park legacy will include affordable housing, including a mix of social rented and intermediate housing (like shared ownership), as set out in local and regional planning policy documents. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) will make a new planning application for elements of the Olympic Village located outside of Stratford City, at Clays Lane in January, and they will work with the Olympic Village development partner to determine the level and type of affordable housing.
There will also be legacy applications for housing on other areas of the Park, and the content of these will be discussed between relevant parties, including the ODA, London Development Agency, London Thames Gateway Development Corporation and others. My Department will continue to work with Government colleagues to ensure that affordable housing of all kinds is included within this legacy.
We have established a Nations and Regions Group which draws together key players from each of the English regions and the devolved Administrations to ensure the whole of the UK is involved in and can maximise the opportunities of the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
Each region has established a working group as a focal point for planning for the Games. These working groups bring together key regional bodies such as Regional Development Agencies, Regional Sports Boards, Regional Cultural Consortia and local authorities to ensure effective joint working on preparations for the 2012 Games, including the recent ‘Be Part of 2012’ Roadshow which toured the UK during July, engaging local communities and businesses.
The London Development Agency (LDA), in consultation with the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), is responsible for the assembly and remediation of the land for the Olympic Park site in Stratford.
Initial site investigation and desk-top research work, undertaken by the LDA in support of the Olympic and Legacy Planning Applications, identified some contamination within the footprint of the Olympic Park area. Site investigations are currently being carried out, in accordance with industry best practice, to identify the exact type and concentrations of contamination. The investigations are following principles set out in the Intrusive Investigation Method Statement approved by the London boroughs of Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest, the Environment Agency and British Waterways, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
The process of characterising the nature of ground conditions within the Olympic Park is ongoing and is not due for completion for many months. Although the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will be working closely with the LDA and ODA throughout the exercise, the reports will be commissioned by those bodies.
Security considerations have been written into design work at every stage of the plans and remain of the utmost importance. Though security was not a primary driver for the recent changes to the plans, all alterations that were made by the Olympic Delivery Authority were done so in consultation with the relevant Government agencies, including the Home Office, which leads on security issues in relation to the Games.
TV Licences
The Government have introduced free licences for people aged 75 or over and increased the discount for registered blind people to 50 per cent. of the licence fee, as well as retaining the accommodation for residential care scheme for retired people aged 60 or over and disabled people. We reviewed the concessionary arrangements as part of BBC Charter Review but, for the reasons set out in the White Paper published in March this year, we have no plans for any changes to the existing concessions.
The BBC, as television licensing authority, is responsible for interpreting the television licensing regulations and for determining licensing requirements in specific circumstances. However, the general position is that free television licences are not available for second addresses, whether permanent or short-term. A person aged 75 or over who is ordinarily resident in a care home that qualifies for the communal Accommodation for Residential Care (ARC) concessionary licence does not need a separate television licence and the standard fee of £5 per unit of accommodation is waived for their accommodation. An over-75 living in a care home that does not qualify for the ARC concession would be entitled to their own free television licence.
Ticket Touting
In the last few months we have brought together a wide range of interested parties including from sports and from the primary and secondary ticketing industry as well as internet auction sites to discuss how to clamp down on ticket touting and provide ticket selling arrangements in the best interest of fans and the wider public. The Secretary of State has chaired three meetings and a further one is planned for December. In support of this my Department is undertaking research into consumer and other stakeholder opinions and is liaising closely with the Department of Trade and Industry and other public agencies to ensure that relevant legislation and other measures provide as good a regime as possible for the elimination of touting and the encouragement of good ticketing practice.
I will be reporting the outcome of this work as soon as possible next year.
Freeview
Ofcom estimates that over 80 per cent. of households in Wirral currently have access to digital terrestrial television.
Digital TV take-up in the Granada region is 74 per cent.
Agency Staff
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport use the Sammons Group and Adecco employment agencies to provide temporary staff. Average hourly rates in the year to 31 March 2006 were £14.50 for Sammons and £13.96 for Adecco. Information for earlier years is not available without disproportionate cost to the Department and its employment agencies.
Authorised Version
There are no plans in place to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the publication of the Authorised Version of the Scriptures in 2011.
Casinos
[holding answer 12 July 2006]: DCMS Ministers have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
The Department has not received any representations from Manchester residents opposed to a regional casino in Manchester. All representations relating to bids by local authorities for the right to issue the one regional casino premises licence permitted by the Gambling Act 2005 have been made to the Casino Advisory Panel, which is operating independently of the Department.
A summary of representations received by the panel both for and against a regional casino in Manchester is available on the Casino Advisory Panel's website (www.culture.gov.uk/cap<http://www.culture.gov.uk/cap>).
Child Protection in Sport
Over 2005-06, the Child Protection in Sport Unit received £227,000 of Exchequer funding from Sport England.
Connections Through Culture
China-UK: Connections through Culture is a joint initiative between the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the British Council with support from the Scottish Executive. A study has been completed to consider how best to develop further cultural co-operation between the UK and China, including diplomatic and trade ties.
Criminal Injuries Compensation
As indicated in the previous answer, the Government will make an announcement on this subject in the near future.
Criminal Offences
At 27 July 2006 no new criminal offences have been created by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport by Order in Council since 1997. Existing criminal offences have been extended to the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man by the following Orders in Council:
Broadcasting (Guernsey) Order 2003 (SI 2003/3192)
The offences in section 13(1) and section 97(1) of the Broadcasting Act 1990 were extended to Guernsey.
Broadcasting (Isle of Man) Order 2003 (SI 2003/3193)
The offence in section 13(1) of the Broadcasting Act 1990 was extended to the Isle of Man.
Broadcasting (Jersey) Order 2003
The offences in section 13(1) and section 97(1) of the Broadcasting Act 1990 were extended to Jersey.
Wireless Telegraphy (Jersey) Order 2003
The offences in sections 168 to 173 of the Broadcasting Act 1990 were extended to Jersey.
Broadcasting and Communications (Jersey) Order 2004
The offences in section 363(2) and 366(8) of the Communications Act 2003 were extended to Jersey.
Members should consult the texts of the Acts for full details of the offences.
Departmental Child care Facilities
(2) whether there are waiting lists for places at child care facilities which her Department provides for its employees;
(3) which of her Department's main premises have child care facilities on site.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport provides a range of support for people with child care needs.
The Department participates in the Westminster holiday play scheme which is run at four central London sites. This scheme costs £25 per day per child, of which the Department subsidises half. There is not a set number of allocated places to the Department and places are offered on a first come, first served basis. Waiting lists for these places occur if a date and site become over-subscribed. The Department does not have on-site child care facilities at any of its own premises.
The Department also offers child care vouchers through a salary sacrifice scheme to provide parents with maximum flexibility in choosing the child care most suited to their needs. DCMS meets the cost of administration which is 5.5 per cent of the value of vouchers taken by staff. Currently there are nine members of staff who take advantage of this scheme.
The Department has also introduced the Family Life Solutions service for all staff (a free and confidential telephone helpline service offering support to people with caring responsibilities and information on a range of issues, including child care). The cost of this for the Department is approximately £1,500 per year for 520 staff.
Departmental Publications
The publications produced by the Department since 1 July 2005 are listed in the table:
Title Cost (£) Amount Gambling Act 2005: What it means for Licensing Authorities 769.31 3,000 copies Listing Criteria—Public Consultation 2,346.44 1,000 copies Ecclesiastical Exemption 581.62 n/a pdf only About Us (Amendments and reprint) 1,375 2,500 copies Hague Convention Consultation 5,549.34 1,000 copies Marine Consultation—Analysis of responses 581.62 n/a pdf only Treasure Annual Report 28,581.71 3,000 copies Museums Acquisitions 2,976.80 1,000 copies Human Remains Code of Practice 3,984.31 500 copies Open House Leaflet 368.00 2,500 copies Total Reward Leaflet 2,209.00 600 copies Gambling Act: Transitional Arrangements Consultation 1,233.7 n/a pdf only Spoliation Advisory Panel—Ashmolean Report 3,164.00 180 copies Sustainable Development Plan 2,955.50 800 copies DCMS Annual Report (TSO) 46,229.30 1,500 copies Laying the Foundations 12,992.00 3,000 copies Abolition of Slavery leaflet 1,861.47 3,000 copies Lottery Good Causes Consultation 1,143.25 4,000 copies Nurturing Creativity in Young People 1,4310 1000 copies Digital Housing Project (reprint) 1,350 5000 copies Communicating with the over 65 years: Desk Research document 1,010.50 n/a online Government Response to Select Committee Report about Digital Switchover 1,634 100 copies Digital Expert Group report document 503 n/a online Digital Expert Group report (July 2006) document 457.50 n/a online Gambling Act: Fees document 1,545 n/a online The role of higher and further education in the Creative Industries full document 4,180 700 copies The role of higher and further education in the Creative Industries A4 summary 1,138 500 copies The role of higher and further education in the Creative Industries flyer 920 1,500 copies Market for Art: Government reply to 6th report CMS committee—type setting and printing 1,580.00 100 copies Report on Theatre: Government response to CMS committee typesetting + printing 1,690.00 120 copies Public Libraries: Government response to CMS select Committee, typesetting + printing 1,910.00 200 copies DCMS Resource Accounts 4,619.49 200 copies Export of objects of cultural interest 12,243 700 copies National Lottery Dist fund typesetting/printing 2,326.00 500 copies Government response to committee report on charter review—type setting and printing 1,544.00 100 copies Spoliation Advisory Panel report 3,164.00 180 copies BBC White Paper 15,311.90 3,000 copies Broadcasting Cricket document typeset and print 3,164.00 200 copies Spoliation Advisory Panel/4 drawings 1,740.00 100 copies Government response to Lords Select Committee on charter Review 1,544.00 150 copies DCMS Business Plan reprint 1,000 copies 1,350.00 1,000 copies Dynamic Action Plan 1,540.00 5,000 copies Dance Link brochure: Design, Artwork + print 11,912.00 20,000 copies DCMS Business Plan 2006-07 3,503 2,000 copies BBC Charter White Paper 17,765 2,000 copies BBC Draft Royal Charter and Framework Agreement 2,760 120 copies BBC Revised Draft Royal Charter & BBC Revised Draft Framework Agreement 2,227 100 copies BBC Further Revised Draft Royal Charter 330 175 copies Sustainable Development Action Plan 2,812 800 copies Working Together: local authorities and DCMS 8,043 25,000 copies Tourism Consultation document 8,500 5,000 copies
Departmental Staff
The proportion of staff employed in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport recorded as disabled is 3 per cent. and in the Royal Parks Agency 1.5 per cent. The Department and its Agency collect disability data on the basis of voluntary self-classification. Recruitment since April 2005 has been limited and data on the number of disabled staff employed cannot be released as numbers less than five are suppressed to protect confidentiality.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport collects disability data on the basis of voluntary self-classification. Data on the number of disabled staff hired, the percentage of the overall workforce and leavers in each of the last five years since April 2006 cannot be released as numbers less than five are suppressed to protect confidentiality.
The Department does not provide tax-efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles for staff. We provide interest-free loans for the purchase of bicycles.
We have recently upgraded our on-site facilities for cyclists including provision of additional bicycle racks and upgraded shower facilities. We provide parking spaces for disabled staff.
At 25 July 2006 no employee of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport had been dismissed, suspended or subject to disciplinary action for criminal activity since 1997.
Digital Television (Unsolicited Messages)
The matters raised are the responsibility of the Office of Communications as independent regulator. Officials have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to respond directly. Copies of the Chief Executive’s letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Gambling
The Gambling Commission is still considering responses to its consultation document Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, (published in March 2006), so the number of provisions to be included in the Commission’s social responsibility codes for each type of licensed operator is still to be finalised. The Commission is aiming to publish its response to the consultation document and the final codes of practice and conditions on social responsibility by the end of October 2006.
Independent European Football Review
My officials continue to consult with the football authorities, the Central Council of Physical Recreation, other Departments and the devolved Administrations.
We anticipate that discussions about the review will continue at a number of levels for the foreseeable future, including at the Sports Ministers Conference during the Finnish presidency in November.
Intellectual Property
To date the Department has not discussed these issues with the Gowers review team.
Libraries
In 2003 the Department published Framework for the Future, its national strategy for public libraries over the next 10 years. Since then the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) has devised and led on an action plan to take forward its recommendations. Over the last 12 months the MLA has undertaken a considerable number of activities to help individual library authorities improve their services. These have included publishing several reports such as on improved stock procurement by libraries, and on how libraries might engage more fully with their local communities together with a toolkit to help them do so. Programmes of leadership training and peer reviews of individual library authorities have continued and a review of the Public Library Service Standards has been instituted.
A full list of its activities is contained in the latest quarterly monitoring report (to June 2006) to be found on the MLA website at http://www.mla.gov.uk/website/programmes/framework/background/background A new action plan setting out the MLA’s proposed activities over the period 2006 to 2008 may also be found there.
The Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Expenditure (CIPFA) estimates that the following sums of capital expenditure were spent on public library refurbishments between 1997-98 and 2004-05.
£ 1997-98 7,248,043 1998-99 8,378,576 1999-2000 8,628,365 2000-01 10,328,347 2001-02 20,091,390 2002-03 21,050,013 2003-04 16,675,414 2004-05 26,357,075
These figures show that capital expenditure has increased from £7.2 million (over £8.5 million in 2004-05 prices) to over £26 million. This represents a three fold uplift across the period in real terms.
In 2001 my Department introduced the Public Library standards, to help to define local authorities' statutory duty. Two of these standards have regard to the lending stock held by libraries, setting targets for items added to the collections through purchase per 1,000 population, and time taken to replenish the stock. Since 2001 there has been significant improvement in these areas primed by these standards, which both aim to encourage the quantity, freshness and condition of the stock that library users find when they visit.
Reader development organisation Opening the Book has been joint funded by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), Arts Council England and the Audit Commission to deliver a stock quality health check of public libraries. This looks in detail at the range and depth of adult fiction and poetry stock in public libraries, and the findings are made available online (www.stockquality.org/stockquality/). This tool continues to enable them to compare themselves with other authorities—105 of the 149 English authorities did so last year—and to understand how their existing book selection systems might align their purchasing more closely with the varying needs of local communities.
The MLA has also developed a national book purchasing model for public libraries. This was published in August this year under the title Better Stock, Better Libraries. The report outlines how up to 20 million of savings can be made for local authorities through joint selection and purchasing, and creates a significant opportunity for authorities to reinvest those savings in improving library services to customers, including their book stock levels. The next stage of the project will develop the proposals in detail and test them fully—including the costs, risks and benefits—before they are implemented.
The People's Network was introduced from 2002 onwards, connecting all public libraries in England to the internet through publicly accessible computers.
At the time of the Network's introduction, the intention was that it should be free universally at point of use. The majority of the 149 library authorities do not charge for public access to it. However, the decision whether or not to charge for this access rests with the individual authorities. All authorities that do charge offer concessions for particular types of user and some offer free access each day for a limited period.
The Library Buildings Survey, funded by DCMS and commissioned by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, was published on 18 September 2006.
The Survey results can be found at:
www.mla.gov.uk/website/news/press_releases/Library_Buildings_Survey_Published2
Licensing Act
The Secretary of State expects to consult on draft revised guidance to licensing authorities on the discharge of their functions under the Licensing Act 2003 shortly. The public consultation exercise will last for 12 weeks. Following consideration of responses to the consultation, we expect to issue finalised revised guidance early in 2007.
Listed Buildings
The number of properties listed at each grade is as follows:
Number Grade I 9,120 Grade II 20,955 Grade II 341,708
There are also a number of churches that are still graded under the old ABC system. These are as follows:
Number Grade A 36 Grade B 400 Grade C 278
National Lottery
There have been 72 national lottery guaranteed jackpots, or superdraws, since they were first introduced in 1995. In total, they have contributed £776,966,865 to the good causes.
There have been 72 national lottery guaranteed jackpots, or superdraws, since they were introduced on 7 January 1995. Of these, 52 took place under the first and interim licence periods, with a further 20 taking place under the second (current) licence period.
Under the first and interim licence periods, funding for superdraws was taken from the prize target shortfall. The shortfall was the difference between the amount of revenue that Camelot’s 1994 bid anticipated paying in prizes and the actual amount paid. Following the funding of the superdraw, the balance of the shortfall, together with the interest generated on it, passed in full to the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF).
Under the 2002-09 licence, which took effect on 27 January 2002, there has been a change in the way that superdraws are funded. The increased prize payout for a superdraw is now funded jointly by the NLDF and the operator (Camelot) in the proportion that they benefit from incremental sales. Since superdraws use funds which would otherwise be destined for the good causes, individual superdraw events have to be approved by the National Lottery Commission.
Portchester Castle
I have arranged for copies of the 1974 Portchester Castle Regulations to be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.
Questionnaires
The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the following information is readily available:
Questionnaires and statistical inquiries
Taking Part Survey—a continuous survey of individuals in private households collecting information on how people choose to spend their time and their views on the leisure activities and facilities available to them. Results are used to provide a robust evidence base for policy-making and to monitor participation and attendance in DCMS sectors by priority groups, reflecting our PSA3 target for 2005-08.
Total Cost: £1.47 million (2005-06), £2.7 million (2006-07)—funded by DCMS, Arts Council England, Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, Sport England and English Heritage
General Household Survey—prior to the launch of the Taking Part survey, the Department made an annual contribution to this major ONS survey. Additionally, in 2002-03, Sport England and Arts Council England jointly funded a module on the survey to collect information on individuals' participation and attendance in sporting and cultural activities.
DCMS Contribution: £16,300 (2000-01), £16,700 (2001-02), £17,200 (2002-03), £17,600 (2003-04), £18,000 (2004-05)
UK Time Use Survey—along with several other Departments, DCMS made contributions over five years relating to this large one-off survey in 2000, with surplus finances used to fund a follow-up exercise in 2005. The survey combined diary and questionnaire elements to illustrate how people in the UK spend their time.
DCMS Contribution: £30,000 (in each year 1998-99 to 2002-03)
International Passenger Survey—the Department makes an annual contribution to this survey run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Information is gathered on tourism to and from the UK and is used to meet our statutory requirement to provide tourism statistics to Eurostat.
DCMS Contribution: £1,600 (2000-01), £18,300 (2001-02), £18,900 (2002-03), £1,800 (2003-04), £20,300 (2004-05), £21,100 (2005-06)
Other Tourism Surveys—As part of a consortium, DCMS funded the last GB Day Visits Survey in 2002-03 to capture information on the volume and value of this important element of the tourism industry. Alongside results from other tourism surveys, this allows estimation of the size of the industry and monitoring of progress towards industry growth targets.
DCMS Contribution: £45,000 (2001-02)
Although DCMS does not contribute directly to their funding, two other major tourism surveys are carried out by the National Tourist Boards partly on the Department’s behalf. The UK Tourism Survey collects information on domestic overnight trips and the UK Occupancy Survey collects information on levels of occupancy in different types of accommodation. The results of both these surveys are used by the Department to meet our statutory requirement to provide tourism statistics to Eurostat.
Broadcasting Surveys—As part of its work on the BBC Charter Review and Digital Switchover, DCMS has undertaken a number of surveys of individuals.
Cost: £35,000 (2001-02), £120,000 (2004-05), £32,500 (2005-06)
Licensing Surveys—Prior to the recent change in the Licensing Act, a Liquor Licensing statistical bulletin was published by DCMS in 2004, and this is scheduled to be updated in 2007 (though reflecting changes in laws). The Department has also undertaken several small-scale ad-hoc surveys in relation to the implementation of the new Act. A survey of betting licences was also carried out in 2003.
Costs: Not separately identified.
Investigations: other departmental research projects
The Department has undertaken a number of research projects over the last few years to provide evidence to support policy. The projects since 2003-04 have been undertaken at a cost of over £1 million and include:
Project Budget (£000) Gambling prevalence 175 Arts and crime / Arts and health 95 Productivity in the music industry 100 Public libraries position statements 179 Local authority performance framework 50
Royal Parks Agency
The Royal Parks Agency has been allocated capital grants of £900,000 in 2006-07 and 2007-08. Funding for 2008-09 is subject to the outcome of the 2007 Spending Review.
Security Passes
Since 1 January 2006 a total of (a) 35 passes have been reported as lost, and (b) none stolen. Details of passes reported lost or stolen prior to 1 January 2006 are not available.
Shanghai Expo
DCMS has no current provision to fund the British pavilion at the 2010 Better City Better Life Expo in Shanghai.
South Kensington Museums
The tunnel link from South Kensington underground station is owned and managed by Transport for London, and the streetscape in the Exhibition Road area is the responsibility of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the City of Westminster, and Transport for London. Improvements to the subway, a Grade II listed structure, form an integral part of the proposed Exhibition Road project, which seeks to enhance the physical setting and connecting public spaces of the Exhibition Road area.
My Department welcomes the project, led by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea with the City of Westminster and Transport for London. I understand a bid is to be submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund to help fund the redevelopment of the tunnel link. Officials from the Department chair and provide the secretariat for the Exhibition Road Cultural Consortium, an alliance of all the cultural institutions in the Exhibition Road area associated with the project. The next meeting of the consortium is scheduled for 23 October.
Sport in the Community
The Department is committed to the provision of sport in the community, assessed through our public service agreement target of increasing levels of participation in sport by priority groups by 3 per cent. by 2008. We are implementing a range of measures to achieve this target, which will be measured through our Taking Part survey. First year results will be available by the end of this year.
By this year, the Government and the national lottery will have committed over £1 billion to develop new or refurbished public sports facilities. Sports facilities programmes such as Active England, the New Opportunities for PE and Sport initiative and the Community Club Development Programme are supporting the development of over 4,000 new or refurbished sports facilities.
Government investment in the coaching strategy between 2004 and 2008 will total £60 million with the bulk being spent on establishing a network of around 3,000 Community Sports Coaches. We are also investing £100 million in England from 2005-08 in the Community Club Development Programme assisting National Governing Bodies to develop community sports clubs to increase participation and widen access.
We have also committed £34.5 million over the next two years to the National Sports Foundation to fund a range of projects to benefit grassroots sport, and we will be encouraging the private sector to match this funding.
Sports Betting
The Government have no plans to introduce similar proposals to those outlined in the Victoria state discussion document.
The Government understand that the Victoria Department for Justice published a paper in March 2006 discussing how the Australian sports betting industry could be better regulated. It was designed to initiate discussions on allowing sports to determine if betting can take place on their events; protecting the integrity of sports on which betting takes place; and returning a percentage of all betting on sports to the benefit of those sports.
The Independent European Sport Review Report 2006 addresses a number of related issues, particularly with regard to football. The Government are considering the report and will publish its response in due course.
Sports Funding
DCMS funding for sport is primarily channelled through Sport England and UK Sport. The following table shows the funding for these bodies over the last five years.
UK Sport Sport England Exchequer Lottery Exchequer Lottery 2001-02 16,381,000 25,442,000 43,162,000 237,583,000 2002-03 15,513,000 21,463,000 80,324,000 223,742,000 2003-04 23,018,000 20,041,000 44,572,000 202,531,000 2004-05 23,089,000 21,055,000 74,455,000 189,899,000 2005-06 29,305,000 19,000,000 78,963,000 175,000,000 Total 2001-06 107,306,000 107,001,000 321,476,000 1,028,755,000
UK Sport is the Government’s lead agency for high performance sport. It is charged with leading British sport to world-class success. Its investments are primarily directed at sports and their high performance performers who compete or have the potential to compete in international sporting competitions. In addition to running the World Class Pathway Programme, UK Sport is responsible for the Talented Athletes Sponsorship Scheme (TASS), which is targeting £17 million over 2004-08 in young talent, primarily between the ages of 16 and 25. TASS 2012, a strand of TASS launched in 2005, targets funding at talented 12 to 18-year-olds with potential to win a medal in the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.
DCMS has contributed £193 million over 2002-06 to the £459 million Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) Strategy run jointly with DfES. Some £113 million of the £193 million has been channelled through Sport England and £80 million has been allocated to School Sport Partnerships directly. This funding is targeted directly at children and young people. See the following table.
£ 2001-02 0 2002-03 43,000,000 2003-04 67,000,000 2004-05 38,000,000 2005-06 45,000,000
Significant lottery funding is also spent on DCMS priorities for sport and physical activity through the New Opportunities for PE and Sport (NOPES), the Active England Programme, and School Sports Co-ordinators. NOPES and School Sports Co-ordinators primarily benefit children and young people, whereas Active England benefits the whole community. The following table sets out the funding allocated through each of these programmes over the last five years.
NOPES Active England1 School Sports Coordinators 2001-02 10,596,800 — — 2002-03 72,921,857 — 5,556,286 2003-04 131,359,522 — 8,193,277 2004-05 262,961,886 57,095,000 7,475,404 2005-06 42,143,693 17,340,289 15,664,862 1 Sport England has also allocated £31.5 million to Active England.
Sports Stadiums
UK sports stadiums are owned by a range of organisations including clubs, local authorities and trusts. Therefore, this information is not held centrally.
Television Reception (Leicester)
Precise figures for the Sutton Coldfield BBC transmitter are not recorded.
Precise figures for Leicester residents receiving television signals from Sutton Coldfield BBC transmitter are not recorded.
Television Without Frontiers Directive
The Department's partial regulatory impact assessment on the European Commission's proposal for the revision of the television without frontiers directive raised the question of costs to UK businesses. The Department's consultation on the proposal invited businesses to provide an estimate of costs. The consultation period has recently closed and we are considering the information provided. Our analysis will also take full account of the report by Rand Europe “Assessing Indirect Impacts of the EC Proposals for Video Regulation”.
Tourism
The following tables set out the number of visits to England from (i) overseas and (ii) the UK where this included an overnight stay.
million Visits (all) 1997 19.6 1998 19.9 1999 21.5 2000 21.5 2001 19.3 2002 20.5 2003 21.2 2004 23.6 2005 25.3 Source: International Passenger Survey (ONS)
million Visits (all) 1997 125.6 1998 115.4 1999 137.7 2000 140.4 2001 131.9 2002 134.9 2003 121.3 2004 101.4 2005 111.2 Source: UK Tourism Survey (National Tourist Boards). The methodology for the UKTS changed in 2005 meaning that comparisons with previous years should be treated with caution. This change occurred due to concerns with the quality of 2004 data, which is thought to be an under-representation of the true position.
In addition, a substantial number of day visits are made to, or within, England. The last leisure day visits survey in 2002-03 recorded a total of over 900 million tourism day visits to destinations in England.
TV Licensing
TV Licensing holds television licensing data as an agent for the BBC. The corporation has indicated TV Licensing does not share such information with any Government Department or agency. However there is discretion to release information in response to specific requests. Such information is released only if TV Licensing are satisfied that all relevant legal pre-conditions are met, including the requirements of the Human Rights Act 1998, the Data Protection Act 1998 and general administrative law principles.
There is no legal requirement for a person to inform TV Licensing of a change of address. However, a television licence covers the address specified in the licence. It is in the interests of the licence holder to inform TV Licensing of any change of address ensuring the television remains correctly licensed.
The BBC has statutory responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system and TV Licensing carries out the day-to-day administration under contract to the corporation. I have referred the question to the BBC’s head of revenue management and asked him to reply directly. Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
TV Local News
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had any recent discussions on this issue. However, the Government are committed to retaining a strong regional dimension to public service broadcasting, and we welcome the conclusion of Ofcom's review to maintain ITV1’s regional news obligations.
UK Antarctic Heritage Trust
In 2002, the Government, through the Government of the British Antarctic Territory, donated £70,000 to support the proposed Ross Sea heritage restoration project, developed by the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust, to secure the long- term future of the historic huts of Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton on Ross island, Antartica. There are, however, many domestic demands for protecting our heritage and insufficient funds to meet them. There is currently no further capacity to assist with overseas projects but we are continuing to explore with others what private funds might be available from British sources.
UK Film Council
The UK Film Council disperses a combination of Lottery and Grant In Aid (GIA) funding to each of the English regions through nine Regional Screen Agencies. Screen South is the agency tasked with supporting film activity in the south east of England. In each of the last five years the UK Film Council has invested in Screen South as follows:
GIA Lottery Total 2001-02 35,632 67,733 103,365 2002-03 432,000 447,267 879,267 2003-04 432,000 405,000 837,000 2004-05 432,000 305,000 737,000 2005-06 432,000 305,000 737,000
In each of the last five years Screen South has made lottery awards of:
Lottery awards (£) 2001-02 n/a 2002-03 256,671.65 2003-04 260,836.00 2004-05 244,025.11 2005-06 242,440.00 Note: Between 2001-02, the regional investment fund for England was being set up, hence the reason why we do not have any figures available for this period of time.
In addition, the difference between the lottery awarded to Screen South by UK Film Council and that given out by them can be accounted for by the time lag between funds being given by the UK Film Council and eventually drawn down by successful applicants to Screen South. It can also be attributed to the overheads of the organisation. The UK Film Council’s lottery awards to Screen South provide the core funding for the organisation and enable it to attract and administer funds from a wide range of sources.
Specifically, Screen South has invested in West Sussex as follows:
GIA Lottery Total 2001-02 n/a n/a n/a 2002-03 — 10,500 10,500 2003-04 — 8,447 8,447 2004-05 — 18,200 18,200 2005-06 — 20,125 20,125
And in Brighton and Hove as follows:
GIA Lottery Total 2001-02 n/a n/a n/a 2002-03 90,000 63,720 153,720 2003-04 73,000 47,030 120,030 2004-05 58,000 58,106 116,106 2005-06 58,000 74,850 132,850
A detailed breakdown of the projects supported by Screen East in the south-east region and in Brighton and Hove and West Sussex is included with this response. It is important to note that Brighton and Hove is a cultural hub of the region, and that the density of awards made in this area reflects the concentration of film-making activity and film makers submitting applications. A short note is also included outlining the two projects receiving direct grant in aid investment.
The UK Film Council has also made lottery awards, both directly and through its delegates Skillset and First Light, to organisations and film makers based in the South East. In each of the last five years these amounted to:
In Brighton:
Lottery awards 2001-02 407,266.00 2002-03 389,642.00 2003-04 1,004,589.00 2004-05 1,908,038.00
Beyond detailing the two projects in Brighton, which were individual and specific to the area, it has not been possible within the time or cost limit to analyse the regional impact of grant in aid funds. This is because such funds are invested in schemes and activities which take place across the region, or in the case of the British Film Institute, the whole of the UK.
I am arranging for a detailed breakdown of the projects supported by this funding to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
VisitBritain
A shortlist of high calibre has been agreed for interview later this month. Our aim is to make the appointment during the autumn.
Wembley National Stadium
Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL) is a private sector organisation. Issues relating to WNSL's financial status are matters for that organisation.
Even before opening, the stadium development has been a catalyst for investment in the wider regeneration of Wembley. An improved transport system is now in place and, new shops, new leisure and community facilities and 8,500 new homes will also help to bring a major boost to the Brent economy.
Once opened, around 7,500 permanent job opportunities will be created by economic activity directly related to the stadium. The stadium will attract around 2.5 million visitors a year, bringing an estimated annual visitor spend of £229 million to Wembley and the surrounding area.
The estimated cost to Wembley National Stadium Ltd because of cancelled events is a matter for that organisation.
The cancellation of events at Wembley stadium due to construction delays is a matter for Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL).
In March 2006, WNSL announced publicly that no major events would be held at Wembley stadium in 2006. Details of the alternative arrangements made for scheduled events at Wembley in 2006 can be found on the WNSL website at www.wembleystadium.com/pressbox/pressreleases.htm.
Issues relating to the contractual arrangements between Multiplex and Wembley National Stadium Ltd in respect of the construction of Wembley stadium are matters for those organisations.
Wembley stadium needs to hold a sports ground safety certificate. The sports ground safety certificate for Wembley stadium will include conditions designed to ensure spectator safety at that ground.
Conditions for the issue of a sports ground safety certificate are determined by the relevant certifying local authority following consultation with a number of expert organisations including local police and fire authorities.
Wembley stadium is a Football Association project and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State therefore does not meet directly with Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL), the Football Association (FA) or Multiplex to discuss construction progress.
As a stakeholder in the project she receives regular reports on construction progress and DCMS officials attend monthly progress meetings with WNSL, the FA, Sport England and the London Development Agency.
Church Commissioners
Pastoral Reorganisation
The commissioners administer the legal framework for pastoral reorganisation which enables effective deployment of the Church's resources. As part of our guidance on possibilities for pastoral provision we recently began a series of seminars to promote the Church's mission agenda and reach out with the gospel to a new generation.
Church Upkeep
We are frequently emphasising the importance of additional funds for the upkeep of places of worship, not only as important heritage buildings but also to support and enhance their substantial contribution to the life of our communities.
Equality
Like other Church bodies, the commissioners will be reviewing their activities and making necessary modifications to ensure that they comply with the new requirements to be introduced by the Equality Act 2006.
Electoral Commission Committee
Electoral Register
The Electoral Commission informs me that it has not produced any guidance on whether political parties may use the full version of the electoral register for party political fundraising purposes or for survey canvassing.
Policy Development Grant
Policy development grant (PDG) is payable by the Electoral Commission, in accordance with a scheme made by order of the Secretary of State following the submission of recommendations by the Commission, to registered parties which have at least two Members of the House of Commons who have taken the Oath and are not disqualified from sitting or voting in the House.
The Commission is required to keep the terms of the scheme under review, and to make recommendations to the Secretary of State for any variation it considers appropriate. Following the 2005 general election, the Ulster Unionist party ceased to be eligible for PDG with effect from 1 April 2006 as it no longer had the requisite qualifying number of Members in the House. The Electoral Commission recommended a revised scheme to the Secretary of State which came into effect on 1 April 2006. Under the new scheme, the same overall sum as under the previous scheme is distributed between the seven remaining eligible parties.
PDG is paid in arrears against claims submitted by eligible parties in respect of qualifying expenditure. The 2006-07 allocations and payments to date are:
Party 2006-07 allocation Total payments to date Balance remaining Conservative and Unionist Party 457,997 223,934 234,063 Democratic Unionist Party 155,786 64,666 91,120 Labour Party 457,997 0 457,997 Liberal Democrats 457,997 149,775 308,222 Plaid Cymru 151,894 54,985 96,909 Scottish National Party 162,542 117,774 44,769 Social Democratic and Labour Party 155,786 0 155,786 Total 1,999,999 611,135 1,388,864 Note: All figures rounded to the nearest pound.
Deputy Prime Minister
Admiralty House
The operation of Admiralty house is covered by a single facilities management contract. It is not possible to separately identify the actual costs of my flat from those of the building as a whole. However, for internal accounting purposes, costs are apportioned on the basis of the floor area of my flat as a proportion of the whole (at 20.7 per cent.). Figures for 2004-05 are already in the public domain.
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 19 June 2006, Official Report, column 1615W, and the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 25 July 2006, Official Report, column 1636W.
A number of works of art from the Government art collection are on display in Ministers’ official residences.
(2) what minor works took place on his flat in Admiralty house in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 25 October 2005, Official Report, column 326W.
Casinos
I have not had any such meetings with casino operators, and neither have officials in my Office. For information relating to officials’ meetings prior to Friday 5 May 2006, I refer the hon. Member to the answer which will be given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 11 July 2006, Official Report, column 1794W, to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman).
[holding answer 12 July 2006]: I have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
Council Tax
[holding answer 17 July 2006]: Responsibility for policy relating to council tax rests with the Department for Communities and Local Government.
The hon. Member may be aware that I chair the Cabinet Committee on Local and Regional Government. The Chair of a Cabinet Committee must act in a neutral way if the system is to work effectively. Departments’ views are represented by their own Ministers who attend the meetings.
Departmental Expenditure
For information relating to the financial years 2001-02 to 2005-06, I refer the hon. Member to answer which will be given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
For information relating to the financial years 2001-02 to 2005-06, I refer the hon. Member to answer which will be given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
Donated Assets Reserve
The Government publishes an annual list of gifts received by Ministers valued at more than £140, including details of which gifts were retained by Ministers personally. Information relating to 2005-06 was published on Monday 24 July and copies are available in the Library for the reference of Members.
Government Art Collection
The Government art collection holds over 13,000 works of art in a broad range of media, with displays in several hundred major Government buildings in the UK and abroad.
A 2001 painting by George Robson entitled “Marching Out” is on display in my office at 26 Whitehall.
Ministerial Meetings
[holding answer 24 July 2006]: As is usual during an official visit abroad, I met and was introduced to a number of US Government officials and industry representatives while in the USA in 2005. These included Senator Mel Martinez, Secretary Alphonso Jackson, Assistant Secretary Buddy Garcia, Secretary of State Roger Williams, Speaker Andrew Romanoff, Mr. Michael Dell, Mr. Charles Carpenter, Dr. Henry Cisneros, Mayors Will Wynn, Phil Hardberger, John Hickenlooper and Antonio Villaraigosa.
Records of telephone conversations are not maintained.
[holding answer 24 July 2006]: I have not had any such meetings.
Ministerial Office and Staff
(2) whether the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is a Government Department.
(2) in which Cabinet Office building or buildings the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is located;
(3) how many full-time equivalent staff work in his Office;
(4) which other Government Departments are providing administrative and policy support to his new office; and how many full-time equivalent civil servants are providing such support;
(5) how many full-time equivalent staff provide support to his special advisers.
I have been given a role by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister overseeing and co-ordinating Government policy across the full range of domestic policy areas through the Cabinet Committee system, and deputising for him at home and abroad, particularly in relation to China. To support me I have an office which will be called the Deputy Prime Minister's Office. It will be established as a separate Government Department and funded by a parliamentary vote for which my Office will apply shortly. My principal private secretary will be the accounting officer for the vote. At present, my Office employs 18 staff, including two special advisers. I also receive support and briefing from other Government Departments as necessary according to the issue I am dealing with at the time. Most of the staff employed by my Office are seconded from the Department for Communities and Local Government and their salary costs are met by my Office. My office continues to be based in 26 Whitehall.
Ministerial Visits
I visited Finland on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the “Ministerial Code” and “Travel by Ministers”, copies of which are available in the Library for the reference of Members. Since 1999, the Government have published on an annual basis a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500 and the total cost of ministerial overseas travel. Copies of the lists are available in the Library for the reference of Members.
I refer the hon. Member to my letter to the hon. Member for East Devon (Mr. Swire) of Tuesday 4 July, which is appended to the Memorandum from the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards to the Standards and Privileges Committee. The memorandum is available in the thirteenth report of the Standards and Privileges Committee which is available in the Library for the reference of Members.
All travel is undertaken in accordance with the ‘Ministerial Code’ and ‘Travel by Ministers’. Since 1999, the Government have published on an annual basis a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500 as well as the total cost of ministerial overseas travel. Information relating to 2005-06 was published on Monday 24 July and is available in the Library for the reference of Members.
[holding answer 11 September 2006]: All travel is undertaken in accordance with the “Ministerial Code” and “Travel by Ministers”, copies of which are available in the Library. Since 1999, the Government have published on an annual basis a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500 and the total cost of ministerial overseas travel. Copies of the lists are available in the Library for the reference of Members.
Hospitality received by Ministers is declared in the Register of Members' Interests as appropriate. The Government publishes an annual list of gifts received by Ministers valued at more than £140, including details of which gifts were retained by Ministers personally. Information relating to 2005-06 was published on Monday 24 July and copies are available in the Library for the reference of Members.
Official Duties
(2) what access he will have to nuclear strike command powers during the period for which he will assume the Prime Minister's responsibilities; what the procedure is for the release of the codes thereof; and what the chain of command will be.
I refer the hon. Members to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the right hon. Member for Witney (Mr. Cameron) at Prime Minister's Questions on 12 July 2006, Official Report, columns 1384-85.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) on 13 July 2006, Official Report, column 1994W.
Overseas Dignitaries (Gifts)
Ministers give gifts to foreign dignitaries as appropriate and in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Constitutional Affairs
Adoption and Children Act
I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statements of 11 January 2006, Official Report, column 10WS, http://www.publications.parliament.uk /pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm060111/wmstext/60111m01 .htm and 23 March 2006, Official Report, column 27WS, http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds06/text/60232-41_head1 The date for implementation of rules under section 122, subsections 1(b) and 2, has not been decided but work is under way in this regard. In the meantime, existing provisions for the representation of children remain in force.
Asylum and Immigration Tribunal
The average unit cost of an asylum and immigration tribunal appeal in the financial year 2005 to 2006, from receipt to final decision of the appeal, was £762.
This figure represents the average unit cost of administration for all appeal types before the tribunal and includes judicial costs, accommodation and the cost of providing an interpreter at the appeal hearing where this is necessary.
The average unit cost of processing an asylum appeal at the asylum and immigration tribunal in the financial year 2005 to 2006, up to the final decision of the appeal, was £1,205.
This figure represents the average unit cost of administration for asylum appeals before the tribunal and includes judicial costs, accommodation and the cost of providing an interpreter at the appeal hearing where this is necessary.
Benefit Appeal Hearings (Disabled People)
Appellants with disabilities can travel to their tribunal hearing by taxi, the cost of which will be met by the tribunals service. Arrangements can also be made to hear a tribunal at a person's home if they are unable to travel due to their disability.
Provisions exist to allow appellants or their representatives to request the postponement of appeal hearings but the decision to allow the postponement is a judicial decision. The tribunals service supports the attendance of appellants at appeal hearings and will reimburse travelling expenses where appropriate. Provisions are also in place to enable appellants to request a payment for travel in advance of the hearing to enable those that do not have the resources, to attend their appeal hearing.
Claims Management
The Compensation Act received Royal Assent on 25 July 2006 and the Department is now implementing the regulatory framework for claims management services. We have published consultation papers on the secondary legislation, conduct rules, application form and fees.
A head of regulation (Mark Boleat) has been appointed to lead on the operation of the regulation and Staffordshire county council has been awarded the contract to run the Department’s monitoring and compliance unit. A regulatory consultative group with representatives from the key industry organisations has been established to advise on the regulation. It is envisaged that the main regulatory mechanisms would be in place by the end of November 2006, when businesses will be invited to apply for authorisation. The offences and all other key provisions should be fully commenced by April 2007.
Community Legal Service Direct
Onward referral is a matter for the judgment of these advisers who receive full training and guidance on exercising it.
The current contracts held between the Legal Services Commission (LSC) and community legal service direct specialist advisers terminate on 31 March 2007. The LSC is currently tendering for replacement contracts. One requirement of these revised contracts is that providers must achieve the Commission’s preferred supplier status. This is subject to an assessment of advice provision, by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (an independent organisation), resulting in a rating of category one (excellence) or two (competence plus).
The number of complaints about Community Legal Service Direct, recorded by the Legal Services Commission over the last 12 months, is 24. This is comprised of six complaints about the website, eight about the directory, nine about the telephone service and one about printed materials.
The Legal Services Commission’s contracts with Community Legal Service (CLS) Direct providers do not specify the qualifications that advisers must hold. CLS Direct supervisors must meet the Specialist Quality Mark standard for the category of law relevant to their post.
Consolidation Bill
In deciding whether to embark on a consolidation, the Law Commission will take into account a number of factors. These will include: the extent to which there has been pressure for a consolidation (either from within government or from other quarters), the size and complexity of the project, the departmental and Law Commission resources that would be available to prepare the consolidation and how likely it is that there will be further amending legislation before it is completed.
The extent to which consultation is undertaken before a consolidation is introduced varies. As the consolidation is being prepared the Law Commission will consult regularly with the responsible Department and there may well be consultation with a number of other stakeholders. The current practice is that before the Bill is introduced it will be published for general consultation.
Any person may suggest possible topics for inclusion in the Law Commission’s consolidation programme at any time by writing to the Chief Executive at The Law Commission, Conquest House, 37-38 John Street, Theobalds Road, London WC1N 2BQ.
Contractual Obligations
The European Commission’s proposal for a regulation on the law applicable to contractual obligations (Rome I) was published in December 2005. Under Article 1 of the Protocol in the EC Treaty dealing with the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in relation to Title IV measures (which covers Rome I), the UK had until 9 May 2006 formally to opt in to the negotiations on this proposal. In view of the UK's serious concerns about some aspects of this proposal the UK decided not to do so. This means that the UK will not automatically be bound by Rome I when it is finally adopted by the Council. Whether at some later stage, the UK will opt in to the adopted instrument (as it may do with the agreement of the European Commission) will depend upon the final text of the regulation. The UK is currently participating in the negotiations with a view to obtaining the best possible outcome for the UK.
Following the publication of the European Commission’s proposal for a regulation on the law applicable to contractual obligations (Rome I) in December 2005 the Government consulted UK stakeholders with a view to informing the Government’s decision as to whether to opt in to the proposed regulation. The responses received indicated that opting in to the proposed regulation on the basis of the proposed text could have significant adverse economic consequences for the UK and the EU. On this basis the Government decided not to opt into the Rome I regulation.
Whether, ultimately, the UK will decide to opt in to the adopted instrument (as it may do with the agreement of the European Commission) will depend upon the final text of the regulation. Although unable to vote, the UK is currently participating fully in the negotiation of the text with a view to obtaining the best possible outcome for the UK.
The Government are working closely with stakeholders regarding the financial and economic impact of the proposal and will continue to do so as the negotiations progress.
Correspondence
The Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor wrote to the hon. Member on 27 July in response to his letter of 31 May. I apologise for the delay.
Court Rules
On Monday 17 July 2006, the Government published the consultation paper, “Draft Court Rules: Mental Capacity Act 2005 Court of Protection Rules”. The consultation will end on 6 October 2006. The Government aim to publish their response to the consultation within three months of the end of the consultation in line with Cabinet Office guidelines. Copies of the response will at that time be placed in the House Libraries. In line with DCA policy, it is not our intention to publish individual responses.
Copies of the draft court rules consultation paper are available in English and Welsh.
In total 134 copies of the consultation paper, “Draft Court Rules: Mental Capacity Act 2005 Court of Protection Rules”, have been sent to stakeholders with an interest in the new court of protection rules including members of the legal profession. Some of these copies have been sent following requests received post-publication. We have publicised the consultation in our regular mental capacity newsletter and it can be downloaded from the DCA website. There are also internet links to the Department of Health and Public Guardianship Office websites.
The consultation paper has been produced and printed in-house so costs are not separately identifiable. The consultation period will run until 6 October 2006 and views are welcomed from anyone who would like to send in a response to the consultation.
Court Services
The reduction in HMCS areas from 42 to 25 has been subjected to an outline assessment and is expected to generate considerable cost savings and improvements in efficiency nationally. We do not have a breakdown of the costs and benefits on an area basis at present however this information will be available by 31 March 2007.
Departmental Agency Staff
The Department has contracted with Kelly Services for the provision of agency staff since 2001. Prior to this date the Department did not have a national contract in place and therefore management information was not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Information regarding the average rates of any other employment agencies used in the various parts of the Department is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Department uses agency staff to fill clerical staff vacancies that are urgently required, and where it has been difficult to recruit permanent staff through normal processes. The Department also uses agency staff to fill temporary positions.
The following table provides average hourly rates for the years mentioned:
£ 2001 10.85 2002 11.03 2003 11.33 2004 11.49 2005 11.73 2006 11.20
Departmental Carbon Emissions
My Department’s estimated carbon emissions from 1997 are tabled as follows. The reduction in total carbon emissions between 1999-2000 and 2000-001 represents a change in method of reporting.
Emissions measured in tC 1996-97 20.043 1997-98 20.261 1998-99 20.731 1999-2000 19.093 2000-01 12.800 2002-03 12.200 2003-04 13.200 2004-05 14.300 2005-06 15.000
Departmental Child Care Facilities
My Department provides subsidised nursery places through the “Buffer Bear” network of nurseries, and three other regional nurseries. In addition to this, play schemes are provided during the school holidays at Westminster, Croydon, Liverpool, and Peterborough. My Department’s child care provision supports parents in making their own choices about where and what type of child care they want for their children. Currently, approximately 70 parents are assisted and in 2004-05 the total cost of the support provided was £85,000.
Flexible working arrangements are also provided which enable employees to achieve a positive balance between home and work responsibilities. The DCA was the first Government Department to establish a network for caring to support staff with caring responsibilities, and in recent years has won the opportunity now public sector award and the carers in employment employer of the year award in recognition of the extent to which it has embedded its flexible working policies and supports carers.
My Department provides subsidised nursery places through the “Buffer Bear” network of nurseries and three other regional nurseries. There is currently no onsite provision. My Department’s child care schemes support parents in making their own choices about where and what type of child care they want for their children. Currently approximately 70 parents are assisted and in 2004-05 the total cost of the support provided was £85,000.
My Department provides subsidised nursery places through the “Buffer Bear” network of nurseries and three other regional nurseries. We operate individual waiting lists for each nursery. Currently the total number of people on the waiting lists is one. My Department’s child care schemes support parents in making their own choices about where and what type of child care they want for their children. Currently approximately 70 parents are assisted, and in 2004-05 the total cost of the support provided was £85,000.
Departmental Publications
Copies of the list of publications my Department has issued since 1 July 2005 have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Departmental Staff
The DCA is responsible for maintaining absence data in respect of its staff working at the Scotland Office. Only a small percentage of the staff working at the Scotland Office is employed by DCA, the majority being employees of the Scottish Executive. Of those staff that are employed by DCA, 20 per cent. have been absent due to sickness for fewer than five days on more than two occasions in each of the last three years. In order to protect the identity of those members of staff, given that the 20 per cent. figure is based on a very small group of employees, it is not possible to provide details of the number of staff to whom this 20 per cent. relates.
The number of sickness absence days is recorded by the Department. However the way in which individual absences are managed is not recorded centrally. Managers are expected to manage all instances of employee absence appropriately, whether through rehabilitative or disciplinary channels, but are not required to report on the numbers of staff that are subject to either process. To obtain this information from managers would incur disproportionate costs.
The Department remains committed to managing sickness absence effectively, and to ensuring that managers are equipped to carry out their responsibilities effectively in this arena.
My Department does not participate in the cycle-to-work scheme nor do we currently offer any tax-efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles. Therefore no staff have purchased bicycles through such a scheme in 2005-06. However, we are currently undertaking a Department-wide review of pay and grading and it is possible that the cycle-to-work scheme will be considered as part of that review. The Department currently offers staff the facility of an interest-free loan to purchase a bicycle.
Disability Living Allowance
The information you have asked for is contained in the following table:
January to December each year Appeals cleared in favour of appellant 2003 36,850 2004 38,170 2005 35,900 Notes: 1. All figures are subject to change as more up to date data become available. 2. Cases transferred onto the new appeals system G2 may not have been updated on GAPS. 3. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 4. These data are drawn from management information and should not be used in conjunction with simple statistics drawn from the benefit administration systems.Source: 100 per cent. download of the Generic Appeals Processing System (2 October 2006).
The information you have asked for is contained in the following table:
Caseload 2003 600 2004 900 2005 800 Notes: 1. Figures are from the 5 per cent. sample data and therefore subject to sampling variation. 2. Data are rated in line with WPLS figures then rounded to the nearest 100. These data are from sample statistics drawn from the benefit administration systems and should not be used in conjunction with the data from the Generic Appeals System (GAPS) data. Source: 100 per cent. WPLS data and 5 per cent. sample data.
Electoral Register
The Representation of the People Regulations 2002 enables political parties to be supplied with a copy of the full electoral register. The full electoral register can then be used by the political party for “electoral” purposes and in complying with the controls on donations as stated in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. The Government have not issued guidance on this issue.
Freedom of Information Act
My Department has published a clearing house toolkit, an annexe to which contains a list of triggers for referring cases to the clearing house. This document is located on the DCA website at http://www.foi.gov.uk/guidance/pdf/annex-b.pdf.
Guidance for making Freedom of Information requests for information from any records in the custody of the National Archives including 1911, can be found in their publication scheme:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/access_rights.pdf
The 1921 census is in the custody of the Office for National Statistics and not of the National Archives.
Fundamental Rights Agency
The Government consider that the agency should concentrate upon the areas in which it has the greatest potential relevance and utility without duplicating the work carried out by the Council of Europe. Its primary purpose (building upon the mandate of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia) should be as a fact-finding and opinion-giving body able to deal with fundamental rights issues in community law. The Council of Europe will appoint an independent person to the agency's management board to ensure there will not be any overlap between the agency and the Council of Europe. In carrying out its tasks, the agency will refer to the work of the Council of Europe and the Commissioner for Human Rights. A memorandum of understanding is also being negotiated between the European Commission and the Council of Europe to set out the terms of co-operation between the agency and the Council of Europe.
Hampton Review
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for East Ham (Mr. Timms), Question number 89473
Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government
We are still considering the impact of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on public bodies covered by the legislation and have not yet reached a view on the use of the power contained in section 5 of the Act which provides for extension of coverage. I am therefore not able to comment on whether the Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government is likely to be a designated as a public authority for the purposes of the Act.
Irish Language
Between the years 1996 to 2005 there is no record of any request for a court case in Northern Ireland to be heard in the Irish language.
There is currently a case before Belfast magistrates court in which there has been application for use of the Irish language in those proceedings. This application is currently subject to legal submission
Judges' Powers
The consultation on ‘Proposals to create judicial powers to manage conflict of interest and capacity issues in very high cost cases’ concludes on 27 October 2006. We shall publish our summary of consultation responses at the beginning of November. It will include a full list of all those who have responded and a summary of the responses received. It will be available on the DCA’s website and copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Lasting Powers of Attorney
On Monday 17 July 2006 the Government published its response to the consultation on lasting powers of attorney. Copies of the Government response were placed in the House Libraries on the same day.
The Department wants to give as many interested parties as possible the opportunity to see our response to the consultation. We have therefore produced copies in English and Welsh versions, as well as producing easy read information on the Government response to the consultation.
Law Society
The Law Society has provided the following information.
In 2005, 527 solicitors were subject to an internal sanction (reprimand or severe reprimand by the Law Society adjudication panel). 211 solicitors were subject to orders of the solicitors disciplinary tribunal (SDT) following prosecutions brought by the society.
In 2006, to the 30 September, 435 solicitors were subject to an internal sanction, 141 solicitors have been made the subject of an order of the SDT.
Internal sanctions imposed on solicitors are disclosed to the parties involved but are not made public.
Orders of the SDT are a matter of public record. A list of solicitors who received sanctions from the SDT is available from the Law Society.
Legal Aid
In civil proceedings funded by the community legal service (CLS), during 2005-06, 7,685 legal aid certificates were revoked. These actions require those to whom the certificates were issued to pay the Legal Services Commission (LSC) the value of the work carried out under the certificate. Two thirds of those certificates were revoked before the proceedings had been completed, and one third after.1
Additionally, during 2005-06 17,854 cases closed in circumstances that require the legally aided client to repay the costs to the CLS back to the LSC. This happens in successful cases where the value of money or property agreed to be paid to the client exceeds the money paid from the CLS.
In criminal cases funded by the criminal defence service (CDS), during 2005-06 there were 398 recovery of defence costs orders (RDCOs) issued to criminal defendants after the case had concluded.
1 This is an estimate based on the number of cases reported to the LSC. Not all cases have been reported.
Civil legal aid is available to anyone who qualifies, provided that the case is within the scope of the scheme. Each application is assessed on an individual basis, and is subject to statutory tests of the applicant’s financial means and the merits of the case.
Criminal legal advice and assistance is freely available to individuals detained at police stations. To qualify for publicly funded representation at magistrates courts, defendants must satisfy both the interests of justice test as well as a new financial eligibility test introduced by the Criminal Defence Service Act 2006. Publicly funded representation at the Crown court depends on the defendant meeting the interests of justice test.
Medical Appeal Tribunals
The information you have asked for is contained in the following tables.
January to December each year AA DLA IIDB SDA IB Total 2003 9,910 83,590 17,160 470 63,220 174,340 2004 8,680 87,180 12,910 260 61,530 170,550 2005 7,340 82,230 11,810 210 65,150 166,740
January to December each year AA DLA IIDB SDA IB Total 2003 7,720 69,850 14,810 460 46,480 139,310 2004 6,990 75,080 10,960 240 45,760 139,020 2005 5,670 71,370 9,480 170 48,750 135,440 Notes: 1. All figures are subject to change as more up to date data become available. 2. Cases transferred onto the new appeals system G2 may not have been updated on GAPS. 3. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 4. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 5. These data are drawn from management information and should not be used in conjunction with sample statistics drawn from the benefit administration systems. Source: 100 per cent. download of the Generic Appeals Processing System (4 October 2006).
Mental Capacity Act
We have completed two public consultations in the last few months on lasting powers of attorney and the draft code of practice and received responses from a variety of interest groups and individuals with a range of views and expertise.
Officials in the DCA continue to work with stakeholders across the spectrum of views through discussion, correspondence and stakeholder events.
Election Registers
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) on 30 November 2005, Official Report, column 641W, and 8 May 2006, Official Report, column 108W.
1901 Census
In the calendar year from January 2002, gross revenue of £2 million was received for the 1901 online service by the appointed supplier.
The National Archives is in early discussions with potential suppliers for the development of a 1911 census online service. Potential revenue from the 1911 census online service is a matter to be judged by potential suppliers as part of their commercial decision.
Personal Data
(2) what progress has been made with her Department's consultation, ‘Increasing penalties for deliberate and wilful misuse of personal data’.
A list of those organisations who have been consulted on the Department’s public consultation on ‘Increasing penalties for deliberate and wilful misuse of personal data’ is shown on pages 7 to 9 of the consultation paper. However, this list is not meant to be exhaustive or exclusive and responses are welcomed from anyone with an interest or views on the subject covered in the paper.
The document may be accessed via the Department’s website at http://www.dca.gov.uk/consult/misuse_data/consultation0906.pdf
The consultation paper was launched in July 2006 and will close on 30 October when all responses will be considered.
Solicitors
12 non-legal professionals sat as members of the solicitors disciplinary tribunal hearings in 2005.
As Minister with delegated responsibility for legal services, I regularly meet with officials of the Law Society. The length of time taken to call meetings of the solicitors disciplinary tribunal was raised at a meeting I had with Law Society officials in March of this year. DCA officials also regularly update me and have regular contact with the Law Society.
For the year 1 May 2005 to 30 April 2006, the solicitor's disciplinary tribunal (SDT) sat on 136 days for the hearing of applications. Each tribunal consists of three members in total, two of whom are solicitor members and one of whom is a lay member.
The Law Society does not maintain statistics on the time between a Law Society adjudication and the solicitors disciplinary tribunal hearing. As far as the SDT is concerned, a case starts with the lodgement of an application. A survey of all cases heard to the year ending April 2006, shows that 26 per cent. were concluded within six months of being placed before the SDT. A further 68 per cent. were concluded between six months and a year.
The Law Society does not maintain statistics on the basis of whether the misconduct alleged was a breach of the practice rules or of other regulations. It does keep statistics on solicitors who have been subject to sanctions by the Law Society and the solicitors disciplinary tribunal.
The number of solicitors subject to a penalty by the solicitors disciplinary tribunal in the last four years is as follows:
Number 2006 (To date) 141 2005 211 2004 236 2003 232
Translation Services
The information requested is not collected. Her Majesty’s Courts Service is giving consideration to the routine collection of data relating to interpreting and translation services used in court.
Interpreting services at court are provided in accordance with article 6(3) of the European convention on human rights whereby anyone charged with a criminal offence is entitled to the free assistance of an interpreter if they cannot understand or speak the language used in court. Witnesses giving evidence for either the prosecution or defence are also provided with an interpreter if required. The national agreement on arrangements for the attendance of interpreters in investigations and proceedings within the criminal justice system governs interpreting and translation services and was reissued on 6 July 2006 as Home Office circular 17/2006.
The information requested is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Her Majesty’s Courts Service is giving consideration to the routine collection of data relating to interpreting and translation services used in court.
Welsh Language
Tribunals in Wales are normally heard in English. The tribunals service can arrange for tribunal hearings for all social security benefits, including attendance allowance, to be held in Welsh and where this is requested, will provide bilingual tribunal panel members and clerks at a venue closest to the appellant.
The information requested is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
There are 14 Welsh speaking tribunal panel members that are qualified to sit on attendance allowance tribunals.
Scotland
Agency Staff
The Scotland Office does not record the information in the form requested.
Child Poverty
The following table presents the number and proportion of children living in low- income households in Scotland from 1996-97 to 2004-05. The relative low-income measure compares against the median of the same year. The absolute measure compares against the median in the baseline year of 1996-97, uprated to remove the effects of inflation. Data are available at Scotland level only, not by constituency.
Figures are produced annually and estimates for 2005-06 are not yet available.
Absolute Relative Before housing costs After housing costs Before Housing Costs After Housing Costs Percentage Number (Thousand) Percentage Number (Thousand) Percentage Number (Thousand) Percentage Number (Thousand) 1996-97 29 320 33 370 29 320 33 370 1997-98 27 300 30 330 29 310 30 330 1998-99 25 270 29 310 27 290 30 320 1999-00 22 230 26 280 26 280 30 330 2000-01 18 190 21 220 24 250 29 310 2001-02 14 150 17 170 25 260 30 320 2002-03 13 130 16 170 23 240 26 280 2003-04 11 110 15 160 22 220 25 260 2004-05 10 100 13 130 19 190 23 240
Departmental Carbon Emissions
The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999 and its energy usage has since 2003 been included in DCA returns. Prior to 2003 the information was not collected as there was no requirement to report.
Departmental Expenditure
The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999; since that date the Office has spent the following on electricity use and wager and sewage.
Electricity Water and Sewage 1999-20001 11,855 1,067 2000-01 22,807 3,656 2001-02 19,526 4,221 2002-03 28,439 7,018 2003-04 23,703 11,699 2004-05 23,372 13,666 2005-06 21,650 9,867 1 Part year
Departmental Publications
The Scotland Office issued the following publication between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2006:
The Scotland Office and Office of the Advocate General for Scotland: Annual Report 2005
Number of copies: 150
Cost: £3,239
Dover House
Engagements
Ministers have regular dialogues with ministerial colleagues in the Scottish Executive, discussing a wide range of issues of mutual interest. It is not the practice to disclose details of such meetings.
Hampton Review
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Timms).
Local Government Finance
It is not possible to determine whether something might or might not be within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament without sight of the detailed provisions of a proposed bill. However, schedule 5 to the Scotland Act identifies local taxes to fund local authority expenditure as being exempt from the reservation applying to fiscal policy.
This matter is devolved–schedule 5 to the Scotland Act identifies local taxes to fund local authority expenditure as being exempt from the reservation applying to fiscal policy. Furthermore, the Scottish local government finance review committee is, in turn, wholly independent of Scottish Ministers although information about respondents to the committee's consultation exercises can be found on its website at www.localgovernmentfinancereview.org.
Sewel Convention
The Government submitted their response to the Scottish Affairs Committee report on “The Sewel Convention: the Westminster Perspective” on 20 July 2006.
Sustainability
The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999 and its energy usage has since 2003 been included in DCA's annual returns on total energy usage across the DCA estate. Prior to 2003 the information was not collected as there was no requirement to report. The Scotland Office does not have any agencies.
Video Conferencing
The Scotland Office has video conferencing facilities in its Edinburgh and London offices and has no plans to expand this provision.
Watermark Project
As funding for the Watermark project has now finished, Departments are responsible for collecting and monitoring water data. Water usage at all sites across the DCA, including the Scotland Office, is monitored and reported upon annually within the Department’s response to the sustainable development in government annual report.
Solicitor-General
Crown Prosecution Service
The public service agreement (PSA) targets for SR2004 and SR2002 are set out on pages 9 to 16 of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) annual report & resource accounts 2005-06. Page 17 details the progress against CPS targets.
The director of business development has responsibility for increasing the number of offences brought to justice, and the director of finance has responsibility for improving public confidence, delivering efficiencies and value for money. Both report to the chief executive. CPS performance is the responsibility of all headquarters directors.
Regular consultation on the PSA and criminal justice system (CJS) targets is conducted with CJS colleagues and other stakeholders through the work of the National Criminal Justice Board. The Attorney-General, myself, the director of public prosecutions and the chief executive are all members of the National Criminal Justice Board, and play a full and positive part in its work. CPS targets are discussed by the CPS board and compliment the PSA and CJS targets.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) annual report and resource accounts 2005-06 were published on 18 July 2006.
The report cost a total of £22,405.95 which included the receipt of 3,000 reports. Copies of the report were distributed throughout the service's 42 geographical areas in England and Wales and copies were sent to other Government Departments and the CPS's criminal justice system (CJS) partners. Chief Crown prosecutors will have distributed copies to key local partners in their own criminal justice area; to members of their local communities; to visitors of CPS offices; and as part of local publicity or careers activity.
The report is also available on the CPS website www.cps.gov.uk and hard copy through the Stationary Office at a cover price of £19.50.
The Attorney-General's Office and other CJS departments are consulted prior to publication.
On 30 September 2006, there were 124 staff in post in the city of Manchester branch and on the same date in 2005 there were 128.4.
Duchy of Lancaster
Charities Bill
Yes. Under the current law organisations advancing humanism can be charities. The British Humanist Association has been registered as a charity since 1983. The Charities Bill will preserve the charitable status of existing humanist charities and will allow new humanist organisations to seek registration as charities.
Civil Service Pensions
The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Staff
The change that took place to my Department's performance management procedures on Wednesday 1 June 2005 only related to the record- keeping process. From that date, detailed central records of all unsatisfactory performance cases were introduced. The policies and procedures for managing poor performance remain the same. Previously central records were only maintained in cases where staff who received an unsatisfactory report failed to improve and were subsequently dismissed. Where unsatisfactory performers achieved the required improvement, managers handled the case locally. For this reason, information on the total number of staff who received unsatisfactory reports is only available from Wednesday 1 June 2005.
Labour Party Employees (Whitehall Departments)
With the exception of the political office in No. 10, where the position reflects long-standing practice under successive administrations, there are no Labour party employees, paid or unpaid, located in or seconded to this Department. Information about the employment status of individuals employed or seconded into Government Departments is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Public Bodies
(2) how many people are on the board of more than one non-departmental public body in the eastern region; and what their total remuneration and expenses are for each board.
Information on public bodies sponsored by central Government, as at 31 March each year, is provided annually in the Cabinet Office publication “Public Bodies”. Information for the period as at 31 March 2006 was published on 11 September 2006, Official Report, column 109WS. The 2006 edition provides details of Government funding and expenditure in 2005-06. The detailed information required in respect of non-departmental public bodies in the eastern region is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Public Sector Information
[pursuant to the reply, 14 June 2006, Official Report, c. 1247-48W]: I regret that the figure given for the number of night time transmissions in the table showing the broadcast television ratios of public information films for the period April 2003 to March 2004 was incorrect. The figure given was 4,261.
The correct information is shown in the following table.
Time Percentage of films shown Number of transmissions Breakfast (6.00-9.29) 14 14,705 Morning (9.30-11.59) 10 10,938 Afternoon (12.00-17.14) 16 17,107 Evening (17.15-23.59) 18 19,045 Night time (00.01-5.59 40 42,611
[holding answer 11 September 2006]: Most major public sector information holders within Government operate under a delegation of authority from the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationary Office to license the re-use of the information they hold. Their compliance with the delegation is regulated by the information fair trader scheme. Where non-compliance is found an action plan will be agreed to implement the recommendations in the information fair trade scheme (IFTS) report. The Office of Public Sector Information will work closely with the IFTS member to action the recommendations and monitor implementation. If the plan is not implemented within agreed timescales then ultimately it is open to the controller to withdraw the delegation of authority.
The Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) is responsible for licensing the re-use of Crown copyright information and certain categories of Public Sector Information. We do this via our online Click-Use Licence system—http://www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/index.htm.
Anyone wishing to re-use the material covered by any of the Click-Use Licences has to register for a user account and then apply for the licence(s) they require. Since its launch in 2001, the Click-Use Licence has proved very successful with over 10,000 licences taken out by re-users of public sector information.
OPSI recently extended the Click-Use Licence beyond central Government to the wider public sector, including Government and the health service. This new PSI Click-Use Licence is a no-charge online licence and will enable re-users to re-use a wide range of public sector information under the one licence.
OPSI conduct reviews on the licence terms and conditions used by public sector information holders as a key part of the verification process under the Information Fair Trade Scheme. The reviews are conducted either annually or every two years depending on the level of information trading carried out by the organisation in question. Given these initiatives the Government do not believe it is necessary to commission any further studies into the subject at this stage.
Social Enterprise
The Government have introduced a number of measures to enable social enterprises to prosper. In 2002 a strategy for social enterprise was published to help create a dynamic and sustainable social enterprise sector and to tackle barriers to growth of the sector.
The strategy has led to a number of significant developments for the sector, including the creation of the community interest company legal form, funding for the establishment of the social enterprise coalition and improvements to the financing environment, including the multi-million pound Futurebuilders Fund.
However, we have further to go in creating an environment in which social enterprises thrive. The next steps will be outlined in the Social Enterprise Action Plan, which will be published later this year.
Social Exclusion Unit
[holding answer 18 September 2006]: The Social Exclusion Taskforce, which comprises staff both from the former Social Exclusion Unit and the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit, has been supporting me in developing ‘Reaching Out: An Action Plan on Social Exclusion’ which was published on 11 September. The Social Exclusion Taskforce is now following up the actions set out in that plan.
[holding answer 18 September 2006]: Staff figures for civil servants only are not available for the Social Exclusion Unit. However, total headcount, which includes seconded and casual staff, is shown in the table.
Total headcount 1997 12 1998 21 1999 35 2000 43 2001 47 2002 57 2003 59 2004 62 2005 66 2006 47 Note: All figures include staff on loan and secondment
For details of the Social Exclusion Unit's expenditure since 1997, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Local Government (Mr. Woolas), on 8 May 2006, Official Report, column 94W.
House of Commons Commission
Commons Knowledge
“Commons Knowledge” is a weekly newsletter setting out the forthcoming business of the House and is primarily designed for visitors to Parliament. It was initiated in response to a recommendation of the Modernisation Committee and endorsed by the House of Commons Commission.
Approximately 450 copies are produced each week, at a cost of £94 (or 21p per copy), and distributed to key public access locations such as Central Lobby, the Public Gallery, the Committee Corridor, the Parliamentary Bookshop and the Press Gallery. Members of the public can also access an electronic version which is published on the parliamentary website in PDF format. In addition, users of the website can subscribe to an email alert service that will notify them of changes to selected aspects of the website, including “Commons Knowledge”.
From the start of the next Session, “Commons Knowledge” will change its name to “This Week’s Business” and copies will be made available from the Vote Office for the convenience of Members.
House Staff
The numbers of staff by ethnicity and sex at 31 March in each year was as follows:
Total White Asian Black Other Unknown Male Female 2006 1,627 1,286 91 161 48 41 866 761 2005 1,571 1,256 94 154 34 33 861 710 2004 1,520 1,085 79 138 36 182 811 709 2003 1,497 1,157 50 129 16 145 797 700 2002 1,443 1,081 40 95 16 211 762 681 2001 1,485 1,089 47 110 13 226 836 649 2000 1,421 1,043 44 105 11 218 760 661 1999 1,394 968 30 71 5 320 744 650 1998 1,392 986 26 72 10 298 755 637 1997 1,405 967 27 69 9 333 791 614
Network Security
As a matter of policy the House authorities (and Commission) do not comment on specific matters relating to ICT security.
Parliamentary Papers
I understand that the Deliverer of the Vote will do so from the beginning of the new Session of Parliament on 15 November 2006.
Recycling
The unified Parliamentary ICT service (PICT) came into existence in January 2006 and provides services to both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. All printers supplied by PICT have cartridges that can be recycled.
Members and their staff can return their empty printer cartridges for recycling in the return envelopes supplied with new cartridges. In addition the Department of the Serjeant at Arms arranges printer and toner cartridge recycling through the Parcel Service Office (PSO) who collect cartridges from offices. Customers are advised of this service when their cartridges are delivered.
Leader of the House
Consolidation Bills
The following consolidation Bills have been introduced for the 2005-06 Session:
National Health Service Bill
National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Bill
National Health Service (Wales) Bill
Parliamentary Costs Bill
Wireless Telegraphy Bill.
The Bills which have been reported from the Joint Committee on Consolidation, or which have been introduced into the Commons, under the procedures laid down in Standing Orders Nos. 140 and 58, in each Session since 1975-76 are listed in the following table.
Session Bill Royal Assent 1975-76 Adoption [Lords] 1976 Fatal Accidents [Lords] 1976 Land Drainage [Lords] 1976 Legitimacy [Lords] 1976 Lotteries and Amusements [Lords] 1976 Police Pensions [Lords] 1976 Resale Prices [Lords] 1976 Restrictive Practices Court [Lords] 1976 Restrictive Trade Practices [Lords] 1976 Sexual Offences (Scotland) [Lords] 1976 Statute Law Revision (Northern Ireland) [Lords] 1976 Statute Law (Repeals) [Lords] 1976 Supplementary Benefits [Lords] 1976 1976-77 Agricultural Holdings (Notices to Quit) [Lords] 1977 British Airways Board [Lords] 1977 Employment Protection [Lords] See next session National Health Service [Lords] 1977 Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) [Lords] See next session Protection from Eviction [Lords] 1977 Rent [Lords] 1977 Statute Law (Repeals) [Lords] 1977 1977-78 Adoption (Scotland) [Lords] 1978 Commonwealth Development Corporation [Lords] 1978 Employment Protection (Consolidation) [Lords] 1978 Export Guarantees and Overseas Investment [Lords] 1978 Interpretation [Lords] 1978 National Health Service (Scotland) [Lords] 1978 Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) [Lords] 1978 Oaths [Lords] 1978 Refuse Disposal (Amenity) [Lords] 1978 Statute Law (Repeals) [Lords] 1978 1978-79 Agricultural Statistics [Lords] 1979 Alcoholic Liquor Duties [Lords] 1979 Capital Gains Tax [Lords] 1979 Customs and Excise Duties (General Reliefs) [Lords] 1979 Customs and Excise Management [Lords] 1979 Electricity (Scotland) [Lords] 1979 Exchange Equalisation Account [Lords] 1979 Excise Duties (Surcharges and Rebates) [Lords] 1979 Hydrocarbon Oil Duties [Lords] 1979 International Monetary Fund [Lords] 1979 Matches and Mechanical Lighters Duties [Lords] 1979 Prosecution of Offences [Lords] 1979 Tobacco Products Duty [Lords] 1979 Wages Councils [Lords] 1979 1979-80 Child Care [Lords] 1980 Criminal Appeal (Northern Ireland) [Lords] 1980 Education (Scotland) [Lords] 1980 Foster Children [Lords] 1980 Highways [Lords] 1980 Justices of the Peace [Lords] 1979 Limitation [Lords] 1980 Magistrates' Courts [Lords] 1980 Overseas Development and Co-operation [Lords] 1980 Reserve Forces [Lords] 1980 Residential Homes [Lords] 1980 Sale of Goods [Lords] 1979 Slaughter of Animals (Scotland) [Lords] 1980 Solicitors (Scotland) [Lords] 1980 Statute Law Revision (Northern Ireland) [Lords] 1980 Water (Scotland) [Lords] 1980 1980-81 Acquisition of Land [Lords] 1981 Animal Health [Lords] 1981 Betting and Gaming Duties [Lords] 1981 Broadcasting [Lords] 1981 Compulsory Purchase (Vesting Declarations) [Lords] 1981 English Industrial Estates Corporation[Lords] 1981 Film Levy Finance [Lords] 1981 Judicial Pensions [Lords] 1981 National Film Finance Corporation [Lords] 1981 New Towns [Lords] 1981 Public Passenger Vehicles [Lords] 1981 Statute Law (Repeals) [Lords] 1981 Trustee Savings Bank [Lords] 1981 1981-82 Agricultural Training Board [Lords] 1982 Aviation Security [Lords] 1982 Civil Aviation [Lords] 1982 Industrial Development [Lords] 1982 Industrial Training [Lords] 1982 Insurance Companies [Lords] 1982 Iron and Steel [Lords] 1982 1982-83 Car Tax [Lords] See next Session Litter [Lords] 1983 Matrimonial Homes [Lords] 1983 Medical [Lords] See next Session Mental Health [Lords] 1983 Pilotage [Lords] 1983 Representation of the People [Lords] 1983 Value Added Tax [Lords] See next Session 1983-84 Building[Lords] 1984 Capital Transfer Tax [Lords] 1984 Car Tax [Lords] 1983 County Courts [Lords] 1984 Dentists [Lords] 1984 Food [Lords] 1984 Foster Children (Scotland) [Lords] 1984 Medical [Lords] 1983 Mental Health (Scotland) [Lords] 1984 Public Health (Control of Disease) [Lords] 1984 Registered Homes [Lords] 1984 Rent (Scotland) [Lords] 1984 Road Traffic Regulation [Lords] 1984 Value Added Tax [Lords] 1983 1984-85 Business Names [Lords] 1985 Cinemas [Lords] 1985 Companies [Lords] 1985 Companies Consolidation (Consequential Provisions) [Lords] 1985 Company Securities (Insider Dealing) [Lords] 1985 Housing [Lords] 1985 Housing Associations [Lords] 1985 Housing (Consequential Provisions) [Lords] 1985 Landlord and Tenant [Lords] 1985 Reserve Forces (Safeguard of Employment) [Lords] 1985 Weights and Measures [Lords] 1985 1985-86 Agricultural Holdings [Lords] 1986 Company Directors Disqualification [Lords] 1986 Insolvency [Lords] 1986 Parliamentary Constituencies [Lords] 1986 Statute Law (Repeals) [Lords] 1986 1986-87 Housing (Scotland) [Lords] 1987 1987-88 Coroners [Lords] 1988 Court of Session [Lords] 1988 Income and Corporation Taxes [Lords] 1988 Road Traffic [Lords] 1988 Road Traffic (Consequential Provisions) [Lords] 1988 Road Traffic (Offenders) [Lords] 1988 1988-89 Extradition [Lords] 1989 Opticians [Lords] 1989 Prisons (Scotland) [Lords] 1989 Statute Law (Repeals) [Lords] 1989 1989-90 Capital Allowances [Lords] 1990 Planning (Consequential Provisions) [Lords] 1990 Planning (Hazardous Substances) [Lords] 1990 Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) [Lords] 1990 Town and Country Planning [Lords] 1990 1990-91 Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) [Lords] 1991 Deer Bill [Lords] 1991 Land Drainage [Lords] 1991 Statute Law Revision (Isle of Man) [Lords] 1991 Statutory Water Companies [Lords] 1991 Water Consolidation (Consequential Provisions) [Lords] 1991 Water Industry [Lords] 1991 Water Resources [Lords] 1991 1991-92 Protection of Badgers [Lords] See next Session Radioactive Substances [Lords] See next Session Social Security Administration [Lords] 1992 Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) [Lords] 1992 Social Security (Consequential Provisions) [Lords] 1992 Social Security (Consequential Provisions) (Northern Ireland) [Lords] 1992 Social Security Contributions and Benefits [Lords] 1992 Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) [Lords] 1992 Taxation of Chargeable Gains [Lords] 1992 Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) [Lords] See next Session Tribunals and Inquiries [Lords] See next Session 1992-93 Charities [Lords] 1993 Clean Air [Lords] 1993 Crofters (Scotland) [Lords] 1993 Health Service Commissioners [Lords] 1993 Pensions Schemes [Lords] 1993 Pensions Schemes (Northern Ireland) [Lords] 1993 Probation Service [Lords] 1993 Protection of Badgers [Lords] 1992 Radioactive Substances [Lords] 1993 Scottish Land Court [Lords] 1993 Statute Law (Repeals) [Lords] 1993 Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) [Lords] 1992 Tribunals and Inquiries [Lords] 1992 1993-94 Drug Trafficking [Lords] 1994 Value Added Tax [Lords] 1994 Vehicle Excise and Registration [Lords] 1994 1994-95 Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) [Lords] 1995 Criminal Procedure (Scotland) [Lords] 1995 Criminal Procedure (Consequential Provisions) (Scotland) [Lords] 1995 Employment Rights [Lords] See next Session Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) [Lords] 1995 Industrial Tribunals [Lords] See next Session Merchant Shipping [Lords] 1995 Proceeds of Crime (Scotland) [Lords] 1995 Shipping and Trading Interests (Protection) [Lords] 1995 Statute Law (Repeals) [Lords] 1995 1995-96 Deer (Scotland) [Lords] 1996 Education [Lords] 1996 Employment Rights [Lords] 1996 Industrial Tribunals [Lords] 1996 Police [Lords] 1996 School Inspections [Lords] 1996 1996-97 Architects [Lords] 1997 Justices of the Peace [Lords] 1997 Lieutenancies [Lords] 1997 Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors [Lords] 1997 Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) [Lords] 1997 Planning (Hazardous Substances) (Scotland) [Lords] 1997 Planning (Consequential Provisions) (Scotland) [Lords] 1997 Town and Country Planning (Scotland) [Lords] 1997 1997-98 Audit Commission [Lords] 1998 Petroleum [Lords] 1998 Statute Law (Repeals) [Lords] 1998 1998-99 None — 1999-00 European Parliamentary Elections [Lords] — Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) [Lords] 2000 2000-01 None — 2001-02 European Parliamentary Elections [Lords] 2002 2002-03 None — 2003-04 Statute Law (Repeals) [Lords] 2004 2004-05 None —
This list will exclude any relevant Bills introduced into the Lords but not reported on by the Joint Committee or sent to the Commons. The only such bill of which we are aware is the Conveyancing Services Bill (1986-87 session).
Departmental Expenditure
(2) how much was spent by his Office on food and alcohol for its staff working out of office in each year since 2001-02.
Total travel and subsistence costs for the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons for the years 2001-02 to 2005-06 are set out in the following table. Information broken down by cost of hotel, food, Ministers and staff is not held by this Office. All spending is in accordance with agreed hospitality limits.
UK (£) Overseas (£) 2001-02 6,763.38 559.69 2002-03 712.63 0 2003-04 1,815.52 1,337.56 2004-05 2,017.81 31,197.08 2005-06 3,846.86 30,517.81 Total 15,156.20 63,612.14
Departmental Staff (Bicycles)
Staff in the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons are part of the Privy Council Office, which provides administrative support. The Privy Council Office does not operate a tax-efficient scheme for the purchase of bicycles but does offer interest free loans to staff for this purpose.
Legislation (European Commission)
The information is not held centrally and it would anyway be difficult to provide a full response to the question because of difficulties of categorisation and interpretation. For example, some primary legislation which includes provisions implementing community law might have been introduced anyway, for other reasons.
However, parliamentary analysis of UK statutory instruments implemented annually under the European Communities Act since 1998 suggests that on average around 9 per cent. of all statutory instruments transpose EC legislation. I refer the hon. Member to section F of the House of Commons Library Standard Note SN/IA/2888 (25 July 2006).
Parliamentary Questions
All Departments have central units for the administrative co-ordination and processing of answers. Officials responsible for the issue concerned will be involved in the preparation of the answer, under the arrangements made within that Department.
Ministers are responsible for the answers given. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for St. Albans (Anne Main) on 25 July 2006, Official Report, column 1641W.
Sinn Fein
Following the resolution of the House to extend financial assistance for Opposition parties to parties whose Members have chosen not to take their seats, £35,163 was paid to Sinn Fein for the 2005-06 financial year.
Education and Skills
Adult Fitness Classes
The Government remain committed to lifelong learning for its own intrinsic value. We have allocated through the Learning and Skills Council £210 million per annum in 2006/07 and 2007/08 to safeguard learning for personal and community development. This includes fitness classes. LSC providers, including both local authorities and colleges, have access to this budget with allocations made in the light of local needs and the quality of provision.
AimHigher
The majority of the Aimhigher budget is distributed to schools, colleges and universities. Information is not held centrally on the proportion of the budget spent by these institutions on administration costs or any other individual type of activity.
Alcohol Misuse
Recent Turning Point research suggests that up to 1.3 million children in the UK live with parents who misuse alcohol.
The Government fully acknowledge that parental alcohol misuse can have serious consequences for children and young people. The Government are addressing parental alcohol misuse and the harm it causes through action by local children’s services within the “Every Child Matters” programme.
The Children Act 2004 places on Directors of Children’s Services responsibility to protect children and young people from significant harm, including from alcohol misusing parents.
The Government also encourage sensible drinking by adults through unit labelling and health messages.
Black and Minority Ethnic Population
Several research projects that examine the sexual attitudes and behaviours of BME groups have been commissioned as part of the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, details of which are provided at annex 1. The strategy has also drawn upon routinely collected data to inform our understanding of ethnicity and teenage pregnancy.
The evidence suggests that young people from different ethnic groups are more or less likely to experience teenage pregnancy than others. But establishing the precise impact of ethnicity is difficult because: ethnicity is not recorded at birth registration; BME groups are over-represented in deprived areas where higher rates would be expected; and sexual behaviour, knowledge and attitudes may vary considerably within BME groups.
Data on mothers giving birth under-19, identified from the 2001 Census, show rates of teenage motherhood are significantly higher among young women of ‘Mixed White and Black Caribbean’, ‘Other Black’ and ‘Black Caribbean’ ethnicity. ‘White British’ young women are also over-represented among teenage mothers, while all Asian ethnic groups are under-represented. Girls and young women of Black and Black British ethnicity are also over-represented among abortions under-18. In 2004, Black ethnic groups (which represent around 3 per cent. of all females aged 15-17) accounted for 9 per cent. of all abortions under-18.
The Teenage Pregnancy Strategy has a target to halve the rate of under-18 conceptions by 2010 (compared to the rate in 1998). Between 1998 and 2004 (the latest year for which data are available) the under-18 conception rate fell by 11.1 per cent., to its lowest level for 20 years and the under-16 rate fell by 15.2 per cent. The strategy does not have targets to reduce conceptions among different ethnic groups, although local areas are asked to take account of factors that increase the risk of early pregnancy, including social deprivation, poor educational attainment, living in care and ethnicity, in the delivery of local strategies.
Connexions
As a result of early wind down of the Connexions card, the Department for Education and Skills expects to recoup an estimated £23.8 million.
Departmental Agency Staff
Since 1 November 2004, my Department has used a single provider (Adecco). The key requirement of DfES is the provision of temporary administrative and secretarial cover. Agency engagements are kept as short as possible and only used to meet genuine short-term needs—no more than 13 weeks.
Prior to 1 November 2004, my Department used Brook Street and Manpower employment agencies. To establish the average working rate from these agencies since 1999 would entail disproportionate cost.
The average hourly rate paid by the Department for staff employed through Adecco for the financial years 2004-05 and 2005-06 was as follows:
Grade Average hourly charge rate (£) AA 8.58 AO 9.94 EO 12.14 HEO 16.89 Messenger 7.97 Pers sec 14.05 Snr pers sec 14.74
Grade Average hourly charge rate (£) AA 8.73 AO 10.12 EO 12.40 HEO 17.24 Messenger 8.09 Pers sec 14.24 Snr pers sec 14.97
Departmental Carbon Emissions
A complete answer cannot be provided as validated carbon emission information is only available from 1999. The following figures are based on kilograms of carbon emitted per square metre of lettable area in our HQ buildings.
kgC/m2 1999-2000 28 2000-01 30 2001-02 29 2002-03 28 2003-04 32 2004-05 31 Note: These figures exclude carbon emissions from road vehicles used for Government administrative operations as this information is not held.
Departmental Child Care Facilities
(2) which of his Department’s premises have child care facilities on site;
(3) whether there are waiting lists for places at child care facilities which his Department provides for its employees.
The Department is committed to providing quality child care support and offers a range of the following options to staff:
50 subsidised nursery places on its Runcorn and Sheffield sites. There are no waiting lists for these nurseries;
Pre-school age child care vouchers which are payable for 48 weeks per year and are valued at £20 per week for Runcorn, Sheffield and Darlington staff and £30 per week for London staff. These amounts are pro-rated for part-time staff;
School age vouchers, introduced from 1 May 2006, which replaced departmental play scheme subsidy previously paid to staff, on all sites. These vouchers are paid monthly, London staff receive £38 per month and staff on other sites receive £32 per month, pro-rated for part-time staff. These vouchers offer parents greater flexibility and choice;
Access to a public sector play scheme for school age children on the Darlington and London sites. There are no waiting lists for these play schemes; and
A Childcare Salary Sacrifice scheme, which was introduced on 1 May 2006. This enables staff to make savings on tax and national insurance contributions by sacrificing part of their salary for child care vouchers which can then be used towards payment of pre-school child care and/or school age holiday child care support.
Departmental Contracts
[holding answer 11 September 2006]: A complete answer to this question could be supplied only at disproportionate cost. I can tell the hon. Member, however, that the Department spent the following with ER Consultants over the last three financial years:
£ 2003-04 257,000 2004-05 600,000 2005-06 408,000
The Department also spent £8,800 with Praesta in 2005.
Departmental Publications
The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.
Departmental Staff (Bicycles)
The Department currently has no tax efficient schemes for bicycle purchase in place.
DG Education and Culture
There are no recent printed compendia giving budgetary breakdowns of all DG Education and Culture funded projects. Directly funded Socrates (education) project budgets up to 2003 are on the European Commission website http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/socrates/socrates_en.html The very numerous smaller projects at national level funded through the National Agency are listed at www.socrates-uk.net Leonardo da Vinci (vocational training) projects up to 2005, both direct and funded through the National Agency, can be found at http://www.leonardo.org.uk/arounduk/index.htm There are no compendia for the Youth programme, or the Culture 2000 programme which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell). The European Commission’s Executive Agency manages all the DG’s directly-funded projects and should be able to provide more information on request, (email: eacea-info@ec.europa.eu).
Disabled Students
(2) what information is collected on the number of disabled students dropping out of university.
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects information on disabled students each year via the HESA Student record. Disability is determined in two ways: by a self-assessment on the part of the student, and by whether a student is in receipt of a Disabled Student Allowance.
HESA's Performance Indicators in Higher Education include the proportion of students in receipt of a Disabled Student Allowance, and the proportion of full-time first degree entrants who do not continue in higher education after first year. Both of these are shown in the tables. However, there is no publicly-available information on non-completion rates specifically for disabled students. Using the data on which the PIs are based, the proportion of full-time first degree disabled students not continuing in HE after first year has been calculated for 2002-03 and 2003-04. These figures are also included in the tables.
Percentage 2000-01 1.5 2001-02 2.1 2002-03 2.6 2003-04 3.1 2004-05 3.6 Source: Table T7, Performance Indicators in Higher Education, published by HESA
Percentage 1999-2000 9.7 2000-01 8.7 2001-02 9.0 2002-03 9.5 2003-04 9.5 Source: Table T3, Performance Indicators in Higher Education, published by HESA
Percentage 2002-03 7.3 2003-04 7.5 Source: HEFCE
Educational Premises
Information on the number of educational premises that have been declared unfit for use since 1997 is not held by the Department.
European Union Communications
During the period in question the Department received one Communication, on the follow up to the White Paper on European Youth, and no notice of adoption of Decisions or Directives, or European Court of Justice rulings relating to its area of responsibility. A notification, in EU terms, applies to outgoing notification of proposed changes to technical regulations or of transposition of legislation. There have not been any such notifications relating to this Department.
In addition, during the period in question common positions have been reached on the Decisions to create the Lifelong Learning and Youth in Action programmes, which will run from 2007-13. A number of calls for proposals in the fields of education, skills and youth were also published in the Official Journal.
Excluded Children
The information requested is not collected centrally.
Extended Schools Programme
There are 75 schools in Kent delivering the extended schools full core offer of activities and of these four are primary schools in the constituency of Gravesham. These schools are offering childcare from 8am-6pm (where needed) all year round; a varied menu of study support activities; a range of specialist health and social care services; and are opening up facilities to the wider community.
Research from Ofsted and from the Universities of Manchester and Newcastle has shown that extended services can have a positive impact for children, improving behaviour, attendance and pupil achievement and helping to reduce exclusions. The first year evaluation of extended schools also showed that the services helped teachers refocus upon teaching and learning.
The expectation is that all schools will become extended schools by 2010. A good start has already been made with over 3,000 primary and secondary schools in England offering extended services, exceeding the Government’s aim of 2,500 extended schools by September 2006.
Foreign Teachers
The information requested is not collected centrally for England. Information for Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Executive.
The following table provides the number of foreign teachers recruited to the overseas trained teacher programme in each year from 2000/01 to 2004/05, the latest year for which full details are available.
Primary Secondary Total 2000/01 110 80 190 2001/02 310 440 760 2002/03 330 510 830 2003/04 510 710 1,210 2004/05 610 940 1,540 Notes: 1. Teacher Development Agency (TDA) 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest10.
Further Education (Over 55s)
Responsibility for encouraging redundant workers, including those aged over 55 and redundant for more than one year, back into employment, education or training is shared between the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Secretary of State for Education and Skills. Both Departments along with their respective agencies Jobcentre Plus (JCP) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) work closely together on large-scale redundancies to ensure that redundant employees have the skills they need to secure sustainable and productive jobs.
All those on jobseeker’s allowance or income related benefits and their dependants receive free tuition in further education. Unemployed people in England also have access to in-depth advice about their education and training options through the Learndirect one-stop telephone and on-line service.
In addition, we remain committed to supporting learning for its own intrinsic value and have established a safeguarded budget of £210 million pa for 2006/07 and 2007/08 for learning for personal and community development. Over half the participants on these courses are aged over 55.
Further Education (Pensioners)
There is no national subsidy for pensioners on courses in further education funded through the Learning and Skills Council. However all those on income related benefits and their families do not pay tuition fees for their courses. This includes those pensioners in receipt of the pension credit guarantee. Many pensioners will also benefit from free tuition for courses in literacy, numeracy and language and, where they intend to work, from free tuition for a first full level 2 qualification. Beyond national policy many providers, in both local authorities and FE colleges, have offered fee concessions at their own discretion which may, to varying degrees, be based on age. The following table therefore shows the numbers of learning aims funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in 2004/05 and taken up by learners of State Pension Age, i.e. 65 for men and 60 for women, where fees are waived for whatever reason. Figures are in terms of aims, of which an individual learner may have several, because fee remission applies to individual aims rather than the learner. Additionally, where fees are paid in full by the learner, 75 per cent. of the total tuition cost in 2004/05 for learners in Further Education was still funded by the LSC.
Equivalent figures for 2005/06 will not be available until December 2006.
Local authority area based on learner's home postcode Fees waived Fees paid in full by the learner England 710,556 215,683 Unknown 8,812 2,336 City of London 205 204 Camden 4,816 1,063 Greenwich 2,907 378 Hackney 2,283 66 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,235 237 Islington 3,258 271 Kensington and Chelsea 2,653 547 Lambeth 2,910 225 Lewisham 2,911 326 Southwark 2,156 289 Tower Hamlets 1,678 68 Wandsworth 4,773 585 Westminster 3,965 272 Barking and Dagenham 1,720 65 Barnet 4,850 994 Bexley 3,330 695 Brent 3,356 296 Bromley 6,232 1,480 Croydon 4,319 768 Ealing 2,688 382 Enfield 2,293 431 Haringey 2,454 510 Harrow 2,289 473 Havering 5,512 162 Hillingdon 2,837 998 Hounslow 2,557 245 Kingston upon Thames 1,348 2,557 Merton 2,007 480 Newham 2,766 55 Redbridge 2,087 908 Richmond upon Thames 3,899 1,022 Sutton 3,014 1,160 Waltham Forest 2,252 366 Birmingham 12,213 888 Coventry 3,735 1,929 Dudley 6,241 780 Sandwell 3,225 250 Solihull 2,223 625 Walsall 2,124 2,440 Wolverhampton 3,767 537 Knowsley 2,178 159 Liverpool 10,032 300 St. Helens 1,621 509 Sefton 6,227 683 Wirral 2,918 1,368 Bolton 1,715 1,827 Bury 2,899 339 Manchester 4,526 863 Oldham 2,288 2,018 Rochdale 1,723 264 Salford 2,513 301 Stockport 3,518 2,181 Tameside 2,496 675 Trafford 2,578 1,294 Wigan 1,995 351 Barnsley 4,189 63 Doncaster 5,090 100 Rotherham 3,855 296 Sheffield 7,344 845 Bradford 5,529 2,020 Calderdale 2,494 279 Kirklees 5,329 224 Leeds 7,871 1,509 Wakefield 5,286 181 Gateshead 5,048 337 Newcastle upon Tyne 6,211 197 North Tyneside 3,556 637 South Tyneside 2,805 143 Sunderland 5,545 320 Bath and North East Somerset 1,605 595 Bristol 3,900 968 North Somerset 3,772 311 South Gloucestershire 1,790 354 Hartlepool 805 198 Middlesbrough 2,293 136 Redcar and Cleveland 2,368 173 Stockton-on-Tees 2,316 2,089 Kingston upon Hull 4,096 279 East Riding of Yorkshire 9,183 589 North East Lincolnshire 4,948 59 North Lincolnshire 5,484 306 North Yorkshire 8,609 3,539 York 2,739 559 Bedfordshire 5,370 673 Luton 2,688 157 Buckinghamshire 2,959 6,529 Milton Keynes 2,251 291 Derbyshire 9,762 7,511 Derby 3,007 826 Dorset 7,216 3,448 Poole 1,944 1,228 Bournemouth 2,883 248 Durham 9,051 1,093 Darlington 775 559 East Sussex 5,237 5,245 Brighton and Hove 1,749 764 Hampshire 14,648 9,863 Portsmouth 1,604 646 Southampton 1,680 615 Leicestershire 12,982 1,624 Leicester 3,735 290 Rutland 342 378 Staffordshire 13,896 3,357 Stoke-on-Trent 3,914 317 Wiltshire 2,082 4,186 Swindon 826 875 Bracknell Forest 2,182 260 Windsor and Maidenhead 1,809 839 West Berkshire 3,400 376 Reading 1,065 349 Slough 862 164 Wokingham 3,427 530 Cambridgeshire 5,302 3,747 Peterborough 1,862 703 Cheshire 8,743 6,181 Halton 1,523 84 Warrington 2,883 214 Devon 8,536 10,733 Plymouth 2,349 343 Torbay 1,147 2,409 Essex 21,215 1,975 Southend on Sea 2,637 90 Thurrock 1,166 53 Herefordshire 1,440 900 Worcestershire 6,006 2,563 Kent 24,966 3,178 Medway 3,305 298 Lancashire 19,547 10,515 Blackburn with Darwen 1,811 278 Blackpool 1,456 1,176 Nottinghamshire 15,391 1,013 Nottingham 3,675 188 Shropshire 2,769 3,446 Telford and Wrekin 4,093 169 Cornwall 10,440 3,422 Cumbria 7,882 1,444 Gloucestershire 10,005 4,603 Hertfordshire 7,629 4,520 Isle of Wight 792 960 Lincolnshire 11,367 1,968 Norfolk 11,039 2,574 Northamptonshire 8,301 2,582 Northumberland 4,993 3,590 Oxfordshire 4,312 3,758 Somerset 4,697 4,964 Suffolk 10,016 5,494 Surrey 19,092 6,668 Warwickshire 6,646 3,280 West Sussex 12,920 3,558
Higher Education
The cost to the Exchequer of students who drop out from UK universities depends on factors such as the timing of drop outs within academic years, the level of public funding associated with individual courses, students entitlement to student support, whether or not students transfer to other HE institutions and whether or not students return to HE at a later date. It is therefore not possible to give a reliable figure for the cost.
Completion rates for the UK are among the highest in the OECD. The following table sets out the rates of non-completion over the last five years for which information is available. In England, the national rate of projected non-completion has broadly shown a downward trend since 1997/98, but we are committed to continuing to bear-down on rates of non-completion while increasing and widening participation in higher education.
Students starting courses in: Non-completion rate (percentage) 1999/2000 15.9 2000/01 15.0 2001/02 13.8 2002/03 13.9 2003/04 14.4 Source: Performance Indicators in Higher Education in the UK published by Higher Education Statistics Agency.
The Student Income and Expenditure Survey 2004-05, published on the 30th March 2006, is a comprehensive study on students' income, expenditure, borrowing and debt. It showed that 56 per cent. of all full time undergraduate students undertook paid work at some time during the academic year. For those undertaking such work earnings were on average £3,250 (after tax). Data by industry sector are not available. The Department plans to repeat the survey in the 2007-08 academic year.
Higher Education (Disabled Students)
The most recent information is shown in the following table. Figures for 2005/06 will be available in January 2007.
Disability type 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 Dyslexia 7,750 10,010 11,765 13,140 14,755 Blind/are partially sighted 665 875 820 835 870 Deaf/have a hearing impairment 1,365 1,670 1,600 1,695 1,800 Wheelchair user/have mobility difficulties 1,040 1,265 1,300 1,275 1,370 Personal care support 70 75 70 60 55 Mental health difficulties 885 1,115 1,340 1,505 1,620 An unseen disability e.g. Diabetes, Epilepsy, Asthma 5,550 6,035 5,430 5,720 5,815 Multiple disabilities 1,540 2,150 2,245 3,050 3,020 Autistic spectrum disorder n/a n/a n/a 65 185 A disability not listed above 2,785 3,265 3,880 3,735 3,700 Unknown 20,085 6,940 9,695 7,050 61,640 No disability 454,375 496,565 503,730 515,765 456,545 Total 496,095 529,955 541,875 553,890 551,375 n/a = not applicable. 1 A separate category for autistic spectrum disorder was introduced in 2003/04. The information on disability is based on self reporting by students and those who have indicated that they have a disability will not necessarily be in receipt of a disabled students allowance (DSA). Note: Figures are based on the HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)
Higher Education Funding Council for England
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) spent a proportion of 0.3 per cent. of their budget for 2005-06 on administration costs.
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) have not withdrawn any funding for courses on the grounds of lack of vocational focus.
Illegal Knives
The issue of carrying knives can be explored through the statutory citizenship curriculum, at key stages 3 and 4 as it relates to legal and human rights and responsibilities underpinning society, basic aspects of the criminal justice system and how both relate to young people, and ‘the importance of resolving conflict fairly’. In PSHE, pupils are taught to recognise and manage risk and make safer choices and to recognise when pressure from others threatens their personal safety.
Law Students
The legal practice course is a postgraduate level course and students are not generally eligible for student support under the Education (Student Support) Regulations. However, provision is made for support to be provided to disabled students who are undertaking a legal practice course to assist with additional expenditure that they are obliged to incur in connection with that course. To be eligible for the postgraduate disabled student's allowance students would need to meet the eligibility criteria and their course would need to be designated for student support purposes.
Students on the legal practice course may be eligible for a career development loan which has an element of subsidy from public funds.
Markfield Institute of Higher Education
Courses at Markfield institute of higher education are validated by Loughborough university and as such are subject to the quality assurance mechanisms of the university.
Newly Qualified Teacher Course
There are a total of 134 accredited initial teacher training (ITT) providers offering post-graduate and under-graduate routes to qualified teacher status (QTS). In the 2006/07 academic year these providers have been allocated a total of 15,253 primary ITT places and 18,450 secondary ITT places.
There are also 102 providers of Employment Based Teacher Training Scheme (EBTTS) courses leading to QTS. In 2006/07 these providers have been allocated a total of 7,289 EBTTS places.
The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) announced ITT allocations to all training providers for the academic years 2006/07 and 2007/08 on 21 December 2005. Details of allocated places are included in the annexes and are available at http://www.tda.gov.uk/partners/funding/allocations/allocations0708.aspx
The following information is shown in the table:
applications to under-graduate (UG) and post-graduate (PG) initial teacher training (ITT) courses,
applicants accepted on to a course leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS),
acceptances to Employment Based Teacher Training Scheme (EBTTS) courses.
Potential EBTTS trainees apply directly to individual providers of these courses and it is therefore not possible to track the total number of applicants to these courses.
Academic year PG and UG applications PG and UG accepted applicants EBTTS recruitment 2000/01 42,035 28,393 — 2001/02 45,235 28,327 3,143 2002/03 51,124 28,107 3,954 2003/04 55,103 31,044 5,417 2004/05 56,674 31,460 7,106 2005/06 58,275 31,272 7,010 Source: UG data from UCAS, PG data from GTTR, EBTTS data from the TDA EBTTS database.
Comparative data on applications to ITT courses are not available for the academic year 1999/2000. Accepted applications differ from those given in the Training and Development Agency for School’s (TDA) ITT Trainee Number Census as they do not include forecast trainees.
The information requested is not collected centrally.
Commonwealth and other foreign teachers who choose to come to our schools are welcome, although not recruited or solicited by the Government. They are well qualified and greatly valued, making an important contribution to schools in England. We know that many stay for one or two years, and can in any event teach for no more than four years here without acquiring Qualified Teacher Status.
The following table provides the number of foreign teachers recruited to the overseas trained teacher programme in each year from 2000-01 to 2004-05, the latest year for which full details are available.
Primary Secondary Total 2000-01 110 80 190 2001-02 310 440 760 2002-03 330 510 830 2003-04 510 710 1,210 2004-05 610 940 1,540 Source: Teacher Development Agency (TDA)
The total number of under-graduate and post-graduate places made available to accredited ITT providers for September 2006 is 33,703. A breakdown of these places by UK and overseas trainees is not available. A further 7,289 places have been made available to providers of Employment Based Teacher Training Scheme (EBTTS) courses, including 1,559 places for the Overseas Trained Teacher Programme (OTTP).
Nursery Education
The single substantive change to the delivery of the free early education entitlement, set out in the 2006 code of practice, was the extension of the minimum free entitlement from 33 to 38 weeks. Following the consultation, we made clear that we recognised that not all providers would be able to extend their provision to 38 weeks and that, at the relevant local authority’s discretion, they could be funded for the provision they actually delivered.
In addition, all LAs received additional funding to support the extension to the free entitlement. As a result we concluded there should not be a substantive regulatory impact. A regulatory impact assessment was therefore not required.
Obesity
Childhood obesity is a serious issue, both in terms of the range of health problems it is associated with and also the cost burden it places on the NHS and the UK economy.
To tackle this problem, the Government have set a public service agreement target
“to halt, by 2010, the year-on-year increase in obesity among children under 11 in the context of a broader strategy to tackle obesity in the population as whole”.
This target is the joint responsibility of the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, the Secretary of State for Health, and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
Officials from these Departments have met and have held meetings with officials from other Departments. They have also had discussions with representatives of partner organisations including the School Food Trust, Sport England and the Youth Sport Trust, to develop and progress the actions which will halt the rise in childhood obesity.
For example, the School Food Programme will contribute to healthier food in schools through new regulation for nutritional standards for food in schools, funding and practical support to improve the quality of food in schools.
The National School Sport Strategy, which is being delivered jointly by this Department and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is increasing the amount and quality of physical education and school sport for our young people. Our overall aim, a joint PSA target, is to increase the percentage of young people who take part in at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport each week to 75 per cent. by 2006 and on to 85 per cent. by 2008.
The Healthy Schools programme, for which this Department and the Department of Health established a joint delivery unit, requires schools which wish to have Healthy School status to meet four standards: healthy eating, physical activity, emotional health, and personal, social and health education. The Government want all schools to be working towards Healthy School status by 2009 and 75 per cent. of schools have already achieved that status or are working towards it.
Research Assessment Exercise
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the effect on administration costs of changing to a metrics-based Research Assessment Exercise.
The total administrative cost of preparations for the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise to the four UK higher education funding bodies in 2005-06 was £1.184 million. That does not include the direct and indirect costs of the Exercise to universities.
It will not be possible to estimate the administrative cost of a reformed research assessment system until after the results of the consultation exercise that is currently in progress are known. However, the main aim of the Government's proposals remains to secure a significant reduction in the time and money that universities currently devote to the RAE.
Ministers and officials of the Department for Education and Skills have held discussions with a wide range of interested parties since the consultation document The reform of higher education research assessment and funding was published on 13 June. These include representatives of Universities UK, the Russell Group, the 1994 Group and the Campaign for Mainstream Universities, together with individual university teachers and administrators.
Salaries
The following table provides the average salary of full-time head and deputy head teachers in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in March 2003, broken down by government office region. This is the latest information available.
£ Nursery/primary Secondary Head teachers Deputy head teachers Head teachers Deputy head teachers North East 41,000 34,880 54,020 44,180 North West 41,390 35,120 56,960 44,170 Yorkshire and the Humber 41,500 35,340 57,660 45,420 East Midlands 40,560 34,960 55,840 45,120 West Midlands 41,870 35,390 54,400 44,440 East of England 41,490 35,540 57,210 45,710 London 48,960 40,310 65,440 48,450 South East 41,990 35,350 59,340 45,610 South West 40,050 34,530 56,490 44,400 Wales 39,720 34,130 57,300 44,130 England and Wales 41,730 35,630 57,460 45,280 1 Provisional estimates which are subject to revision. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest £10. Source: Database of Teacher Records.
School Food Trust
The School Food Trust is a relatively new organisation which will be subject to the usual oversight as a non-departmental public body. Following the School Food Trust taking full responsibility for its grant in aid from 1 April 2006, the first formal quarterly meeting between the Department and the Trust took place on 18 July 2006. There is much to be done but I am satisfied that the Trust has made a good start on its remit to help transform school food.
School Playing Fields
The capital receipt expected to be raised from the approved applications is approximately £613 million. However, because of land price changes from the time that consent is given to the time that the land is sold, and also because some sales may not yet have taken place, it is not possible to accurately assess how much capital has been raised or how much money has actually been spent.
However, it is set out in guidance that any sale proceeds must be re-invested to provide new or improved sports facilities at schools.
At its meeting on 20 July, the School Playing Fields Advisory Panel determined a further three applications. There are, therefore, now only seven applications still under consideration. These are:
1. Amy Johnson School, Kingston-upon-Hull: This run-down closed school site is to be sold as part of a regeneration of the area. The sale proceeds will be used towards the cost of new sports facilities in the area.
2. Beanfield Community School, Northamptonshire: The sale proceeds from this closed school site will be used to fund the building of a new school.
3. Blackthorne Middle School, Northamptonshire: The proceeds from the sale of this closed school site will be used as a contribution towards a private finance scheme for a school reorganisation.
4. Ecton Brook Middle School, Northamptonshire: The sale proceeds from this closed school site will be used as a contribution towards a private finance scheme for a school reorganisation.
5. Meadway School, Reading: The proceeds from the sale of part of this closed school site will be used towards the cost of providing sports facilities at a new special school that is to be built on that part of the site being retained.
6. Paddock Wood Primary School, Kent: The local authority has applied to sell part of the school’s playing field to fund a new on-site swimming pool and extend the school’s hard play area.
7. Portland School, Nottinghamshire: It is proposed to sell part of the playing field to fund the redevelopment of the school on its existing site with improved sports facilities.
None. Government policy on school playing fields would not allow an operating school to sell all of its playing fields. Only surplus land may be sold.
It is not possible to provide a breakdown for urban areas. However, the number of applications received per local authority is as follows:
Local authority Number Barking and Dagenham 1 Barnet 1 Bath and North East Somerset 1 Bedfordshire 2 Bexley 1 Birmingham 2 Blackpool 1 Bolton 2 Bracknell Forest 1 Bristol 3 Buckinghamshire 6 Bury 1 Calderdale 1 Cambridgeshire 1 Camden 1 Cheshire 8 City of Derby 2 City of Leicester 1 City of Nottingham 1 Coventry 4 Croydon 1 Cumbria 1 Derbyshire 3 Devon 1 Dorset 3 Dudley 3 Durham 4 Essex 6 Gateshead 1 Gloucestershire 6 Greenwich 1 Halton 1 Hammersmith and Fulham 2 Hampshire 3 Havering 2 Hertfordshire 8 Kent 7 Kingston upon Hull 1 Knowsley 2 Lancashire 4 Leeds 5 Leicestershire 2 Lincolnshire 2 Liverpool 2 Manchester 8 Medway Towns 2 Merton 1 Milton Keynes 4 Newcastle 1 Norfolk 4 North East Lincoln 1 North Lincoln 1 North Tyneside 2 North Yorkshire 2 Northamptonshire 4 Northumberland 2 Nottinghamshire 7 Oldham 1 Oxfordshire 3 Peterborough 5 Reading 1 Redcar and Cleveland 1 Rochdale 3 Salford 3 Sefton 1 Sheffield 1 Shropshire 1 Somerset 2 South Gloucester 1 Southampton 1 Staffordshire 3 Stockton on Tees 1 Surrey 11 Swindon 1 Tameside 1 Telford and Wrekin 1 Trafford 2 Wakefield 3 Walsall 3 Warwickshire 7 West Sussex 3 Wigan 6 Wiltshire 2 Wokingham 4 Wolverhampton 2 Worcestershire 2 York 1
Since 1998, of the 228 applications involving the loss of an area of grassed land capable of forming a school sports pitch, two have been rejected and 46 withdrawn. Applications to dispose, or change the use, of school playing fields are considered against strict criteria which are set out in the Department's guidance. Briefly, these are:
(a) school's needs: that playing field provision and curriculum requirements at the school making the disposal, and at other schools in the local area, are met;
(b) community needs: that community use of a school's playing fields is taken into account, with alternative facilities made available if necessary;
(c) finance: that any sale proceeds are reinvested to provide new or improved sports facilities at schools, with priority being given to outdoor sports facilities, or are used to help raise standards by improving educational facilities.
In the case of the two rejected applications, the School Playing Fields Advisory Panel determined, on appeal, that the applications did not meet the published criteria. Applications have been withdrawn either as a result of the panel's preliminary view that the application failed to meet the criteria or as a result of similar advice from officials. In some instances, the applicant itself has withdrawn its application because it realised that it failed to meet the criteria. In every case, however, the reason for withdrawal was that the application failed to meet the criteria for giving consent. A withdrawn case has the same effect as one that is rejected in that the proposed disposal, or change of use, does not happen.
The Department's records do not show which, or how many, of the closed or closing schools were being merged.
Science and Innovation Investment Framework
We are making good progress towards implementing the commitments. The consultation document “The reform of higher education research assessment and funding” was published on 13 June. We are working with partners such as the Training and Development Agency for Schools, and Science Learning Centres to deliver a range of other commitments. For example, we have commissioned the Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics Network (SETNET) to recruit an extra 6,000 science engineering ambassadors by 2007-08. We have also remitted the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) to advise on improving the use of current pay flexibilities and incentives to improve the recruitment, retention and quality of science teachers; and on whether science teachers should receive an incentive to encourage them to complete physics and chemistry enhancement CPD leading to an accredited qualification.
Sexual Exploitation (Children)
There is no central record of Government funds given specifically to projects that provide support to children who have experienced sexual exploitation. Support services such as these are delivered through many different funding initiatives, central, local and voluntary and across a wide variety of different organisations in both the voluntary sector and health related services. It is therefore also not possible to identify those projects that have closed within the last two years.
Special Educational Needs
(2) what proportion of schools have special educational needs co-ordinators; and how many of these are qualified teachers;
(3) what plans he has to ensure that special educational needs training modules which are being piloted at initial teacher training level are available at all higher education institutions in England.
In order to be awarded Qualified Teacher Status, all trainee teachers must demonstrate that they understand their responsibilities under the statutory Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, know how to seek advice from specialists on less common types of SEN, can differentiate their teaching to meet the needs of pupils, including those with SEN, and can identify and support pupils who experience behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.
The current standards for teachers are under review. Once revised, it is proposed that they will be strengthened to include a standard which requires teachers to know and comply with current legislation on well being of children and young people, one which requires teachers to know and understand the role of others when dealing with children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and one which requires teachers to communicate effectively with parents and carers.
Induction Standards require Newly Qualified Teachers to demonstrate that they can plan effectively to meet the needs of pupils in their classes with SEN, with or without a statement, and in consultation with the school’s SEN Co-ordinator, can contribute to the planning for individual needs.
Once qualified, all teachers are expected to discuss their own development needs in performance management reviews, and to address development priorities. This could include strengthening knowledge and understanding of SEN and disability issues. Where schools have identified a need to strengthen knowledge and understanding of SEN/disability, as a school improvement priority, this should be addressed through their school improvement and development plans.
All schools receive a School Development Grant which they are able to use to support improvements in any aspect of teaching and learning. A wide variety of courses are available covering SEN and disability, ranging from awareness-raising through to in-depth studies leading to specific qualifications. It is, however, a matter for individual teachers and their schools to determine their own particular training and development needs; the Department does not direct the amount to be spent on in-service training in relation to SEN/disability. Local authorities may retain a proportion of this grant, under certain conditions, to provide specific training and development in SEN/disability.
The Department’s published SEN Strategy, ‘Removing Barriers to Achievement’ recognised the importance of training and committed us to work closely with the Training and Development Agency for Schools to ensure that initial teacher training and programmes of continuing professional development provide a good grounding in core skills and knowledge of SEN. We have commissioned the TDA to carry forward a range of initiatives designed to improve and strengthen the SEN skills and confidence of trainees, newly qualified and established teachers. These initiatives will be implemented over the period 2005-08 at a cost of approximately £1.1 million.
Within this package of measures, we are working to develop and pilot some specialist modules on SEN for the longer initial teacher training courses but it is too early to comment on possibilities of wider adoption.
Under the Education (Special Educational Needs) (Information) (England) Regulations 1999, the governing body of every maintained mainstream school must publish prescribed information, including the name of the person who is responsible for co-ordinating the provision of education for pupils with SEN, whether or not the person is known as the SEN Co-ordinator (SENCO). Information on SENCO numbers and status of individual SENCOs is not collected centrally.
Student Loans
The total student loan balance outstanding at 31 March 2006 in the UK was £18,665.8 million for publicly-owned loans and £952.2 million for loans sold to the private sector.
Teachers
All academies and 1,283 independent schools participate in the teachers’ pension scheme (TPS).
The TPS is a defined benefit scheme that provides a pension and lump sum based on salary at retirement. The teachers’ pensions regulations contain provision to restrict the salary used to calculate retirement benefits in circumstances where a scheme member has received substantial increase in salary before retirement. This is to safeguard the scheme against a disproportionate level of pension benefits being paid in relation to the contributions that have been received. The regulations do, however, provide for the employer to make a payment to the scheme to cover the actuarial value of the increased retirement benefits and, if that is paid, the full salary would be used. All provisions of the TPS apply equally to all scheme members regardless of where they are employed.
(2) how many teachers failed to secure permanent posts for the 2006-07 school year following their probationary period.
In England teachers who have attained qualified teacher status (QTS) are not given a post for their induction period. It is for newly qualified teachers themselves to find suitable teaching experience. The induction period of three terms need not be continuous service or in a single post. The period should normally be completed within five years of achieving QTS.
Since 2000 the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) has recorded the number of newly qualified teachers who have successfully completed their induction. The following table provides this information for each year from 2000 to 2005.
Number 2000 17,600 2001 20,520 2002 21 ,400 2003 22,770 2004 25,830 2005 27,980 Total 136,100 Source: General Teaching Council for England.
In addition the GTCE also records how many teachers remain in teaching service after passing their induction period. In June 2006, of the teachers who had passed their induction since 2000, 81 per cent. were recorded as being in teaching service. Of the remainder some 16 per cent. were known to have left the profession. The status of four per cent. was unknown. It is not known how many of the teachers who are in teaching service are with the employer with whom they passed their induction, or how many are in a permanent post. The employment status of teachers during any gaps in service prior to finding a permanent post is also unknown.
The information requested is not collected centrally for England. Teacher sickness absence in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Executive.
There are no figures available in respect of the cost of sickness pay to teachers. Teachers are employed by governing bodies and local authorities and as such figures of this nature may be available at individual local authority level, but are not gathered nationally by the Department.
The information is not available in the format requested.
The following table provides ill health retirements by diagnosis in each 12 month period from 1 October 2002, the earliest date from which data have been collected in this form. The figures given are for England and Wales only. Ill health retirements for teachers in Scotland are a matter for the Scottish Executive.
Diagnosis 2002-032 2003-042 2004-052 Blood and Blood Forming Organs 25 25 25 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 65 60 60 Circulatory 160 130 135 Congenital Malformations 5 5 3— Digestive 30 45 35 Ear and Mastoid Process 70 80 80 Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic 30 30 20 Eye and Adnexa 35 25 30 Genitourinary 30 20 15 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases 3— 0 0 Injury, Poisoning and Other External Causes 30 30 40 Mental and Behavioural Disorders 865 905 785 Musculoskeletal—Back 210 195 195 Musculoskeletal—Non Back 130 115 115 Neoplasms 245 260 255 Nervous System 160 155 170 Perinatal Period 3— 0 0 Respiratory 70 70 70 Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue 10 5 5 1 Figures are for ill health retirements from all education sectors in England and Wales pensionable under the teachers’ pensions scheme. 2 Each year covers the period 1 October to 30 September. 3 Equals less than 5. Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5. Source: DfES medical advisers.
Teaching (Foreign Languages)
The Department does not collect data on the number of primary school children learning languages. However, the most recent Headspace survey indicated that 56 per cent. of all primary schools in England were offering language learning programmes to their pupils. The Department is able to provide details only on the number and percentage of pupils who were entered for a GCSE or A level foreign language and not those who were taught a foreign language in their time at secondary school. These figures were provided in the combined response to PQs 81445 and 81446.
To support primary language learning programmes in the East Riding of Yorkshire, the local authority was allocated £144,615.16 via the standards fund in 2006-07. The figure is made up of a lump sum of £80,000 and a pro rata amount for the added number of Key Stage 2 pupils within the authority.
Universities (Research)
On 13 June, my Department published consultation proposals for the future assessment and funding of higher education research. The proposals are available online at www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations and anyone who wishes to may respond to them. The closing date for responses is 13 October.
International Development
Departmental Agency Staff
DFID periodically engages temporary staff, both administrative and professional, through employment agencies. Only some information on agency hourly rates is held centrally—for those agencies who supply DFID regularly. The average hourly rate for these agencies, who supply mainly junior administrative grades, is as follows:
Grade C2
£7.30 Glasgow, Margaret Hodge Recruitment Agency
£7.46 Glasgow, TempTeam
Grade C1
£8.75 Glasgow, Margaret Hodge Recruitment Agency
£10.98 London, Josephine Sammonds
Information on average hourly rates for the years before 2005-06 is not readily available.
Other agencies are used on an ad hoc basis but information about these agencies is not held centrally and could be secured only at disproportionate cost.
DFID will be joining an existing framework arrangement, set up by the Prison Service, this year and once this comes into force information will be more readily available.
Armenia
DFID's bilateral programme in Armenia is focused on supporting public administration and public financial management reforms and regional development. We are also working jointly with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development to help the Government develop a financing strategy for the water sector. We are supporting projects, funded from a multilateral trust fund set up by the World Bank and DFID, to rehabilitate communal heating systems and to provide affordable water and wastewater services for poor communities. Our bilateral programme allocation in 2006-7 is £3.7 million.
Since 2003 the UK has provided £3.2 million to support conflict resolution. These funds are provided from the joint FCO/DFID/MOD Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP).The Consortium Initiative, comprising three international non-government organisations, is managing a programme which aims to help resolve the dispute over Nagorno Karabakh. In view of Armenia's achieving middle income country status in January 2006 we have informed the Government of Armenia that DFID's bilateral programme will end in 2008. Thereafter, DFID support will be provided through our share of the programmes of the multilateral agencies. In 2004, the most recent year for which figures are available, the UK's imputed share of these programmes was £3.4 million.
Bangladesh
Better governance is at the heart of DFID's programme in Bangladesh because it is key to delivering better services such as water, health and education to poor people. In turn, human rights—particularly the right to education, the right to water, the right to health and the right to security—can only be protected if governance improves.
Within the DFID programme a number of activities are specifically aimed at improving governance and human rights:
In partnership with Government of Bangladesh
(1) The “Governance Instrument1” is a programme which supports the Government-led anti-corruption programmes—initially in education and water supply—leading to improved governance and better quality services for poor people.
(2) Managing at the Top (MATT) 2 is a programme which promotes reform and builds management and administrative capacity within senior levels of the Bangladesh civil service.
(3) Police Reform Programme in partnership with UNDP, is helping put in place policing which is more responsive to the needs of poor and vulnerable people.
(4) Financial Management Reform Programme is strengthening public financial management systems in the Ministry of Finance and selected line ministries, so they are better able to provide accurate and timely financial information to Government policy makers and others.
(5) Reforms in Revenue Administration is building the capacity of the National Board of Revenue to administer tax legislation, particularly with regard to VAT and Direct Taxation.
In partnership with Civil Society
(1) Manusher Jonno Human Rights and Governance Programme is building the capacity of poor men, women and children to demand their rights and seek more accountable government.
(2) SAMATA is a non-government organisation which helps poor people secure land rights.
(3) Nijera Kori Social Mobilisation is an advocacy programme which promotes greater dialogue between the political elite and civil society, so that poor women and men can better understand and take part in decision-making processes.
(4) Transparency International, Bangladesh promotes greater transparency in the public, non profit and private sectors.
(5) Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust provides access to legal services, and promotes increased access to justice for poor Bangladeshis.
In partnership with Media/Political Governance
(1) BBC Sanglap is a series of debates on the BBC World Service Bangla service which provides one of the few spaces for open political debate in Bangladesh.
(2) Election activities. Elections are due to take place in January 2007. DFID is supporting civil society to undertake election monitoring, and prevention and monitoring of election violence.
DFID is committed to helping Bangladesh to become a more effective state, working with Government, civil society and citizens to improve governance and security; increase economic growth; improve public services and tackle climate change. The programme has a particular focus on protecting the rights of the very poorest.
We are in the process of finalising our new Country Assistance Plan for Bangladesh (2007 to 2013), at the heart of which will be support to improved governance (in line with the priorities set out in our recent White Paper).
1 Formally called “Unlocking the Potential: Supporting Government's Service Delivery and Anti-Corruption Activities”
Central Emergency Response Fund
The commitment to provide an additional UK contribution to the CERF of $1 for every $3 provided by others is triggered once the total amount contributed by other donors exceeds $210 million in the calendar year. At present, this total is $202 million. If it reaches $210 million by the end of December, our additional contribution will be triggered.
In January 2007, the second year of the CERF will start. The UK will again provide £40 million in line with our multi-year commitment of an additional £120 million over the next three years. If other donors provide more than $210 million next calendar year, our additional input will be triggered. We hope that this formula will remain an incentive for others to contribute to the CERF.
The main factors affecting the rate at which the CERF is used are the number of humanitarian crises occurring at any given time, and the extent to which donors are contributing additional funds. Six months after its launch, over half of the CERF funds have already been committed by the UN’s Emergency Relief Co-ordinator to support humanitarian crises across the world. In the unlikely event that other donors did not contribute for a second year to the Fund, we would estimate that the funds might run out in the second quarter of next year.
We are working with the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and other like-minded donors to encourage others to continue to contribute to the CERF on a regular, and preferably multi-year, basis, so that it is constantly replenished. To assist in this process, OCHA is planning to hold the first donor replenishment conference on 7 December.
In addition to the initial £40 million commitment, the UK has committed a further £120 million to the CERF over the next three years.
On 7 June 2006, I announced a further package of UK funding for the CERF, amounting to £120 million (£40 million per year) for the three years 2007-09. During this time, we will monitor closely the use and effectiveness of the CERF, and a decision on future UK funding will be taken in due course in the light of this.
The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which manages the CERF, plans to hold annual replenishment conferences at which donors may pledge further contributions to the CERF. This does not preclude announcements of further funding for the CERF at any other time. OCHA are tentatively proposing holding the first donor replenishment conference on 7 December this year.
Colombia
It is difficult to establish accurate numbers in each year since 2002. According to the Colombian Government, an estimated 1,148,000 people were internally displaced over the period 2000-2003. The Colombian non-government organisation, Consultancy for Human Rights and Development (CODHES), reported 1,247,000 internally displaced people over the same period. CODHES reported some 250,000 displacements in 2004 and similar numbers in 2005. According to Colombian Government figures, the total number of internally displaced people in Colombia is 2.5-3.0 million. NGO estimates suggest the number could be up to 3.3 million.
Estimated numbers of refugees from Colombia are not available by year. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that there are currently 250,000 displaced Colombians in Ecuador (37,000 refugee and asylum seekers), 12,500 in Panama (2,200 refugee and asylum seekers) and 206,300 in Venezuela (6,300 refugee and asylum seekers).
Commission for Africa
The Commission for Africa report set out a comprehensive set of recommendations for both Africa and the developed world for tackling poverty on the continent. In March 2006, we published a detailed report on the UK’s contribution to taking forward these recommendations for and delivery of G8 commitments. The report is in the Libraries of both Houses, on DFID’s website (www.dfid.gov.uk) and was sent directly to all Members of Parliament.
Many of the Commission for Africa recommendations were taken up at the G8 Summit at Gleneagles and turned into commitments. We published a booklet in June 2006—“G8 Gleneagles: One Year On: Turning Talk into Action”—that highlighted 12 areas, from aid and debt cancellation to fighting disease and promoting business, across which G8 commitments are being followed through (while recognising that much remains to be done). We also produce monthly progress reports against a “Gleneagles Implementation Plan for Africa”, which sets out international milestones that need to be met to stay on track to deliver G8 commitments. This is also in the Libraries of both Houses and is available on DFID’s website.
The UK’s new White Paper on “Eliminating World Poverty—Making Governance Work For the Poor” sets out what the UK will do with the international community to deliver the promises we made last year.
On 25 July, I chaired a meeting of ministerial colleagues across Whitehall which focused on delivery of G8 commitments, many of which were Commission for Africa recommendations. At this meeting, we agreed a set of milestones that we believe the international community need to meet by July 2007 to ensure we are on track to deliver G8 commitments. These milestones are included in the September update of the “Gleneagles Implementation Plan for Africa” which is deposited in the Libraries of both houses and available on DFID’s website (http://www.dfid.gov.uk/g8/milestones.asp).
I discussed with Cabinet colleagues the UK’s new White Paper on “Eliminating World Poverty—Making Governance Work For the Poor”, which sets out what the UK will do with the international community to deliver the promises we made last year. For example, during my visit to Mozambique with the Chancellor in April, we committed £8.5 billion over the next 10 years to support long-term education plans to help meet the target of getting all children into school by 2015. At the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Annual Meetings in Singapore in September, seventeen African countries reported substantial progress on developing these long term education plans.
Computer Equipment
The number purchased by DFID centrally in the UK for this period are as follows:
(a) USB memory devices (b) Compact discs (c) DVD-ROM discs (d) Laptop computers (e) External hard drives (f) Internal hard drives (g) Desktop computers 2005 March 47 550 100 43 109 25 6 April 44 — — 52 11 — 1,900 May 24 575 100 — 4 — — June 51 250 80 155 1 15 — July 67 290 130 — 2 42 — August 37 80 — 145 6 81 — September 55 50 — — — 5 — October 54 100 — 3 5 2 — November 34 180 — 2 — 52 — December 43 450 — 53 — 50 — 2006 January 82 300 — 55 4 55 — February 23 — — 51 3 67 — March 23 150 — 61 — 86 20 April 25 — — — — 30 — May 19 — — — — 50 — June 47 300 100 2 — 49 — Total 675 3,275 510 622 145 609 1,926
DFID’s records do not distinguish between different types of USB memory devices, so the totals of such devices are shown in column (a).
The period reported on includes a planned technology refresh programme for all desktop computers and a proportion of laptop computers in DFID. This programme enabled DFID to obtain a highly competitive price for a bulk purchase of desktop computers in April 2005, which is reflected in the figures.
Desktop and laptop computers are purchased centrally in the UK for all DFID offices worldwide. Some smaller electronic devices and consumables are purchased locally overseas. These local purchases are not included in the figures in the table as records are not held centrally, and could not be included without incurring a disproportionate cost.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ituri is one of the areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo most affected by insecurity. Current estimates from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) suggest that there are over 200,000 internally displaced people (IDPs). The worst affected area is around the villages of Gety and Aveba, where over 40,000 people have sought shelter in camps. Attacks on these IDPs and on international non-governmental organisation (NGO) staff by rebel groups make it extremely difficult to provide support for these people, many of whom had been hiding in the surrounding forests for some time. Shortages in food supplies and logistical constraints have compounded a very serious humanitarian situation.
However the situation has now stabilised and food and other support is reaching people in the camps. Food rations supplied by the World Food Programme (WFP) were being distributed in Gety during the visit of one of DFID’s humanitarian experts in the second half of September. Additional resources have been allocated to WFP in DRC this year to cover food, transport and logistics costs through the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) and the DRC Humanitarian Pooled Fund. Both these funds were established with strong encouragement from DFID and the UK is a major contributor to both.
The people of Ituri region are likely to continue to suffer from uncertainty and instability and we and our partners in the UN and NGOs will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Departmental Carbon Emissions
The estimated carbon emissions from DFID UK estate from 19991 are:
Year Estimated Carbon Emissions 1999-2000 686,182 2000-2001 728,763 2001-2002 756,814 2002-2003 771,179 2003-2004 1,011,155 2004-2005 1 ,046,422 2005-2006 1,114,132 1No data available prior to 1999
DFID is strongly committed to the targets set out in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate which were revised in June 2006. DFID achieved “very good” and “excellent” BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) ratings for the last refurbishments of the UK estate. The increase in levels of carbon emissions in recent years has mainly been due to increased staffing levels, new IT systems/equipment requiring new test and production environments, and more IT equipment supporting our overseas estate.
DFID has recently signed up to the Carbon Trust (CT) Framework Agreement. The CT consultants have now conducted an energy audit of both UK offices and concluded that the buildings are “well operated and maintained” and “inherently energy efficient”. We are nevertheless working with the CT to make further improvements to our energy efficiency through such measures as energy efficiency campaigns.
Departmental Child Care Facilities
To support parents in making their own choices about where and what type of child care they want for their children, the Department for International Development (DFID) offers a number of options.
We introduced a salary sacrifice scheme in April 2005. This enables our employees to take part of their salary in child care vouchers and generates a tax and national insurance saving for the employee. This scheme offers the advantage of supporting parents to make their own choices about where and what type of child care they want for their child. From April to July 2006, £36,521.22 was the total value of vouchers obtained by employees through salary sacrifice of which £33,615.68 was exempt from tax and national insurance.
DFID also reimburses child care expenses for parents who are required to work or travel on days they would not normally work. 22 employees have been reimbursed this financial year, amounting to £8,641.25.
DFID provides a holiday playscheme on site for its employees in London as part of the Westminster Holiday Playscheme. The scheme is administered and run by BUPA Childcare under contract. DFID is one of four sites in Central London open to participating Government Departments. 12 DFID parents have used the playscheme in this financial year, at a cost of £1,365.78. This is half of the total cost of playscheme places, with DFID subsidising parents’ costs by 50 per cent.
The Department for International Development (DFID) provides child care facilities on the premises of its London office. This is in the form of a holiday playscheme, part of the Westminster Holiday Playscheme, administered and run by BUPA Childcare on contract. The scheme is open to participating Government Departments, and takes children between the ages of four years 10 months (as long as they are in full-time education) and 12 years. The Westminster Holiday Playscheme caters for 96 children in total, 36 of which are able to use the DFID site.
The Department for International Development (DFID) does not maintain a waiting list for staff who are unable to obtain places on the Westminster Holiday Playscheme. The administration is dealt with by the child care providers, BUPA Childcare, and they maintain a centralised waiting list for unsuccessful parents from all of the participating Government Departments, allocating places when they become available. Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Departmental Employees (Criminal Activity)
DFID's disciplinary procedure is fully compliant with UK legislation and applies to civil servants working in the UK and overseas. We also apply it to our locally appointed staff overseas, who work under local contracts, unless local law dictates otherwise. The procedure covers serious criminal or other unlawful acts, which may be regarded as gross misconduct justifying summary dismissal and, in some case, criminal prosecution.
DFID did not hold a central disciplinary record until October 2004. There has been only one disciplinary case, in 2005, relating to an unlawful act involving a locally appointed member of staff overseas which resulted in dismissal.
Departmental Pensions
The Department for International Development (DFID) is responsible for pension costs for staff leaving on early departure grounds only (excluding ill health retirement). The Department is responsible for meeting the full costs of compensation, including the early payment of pensions until age 60. We are not aware of any recent overpayments of these pensions.
Capita Hartshead is responsible for paying all civil service pensions after age 60. Capita Hartshead provides this service under contract to the Cabinet Office who are the managers of the civil service pension schemes.
Pension awards for DFID staff who are members of the civil service pension arrangements are calculated by our pensions administrator, Paymaster. The awards are based on information on salary and service provided by DFID to Paymaster. We are not aware of any errors in the awards calculated.
DFID does however pay pensions to former colonial public servants and their dependants. The following tables show the number of overpaid pensions recorded together with those recovered, written off and actively being pursued: (a) in the financial year 2005-06 and (b) in the current financial year, for the period to 31 July.
By far the majority of recorded overpayments relate to part month recoveries resulting from death notifications being received after the current month’s pension payment had been made, almost all of which are recovered in a short period of time. Overpaid pensions represent only a very small percentage of the total value of pensions paid.
Number Value (£) Overpayments 455 260,650.55 Recovered 338 219,533.92 Being pursued 96 15,133.42 Written off 21 25,983.21
Number Value (£) Overpayments 181 90,406.14 Recovered 61 60,240.17 Being pursued 115 27,855.63 Written off 5 2,310.34 Note: In 2005-06 DFID made a total of 219,004 colonial pension payments to a value of £114.8 million. The equivalent figures for 2006-07 (to July 2006) are 70,105 and £37.2 million respectively.
Departmental Publications
Publications issued by DFID since 1 July 2005 are listed in the following table. This sets out the total quantity produced as a full account of circulation for each individual title would incur disproportionate cost. The titles issued have been produced by teams across the Department—some for a broad public audience, others for more specialist stakeholders. DFID publications are generally available for free from the website, www.dfid.gov.uk, and many of the more specialist titles are now produced in electronic format only. Evaluation studies have been listed separately.
Title Quantity Design/print cost (£) 1. G8 Africa Action Plan: UK Progress Report 2,000 9,423 2. Progress report by the G8 Africa Personal Representatives on the implementation of the Africa Action Plan 2,000 9,207 3. Developments magazine issue 30 55,000 24,958 4. Developments: Special Local Government Edition 30,000 11,362 5. Intelligence and security legislation for security sector reform 500 1,932 6. National Security decision-making structures and security sector reform 500 1,982 7. DFID interim strategy for Afghanistan 2005/06 1— — 8. Aids communication 4,000 9,483 9. Reducing poverty by tackling social exclusion 3,000 3,511 10. Jamaica Country Assistance Plan 3,000 4,045 11. Social Transfers and chronic poverty 3,000 3,224 12. Cambodia Country Assistance Plan (English and Khmer) 3,000 9,902 13. The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Institutional Strategy 500 2,825 14. Developments magazine issue 31 (included free CD on cover) 55,000 32,050 15. DFID and the Private Sector 3,000 13,380 16. Trade Matters 150,000 96,214 17. The challenge of TB and malaria control 1,500 3,601 18. Harm reduction: tackling drug use and HIV in the developing world 6,000 1,545 19. A better future: DFID support for Palestinians 5,000 7,555 20. The United Nations Development Programme Institutional Strategy 3,000 4,861 21. 2005 Autumn Performance Report. 1,000 7,756 22. Disasters and emergencies overseas: how you can help 500,000 56,500 23. Growth and poverty reduction: the role of agriculture 3,000 6,471 24. Eliminating World Poverty: a consultation document (White Paper consultation document) 24,000 11,145 25. Voices of change: Strategic radio support achieving the Millennium Development Goals 2,000 7,405 26. Developments magazine issue 32 70,000 31,310 27. Listening and learning. Measuring the impact of Communication for Development. 2,000 3,740 28. Implementation of the Commission for Africa recommendations and G8 Gleneagles' commitments on poverty 3,000 13,906 29. DFlD's approach to the environment 3,000 3,360 30. Southern Africa Regional Plan 3,000 5,645 31. The UK and the World Bank 2005 500 4,361 32. Reducing the Risk of Disasters—Helping to Achieve Sustainable Poverty Reduction in a Vulnerable World: A DFID policy paper 3,000 4,854 33. World Food Programme Institutional Strategy 2,000 3,000 34. Civil Society and Development 1,500 3,964 35. Eliminating World Poverty: the White Paper speeches 2006 5,000 9,501 36. DFID Departmental Report 2006 3,000 76,230 37. Developments magazine issue 33 70,000 24,415 38. Development Works 52 weeks a year 50,000 54,875 39. G8 Gleneagles: One year on—Turning Talk into Action 230,000 46,112 40. China Country Assistance Plan (English and Chinese versions) 2,000 2,318 41. Saving lives, relieving suffering, protecting dignity: DFlD's Humanitarian Policy 3,000 6,074 42. Eliminating world poverty: Making governance work for the poor: A White Paper on International Development 10,000 36,115 43. Easy guide to “Eliminating world poverty” 1.5 million 65,445 44. Common Institutional Strategy for the Asian Development bank by the Governments of Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Turkey and the United Kingdom 2,000 2,030 45. Joint Strategic Framework for Partnership with the African Development Bank by the Governments of Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom 2,000 2,339 46. Developments magazine issue 34 70,000 24,847 47. Quick Impact Projects. A handbook for the military (booklet + CD Rom) 1,200 5,715 48. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Canada, Sweden and the UK: A Joint Institutional Approach Working together with UNICEF for the World's Children 3,000 5,635 1 Produced by FCO.
Electronic only titles
Formatted titles—no production costs incurred.
1. Social protection and economic growth in poor countries.
2. How to work effectively with global funds and partnerships—overview how to note and detailed toolkit, Global and Country Partnerships for Human Development.
3. Infrastructure and pro-poor growth, Pro-Poor Growth team.
4. Managing the fiduciary risk associated with social cash transfer programmes.
5. How to provide technical cooperation.
6. Water Action Plan update.
7. Guidance on aid instruments.
8. Good practice in transforming or closing bilateral programmes, Donor Policy and Partnerships.
9. The importance of secondary, vocational and higher education to development, Education and Skills team.
Title Quantity Design/print cost (£) 1. General budget support—Synthesis (multi donor report, chaired by DFID) 500 11,995 2. General budget support—Burkina Faso Country report 150 5,898 3. General budget support—Malawi Country report 150 4,299 4. General budget support—Mozambique Country report 150 5,720 5. General budget support—Nicaragua Country report 150 5,258 6. General budget support—Rwanda Country report 150 5,770 7. General budget support—Uganda Country report 150 7,320 8. General budget support—Vietnam Country report 150 4,890 9. Country programmes: Bangladesh 150 1,170 10. Country programmes: Ghana 150 1,470 11. Country programmes: Malawi 150 1,463 12. Country programmes: Mozambique 200 1— 13. Country programmes. Rwanda 150 1,501 14. Conflict in Northern Uganda 150 1,271 15. Project completion review 150 3,550 16. Humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan 2— — 17. DFID/World Bank impact evaluation 3— — 18. World Bank support to maternal and child health outcomes (Bangladesh) 3— — 19. Gender audit methodology (Malawi) 4— — 20. HIV and AIDS evaluation design—Inception report 5— — 21. Taking Action: The UK Government's strategy for tackling HIV and AIDS in the developing world (interim evaluation) 400 14,246 22. Developing capacity? Technical cooperation in sub-Saharan Africa 250 3,197 23. DFID's policy and practice in support of gender equality and women's empowerment—Synthesis study 400 3,050 24. DFID's policy and practice in support of gender equality and women's empowerment—Country case study 220 1— 25. DFID's policy and practice in support of gender equality and women's empowerment—Thematic study 220 1— 26. India development effectiveness report 400 1— 1 Invoice due. 2 Produced by Danida. 3 Produced by World Bank. 4 Produced by ODI. 5 Electronic only.
Departmental Staff (Bicycles)
DFID is considering introducing a cycle to work scheme in the next 18 months as part of a package of flexible benefits we are planning under our HR Transformation project.
DFID staff can currently apply for a bicycle advance to cover the cost of a bike and any safety or security equipment up to a total of £500. Seven staff applied for and received an advance in the last 12 months. The advance is repaid over a period of 12 months (or the period of appointment if shorter).
DFID’s intranet has information on Green Issues which includes a section called “On Your Bike”. The Department has a Bike Buddy Scheme through which experienced cyclists help new cyclists to learn the best routes and gain confidence. DFID also advertises local cycle routes in our offices and has increased the number of bicycle racks and lockers in our two UK locations.
Other measures which help promote cycling include DFID joining the London Cycling Campaign as an affiliate member. Through this membership, staff can obtain a discount for their own individual membership. The campaign’s website offers cyclists a wide variety of helpful information and advice, including an “All abilities cycling guide” for those with disabilities. There are also links to the websites of other cycling organisations.
Developing Countries
The policies of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank are designed to support country led development strategies, including their public spending plans. These include policies to support economic stability, promote the effective use of higher levels of aid and to build the capacity of public services.
Economic stability is important if poverty is to be reduced. It is a foundation for growth, for avoiding inflation that harms the poor and for ensuring countries can sustain long term investments in public services. All countries face constraints in deciding on appropriate levels of domestic deficits and borrowing. The IMF's dialogue and advice helps countries establish budget policies that achieve and maintain stability. This includes agreeing with countries on the budget limits that are central to their fiscal policies. These limits avoid unsustainable deficits that will force countries to cut back on their future spending. These policies support long-term spending plans that are central to strengthening public services.
The IMF and the World Bank are both committed to helping developing countries manage larger aid flows to support public service investments that reduce poverty. The IMF helps countries with advice on policies to manage the macroeconomic consequences of larger aid flows. It promotes long term predictable aid that can finance higher public spending without excessive borrowing and adjusts the fiscal targets in its programmes to support higher aid backed spending. The World Bank plays a leading role in supporting countries' own poverty reduction strategies. It is a major global provider of aid to finance these strategies. The Bank also plays a central role in helping countries mobilise further aid to support their spending plans by coordinating overall donor support and ensuring aid is provided in an effective manner. The Bank is heavily involved in international efforts to strengthen key public services such as the Fast Track Initiative for education. All these policies provide direct support for public service investments. The IMF and the World Bank have made a further major contribution with the resources they have committed through the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative. This will help provide developing countries with the long-term predictable funding they need to help finance critical services like health and education.
Disabled Staff
In 2005-06 DFID received funding of £780.36 from Access to Work towards the cost of providing specially adapted chairs for three staff.
All future costs of reasonable adjustments will be met from DFID's central administration budget. We intend to consider existing and future funding arrangements in the upcoming review of how we manage disability in DFID.
Disaster Risks
In March 2006 DFID launched a new Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) policy setting out its renewed commitment to tackling this issue. The overarching priorities of the policy are to:
strengthen the international system's and national and regional institutions’ capacities to deal with DRR;
integrate DRR more effectively into development policy and planning;
reduce the vulnerability of the poor to disaster risk.
DFID’s DRR work is focused on 14 of the most disaster prone countries from across three regions—Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean. These countries are: Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Vietnam, Bolivia, Guyana, Jamaica and Nicaragua.
DFID’s priority across all regions over the next 18 months is to integrate DRR more effectively into development programmes within DFID, and also in developing country governments and other development organisations within the international community. DFID staff in disaster-prone countries will be trained in the necessary skills and knowledge to do this. DFID is working in partnership with the international community in pushing this work forward. For example, DFID is providing £4.3 million to the World Bank for a programme to incorporate DRR more effectively into poverty reduction strategies and approximately £15 million to NGOs undertaking community level DRR work in disaster-prone countries.
Regionally, DFID’s priorities are, within Africa, to reduce risk and vulnerability. We are working in five African countries to establish food safety net programmes for delivering regular grants of cash and food to the poorest. In Asia, DFID is working to ensure that additional money allocated to the region following the series of major natural disasters in 2004-06 is spent effectively. This has arisen from DFID’s commitment to allocate 10 per cent. of its funding in response to each natural disaster for DRR. As a result, DFID is providing £6.5 million for DRR work in the Asia tsunami-affected region, an additional £5.8 million following the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan and £500,000 following the 2006 earthquake in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. In Latin America and the Caribbean DFID has been working with its partners to reduce the damaging impacts of rapid onset emergencies such as hurricanes. Throughout the 2005 and 2006 hurricane seasons we have placed a dedicated Humanitarian/DRR adviser in the Caribbean to take forward this work with regional partners.
DFID is committed to reducing the risk of disasters in developing countries and in March 2006 published a new policy on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). A key aim of this policy is to work in partnership with the World Bank to ensure that DRR measures are incorporated into disaster-prone countries' national level planning processes, including Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSs). To this end DFID will provide £4.38 million over the next three years for a World Bank programme to integrate DRR more effectively into developing countries' planning processes.
DFID also recognises the important role that the UN plays in integrating DRR into wider development. We are therefore providing £3 million over the next three years to the UN's International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), the focal point in the UN system for the co-ordination of DRR. The ISDR has overall responsibility for supporting and implementing the Hyogo Framework (adopted at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction in January 2005), a key goal of which is to strengthen and integrate DRR mechanisms into disaster prone countries' development planning.
Environmental Management
DFID is strongly committed to the targets set out in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate, and in accordance with these has established Environment Management Systems in both our UK offices in line with the standards set out in ISO 14001. We are not proposing to have the systems externally certified.
Indonesia
DFID has not provided any assistance in the wake of the tsunami in Central and West Java because the Government of Indonesia has stated that it does not require international assistance. The Indonesian Minister of People's Welfare has provided 750 million Indonesian Rupiah (£43 million) to the local government in Ciasmis, West Java and 250 million Indonesian Rupiah (£14.5 million) to the local government in Cilacap, Central Java for their emergency response.
DFID staff in Jakarta and London continue to monitor the situation and are ready to provide assistance if it is needed.
(2) what funding his Department has (a) pledged, (b) committed and (c) spent to support areas of Indonesia affected by the recent tsunami.
DFID has not provided any assistance in the wake of the tsunami in Central and West Java because the Government of Indonesia has stated that it does not require international assistance. The Indonesian Minister of People's Welfare has provided 750 million Indonesian Rupiah (£43 million) to the local government in Ciasmis, West Java and 250 million Indonesian Rupiah (£14.5 million) to the local government in Cilacap, Central Java for their emergency response.
DFID staff in Jakarta and London continue to monitor the situation and are ready to provide assistance if it is needed, including for longer term recovery.
Israel
The Global Conflict Prevention Pool, jointly managed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), DFID and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is funding the following projects with Israeli non-governmental organisations:
Peace Now—Settlement Watch;
Ir Amin—advocacy project on status of Jerusalem;
Council for Peace and Security—advocacy work on Israeli separation;
Economic Co-operation Foundation—Gaza disengagement; and
HaMoKed/B’Tselem—Freedom of movement for Palestinians.
IT Contracts
DFID has let three major IT contracts in the last five years.
The Human Resource system had a projected supplier cost at tender of £1.18 million. The supplier is Northgate HR Ltd, formerly known as Rebus Software Ltd, and the contract was signed in 2001.
The Quest Electronic Document and Record Management system had a projected supplier base cost at tender of £8.98 million. The projected total supplier cost is £10.76 million. This includes a number of additional cost options available under the original contract. The supplier is LogicaCMG UK Ltd and the contract was signed in 2004.
The Aries Finance, Procurement and Reporting System, had a projected base supplier cost at tender of £11 million. A number of additional cost options are available under the contract. The supplier is Agresso Ltd and the contract was signed in 2005.
DFID has also let a number of small IT related contracts. However, our central records do not distinguish IT contracts, so provision of details for these contracts would incur disproportionate costs.
DFID has not abandoned any IT contracts in the last five years.
Middle East
During and since the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel I called for all parties to allow humanitarian access, including during my visit to Lebanon the day after the ceasefire came into force. From the outset DFID has also provided resources to enable UN agencies to provide much-needed logistical capacity, through convoys and shipping, to allow relief supplies to reach those most in need. At the Stockholm Early Recovery Conference on 31 August I and others called for the lifting of the air and sea blockade by Israel. Israel announced the lifting of the blockade on 7 September. DFID also provided £1.5 million to assist efforts to remove dangerous unexploded ordnance to ease access for returnees and humanitarian aid workers and emergency bridging to help assistance reach those in need.
DFID has seconded a specialist to assist the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs with their work to monitor and facilitate movement and access in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPts). The European Commission (EC), on behalf of the EU and through their chairmanship of the Task Force on Project Implementation, makes regular representations to the Israeli authorities on access issues.
The British embassy in Tel Aviv made frequent representations to the Israeli Government about the importance of ensuring humanitarian access during the Israel-Lebanon conflict. It also continues regularly to raise issues relating to access and movement into the oPts.
I have been asked to reply.
In Lebanon, the UN estimate that one third of the 1,187 people killed, and one third of the 4,398 injured in the conflict were children.
In Israel, government figures indicate 43 Israeli civilians including seven minors were killed during the conflict. 4,262 civilians were treated in hospitals for injuries. Of these, 33 were seriously wounded, 68 moderately and 1,388 lightly. Another 2,773 were treated for shock and anxiety. There is no breakdown of how many of the injured were children.
These statistics demonstrate the futility and horror of this conflict and reinforce the need to find a lasting and peaceful solution to the conflict in the Middle East.
During the recent conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, despite calls from the UK Government and other international partners for all parties to allow unfettered humanitarian access, it was extremely difficult for agencies to operate effectively. The ceasefire quickly eased the situation and a much worse humanitarian crisis was averted. The aid agencies have been working hard to deliver essential relief. We will undertake a monitoring visit in October to assess the effectiveness of humanitarian assistance by agencies supported by DFID. It is important now to ensure that UN Security Council Resolution 1701 is fully implemented so there is no return to conflict.
In the occupied Palestinian territories (oPts), the main obstacle to effective delivery of humanitarian aid is access. The closure regime and restrictions on movement in the West Bank and, particularly, Gaza frequently hamper the delivery of humanitarian aid. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reports that it has incurred more than US$490,000 in staff cost and US$1.3 million in excess storage and other fees due to restrictions imposed by Israel on UNRWA’s personnel and movement of humanitarian goods in 2005.
DFID has seconded two experts to work with the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the oPts. They are supporting OCHA’s work on humanitarian access, assisting with monitoring the humanitarian situation and helping to develop a more strategic 2007 humanitarian appeal.
Having visited Beirut to assess the situation for myself the priority for our humanitarian effort is now to ensure safe return for displaced citizens. To this end, DFID has provided over £1.5 million from our £22.3 million commitment for mine and ordnance awareness and clearance programmes. We are supporting NGOs and UN Agencies providing essential sanitation, health and hygiene supplies to refugees and continue to press for safe and secure access for humanitarian convoys to reach those most in need.
A further priority is to repair basic civilian infrastructure, namely water and bridges, to assist Southern Lebanon’s recovery from the conflict and to help displaced persons return home. The UK’s multilateral contributions to the EU and UN emergency funds will assist the reconstruction process, and work erecting the first UK supplied prefabricated bridge began on 13 September.
The UK responded positively and quickly to the crisis and aid has been getting through. As long as the current ceasefire holds the humanitarian situation in Lebanon is manageable. Maintaining the ceasefire will require the full implementation of UNSCR 1701.
The situation in Gaza remains difficult. 7,000 people have requested shelter from the UN in response to Israeli shelling and at the height of military operations more than 5,000 were being supported by the UN. On 27 August, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) closed the schools which were being used as relocation centres and gave refugees a relocation allowance. UNRWA is still providing relocation allowance for 800 families. Other agencies (especially the International Committee of the Red Cross) are providing tents, water and other services for 300 people.
The information is as follows.
(a) Israel
The Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP), which is jointly managed by DFID, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD), is providing funding for the following projects:
Peace Now—Settlement Watch.
Ir Amin—advocacy project on status of Jerusalem.
Council for Peace and Security—advocacy work on Israeli separation.
Economic Co-operation Foundation—Gaza disengagement.
HaMoKed/B’Tselem—freedom of movement for Palestinians.
(b) Palestinian Territories
DFID support in the Palestinian Territories is focused on three objectives: supporting prospects for peace, improved delivery of humanitarian and development assistance, and helping to build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions for a future Palestinian state. DFID has provided £176 million since 2001, plus our share of European Community aid. Until a government is formed with a position that reflects the principles set out by the Quartet, UK Government aid will be channelled outside the Palestinian Authority. Current DFID projects and programmes are as follows:
Support for Palestinian refugees through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
Support for Palestinian basic needs through the Temporary International Mechanism. This EU initiative is providing social allowances, supplies and operating costs to maintain essential services. It was recently extended until 31 December 2006.
Assistance to the Negotiations Affairs Department to support progress towards a negotiated, two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Assistance to build Palestinian anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist finance capacity.
Building the capacity of the Palestinian Authority (currently suspended) and civil society organisations on governance and public administration reform.
Improved analysis of PA institutional development.
Strategic interventions to support a peace process and economic development.
The UK Government, through the GCPP, also supports the following projects in the Palestinian Territories:
Military Liaison Officer for the Palestinians.
Training Needs Analysis for National Security Forces (currently suspended).
Military Advisor to the Special Envoy for Disengagement (currently suspended).
Close protection support for President of the Palestinian Authority.
Palestinian National Security Doctrine website.
Palestinian Security Force Assessment—with US Security Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (currently suspended).
Palestinian media activities in support of the Roadmap (jointly funded with USAID).
Financial Liaison Officer to the Palestinian Authority (currently suspended).
Water Pollution Management in Israel, Jordan and Palestinian Authority.
Palestine
The current phase of DFID support for the Negotiations Affairs Department of the Palestine Liberation Organisation will end in November 2006. DFID is conducting a completion report reviewing this project over its entire period.
The review's initial findings are that the project has largely achieved its purpose to ensure: (i) effective support to the Palestinian negotiating teams in preparation for, and during, permanent status negotiations and (ii) support to current work intended to promote the resumption of permanent status talks.
The main successes of the project have been: the formation of an effective negotiations support team, a comprehensive set of files to inform final status negotiations, valuable legal support including that provided around the Gaza disengagement process, and the implementation of a communications strategy which helped raise awareness domestically and internationally on key Palestinian negotiating positions. Key project weaknesses which prevented full achievement of the project purpose were: the lack of a PLO negotiations strategy or clear PLO structure for prosecuting negotiations, the late emergence of a plan for transferring knowledge from the Support Unit to the PLO, and the need for stronger project management in some areas.
The Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) has been delivering basic services since July 2006. By the end of September, around 11,900 health care workers, 51,500 of the poorest Palestinian government workers and 40,000 social hardship cases had received basic allowances. The TIM has also provided 1.73 million litres of fuel for hospitals, clinics and water and sanitation facilities in Gaza. This fuel is powering emergency generators to help keep these vital services working after damage to Gaza's only power station in an Israeli air raid. However, the situation in the Palestinian Territories remains very difficult and the security has deteriorated recently. In Gaza many households continue to receive just 6 to 8 hours of electricity per day, and intermittent electricity supply is affecting all key services. Water supply and sanitation services remain limited, with severe implications for health.
The UK has offered to contribute up to £12 million to the TIM and has so far committed £9 million of this to specific programmes. £3 million is providing drugs, medical equipment and other essential supplies to hospitals and clinics. Our second £3 million contribution will finance the operation, maintenance and repair of water, sanitation and electricity services in Gaza and the West Bank. The UK will also make a third contribution to pay allowances to the poorest Palestinian government workers, including teachers, who have suffered a severe loss in income over recent months. This is on top of the UK's share of European Community funding through the TIM, which amounts to a further £9 million approximately.
The European Commission has established a team in Jerusalem to manage the implementation of the TIM. Along with several EU member states, we have seconded expertise to this team.
DFID’s Country Assistance Plan for Palestinians will aim to contribute to the following:
(i) supporting prospects for peace; (ii) more effective, accountable and inclusive Palestinian institutions and governance; and (iii) more effective humanitarian and development assistance. These objectives are all directly relevant to the new White Paper. The main challenge to meeting them is that the platform of the current Hamas Government fails to reflect principles set out by the Quartet. We are keeping the situation under close review.
The current phase of DFID support for the Negotiations Affairs Department of the Palestine Liberation Organisation will end in November 2006. DFID is conducting a project completion report reviewing this project over its entire period. This will be finalised by 1 November.
The review’s initial findings are that the project has largely achieved its purpose to ensure: (i) effective support to the Palestinian negotiating teams in preparation for, and during, permanent status negotiations and (ii) support to current work intended to promote the resumption of permanent status talks.
The main successes of the project have been: the formation of a dynamic and effective negotiations support team, a comprehensive set of files to inform final status negotiations, valuable legal support including that provided around the Gaza disengagement process, and the implementation of a communications strategy which helped raise awareness domestically and internationally on key Palestinian negotiating positions. Key project weaknesses which prevented full achievement of the project purpose were: the lack of a PLO negotiations strategy or clear PLO structure for prosecuting negotiations, the late emergence of a plan for transferring knowledge from the Support Unit to the PLO, and the need for stronger project management in some areas.
The position of the Hamas Government fails to reflect Quartet principles. Accordingly, DFID has reviewed its projects to ensure that no aid passes through the Hamas Government or its Ministries. Further information is at http://www.dfid.gov.uk/countries/asia/palestinian-ipu.pdf.
Without lasting peace, the prospects for economic development, reduction of poverty and improved quality of life for the Palestinians are slight. The objectives in DFID's Country Assistance Plan: more effective, accountable and inclusive PA institutions; more effective humanitarian and development assistance; and enhanced prospects for peace, are likely to remain valid. However, DFID will keep this under close review.
I have made available up to £12 million to the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) to help meet Palestinians basic needs. When added to the UK share of the European Commission’s contribution, the total UK contribution will be about £25 million.
DFID announced its first contribution of £3 million to the TIM on 11 August 2006. This was to fund essential supplies in the health sector. In the Gaza Strip 14 per cent. of drugs from essential drugs lists are out of stock.
At the Stockholm Donor Conference on 1 September, I committed a second contribution of £3 million. This was for essential operation, maintenance and repair work to keep water, sanitation and electricity services running. I am now considering a further contribution.
The UK has offered to contribute up to £12 million to the TIM and has so far committed £9 million of this to specific programmes. £3 million is providing drugs, medical equipment and other essential supplies to hospitals and clinics. Our second £3 million contribution will finance the operation, maintenance and repair of water, sanitation and electricity services in Gaza and the West Bank. The UK will make a third UK contribution to pay allowances to the poorest Palestinian Government workers, including teachers, who have suffered a severe loss in income over recent months. This is on top of the UK’s share of European Community funding through the TIM, which amounts to a further £9 million approximately.
Parliamentary Questions
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave on (a) 24 July 2006, Official Report, column 997W, and (b) 24 July 2006, Official Report, column 986W.
Post-conflict Countries
Since 2001 much of the Government's expenditure related to areas highlighted in the question has been managed through the joint DFID, FCO and MOD conflict prevention pools; the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool (ACPP) and the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP). Both pools receive technical support from the Post Conflict Reconstruction Unit (PCRU). The PCRU is also a tri-departmental unit involving DFID, the FCO and MOD. The PCRU enables UK Government Departments and the military to work together to support countries emerging from conflict. It provides skilled civilian staff to help kick-start post-conflict recovery. It does not provide funds.
The pools support projects to improve the effectiveness of UK and international support for conflict prevention, through addressing long-term structural causes of conflict, managing regional and national tension and violence, and supporting post-conflict reconstruction where the UK can make a significant contribution, in particular Africa, Asia, the Balkans and the middle east.
Given these arrangements, providing a detailed break down of DFID contributions in the areas (a) to (e) would be difficult and would incur disproportionate costs. Further, they would effectively be limited to administrative costs incurred by DFID in fulfilling its management and oversight obligations. The overall pools budgets for the financial year 2006-07 are provided as follows for information.
Pool Overall pools budgets (£ million) The Global Conflict Prevention Pool 74 Africa Conflict Prevention Pool 63.5
Allocations for 2007-08 for both the GCPP and the ACPP have yet to be agreed and as both are currently being assessed as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review it is difficult to provide forward figures for the financial years 2007-08 and 2008-09.
The Conflict Prevention Pools also fund the UK's contributions to the cost of international peacekeeping (d). In financial year 2006-07 up to £373.3 million has been made available to cover such costs. Due to the unpredictable nature of conflict and post-conflict situations, the funding for peacekeeping missions is determined on an annual basis and as such it is not possible to provide forward estimates for the financial years 2007-08 and 2008-09.
In some cases DFID provides earmarked funds to the areas in question directly through our country programmes. Where this is the case, and where it is possible to break the expenditure down according to categories (a) to (e) in the question, such expenditure is reported as follows by country. In some cases it is difficult to disaggregate funds in the manner requested. Where this is the case an overall expenditure figure is provided.
Afghanistan
DFID will disburse approximately £102 million in bilateral assistance to Afghanistan in 2006-07. The forecast expenditure for 2007-08 is £113 million. There are not yet forecast figures for 2008-09.
The focus of this aid is on three areas: (i) livelihoods, (ii) rural assistance and (iii) state-building; the latter comprising roughly 10 per cent. of annual expenditure. State-building expenditure supports efforts to increase Government capacity in order for the Afghan Government to meet its commitments outlined in the Interim Afghan National Development Strategy and Afghan Compact, both of which were signed at the London Conference in January 2006. DFID Afghanistan does not fund directly areas (b), (c), (d) or (e) outlined in the question. However through DFID's partnership arrangements with UN agencies, international financing institutions and civil society organisation funding does indirectly address areas (b), (d) and (e). Disaggregated figures are not readily available.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
DFID has supported a number of initiatives in the DRC aimed at building the capacity of the transition Government in support of the reforms outlined in the peace agreement. This has been achieved by building capacity in the ministries and transition institutions to bring about the first democratic election in DRC which was the centre piece of the global and inclusive accords. Support has totalled some £4.5 million. This includes:
Amount of support (£) Support to the elections trust fund 2 million. Support to the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa for capacity building, including support to the Independent Electoral Commission 1,322,672. Support to the Elections Disputes Project 400,000. Support to Transitions Institutions 500,000. Technical assistance for elections security 226,029.
The vast majority of DFID DRC's contributions to humanitarian assistance are channelled through the DRC Humanitarian Pooled Fund. The DFID contribution to this fund for this financial year (2006-07) is £1.8 million. The proposed contribution for the next financial year (2007-08) is £0.9 million. Beyond this it is difficult to provide figures, though we are likely to continue to support the fund. Based on disbursements to date, approximately 6 per cent. of the funds have been allocated to the return and reintegration of refugees.
Iraq
DFID's £45 million Iraq programme for 2006-07 focuses on economic reform; infrastructure; improving power and water services in the south; governance and institution building in Baghdad and the south; and support for civil society and political participation. Projects relevant to the question include the Governorate Capacity Building Project (£20.5 million over three years), support to the centre of Government Programme (£13.25 million over two years) and support to the Political Participation Fund (£5 million over two years).
DFID also continues to work through the international system, as a member of the donor core group, and as a major contributor to the UN and World Bank Trust Funds for Iraq. DFID is working with the Iraqi Government, the UN, the World Bank, the US and other donors to achieve a more coordinated and Iraqi-led reconstruction and development effort.
Somalia
On (a), DFID's current efforts are focused on supporting the re-establishment of law and order institutions in Somalia. We plan to commit £620,000 to the UNDP Rule of Law and Security programme in 2006-07. Much of this programme is focused on Somaliland and Puntland, as both are more stable regions with relatively better established institutions. Within the framework of the transitional federal charter for Somalia, DFID is directing its efforts at the establishment of inclusive safety, security and access to justice institutions.
On (b), DFID has committed £800,000 to UNHCR to support the integration and settlement of internally displaced people (IDPs) and refugees. However in the long term, safe return on a larger scale depends on satisfactory resolution of the circumstances that have driven people from their homes in the first place. Our efforts in the meantime are directed to helping to achieve these conditions, for example by providing support to the Transitional Federal Government in Somalia.
Sudan
Sudan's framework for this financial year and next is £109.8 million. A substantial element of these funds will be used to support most of the activities listed in the question over the next three years, but given the need for rapid and flexible response in post-conflict countries, it is not possible to state with any certainty how much will be allocated to each sector. However, no DFID funding is used for (e).
Central funding to specialised UN Agencies
DFID has so far contributed an estimated £26 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) this financial year (2006-07). Within this total, DFID contributed £875,000 to support the successful return of 370,000 Liberian IDPs and £1 million in DRC to support their work with IDP returns in that country.
A large amount of the funding to UNHCR is un-earmarked (£17 million) to allow UNHCR flexibility over use of funds according to the greatest need among their programmes. We are therefore unable to specify with certainty what DFID funds have been used for returns programmes. It is difficult to predict how much funding will be needed in the international community for the safe return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees in future years as it is difficult to predict the resolution of crises that have forced people to flee their homes in the first place.
Questionnaires
DFID contributes funding (either in whole or in part) to surveys, investigations and research undertaken in developing countries or on development issues. These activities cover a wide range of topics and may be national or local, conducted by the state National Statistics Institute, research institutes or by NGOs. It is not possible within proportionate cost to identify all the surveys that DFID has funded over the period in question.
Romania
Reform of Romania's child welfare system was a priority for the European Community's Phare pre-accession programme over the period 1999 to 2003. The “Children First” programme was launched with a €25 million financial allocation for Child Protection provided under the Phare 1999 programme. Resources of €10 million in 2001, €13 million in 2002 and €11.5 million in 2003 (out of a total of €248.9 million, €265.5 million and €265.5 million respectively for Phare's Romania allocations) were committed to support local authorities to make the transition from old style residential care facilities to providing a range of child protection services including foster care. This programme is due to complete soon. From 2004 the programme has shifted to focus on promoting the social inclusion of the Roma population, notably improving access to education.
The European Commission's internal audit function reviews risk management and systems and follows up on recommendations for improvements. The European Court of Auditors provides an independent audit of the collection and spending of European Union funds. The operations of all agencies may also be subject to spot checks by an outside auditor contracted by the Commission.
Russia
To a large extent DFID relies on the UN organisations, including the World Food Programme (WFP), working in the North Caucasus to provide information on the humanitarian situation in Chechnya. An independent, comprehensive assessment of food security and nutrition in Chechnya and Ingushetia, commissioned by the WFP, is due to report later this month. Informed by a large number of household surveys, this will cover food security, nutrition, health services, shelter and economic activity in both republics. It will be used by WFP to plan their strategy for the next two years with a view to the phasing down of humanitarian activities and a possible increased focus on transition and rehabilitation.
Russia is signed up to the Council of Europe's Convention on Human Rights and is bound by these obligations and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. The FCO, through the British Embassy in Moscow, monitors the human rights situation in the North Caucasus and raises specific concerns with the Russian Authorities as well as through international organisations; these are detailed in the FCO's Annual Reports on Human Rights.
Somalia
I have seen media reports of an Ethiopian military presence in Somalia, but we have had no official confirmation of the size or purpose of such forces. However, at this sensitive time, when Somali parties are in talks under the auspices of the League of Arab States, any military activity by internal or external forces, which could undermine the Khartoum process or bring further suffering to the Somali people, is highly undesirable. Conflict kills, injures and displaces innocent civilians and results inevitably in calls for humanitarian relief which would be better put to rebuilding Somalia.
State Aid Agencies (Co-operation)
The White Paper on International Development published this year sets out the UK commitment to increase aid to 0.7 per cent. of gross national income by 2013. It describes how DFID aims to improve aid effectiveness by supporting partner country ownership of development and by working more closely with other donors.
DFID has already worked with other donors to increase cooperation at a country level in Tanzania and Zambia, and is currently working with the Government and other donors to improve working arrangements in Uganda. The world’s first fully harmonised joint donor office opened earlier this year in Juba, Southern Sudan and combines the bilateral programmes of the UK, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and Sweden into one operation.
DFID is also working closely with the European Commission to establish and improve joint strategies in a number of African countries and aims to participate in multi-donor arrangements in all countries where it has a bi-lateral aid programme by 2010.
Achievement of White Paper objectives also requires that donors act and provide funds in ways that simplify aid delivery to meet the needs of partner countries and that the performance by the UN, World Bank and regional development banks is improved. DFID is working with other donors to reform the support to the UN by pooling funds at country levels, and is pushing for a stronger role for the OECD development assistance committee to monitor and hold donors, countries, multi-laterals and the UN to account on meeting their commitments.
Sudan
The African Union has extended AMIS’ mandate to 31 December 2006. Funding remains a crucial issue. The UK has already contributed £20 million this financial year. We are now looking to see what else we can provide. We have called on states who made commitments to AMIS at the 18 July Donors’ Conference to honour those commitments, and for others who have not yet contributed to AMIS to look again at what financial and in kind assistance they can give. We are also calling on the Arab League to honour the pledge it made in March and in September to fund AMIS.
The Darfur Peace Agreement, signed in Abuja on 5 May this year, is a good deal for the people of Darfur. It gives them a greater say in Government in both Darfur and Khartoum, and also grants Darfur a share of the national wealth, including funds to rebuild and develop the region. Most importantly it includes enhanced ceasefire and security arrangements aimed at restoring peace and security to the region.
But insufficient progress has been made on implementing the Agreement, largely because a number of the rebel groups are yet to sign up to it. We are pressing them to do so, including through a diplomatic initiative with the EU, US and others on the ground in Darfur. The Government of Sudan must also fulfil its commitments, particularly on disarming the Janjaweed, as must Minni Minnawi, the only rebel leader to have signed the deal. We are encouraging both the Government of Sudan and Minni Minnawi to reach out to the non-signatories to bring them on board.
The UN estimates that (a) the current number of internally displaced people in (i) Darfur is 1.9 million and (ii) elsewhere in Sudan is around four million, of whom around half are in the Khartoum area and (b) there are approximately 200,000 refugees from Sudan in Chad.
The UK Government are immensely concerned about the attacks on aid workers in Darfur since July. We have made it clear to all parties that the fighting must stop and that any attempts to hinder the humanitarian effort are unacceptable. The situation is precarious and has the potential to deteriorate very rapidly.
Because of the rise in attacks, aid agencies have resorted to working remotely from regional centres and using commercial vehicles. This means that programmes are likely to be less effective as specialist staff are not on site. Having fewer international staff near the most vulnerable people increases the likelihood of attacks against them. The reduced presence of specialist health care means that any outbreak of disease, such as cholera could have potentially devastating consequences. We are discussing with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) the possibility of further support to their security and co-ordination role, and we are looking at funding additional security training for our NGO partners.
Tsunami Funds
[holding answer 11 September 2006]: The information requested is as follows.
United Kingdom
The UK Government has directly allocated the equivalent of around £290 million to disaster relief and reconstruction in the tsunami affected countries. This includes £75 million of our bilateral funds to the humanitarian relief effort. Of the £75 million, DFID has pledged to spend £7.5 million on helping countries in the region reduce people's vulnerability to natural disasters. We have also allocated an additional £65 million of bilateral funds to the longer-term reconstruction phase.
The breakdown of bilateral commitments and spend to date by country (including the provision at regional level) is listed in the following table.
Pledged Committed Spent Regional (including DRR) 50.642 40.877 Sri Lanka 7.625 4.653 India 5.767 2.611 Indonesia 36.07 30.57 Somalia 0.5 0.5 Maldives 1.01 1.01 Total 140.00 101.614 80.221
The regional commitment includes DFID support to the United Nations and £7.5 million for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities.
The work in Sri Lanka is focused upon the north and east of the country, but spending has been slower than anticipated due to the current crisis.
£59.2 million has been pledged for reconstruction and recovery activities in Indonesia, of which £19.6 million has been formally committed. The remaining £39.6 million for Indonesia (with expenditure running through to 2008-09) will be committed over the next six months.
Her Majesty's Treasury estimates that the Government will be contributing approximately £50 million through tax relief on public donations made through the Gift Aid Scheme.
The British Government also contribute through the European Commission (EC). The EC has already pledged €123 million in humanitarian assistance and up to €350 million for longer-term reconstruction. The UK's share of this is approximately £15 million and £40 million respectively.
The UK also contributes to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, who have both pledged resources in support of the tsunami-affected area.
The UK announced that Sri Lanka would be added to the list of countries eligible for the UK's new multilateral debt relief initiative (MDRI). Under this initiative, the UK will pay our share (10 per cent., or around £45 million) of Sri Lanka's debt service costs to the World Bank until 2015. All Paris Club debt repayments due to be paid to the UK by Indonesia in 2005 totalling £73 million have been deferred and rescheduled for payment over the next four years.
European Commission
The European Commission and member states pledged more than €2 billion in assistance for tsunami-affected countries of which €566 million is for humanitarian assistance and the remainder for rehabilitation and reconstruction. €452 million (80 per cent.) of humanitarian aid has been spent. €902 million (60 per cent.) of rehabilitation and reconstruction aid has been committed and €367 million disbursed. The European Investment Bank is about to sign loans totalling €170 million in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Additional loans of €396 million have been pledged by member states.
Latest figures for other donors show that the United States of America pledged US$350 million for humanitarian and recovery assistance and a further US$625 million for tsunami recovery and reconstruction. Australia pledged AUS$122.8 million in support of the tsunami, AUS$75.9 million of which was for emergency humanitarian assistance. Japan pledged up to US$500 million grant money as emergency assistance, of which US$250 million for international organisations and US$250 million for bilateral assistance.
Latest estimates indicate that in total over US$13 billion was pledged or donated by the international community for emergency relief and the reconstruction effort in response to the tsunami. It is estimated that of the total amount 46 per cent. was provided from governments, 16 per cent. international financial institutions and 38 per cent. from private finance and donations.
DFID allocated £75 million for emergency relief and £65 million for recovery and reconstruction to help communities affected by the Indian ocean tsunami of December 2004.
DFID emergency relief projects have ended. They were evaluated in late 2005 and the conclusions are in ‘Report on DFID’s response to the Indian Ocean Disaster’, copies of which are in the Libraries of the House and on the DFID website. The report found that DFID’s response was broadly successful, that support to UN agencies filled critical gaps in the relief effort, but that DFID needed to be more aware of weaknesses within the agencies.
Most recovery and reconstruction programmes are ongoing. Internal DFID assessments or independent evaluations are routinely used to monitor progress.
In Indonesia, DFID has committed £25.6 million so far to recovery and reconstruction:
a contribution of $10 million (£5,511,571) to the Multi-Donor Fund for Aceh and Nias (MDF) in support of the Government of Indonesia’s priorities for reconstruction. The MDF funds 16 projects, helping the recovery of communities, infrastructure and transport, capacity building and governance, and sustainable management of the environment. DFID rated the MDF top for both purpose and output in an annual review in August. In the past eight months, two independent evaluations of MDF have been conducted and a third is in progress;
a recent contribution of £6 million to the World Bank’s Support for Poor and Disadvantaged areas (SPADA) programme for Aceh for access to justice, improved regulation of private sector investment and better targeting of assistance. It is too early to assess;
£10 million for the livelihoods component of UNDP’s Emergency Response and Transitional Recovery (ERTR) programme enabling over 50,000 people to re-engage in income generation activities. An independent evaluation in March judged that ERTR had successfully mobilised funds for reconstruction. DFID’s annual review in August concluded that ERTR was achieving its purpose;
a number of smaller initiatives to improve transparency in the management of reconstruction funds, build capacity of local governments and other agencies involved in reconstruction, and help consolidate peace in Aceh. All are covered by routine internal monitoring, the largest (£3 million) is currently being reviewed, and a review in May of the second largest (£0.6 million) concluded that the project was running well.
In Sri Lanka, DFID has committed £2.8 million to improve management of recovery and reconstruction: £1.3 million to the Reconstruction and Development Authority and £1.5 million to the North East Provincial Council. Limited capacity within local and central Government to manage and co-ordinate activities means assistance has been slow to reach some communities or has arrived in insufficient quantity. Furthermore, conflict in parts of Sri Lanka has limited access. Overall, the recovery programme is making progress and much has already been achieved; for example, the fishing industry, which lost over 15,000 fishing boats and on which communities rely, is expected to have recovered to pre-tsunami levels by the end of this year. These shortcomings, as well as progress, are monitored by DFID and are consistent with the findings of most evaluations.
In India, DFID has committed £3 million to a recovery and reconstruction programme co-ordinated by the UN for social equity, restoration of livelihoods, shelter, ecosystem restoration, HIV/AIDS, disaster preparedness, and programme management. DFID are currently undertaking an annual review of progress.
DFID has pledged £140 million in response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami of December 2005. £75 million was pledged to the immediate humanitarian relief effort, including £7.5 million to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities. This was exceeded as our total commitment rose to £76.214 million. A further £65 million was pledged to meet reconstruction needs in the Tsunami affected countries. The break down of commitment and spend to date by country (including the provision at regional level) is listed in the following tables.
Regional (inc DRR) Sri Lanke India Indonesia Somalia Maldives Total Committed 50.642 4.825 2.767 16.47 0.5 1.01 76.214 Spent 40.877 4.653 2.611 16.47 0.5 1.01 66.122
The regional commitment includes DFID support to the United Nations and £7.5 million for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities. The £10.092 million that has not yet been spent includes this £7.5 million. We are considering options for spending this allocation. A further £2.48 million has not been spent because projects that we supported cost less to deliver than was originally budgeted. DFID is recovering remaining unspent funds.
Regional Sri Lanka India Indonesia Somalia Maldives Total Pledged — 2.8 3 59.2 — — 65 Committed — 2.8 3 19.6 — — 25.4 Spent — — — 14.1 — — 14.1
DFID's focus in the reconstruction phase for Sri Lanka has been to build capacity in-country to manage the longer-term recovery effort. This work is focused upon the North and East of Sri Lanka, but has been suspended due to the current crisis.
The money committed to reconstruction and recovery in India will provide technical assistance aimed at ensuring effective allocation of tsunami reconstruction funds.
£59.2 million has been pledged for reconstruction and recovery activities in Indonesia of which £19.6 million has been formally committed. The remaining £39.6 million for Indonesia (with expenditure running through to 2008-09) will be committed over the next six months as follows:
Up to £33.6 million to the Multi Donor Trust Fund to support housing, infrastructure, transport, capacity building, and projects which support the sustainable management of the environment.
£6 million to the World Bank's Support for Poor and Disadvantaged Areas programme to provide support to strengthen governance, promote growth and improve service delivery in the provinces of Aceh and Nias.
Uganda
The Government of Uganda have developed an Emergency Action Plan, which is intended to improve the humanitarian situation over a six month period, and they have also recently circulated a draft peace recovery and development plan covering a three year period. Both plans include the resettlement of internally displaced persons.
Donors (including DFID) and UN agencies continue to have extensive discussions with the Government of Uganda on the details of these plans, including resettlement. We greatly welcome the fact that it is possible for people to return home, and donors have made it clear to the Government that we are willing to provide assistance to help ensure that this is successful. In our discussions with the Government, however, we do continue to stress the importance of ensuring that resettlement is voluntary, and done in full consultation with displaced people themselves.
We have also made sure that the humanitarian aid we are providing in 2006-07 (including £7 million to the World Food Programme, £1.3 million to UNICEF and £800,000 to the Red Cross) can be used to improve conditions in the camps where this is required, and also to provide support to people returning home in other areas as the situation permits.
West Africa
By 2004, 15 years of civil conflict in Liberia had dispersed some 350,000 Liberian refugees across West Africa. About one third, 117,000, returned to Liberia spontaneously through 2004 and 2005 after the peace agreement and deployment of UN peacekeepers. Following elections in October 2005 and the improving prospects for peace and recovery, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) began actively promoting and assisting voluntary repatriation from camps and communities in neighbouring countries. Up to July 2006, 71,000 refugees were assisted to return home, leaving a residual case load of 162,000, of whom 38,000 are in Côte d’Ivoire, mainly integrated with local communities, rather than living in camps. While the rate of return this year has been initially slower than forecast, it is expected to accelerate markedly with the approaching end of the agricultural season and continued investment in basic services in Liberian home communities. UNHCR predict that 70 per cent. of the remaining refugees will have returned home by June 2007.
The closure of the transit centre in Tabou, Côte d’Ivoire, is a positive move. It had housed 2,400 refugees for several years, though it was designed as a temporary shelter for arriving asylum seekers. Its closure, made possible by the residents finding alternative living and livelihood arrangements in local communities, is good for their dignity and well-being, and signifies the diminished likelihood of further influxes of refugees.
Between 2002 and 2005, DFID provided about £1 million p.a. to support the care and maintenance of Liberian refugees in camps across the region. DFID has also invested significantly in Liberia over the last three years to encourage and assist refugees to return home. £3.5 million p.a. has been allocated to support the restoration of basic infrastructure and services (health, water, sanitation, shelter, education) as well as boosting livelihood prospects. In addition, in 2005 and 2006, DFID has provided £2 million to UNHCR to support the voluntary repatriation of refugees from Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Ghana.