To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what factors underlay her decision to change the branding of her Department from DCLG to Communities and Local Government; and if she will make a statement. (138727)

The legal name of the Department remains the Department for Communities and Local Government.

In order to emphasise the mission of the Department, we use the term Communities and Local Government to refer to the Department wherever possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the meetings that she or her Ministerial colleagues attended where the re-branding of her Department from DCLG to Communities and Local Government was discussed. (138728)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer today (138727). The Department was not re-branded from DCLG, so there have been no such meetings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what her estimate is of (a) the number of people who have participated in and (b) the level of public expenditure on Government initiatives to increase home ownership in each year since 1997, broken down by (i) local authority area and (ii) region; (105729)

The following table shows completions and expenditure through the Housing Corporation’s Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) and Local Authority Social Housing Grant on low cost home ownership programmes. This investment reflects the overall public expenditure levels established by the previous administration and set for 1997-98 to 1999-2000 and the priority first given to tackling the backlog of £19 billion in council housing investment to provide decent homes. From 2004, investment decisions have reflected the priorities set by the regional housing boards for investment in their areas and since 2006-07, the Government’s priority of providing more social rented homes.

For the two years, 2006-07 and 2007-08, we plan to assist some 35,000 households into low cost home ownership through the Housing Corporation’s AHP.

We have a target to assist 120,000 people into home ownership by 2010 and the homes being provided by the Housing Corporation will contribute to this. The number of homes to be provided from 2008-09 will be the subject of the comprehensive spending review 2007.

A table has been placed in the Library of the House displaying information on the homes provided for low cost home ownership and expenditure on these programmes from 1997-98 to 2005-06 through the Housing Corporation’s Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) and Local Authority Social Housing Grant (LASHG) by local authority and region.

Neither table includes spend or completions through Starter Home Initiative, Thames Gateway or Right to Acquire figures. Funding and completions are not directly comparable, as funding will relate to projects running, not necessarily units completed, in any one year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many permanent dwellings were completed by registered social landlords in (a) Camden and (b) London in each year since 1990-91; (122934)

[holding answer 23 February 2007]: The numbers of additional homes provided by local authorities and registered social landlords in Camden and Greater London in each year since 1991-92 are tabulated as follows. Information for the financial year 1990-91 is not available. Homes provided through new build as well as acquisitions have been included. Figures are as reported by local authorities and the Housing Corporation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role she has played in local government reorganisation being undertaken by her Department. (138046)

The Secretary of State issued on 26 October 2006 an invitation to local authorities to submit proposals for unitary structures. The Secretary of State assessed proposals received against the five criteria set out in the invitation. On 27 March I announced that the Secretary of State had judged that 16 proposals should go forward for stakeholder consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK service personnel are (a) deployed and (b) stationed at each location overseas. (136039)

The following table shows the number of personnel deployed on operations by operation and location at 30 April 2007.

Due to the introduction of a new personnel administration system (JPA), TSP6 RAF location data for 1 April 2006 are provisional and subject to review, and after 1 April 2006 are not currently available. TSP6 Naval service location data are not currently available after 1 October 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many ex-service personnel pensioners who served in the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force do not receive a full armed service pension. (138058)

This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether an estimate has been made of the value of the property occupied by the general officer commanding London district. (138926)

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 18 May 2007, Official Report, column 989W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 30 April 2007, Official Report, column 1463W, on Departments: money, what steps he is taking to reduce the amount of notes and coins lost each year. (138776)

[holding answer 22 May 2007]: Guidance on the safeguarding of cash is set out in Joint Service Publications 462 (Financial Management Policy Manual) and 501 (Imprest Accounting and Banking Policy Manual). The guidance is routinely updated, as necessary, to reflect any lessons learned.

A management action plan is also being implemented in response to the National Audit Office (NAO) report entitled “Ministry of Defence, Management of Losses and Special Payments” published in July 2006. Revised procedures include the requirement for top level budget holders to report the value of losses formally to the Finance Director on a quarterly basis. These are consolidated into departmental reports for the Defence Audit Committee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under which budget heads in his Department’s accounts (a) council tax payments and (b) national non-domestic rate payments can be identified in respect of Ministry of Defence property. (138416)

All service accommodation in England, Scotland and Wales is formally exempt from the payment of council tax but the Ministry of Defence pays instead a Contribution in Lieu of Council Tax (CILOCT) to local authorities. CILOCT is broadly equivalent to the amount of tax that would otherwise be due based on an assessment made by the Department on the number and type of properties it occupies. These are agreed annually with individual authorities.

Both CILOCT and National Non-Domestic Rates are included within the 2005-06 Departmental Resource Accounts in the Operating Cost Statement as ‘Other Operating Costs’. The costs are included within Note 10 under the description of ‘Accommodation Charges’.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department paid to local authorities for (a) council tax and (b) national non-domestic rates in respect of (i) Erskine Barracks, Wilton, (ii) Boscombe Down Airfield, (iii) Defence Science and Technology Laboratories, Porton Down and (iv) Royal Naval Dockyard, Portsmouth in 2006; and if he will make a statement. (138417)

In financial year 2006-07 the non domestic rates paid were:

All Service accommodation in England, Scotland and Wales is formally exempt from the council tax regime and the Ministry of Defence instead pays a contribution in lieu of council tax (CILOCT) to local authorities, broadly equivalent to the amount of tax that would otherwise be due. In financial year 2006-07, MOD paid some £2 million in CILOCT to Salisbury district council, which covers the sites at Erskine Barracks, Boscombe Down Airfield and Porton Down and some £700,000 to Portsmouth city council, which covers the Royal Naval Dockyard, Portsmouth. These payments cover both service families accommodation and single living accommodation.

I will write to the hon. Member with a further breakdown of payments made in relation to the specific sites requested and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place a copy of the most recent defence estate health and safety inspection in the Library. (119245)

I understand that the hon. Member is referring to health and safety information published by the former Defence Housing Executive (DHE). The last health and safety information prepared by DHE was reported in the DHE agency annual report and accounts 2003-04, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

DHE formally ceased to be a Defence agency on 1 April 2004 and was merged with Defence Estates (DE) from that date. DE’s subsequent annual report and accounts have provided details of the governance procedures in DE for safety, health, environment and fire. The last such report covered 2005-06 and a copy is available in the Library of the House.

In managing the provision of Service Families Accommodation (SFA), DE is responsible for ensuring that a range of SFA safety inspections are carried out. These include gas safety inspections, inspection and testing of electrical installations, and inspections in accordance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations. Such inspections are carried out by the housing prime contractor, Modern Housing Solutions (MHS).

DE’s annual report and accounts for 2006-07 are being prepared. Once completed, I will place a copy in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the wearing of the NATO logo on armed forces uniforms. (138369)

It is usual multinational practice for troops under NATO command to wear the NATO logo. This is to ensure that they are easily recognised as being members of NATO forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the strength is of the University Officer Training Corps; how many applicants were turned down for the current academic year because there were no vacancies; and if he will make a statement; (137914)

The current overall strength of the University Officer Training Corps is approximately 5,030 (including the instructional staff). The actual strength of the student body is currently approximately 4,430¹. Demand can exceed capacity and a selection process is adopted similar to that which governs Officer Selection at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Candidates can fail to gain entry for a number of reasons, not just because of capacity constraints. A list of reasons given for non-selection of individuals is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

There are currently no plans to increase the strength of the University Officer Training Corps by either expanding existing units or creating new ones. A contingent can only be formed when specifically requested by a university. There have been no formal requests for a new contingent by a university since the year 2000.

¹ In accordance with departmental policy, figures have been rounded.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much the Charities Advisory Trust has received from the public purse since it was set up; and for what purpose funding was provided. (138939)

I understand the Charities Advisory Trust received funding from the Home Office when it was established in 1979. There are no current records of recent funding for the Charities Advisory Trust.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if she will list the outside (a) agencies and (b) consultancies which are undertaking work commissioned by her Department; and what the (i) purpose and (ii) cost is of each commission. (138464)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald), the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell) and the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 5 March 2007, Official Report, column 1631W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people in (a) the North East and (b) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland undertook apprenticeships in each of the last two years; and what percentage went on to find employment in the field of their apprenticeship. (134761)

Figures for those participating in apprenticeships funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) derive from the Individual Learner Record (ILR). The table shows the number of learners on Advanced Apprenticeships and Apprenticeships in the North East and in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

The ILR does not collect information about the field of employment learners go into on completion of their apprenticeships although because the vast majority of apprentices are employed during their training it is probable that most will stay in the same field of employment on completion of their training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many babies were abandoned by their parents in Lancashire in each of the last 10 years. (125237)

This information is not collected by the Department for Education and Skills.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he has taken to support carers while they are engaged in learning activities; and if he will make a statement. (121268)

Statutory responsibility for supporting carers under the age of 18 who have been assessed as children in need lies with the local authorities concerned, and my Department issued guidance with the Department of Health in August 2005 on the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 and the Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004. The latter Act requires authorities, in making an assessment, to take into account the carer’s wishes to undertake education, training, work, or a leisure activity.

The Department’s guidance to administrators of the discretionary Access to Learning Fund covers students with caring responsibilities, although this is chiefly designed with adult carers in mind. Young carers in full-time education—that is, with at least 12 guided learning hours per week—may be eligible for Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs). Although in general a weekly allowance payment is only made to a student where they have attended all required sessions, a school or college has discretion to authorise an absence caused by caring responsibilities. Learning providers should not, however, authorise a student’s absences regularly for this reason.

Carers aged over 16 who provide at least 35 hours of care a week may be entitled to Carers Allowance, where they are undertaking less than 21 hours a week of supervised study, and institutions will need to take this into account when considering appropriate arrangements for enabling carers to access learning.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will include in the White Paper following Care Matters proposals for regulatory change to enable young people to stay in care longer; and if he will make a statement. (138113)

The forthcoming White Paper on children in care will set out the Government’s proposals for delivery across services for children in care. It will follow on from the proposals published in the Care Matters Green Paper last year and will include information about how we intend to support young people so that they only move from their care placement with proper preparation when they feel ready to leave. In general, this will mean that we would expect young people to remain longer with their carers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many young people in the care of a local authority received (a) a custodial and (b) a non-custodial sentence in 2006. (134482)

At present, this information is not collected centrally; data on the number of children who ceased to be looked after because they have been sentenced to custody will be available from autumn 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to reduce the number of children experiencing physical abuse and neglect. (137881)

The Government are committed to improving safeguards for children. We have introduced new legislation, new guidance, new structures and new policy initiatives to make children safer and to ensure that there is a proper focus on children at the very heart of Government.

To reduce the amount of abuse and neglect we need safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children to be clearly everyone's responsibility—to be fundamental duties for everyone who has regular contact with children. Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 places a statutory duty on all key agencies (including prisons, the police, and health bodies) to make arrangements for ensuring that their functions are discharged having regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. It mirrors a requirement on education institutions in the Education Act 2002. We published updated guidance on the section 11 duty earlier this year.

Last year we set out clear guidance for the rest of the safeguarding framework with the publication of “Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education”, the new version of “Working Together To Safeguard Children”, which is the core guidance to help all agencies act effectively to safeguard children, and an updated version of “What To Do If You're Worried A Child Is Being Abused” which is a guide for front line staff. New Local Safeguarding Children Boards were put in place by April 2006 to co-ordinate what is done in each local area to safeguard children and to ensure that it is effective. The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 will deliver the first centralised vetting and barring scheme for all those working with children and vulnerable adults.

The Act will introduce a new system with a number of improvements over the current arrangements to make the work force safer. These improvements include: bringing together in one place for expert judgement all information relevant to vetting and barring; introducing tough penalties on employers who fail in their responsibility to carry out the necessary checks; making barring decisions when new information becomes available, and notifying employers when an employee’s status changes; and making it possible for parents to check that home tutors and nannies are members of the new vetting scheme. The new scheme will apply in the same way to the volunteers and those organising the work of volunteers as it will to employees and employers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how his Department determines the staffing levels and grade mix for its directorates; and what cover for contingencies and emergencies is built into its resource planning for ongoing staff reductions in the Department. (137680)

The Department's March 2008 target of 3,200 (full time equivalents) was set following Sir Peter Gershon's independent review of public sector efficiency. This recognised that the Department will be smaller but more strategic enabling it to deliver its priorities for improved outcomes for children and learners within the planned headcount. Reform programmes within each Directorate, underpinned by a project and programme management approach to delivery, allows the Department to focus its resources efficiently but flexibly.

The Department's board maintain an awareness of issues and business priorities and are regularly provided with detailed analysis of current and anticipated labour market and work force issues. The board decides any necessary reallocation of staff resources to best meet the needs of the business and ministerial priorities.

Cover for key staff and resource planning for incidents/emergencies are part of the business continuity planning process which is undertaken across the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 9 May 2007, Official Report, column 290W, on Departments: market research, how much his Department spent on researching public opinion in each of the previous five years; and what methods his Department uses to research public opinion. (138502)

The Department has spent a total of £527,128 on public opinion research surveys in the last five years. The research findings are available on the Department's website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department held with Sovereign Strategy in each year between 1997 and 2006. (136862)

The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many young people received (a) £30, (b) £20 and (c) £10 in education maintenance allowance in (i) North West Cambridgeshire constituency and (ii) the East of England in each year since the scheme began; and what percentage of all young people in the area each figure represented. (134213)

This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council, who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the DfES and hold the information about take-up and payments made under the scheme. Mark Haysom, the Council’s Chief Executive has written to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.

Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 15 May 2007:

I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question 134213 that asked:

“How many young people received (a) £30, (b) £20 and (c) £10 in education maintenance allowance in (i) North West Cambridgeshire constituency and (ii) the East of England in each year since the scheme began; and what percentage of all young people in the area each figure represented.”

Information on the number of young people who have applied, enrolled and received education maintenance allowance (EMA) is available at local authority level, but not at constituency level EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.

The following tables show EMA take-up data split by payment band for Cambridgeshire local authority area and East of England during each academic year since the schemes inception.

In the first year of national roll out EMA was available to all 16-years-olds across England and to 17 and 18-years-olds in former pilot areas (young people who are 19 are entitled to receive EMA in certain circumstances). In 2005/06 EMA roll out continued and EMA, was available to all 16 and 17-year-olds nationally. In 2006/07 EMA is available to all 16, 17 and 18-year-olds nationally. In calculating the percentage of young people receiving EMA only take up and population figures for age groups where EMA was available nationally have been used.

The following table shows the percentage of young people receiving EMA in Cambridgeshire local authority area and East of England during each academic year since national roll out.

I hope this information is useful and addresses your question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students were studying for foundation degrees in each of the last five years, broken down by course title. (138129)

[holding answer 18 May 2007]: The latest available information is shown in the following table. Data, relating specifically to the course title of foundation degrees, are not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) number and (b) proportion of pupils in mainstream maintained secondary schools achieved five A* to C GCSEs including English, mathematics, science, a modern language and either history or geography in each year between 1997 and 2006. (129707)

The information requested is given in the following table and reflects the increased level of qualification choice at key stage 4.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the statement of the Minister for Higher Education and Lifelong Learning of 15 May 2007, Official Report, column 225WH, on higher education (funding), what figures he used to calculate that there is on average net £100,000 graduate earnings premium; and how he used those figures to reach that final figure. (138731)

Over the working life, the average net graduate earnings premium is comfortably over £100,000 in today’s valuation, compared to what a similar individual would have earned if they just had A levels.

The data which underpin this figure are taken from the Labour Force Survey. We estimate the effect on net additional earnings from getting a degree, after allowing for factors like gender, age, and the probability of being employed. The figures are also discounted so that they are in ‘today's valuation'. Comparing the lifetime earnings profiles of otherwise similar graduates and those with A levels, we find that graduates can expect to earn, after taxation, over £100,000 more than similar non-graduates. Recent research by PricewaterhouseCoopers estimated the discounted gross (i.e. pre-tax) additional lifetime earnings associated with a degree to be around £160,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many students from Hartlepool constituency were allocated a university place in each year since 1996; (137357)

The total numbers of undergraduate entrants to UK Higher Education Institutions from Hartlepool parliamentary constituency for each year since 1996/97 are given in the table. Figures for the 2006/07 academic year will be available in January 2008.

The latest available information for the number of students from Hartlepool parliamentary constituency who went to each university in the UK split by the government office region of the institution is given in the following table, for the 2005/06 academic year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the participation rate in higher education is of people aged 18 to 21 in (a) each parliamentary constituency, (b) each local council area and (c) each electoral ward in the latest year for which figures are available. (138203)

The latest available figures on participation in higher education by local areas were published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in January 2005 in “Young Participation in England”, which is available from their website at: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2005/05 037. Copies have been placed in the House Library.

This report shows participation rates for young people who enter higher education aged 18 or 19 for the years 1997 to 2000 by parliamentary constituency, local authority and Learning and Skills Council areas. HEFCE have not produced participation rates beyond 2000.

The Department uses the Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR) to assess progress on increasing first-time participation of English students aged 18-30 in higher education towards 50 per cent.: the latest provisional figure for 2005/06 is 43 per cent. The HEIPR is not calculated at parliamentary constituency level or local authority level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 May 2007, Official Report, column 344W, on the Olympic games: Greater London, how his Department plans to monitor progress towards and achievement of the targets set by construction skills to address the skills needs of the Olympic project; whether these targets will extend beyond 2012; and if he will make a statement. (138894)

The ConstructionSkills Council and CITB-ConstructionSkills’ Board review performance against targets regularly, using data supplied by the Construction Skills Network. Regular meetings between CITB-ConstructionSkills and DFES at both official and ministerial level ensure that the Government is kept well-informed about progress. The achievements of key targets for London and the South East will to continue to be reported in CITB-ConstructionSkills’s annual report which is laid before Parliament each spring.

The Construction Skills Network works to a five year forecasting model and current forecasts cover up to 2012. They are, however, working with the Office for Government Commerce to develop models for London, the Greater South East and the rest of the UK that extend 10 years forward. This will help to ensure that ConstructionSkills and the Government have a better understanding of the industry's capacity in the longer term.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the fees regime on the provision of part-time courses by higher education institutions. (135987)

The effect of the new fee and student support arrangements will be considered in 2009 by an independent review in the light of the data available at that time, but we expect both the demand for and supply of part-time courses provided by higher education institutions to expand as we increase and widen participation. An increasing proportion of such courses should be co-funded by employers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proposals and programmes his Department has put in place to promote physical education and healthy living in the further education sector. (138849)

FE colleges are independent institutions catering for the diverse needs of young people and adults participating in learning. Colleges have an important role in promoting physical education and healthy living. Government funding is provided for all 16 to19-year-olds in FE to support a range of extra curricula activities including sport and health promotion. We are also supporting the FE sector as it implements a number of sector led initiatives to promote healthy living and participation in sport and physical education, including for the 2012 games. With Government funding, the new sector co-ordination and communications unit will ensure that learners in FE colleges benefit from and contribute to the success of the games. In addition, a wide range of publicly funded learning programmes for learners of all ages, ranging from construction through to hospitality and tourism, delivered through FE colleges, incorporate modules relating to physical education and health promotion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether schools have powers to collect pupils’ fingerprints without the prior written consent of parents; and if he will make a statement. (126223)

[holding answer 8 March 2007]: Maintained schools have the power to collect pupils’ personal data, including biometric data without prior written consent of parents. Under paragraph 3(1) of Schedule 1 of the Education Act 2002 the governing body of a maintained school has the legal power to do anything which appears to them to be necessary or expedient for the purposes of, or in connection with, the conduct of the school. Schools must process biometric data in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998. DfES guidance recommends that schools should engage fully with parents and pupils if they decide to introduce biometric technology systems.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidelines his Department has issued to schools on contacting students' parents. (139010)

In June 2000, the Department issued guidance to schools about who they must involve in issues about a child's education and who they must keep informed about school matters (Guidance DfES/0092/2000). It includes guidance about responding to non-resident parents who wish to be involved in their children's education.

A copy of the guidance has been placed in the Library. It is in the process of being updated and a new version should be available later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance, other than that relating to the Criminal Records Bureau checking procedures, he provides on the measures schools should take to ensure that they are safe. (138435)

[holding answer 22 May 2007]: The Department has a number of guidance documents aimed at keeping schools safe, in the sense of safeguarding pupils from abuse or neglect. We issued guidance last year to safeguard children in schools. "Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education" covers safeguarding children, recruitment and selection, vetting checks, and dealing with allegations of abuse against education staff.

Beyond this specific area of safeguarding from abuse or neglect, the Department also provides a wide range of guidance on other aspects of school, staff and pupil safety.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many Sure Start children's centres closed in each of the last five years; and how many such centres were the subject of requests to him for additional resources without which the centre would be closed in each year; (138091)

The Department has not received any reports of the closure of Sure Start children’s centres since the programme began in 2003. I would expect local authorities to alert us if any centre were to be threatened with closure. This would enable Together for Children (the consortium appointed to support the delivery of children’s centres) to broker a solution with local partners for the continuation of children’s centre services in the area concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many and what proportion of (a) 16-year-olds, (b) 17-year-olds, (c) 18-year-olds and (d) 19-year-olds were not in employment, education or training in England in each of the last three years; (138490)

The following table gives the number and proportion of (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England in each of the last three years for which figures are available. Comparable figures are not available for older ages.

Record numbers of 16-year-olds are in full-time education. But, we recognise the need to take action to reduce the proportion of young people not in any form of education, employment or training, and have set ourselves a very challenging target to get the proportion down to 8 per cent. by 2010.

It is vital that all young people gain the essential skills and qualifications so that they are better prepared for getting on and success in life. Our 14-19 reforms will ensure there are suitable routes through the education and training system in place for every young person.

To keep them in learning, we need to help them tackle the other issues in their lives that might cause them to leave which we are doing through our Every Child Matters reforms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps are being taken to ensure children who act as principal carers for family members have necessary support at school; what budget has been allocated for that purpose; what strategy is in place to monitor the educational outcomes of such children; and if he will make a statement. (138722)

Schools are already required to promote the education and welfare of all their pupils, and they should take pupils' particular circumstances into account. The Government are clear that if a school is concerned that one of their pupils may be a “child in need”, whether as a young carer or for any other reason, they should consider communicating with the child's family and with local children's services.

The Government are committed to ensuring that the revised guidance on attendance management, “Advice and guidance to Schools and Local Authorities on Managing Behaviour and Attendance: groups of pupils at particular risk”, is understood by schools and publicised by the Department. This guidance includes young carers as one of the groups that is at risk of becoming disengaged from education, and it was revised in October 2006 to reflect comments from the Princess Royal Trust for Carers. Young carers will be mentioned in our revised anti-bullying guidance, Safe to Learn (due to be issued later this term), as one of the categories of pupil particularly vulnerable to bullying. We also plan to ensure that schools are aware of their duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (DDA), and to draw their attention to our resource Implementing the DDA in Schools and Early Years Settings. Once this work is complete, we plan to draw the attention of teachers, schools, and local authorities to the specific application to young carers of these resources.

There is no specific budget allocated for the support of young carers at school: head teachers and governors have discretion to allocate their resources flexibly in response to local needs. As part of their general funding, local authorities have substantial resources to fulfil their responsibilities towards children and families. They also receive the carers special grant which supports local authorities in providing breaks and services for carers.

Schools are not required to collect data on children and young people with caring responsibilities. The Government accept that not all young carers wish to discuss what they regard as sensitive family issues with their schools.

To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission what the terms of reference are for the Electoral Commission’s review of the Scottish parliamentary and local government elections held on 3 May. (138120)

As I told the House during oral questions on 21 May, the Electoral Commission announced the broad scope of its review, and that it would be independently led by Mr. Ron Gould, an international specialist in electoral administration, on 14 May. The Commission announced further details, including terms of reference, on 21 May, and has informed me that a copy of this announcement has been placed in the Library. I also refer the hon. Member to the exchanges on this matter in the House on 21 May 2007, Official Report, columns 973-75.

To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission when the Electoral Commission’s five-year plan 2007-08 to 2011-12 is expected to be published. (138104)

The Electoral Commission’s Corporate Plan 2007-08 to 2011-12 (HC474), approved by the Speaker’s Committee on 21 March, was laid before the House by the Committee on 9 May. Copies are available in the Vote Office. The Commission informs me that it has also published the plan on its website and that paper copies will be generally available shortly.

To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission what consideration the Speaker’s Committee has given to the response of the Electoral Commission to the report by the Committee on Standards in Public Life on the work of the Commission, Cm. 7006. (138199)

The Electoral Commission has sent to the Speaker’s Committee a copy of its published response to the recommendations of the eleventh report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. The Speaker’s Committee is in the process of considering its own response to the report and, in doing so, will take due account of the Commission’s observations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of cattle in England with certificates of registration. (138130)

[holding answer 21 May 2007]: According to records on the cattle tracing system, the number of live cattle in Great Britain with certificates of registration, that is cattle born before July 1996 when passports began to be issued, is 383,000.

It has not been possible to obtain a precise figure for England only in the time available but, based on the proportion of the national herd that is resident in England, I estimate that there are just under 250,000 cattle with certificates of registration in England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints of bullying have been investigated in his Department in the last 12 months; and how many complaints have been upheld. (134829)

The figures for this information relate to core DEFRA and the following agencies: PSD, CSL, VMD, CEFAS and Animal Health.

The internal formal equal opportunities complaints procedure is on DEFRA's intranet site and all staff has access to them.

Under the above procedures in the last 12 months, six cases of bullying were investigated and one case was upheld.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Africa about (a) elephant populations and (b) the ivory trade in preparation for the forthcoming Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species conference. (137678)

I met with Marthinus Van Schalkwyk the South African Minister last June and we discussed issues of elephant management among other issues. Although visa difficulties prevented officials from Kenya, Mali, Chad, Ghana, Niger and the Democratic Republic of Congo from meeting me last month, they did meet environment officials in the UK's permanent representation in Brussels, who passed their briefing to my Department. However, last year DEFRA officials met the Honourable Onkokame Kitso Mokaila, the Botswana Minister for Environment and Tourism, on 8 November when he was in London, to hear that country's perspective. I also met Michael Wamithi (IFAW's global elephant habitat programme manager) on 28 November 2006.

We are in constant touch with non-governmental organisations and experts in elephant conservation to ensure we have a full and rounded picture of the issues involved. A DEFRA official will also be attending the African elephant dialogue meeting which will take place immediately before the CITES conference, the outcome of which will influence the EU/UK position on the proposals to be discussed at the Conference.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions resulting in (a) convictions and (b) custodial sentences there were in each year since 1 May 1997 for offences related to (i) water resources, (ii) flood defences, (iii) fisheries, (iv) navigation, (v) process industry regulation, (vi) radioactive substances, (vii) waste and (viii) water quality as recorded in the national enforcement database. (137872)

The following table shows the number of convictions (1) and custodial sentences (2) for environmental offences recorded in the national enforcement database in each financial year from 1999-2000 to 2005-2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent maintaining the National Fruit Collection in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. (137423)

[holding answer 16 May 2007]: Costs for maintaining the National Fruit Collection in each of the last five years are given as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what funding his Department has provided for research into a diagnostic test for strangles; (138096)

Strangles is not a notifiable disease or infection, there is no evidence that it has any significance for public health and it is not a listed disease by the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health). There are no plans to make it notifiable or for the Department to take steps to eradicate the disease. The equine industry has the responsibility to control strangles and the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) publishes a code of practice, updated annually, containing guidelines on the disease. The code is available from the HBLB, the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association and the British Horse Society, and can be accessed via the DEFRA website. Both DEFRA and the industry encourage horse owners to follow the guidelines on strangles contained in the code of practice.

DEFRA is not funding research into developing a diagnostic blood test for strangles and has no plans to do so. However, the Animal Health Trust is currently working on improving diagnostic tests for equine strangles through a three-year welfare grant awarded by The Horse Trust. The Department concentrates its resources on those equine diseases which have human health, economic or international trade implications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the European Commission's proposals to extend the sugar restructuring programme to individual sugar beet growers. (138427)

[holding answer 21 May 2007]: The European Union’s sugar restructuring scheme has, so far, failed to achieve its planned results and we agree with the European Commission that further action is necessary to make it more effective. The Commission’s proposal to establish a limited grower initiative within the third year of the scheme is part of a wider package of measures designed to increase uptake. Discussions on the proposed package are at a very early stage but we do believe that, if adopted, this element of the package would contribute to increased overall uptake.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the UK is taking to strengthen its relationship with the African Union. (138240)

The formation of the African Union (AU) in 2002 was a major development and an important break from the past with the AU committing itself to taking real responsibility for promoting peace and security; improved governance; sustainable economic development and poverty reduction. The AU's lead continental role on many issues is now established. We welcome this.

We seek every opportunity to support the AU politically and practically. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister invited AU chairperson Konare to London in May 2006 and to the G8 Gleneagles summit. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, has attended all of the AU's six-monthly summits since his appointment in 2005. Our ambassador in Addis Ababa is accredited as the British permanent representative to the AU; the embassy spends a substantive part of its time on AU matters. The UK is providing significant support to AU operations in Sudan and Somalia, as well as to help develop the AU's internal capacity and its key instruments such as the African peace and security architecture.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans she has for the future of those living on Ascension Island following the conclusions of her Department’s economic report of 2005. (138855)

Government policy remains to work with the Ascension Island Government towards improving the working and living environment for those on Ascension Island. As long as the main employers remain on Ascension Island, there should continue to be employment prospects for St. Helenians and others. All those working and living on Ascension Island are required by Ascension law to leave once their contracts expire. This will continue to be the case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens reside on Ascension Island. (138645)

Although there are no permanent residents on Ascension Island, the total number of British and/or British overseas territories citizens working and living there at the end of March was 904.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much and what proportion of the costs of the Commonwealth Heads of State meeting in Uganda in November will be met by the Government; and from which budget this contribution will be drawn. (138941)

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 17 May 2007, Official Report, column 871W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the adequacy of arrangements for the security of the Queen at the Commonwealth Heads of State meeting in Uganda in November; and if she will make a statement. (138942)

All aspects of Her Majesty the Queen’s security on visits overseas are kept under close review. We are working closely with the Ugandan authorities to ensure that all necessary measures are taken for the state visit and Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to assist in finding a solution to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (138238)

In the short term, we continue to urge the Congolese government to seek peaceful and negotiated solutions to the internal problems which provoke violence. We support the continuation of the UN peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (MONUC)'s mandate and encourage MONUC to take a robust stance against foreign and Congolese militia groups that threaten civilians.

We remain concerned by the ongoing violence in eastern DRC. We continue to press the Congolese Government to make security sector reform a priority, so a disciplined and well-trained national army is developed. This is the only long-term solution to prevent further conflict.

The DRC remains a priority for the UK. Our extensive bilateral assistance to the DRC, £75 million in the last financial year, is designed to work in support of conflict prevention, including work on security sector reform, democracy and accountability and provision of basic services to the population. I discussed this issue myself when I met William Swing, the UN Secretary-General's special representative for the DRC, on 2 March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funds have been spent since 2005 by British embassies to EU countries on (a) events and (b) organisations to support UK strategic priorities pertaining to the Government’s EU policies, with particular reference to (i) the euro and (ii) the EU constitution. (138137)

All our embassies in EU capitals are proactive in supporting the UK’s strategic priorities relating to the Government’s EU policies through a wide range of activity. However, the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Government received from the Eritrean authorities in obtaining the release of the kidnappees held recently in the Afar area. (138805)

Senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials in London and our ambassador in Asmara maintained active contact with the government of Eritrea during the abduction of the five officials from our embassy in Addis Ababa and family members from 2 March to 13 March.

The government of Eritrea offered to provide whatever assistance they could in obtaining the release of our staff and their family members on humanitarian grounds. After our staff and family members were freed, the Eritrean government made arrangements to transport them to Asmara where they were handed over to our ambassador.

The Ethiopians that were abducted at the same time were released on 22 April. It is not yet clear if the Eritrean authorities offered any assistance or were instrumental in facilitating their release.

The Government are grateful for the assistance received from the Eritrean government, including the personal engagement of President Isaias.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government’s main priorities are for the forthcoming European Council meeting in June. (138510)

The 21-22 June European Council will focus on institutional reform. The Government’s aim, as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said on 16 April, is to secure an outcome that allows Europe to work more effectively while preserving our national interest, including our position as a key player in Europe. I set out the Government’s approach to these negotiations in my written ministerial statement on 5 December 2006, Official Report, columns 10-11WS.

The Government want to maintain momentum on delivering the concrete results that citizens expect. So we will also want the European Council to confirm progress on EU action on important, practical challenges, such as tackling climate change, strengthening police co-operation across Europe and improving the efficiency of the single market.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens are permanently resident and working in Nigeria. (138239)

A total of 3,007 British citizens are registered with our high commission in Abuja, including dependants and others who are not necessarily working. We strongly advise all British citizens who intend to stay in Nigeria for three months or longer to register with the high commission but not all do so, so the exact number of British residents is likely to be higher than 3,007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the campaign led by the Mayor of Famagusta in Cyprus for the full re-opening and redevelopment of Famagusta; and if she will take steps to discuss this issue with the Mayor of Famagusta. (138470)

The Mayor of Famagusta has already shared his campaign plans with senior officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). They emphasised the importance of a UN process leading to a comprehensive and durable settlement of benefit to all Cypriots. Our high commissioner in Nicosia is also in regular contact with the Mayor. The FCO remains open to further meetings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives to promote multilateral disarmament the Government are proposing at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee meeting in Vienna being held in May; and if she will make a statement. (138236)

The UK statement of 30 April to the meeting of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee will be made available to the Library of the House. On multilateral disarmament, this made clear the importance of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and encouraged those countries that had not yet done so to sign and ratify the treaty. It reiterated UK support for a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty and called for a prompt start to negotiations at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. It also called on the US and Russia to make further progress on disarmament through their bilateral arms control agreements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of security arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza. (138442)

We are concerned about the security situation in Gaza. The recent intra-Palestinian violence, which started on 13 May, has left 54 Palestinians dead. We welcome the ceasefire, which was agreed on 19 May, to end this violence. However, the on-going launching of Qassam rockets from Gaza into Israel, the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and the resulting Palestinian casualties are of serious concern. As the Minister for the Middle East my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells) said on 21 May in a press conference following the Israeli raids on Gaza:

“For the sake of the people of Gaza and southern Israel, we want to see a complete halt to internal violence in Gaza and to rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel. The continuing violence is creating a situation of intolerable suffering for those living in the Gaza Strip, and taking its toll on the residents of Sderot”.

We are also concerned by the movement restrictions placed upon Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs has noted that access to parts of the West Bank, such as East Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley, have not improved due to a high number of checkpoints (537 as of April), roadblocks, the barrier and a complex system of permits. In Gaza, the regular closure of the Rafah crossing point and lack of access to the West Bank has had a detrimental effect on the population. We continue to raise our concerns about movement restrictions with the Israeli Government and call upon both parties to implement the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she is taking with her Commonwealth counterparts to ensure that President Mugabe is not invited to the Commonwealth Heads of Government or related events. (138676)

President Mugabe withdrew Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth in 2003. We would therefore not expect him to be invited to or to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Kampala and we are confident he will not be.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the situation in Eastern Sudan. (138177)

Following the signing of the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement (ESPA) between the Government of Sudan and the Eastern Front (EF) on 14 October 2006, the region has been calm. We welcomed the ESPA, but are concerned that implementation has been slow. This is partly due to the EF’s inability to agree nominations to political posts in the Government and National Assembly in Khartoum. We have urged them to complete this process quickly.

The east remains one of the poorest parts of Sudan. Large numbers of people live in extreme poverty and socio-economic indicators, such as infant mortality, are the worst in the country. Illiteracy and unemployment levels in the region are also high. The UK supports development and stability in Eastern Sudan as part of our contribution to implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

The UK currently chairs an informal donor co-ordination group on Eastern Sudan. This group shares information and fosters joint programming among members of the international community. The Government’s own support to Eastern Sudan includes pressing the Government of Sudan for the timely transfer of funds from the central budget to the states and pilot projects such as a social protection scheme implemented in the east through Oxfam.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the role of the media during the 2006 Ugandan elections. (138694)

International observers monitoring the 2006 elections raised concerns that a level playing field was not established before the elections took place. One reason for this was the lack of balance in media coverage, especially on the part of the state owned media. However, there was consensus that despite some shortcomings on election day, voting was generally well administered, transparent and competitive.

Our high commission in Kampala, along with other representatives of the international community, continues to monitor the governance environment, including media freedom, in Uganda.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Ugandan authorities on the administration of future presidential and parliamentary elections. (138695)

We have a regular dialogue with the government of Uganda on all aspects of developing multi-party democracy and engaging with the opposition, building towards the next elections. Our high commissioner in Kampala discussed these issues most recently with President Museveni on 10 May.

The Government are helping the Ugandan Parliament finalise a new strategic plan for its development and is helping to build the capacity of a number of parliamentary committees. The Government also plan to commit £5 million to a new multi-donor ‘deepening democracy’ programme which will include help for the implementation of the strategic plan that Parliament is now finalising.

In March our high commission in Kampala funded a visit of Ugandan opposition MPs to the UK to enable them to gain a greater understanding of how an opposition works within a parliamentary democracy. We will continue to look for further opportunities to work with the Ugandan parliament in the run up to the 2011 elections.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the political situation in Zambia. (138237)

Following elections, which we believed set a strong example within the Southern African Development Community, Zambia has continued to enjoy political stability. Underpinning this is Zambia’s continued strong economic performance. In their 27 December 2006 report, the International Monetary Fund forecast a solid 6 per cent. growth for 2006, with an outlook of 7 per cent. for 2007. The 2007 Budget speech contained a useful restatement of the Government’s commitment to sound macroeconomic policies and fiscal discipline.

President Mwanawasa has also targeted corruption as a key Government priority. The 4 May judgment by the London High Court against former President Chiluba in a civil case brought before it on behalf of the Zambian Attorney-General was a historic event. It sends a powerful message in Zambia, but with a resonance beyond, that plundering a nation’s resources will not be tolerated. We look forward to the money being returned to the Zambian people.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place a copy of the national guidance stating that accident and emergency departments should serve a catchment population of 450,000 to 500,000 people in the Library. (137312)