Written Answers to Questions
Monday 21 January 2008
Health
Ambulance Services: South Lakeland
This information is not held centrally. The Department has not issued guidance on the operational life of ambulances, as it is a local issue for each trust based on the supplier they decide on.
Barnet Hospital: Psychiatry
The provision of psychiatric services in Barnet is a matter for the local national health service.
However, we have been informed that the Barnet psychiatric unit is projected to be completed in February 2008, with services being provided from the site by April 2008.
Breast Cancer
The patient experience survey will cover patients with all cancers, including metastatic breast cancer. An expert group will be set up in the first half of 2008 to design the technical specifications of the National Health Service Cancer Patient Experience Survey programme and a national contract will then be let for the collection, management and analysis of cancer patient experience surveys in 2008-09 with first results expected in 2009-10.
The Cancer Reform Strategy sets out a series of actions to improve the care and experience of all cancer patients, including those with secondary breast cancer.
Whether patients are living with or beyond cancer, high quality information and support will be available, tailored to the patient’s personal needs. Action will be taken to inform and empower patients so that they can play as active a role in decisions about their treatment as they wish. Priority will be given to ensuring there is adequate provision of clinical nurse specialists, and effective systems will be in place so that care is seamless from a patient’s perspective. There should be adequate provision of psychological support for patients, their families and carers, and a new national cancer survivorship initiative will be established to improve the ongoing support available to people who have been treated for a cancer. This initiative will include patients who are living with progressive disease and may be receiving treatment but are not in the terminal phase of illness.
In addition, to improve the care and experience of all cancer patients, we need to collect good quality information on cancer services and outcomes, which can be analysed and published in such a way that is useful to patients, commissioners, service providers and other interested parties. To co-ordinate this, a national cancer intelligence network (NCIN) will be developed, building, maintaining and quality assuring a new national repository of cancer data. One of the early products expected from the NCIN will be an evaluation of services for secondary cancer patients in specific tumour areas, including breast cancer.
Cardiovascular System: Health Services
The Joint British Societies Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice have not been adopted by the Department of Health as national policy. This was made clear in a letter from Professor Roger Boyle, the National Clinical Director for Heart Disease and Stroke sent to the national health service in November 2006. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library.
Cardiovascular System: Screening
(2) whether modelling of the economic consequences of different approaches to risk factor assessment and management has been undertaken and the options and the implications for NHS implementation considered as recommended by Sir Muir Gray and the National Screening Committee;
(3) what progress has been made in the Department's consideration of a more integrated approach to vascular risk assessment and management since the publication of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence’s draft guidance on lipid modification.
As announced by the Prime Minister in his speech about the national health service on 7 January, the Department will in the next few months bring forward proposals for a screening programme in the NHS to assess people for risk of vascular disease, including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes. This is a complex area, which requires a critical and systematic review of the evidence for a vascular risk assessment. The impetus for this work came in part from the National Screening Committee’s (NSC) recommendations, as well as from the chief medical officer’s department in the Department of Health. When the current phase of analysis and modelling yields its results, we intend to use it as part of our consultation with stakeholders on the development of these proposals. The work of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on lipid modification is of considerable relevance to our plans for a wider programme of vascular risk assessment and we expect the two to be wholly complementary.
Cervical Cancer: Screening
As of November 2007, 88 per cent. of laboratories that process cervical screening samples in England had converted to liquid based cytology (LBC).
All primary care trusts have indicated that they will have introduced LBC by October 2008, in line with National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence and departmental guidance.
The number of inadequate tests has fallen from 9 per cent. in 2004-05 to 4.7 per cent. in 2006-07 as a direct result of the continued roll-out of LBC.
Clostridium
There is currently insufficient clinical evidence to support the use of probiotics in any form for the prevention of Clostridium difficile infection.
Community Care: MRSA
The Department of Health has not commissioned or supported any research on home based care for patient with methicillin resistant “Staphylococcus aureus” (MRSA) or “Clostridium difficile” to date.
However, we know that some national health service organisations are investigating the options for more home based care in relation to patients with MRSA.
Confectionery
I have been asked to reply.
In addition to the legislation covering the sale of goods and foodstuffs generally, there is also specific legislation under article 14 of Regulation (EC) 178/2002 which requires that the confectionery should not be unsafe, i.e. injurious to health or unfit for human consumption.
Furthermore, section 191 of the Licensing Act 2003 defines ‘alcohol’ for licensing purposes and includes a provision setting the maximum concentration of alcohol that may be sold in liqueur confectionery without an authorisation under the Act. This definition also applies in relation to offences of selling alcohol to minors (section 147), the consumption of alcohol by minors (section 150), delivering alcohol to minors (section 151), sending a child to obtain alcohol (section 152) and unsupervised alcohol sales by children (section 153). Additionally, section 148 of the 2003 Act creates offences of selling or supplying liqueur confectionery to children under 16.
Crimes of Violence: Mental Health Services
The Department is not aware of evidence to suggest such a relationship and is not convinced that commissioning such research would be an effective use of resources.
Dental Services: Leicester
The dental reforms implemented in 2006 gave PCTs, for the first time, the responsibility for providing or commissioning dental services in their area. It is for PCTs to assess local needs, review current service provision and develop services to meet local needs. This information can therefore be obtained directly through the Leicester City Primary Care Trust.
Numbers of national health service dentists at primary care trust (PCT) and strategic health authority (SHA) level as at 31 March 1997 to 2006 are available in Annex E of the “NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report, England: 31 March 2006”.
This information is based on the old contractual arrangements. This report, published on 23 August 2006, is available in the Library and is available also at:
www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-activity-and-workforce-report-england-31-march-2006
The numbers of NHS dentists at PCT and SHA level as at 30 June, 30 September, 31 December 2006 and 31 March 2007 are available in Table E1 of Annex 3 of the “NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2006-07” report. This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006.
This report, published on 23 August 2007, is available in the Library and is also available at:
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0607
The inclusion of dentists on trust led contracts in the data collection following the 2006 reforms means that data collected since April 2006 cannot be directly compared with data collected under the previous system.
The methodology and frequency for reporting work force information are currently being reviewed. The purpose of the review is to ensure that, following experience of the first year of the new dental contract, figures provide an appropriate measure of the work force, given the way that the work force reporting system is being used by PCTs. An update on the review will be provided in the quarter 2 publication, due to be published in February 2008.
Both reports have been published by the Information Centre for health and social care.
Departmental Christmas Cards
The amount the Department spent on purchasing Christmas cards for 2007 (inclusive of VAT) was £4,478.27.
All expenditure incurred in the purchase and postage of official Christmas cards is made in accordance with the Department's guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in government accounting.
Separate figures for postage costs are not available, as some cards would have been included with other correspondence or would have been hand-delivered. The vast majority of those that were not included with correspondence were sent using second-class post.
Departmental Contracts
The Department does not collect information on consultants in the format requested. To do so would attract disproportionate cost.
A new system will be introduced in April 2008 called SHOWA, which will be able to gather such information for the Department.
Departmental Public Expenditure
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 3 September 2007, Official Report, column 1867W to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban).
The individual budgets underspend reported in the Department’s resource accounts was not due to any delay in setting up the pilots as mistakenly stated. Unspent funds in 2006-07 were carried forward for use to 2007-08.
The “Department of Health Departmental Report 2007” contains examples of key risk areas included on the Department’s risk register during 2006-07. A copy of the report is available in the Library.
The Department’s risk register is a live document which is continuously updated and informs advice to Ministers from senior officials in the Department, and discussions between the Department and top management in the national health service and social care about key issues in policy, resourcing and service management and development. The risk register is not a public document.
Other non-cash expenditure of £5,548,000 credited to operating expenditure can be analysed as follows;
credit of £5,750,000 in respect of an investment in Partnerships for Health previously charged to operating expenditure in 2005-06;
credit of £37,000 in respect of additional staff loans being brought onto the Department’s balance sheet; and
charge of £238,000 in respect of consolidated fund extra receipts receivable incorrectly included in the 2005-06 accounts and amended in 2006-07.
The stock write-off and bad debt expenses of £3,728,000 can be analysed as follows;
£2,096,000 stock write off is in respect of childhood vaccines that had date expired or were damaged and unusable.
£1,515,000 write-off of development costs for seven national decontamination of surgical instruments schemes
99 minor claims totalling £117,000 have been abandoned on value for money grounds.
The following table shows the current disposition of additional funds for 2008-09.
£ billion Total Allocated to primary care trusts (PCTs) Total funding growth 6.2 — Capital1 0.4 0 Revenue2 5.8 3.8 1 We do not allocate capital to PCTs 2 Additional elements of revenue will be allocated to NHS bodies but budgets and allocation mechanisms are not yet finalised
Departmental Recycling
On 12 June 2006, the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Fisheries (David Miliband) announced revised sustainable operations targets for the Government estate. They focus on key areas such as carbon neutrality and emissions, energy efficiency, waste and water consumption.
The 2006 estate targets include:
Recycling:
Departments to increase their recycling figures to 40 per cent. of their waste arisings by 2010 and to 75 per cent. of their waste by 2020.
These targets will apply for the reporting period April 2006 to March 2007 onwards.
Previous Government targets that applied to the Government estate were launched in March 2004 but have since been superseded by the new targets.
The Department has consistently exceeded the targets. Our performance over the past five years is as follows:
Waste arisings (tonnes) Proportion recycled (percentage) 2001-02 n/a n/a 2002-03 908.69 78 2003-04 918.95 65 2004-05 1,152.76 68 2005-06 635.48 85
All figures exclude information technology (some is refurbished and resold; the rest is dismantled and disposed of in accordance with legislation)
Figures are not directly comparable from one year to another. Staff have moved from buildings where waste collected by departmental contractors to buildings managed by other Government Department (who include our staff in their returns). In addition, in some buildings waste streams have been added to what was previously collected under the departmental contract.
Figures for earlier years are less reliable than more recent figures.
Figures include the main departmental London estate, and departmental agencies.
The 2006 report is available at: www.sd-commission. org.uk/sdig2006/ and the 6th annual report is due to be published in spring 2008.
Departmental Standards
The Statement of Internal Control sets out how the Department has met the assurance standards and the control issues identified.
The 199 significant control issues reported by national health service trusts and primary care trusts in their Statements of Internal Control for 2006-07, and referred to in the Department’s resource accounts for 2006-07, a copy of their statements has been placed in the Library.
Family Practitioner Services: Barnet
This information is not collected centrally.
It is for local health communities to work together to decide the best setting to deliver diagnostic services for their patients. However, direct access to diagnostics from primary care can help with delivery of the 18 weeks target by improving the quality of referrals to secondary care by reducing the number of unnecessary referrals to secondary care outpatient clinics, and removing unnecessary steps from the patient pathway. A number of initiatives are underway to support direct access diagnostics.
The payment by results for 2008-09 contains a number of indicative tariffs to support unbundling of services, for example for imaging scans. Unbundling diagnostics provides incentives for primary care trusts to commission diagnostics via direct access prior to referral.
The 18 weeks team have been working with clinical colleagues to develop commissioning pathways to support commissioners in challenging existing practice and transform services. The pathways, developed in conjunction with clinical colleagues, are based on best practice and include direct access diagnostics where this is appropriate.
Fractures
We have made no assessment of the clinical efficacy of fracture liaison services.
Gastrointestinal System: Health Services
Referral to treatment data are not collected at a procedure level. The following table shows October 2007 referral to treatment data for the treatment function gastroenterology.
Completed within 18 weeks Treatment function Pathway type Total number of completed pathways in October Total (with known referral date) Number of pathways Percentage of pathways Gastroenterology Admitted 10,881 7,905 6,699 85 Non-admitted 16,816 15,581 11,206 72 Notes: 1. “Admitted patients” those admitted to hospital for definitive treatment, usually an operation. 2. “Non-admitted patients” those treated or otherwise without requiring admission e.g. those treated as out-patients.
Health Services: Overseas Visitors
On 7 March 2007 the Home Office published Enforcing the rules: A Strategy to ensure and enforce compliance with our immigration laws. The DH is working with the Home Office on this review.
When the review is completed, the Home Office will be holding a public consultation in spring 2008.
Health Services: Screening
When proposals for a vascular screening programme have been developed further the Department intends to consult with various stakeholders including the National Screening Committee, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and a number of interested groups such as leading voluntary groups.
These assessments form part of the modelling work on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a systematic, population-wide vascular risk assessment and management programme that is currently being carried out by the Department’s analysts.
There is a departmental project currently under way to assess costs and benefits of an integrated, systematic population-wide vascular risk screening programme.
The exact nature of a vascular risk assessment and management programme is still the subject of developmental work. It would be premature at this stage to set out specific spending figures on advertising and education campaigns.
Take-up rates for a new service are, by their nature, unpredictable and will depend on the details of what is offered to whom, which will be worked out in part in discussions with stakeholders. However, a range of assumptions about likely take-up levels of a vascular risk assessment programme will be modelled into the analytical work being undertaken by the Department. Assumptions about likely take-up will also form part of the discussions we will have with stakeholders about the development of the practical aspects of the programme.
HealthSpace
Information is not held in the form requested. As at 10 January 2008, there were some 26,300 HealthSpace accounts.
Hospital Treatment Target
(2) what progress has been made in meeting the 18 week hospital treatment target for patients in the Barnet primary care trust area; and if he will make a statement.
The information requested is not held centrally. However, referral to treatment (RTT) times for admitted pathways (RTT times for patients whose 18 week clock stopped during the month with an inpatient/day case admission), and for non-admitted pathways (RTT times for patients whose 18 week clock stopped during the month for reasons other than an inpatient/day case admission) in the Barnet primary care trust area from January 2007 to October 2007 can be found in the following table.
By December 2008, no one should have to wait more than 18 weeks from the time they are referred by their general practitioner (GP) to the start of their treatment unless it is clinically appropriate to do so or they choose to wait.
The national health service began measuring waits for GP referral to start of consultant led treatment from January 2007. This allows the Department and the NHS to monitor and track progress towards the maximum 18 week wait.
RTT data published on 10 January 2008 show that in October 2007, 60 per cent. of admitted patients waited no more than 18 weeks for their treatment following the initial referral by their GP—an improvement on snapshot figures released in December 2006, which showed that 35 per cent. of patients received treatment within 18 weeks. The figure for non-admitted patients for October was 77 per cent.
January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 Admitted pathways Percentage of pathways completed within 18 weeks 35 34 35 35 43 36 36 38 42 54 Data completeness — — 48 51 47 41 36 75 527 70 Non-admitted pathways Percentage of pathways completed within 18 weeks 60 88 69 68 68 68 66 65 66 62 Data completeness — — — — — — — 69 57 52 Source: Monthly Referral To Treatment Data Collection.
Hospitals: Waiting Lists
There are no figures available on the monetary cost of collecting figures on waiting times. However, the review of central returns process estimates the burden in terms of person years. The current estimated burden for providing monthly and quarterly inpatient and outpatient waiting times figures is 10.8 person years in total, 6.6 years for outpatients and 4.2 years for inpatients.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Drugs
Primary care and national health service trust drugs budgets are not determined centrally and therefore there are no drugs budgets for the treatment of inflammatory bowel conditions centrally. Trusts are responsible for setting their own budgets, decisions on the level of funding will depend on local priorities.
Learning Disability: Health Services
The Department recognises that people with learning disabilities or mental health problems have faced significant physical health inequalities. “Promoting Equality”, published in March 2007, set out the Department's action plan to tackle the inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities in accessing primary care.
Since its publication the Department has:
developed and published a framework to support primary care trusts (PCTs) in commissioning primary care services for people with learning disabilities, including annual health checks;
developed a preferred framework for health checks, which the valuing people support team will be promoting at regional events this autumn; and
published guidance on the commissioning of specialist learning disability health services.
The Department has worked with the Disability Rights Commission to take forward the actions outlined in “Promoting Equality” and will continue to work with the new Commission for Equalities and Human Rights.
Guidance on the commissioning of specialist learning disability health services was published in October 2007 by the Department. To support the dissemination of the guidance and address the issues raised by the Healthcare Commission audit, the valuing people support team within the Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP), in conjunction with the Healthcare Commission, have planned three events across the country.
The events will be held in February and March and are aimed primarily at commissioners and providers. The events will cover the roll-out of the guidance and how it can be used to help respond to the issues raised by the audit. The events are intended to provide commissioners and providers with the necessary information to address any concerns in their locality.
The North West strategic health authority reports that Wirral PCT has recently published a five-year strategy identifying services for people with learning disabilities as a priority. An additional £0.5 million will be invested over the period of the strategy. Since 1999, the Wirral PCT and the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust have invested in the refurbishment and new build of two assessment and treatment units, with one further new unit scheduled to be completed in November 2009.
A number of initiatives are under way; for example, close working between inpatient units and specialist community services and primary care services to ensure a seamless service for people with learning disabilities.
Local services are benchmarked against the Healthcare Commission recommendations following inquiries into services at the Cornwall Partnership NHS trust and Sutton and Merton PCT. An action plan is being implemented to ensure high quality services for people with learning disabilities.
Medical Treatments: Waiting Lists
[holding answer17 January 2008]: This Government have taken a variety of steps to reduce referral to treatment (RTT) times, underpinned by record levels of investment and delivered through the hard work of national health service staff. Initially focused on reducing waits for individual stages of treatment, these include:
delivering a pledge to reduce the waiting list by 100,000. The waiting list is now at its lowest level since records began;
reducing the number of patients waiting over 13 weeks for a first out-patient appointment following general practitioner referral from over 338,000 in 1997 to less than 100 at the end of November 2007;
reducing over six month in-patient waits from over 283,000 in 1997 to 77 at the end of November 2007; and
introducing a diagnostic waiting time data collection, which has seen a reduction in the average waiting time from 6.8 weeks in April 2006 to 2.9 weeks at the end of November 2007.
These improvements have laid a solid base on which to reduce RTT times for all consultant-led elective care to a maximum of 18 weeks by December 2008. Latest data show that this pledge is already being delivered to over half of all admitted patients (patients who require admission to hospital for treatment) and over three quarters of non-admitted patients.
Mental Health Services: Greater London
Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health National Health Service Trust's public consultation for NHS foundation trust (NHSFT) status is due to be completed on 16 January 2008. We are informed that the trust will then discuss the timescale for continuing their application for NHSFT status with NHS London.
Midwives: Manpower
Local national health service organisations are responsible for the development of maternity services, ensuring that they meet the future needs of their local population and that there are sufficient staff, with the right skills.
The 2007-08 Operating Framework requires all NHS organisations to undertake a review of their maternity services, which included primary care trusts (PCTs) assessing the work force capacity required to deliver ‘Maternity Matters’. We have built on this requirement within the Operating Framework 2008-09, which states
“that PCTs should aim to ensure that sufficient numbers of maternity staff and neo-natal teams are in place to meet local needs”.
Local plans will need to consider a range of issues, including the projected number of births in their area to determine the work force capacity required to support the increased number of births and the implementation of ‘Maternity Matters’.
NHS: Administration
[holding answer 17 January 2008]: The national health service information governance toolkit, established in 2003, is a web-based resource developed by the Department, which enables NHS organisations to measure their compliance with a range of information governance requirements and best practice, including standards in records management. In this respect it is underpinned by the Department’s best practice guidance—“Records Management: NHS Code of Practice”, published in April 2006, and supports the Healthcare Commission’s NHS Standards for Better Health, many of which require quality and integrity of record-keeping systems.
Those bodies responsible for external monitoring of NHS performance, for example strategic health authorities and the Healthcare Commission, play a key role in ensuring that effective systems are in place to ensure conformity with the relevant requirements and standards.
NHS: Debts
There are no plans to write off the debts of the organisations within the financially challenged trust regime.
NHS: Manpower
The national health service hospital and community health services non-medical work force census results are scheduled for publication in March. The publication date will be confirmed in February.
The 2006 census results were published on 26 April 2007, 2005 results on 24 April 2006, 2004 results on 22 March 2005, 2003 results on 19 March 2004 and 2002 results on 24 June 2003.
Obesity
Obesity is a complex, multi-factoral problem. Given the complexity and scale of the problem and the requirement for comprehensive action, the Department's obesity, nutrition and physical activity teams have worked jointly with a large number of different partners, including Government at central and local level and external stakeholders such as the commercial and voluntary sectors, on the prevention and management of obesity.
Obesity: North West Region
The prevalence of childhood obesity is measured in the North West through the National Child Measurement Programme. This is a national programme through which the height and weight of children in reception (four and five-year-olds) and year 6 (10 and 11-year-olds) throughout the country are measured. This data is used to inform local planning and commissioning of services for children as well as providing population-level surveillance data to allow analysis of trends in growth patterns and obesity.
Assessment of the potential health impact will be made through a range of national studies. In particular, the Department has established the National Child Measurement Programme (which will report North West figures in 2008) as well as the Health Survey for England to measure obesity levels throughout England.
The North West strategic health authority reports that there are a number of actions being taken forward locally to help reduce overweight and obesity in the North West. This includes the development of two e-learning modules to provide flexible learning for front-line primary care staff in the region to enable them to support patients to reduce their levels of weight and obesity. The aim of these are to ensure that important messages about diet, physical activity and behavioural changes are consistent, high quality and that interventions are based in primary care settings across the North West.
Osteoporosis
[holding answer 17 January 2008]: We have taken no specific steps in the last 12 months to improve the level, quality or accessibility to information and support offered to those living with osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis: Stockport
(2) what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of provision of treatment for osteoporosis in (a) the Stockport Primary Care Trust area and (b) England.
[holding answer 17 January 2008]: We have made no assessment of the level, quality and accessibility of information and support, or the effectiveness of the provision of treatment, for those people living with osteoporosis in the Stockport primary care trust area, or in England.
Oxygen: Medical Equipment
[holding answer 17 January 2008]: Prior to the introduction of the new home oxygen service on 1 February 2006, patients received their oxygen through pharmacies and oxygen concentrator suppliers. Patient data prior to the introduction of the new service in 2006 are not held centrally.
The full transition to the new service was completed in November 2006. During transition the pharmacies continued to supply patients, therefore records from this period do not accurately reflect patient numbers. The first accurate patient data are available from January 2007 onwards. These data reflect the total number of patients receiving oxygen at home.
January 2007 January 2008 Total number of patients in England 74,000 82,000 Total number of patients in Wales 7,000 7,000
[holding answer 17 January 2008]: The current suppliers to the Home Oxygen Service are Air Products, Air Liquide and BOC. Air Liquide acquired Linde UK Gas on 31 May 2007, and Allied Respiratory on 30 September 2007, who were previous additional oxygen suppliers.
With the introduction of the new Home Oxygen Service on 1 February 2006, the service contract requires the suppliers to meet specific response times for each oxygen service provided under the contract.
These are:
emergency or urgent supply of oxygen to be delivered within four hours of receipt of an order from a healthcare professional;
an order supporting the discharge of a patient from hospital to be delivered on the day following receipt of the order or on a date specified by the healthcare professional in the order; and
an order for short burst oxygen therapy, long-term oxygen therapy, or an ambulatory oxygen service to be provided within three working days of receipt of an order either from a healthcare professional or from the patient directly.
Each supplier must meet these service requirements under the terms of the contract and delivery times are a key indicator used in monitoring supplier performance.
Patient Choice Schemes: Barnet
The number and percentage of Barnet primary care trust’s general practitioner (GP) referrals to first out-patient appointments booked through the choose and book system was 13,634 (20 per cent.) in 2006-07 and 14,364 (25 per cent.) in the first nine months of 2007-08 (April to the end of December). This compares with national averages of 27 per cent. in 2006-07 and 39 per cent. in 2007-08 to date.
Patients: Television
The Department has not estimated the average charge to patients to access personal television services in hospitals.
The service providers set their own charges. The Department is not party to the contracts which exist between the service providers and the individual national health service trusts. If patients do not wish to or are unable to afford the cost of the bedside television, they can still watch the free to view television in the hospital day room or communal areas.
It is a matter for each individual trust and the service providers to ensure that the bedside systems are operated with minimum disruption to other patients. Each bedside system is equipped with personal headphones to ensure that noise from the television is kept to a minimum and the screens can be turned off when not in use.
Primary Care Trusts and NHS Reconfigurations
(2) if he will place in the Library reconfiguration returns from the NHS from the last 12 months.
Proposals for the reconfiguration of services are a matter for the national health service locally, working in conjunction with clinicians, patients and other stakeholders.
Primary care trusts do not inform the Secretary of State of the outcomes of consultations and formal reviews which they have held into the future provision of services. Consequently, no returns relating to local consultations have been placed in the Library.
Psychological Therapist: Training
The information is not available centrally in the format requested. Psychological therapy encompasses a number of different disciplines and the associated training varies in time and cost.
Sheep Meat: Safety
Information on this type of enforcement action undertaken by local authorities is not held centrally.
Smoking: Health Services
The following table shows primary care trust (PCT) stop smoking services allocations from the Department's central budget programme which were included alongside their general revenue allocations for the last five years between 2003-04 and 2007-08.
The ‘Choosing Health’ White Paper funding separately identified in 2006-07 and 2007-08 PCT revenue allocations to support implementation of various public health initiatives included an additional £5 million each year for PCT stop smoking services. PCTs were informed of their shares of the total White Paper funding rather than their allocations for each initiative.
£000 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 270 303 336 336 336 Barking and Dagenham PCT 163 183 203 203 203 Barnet PCT 254 285 316 316 316 Barnsley PCT 215 242 268 268 268 Bassetlaw PCT 88 98 109 109 109 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 128 143 159 159 159 Bedfordshire PCT 284 319 354 354 354 Berkshire East PCT 273 306 340 340 340 Berkshire West PCT 309 347 385 385 385 Bexley Care Trust 163 183 203 203 203 Birmingham East and North PCT 362 406 450 450 450 Blackburn with Darwen PCT 142 159 176 176 176 Blackpool PCT 143 160 178 178 178 Bolton PCT 238 267 296 296 296 Bournemouth and Poole Teaching PCT 269 302 335 335 335 Bradford And Airedale Teaching PCT 420 471 523 523 523 Brent Teaching PCT 269 301 334 334 334 Brighton and Hove City PCT 224 252 279 279 279 Bristol PCT 333 373 414 414 414 Bromley PCT 228 256 284 284 284 Buckinghamshire PCT 336 378 419 419 419 Bury PCT 149 168 186 186 186 Calderdale PCT 160 180 199 199 199 Cambridgeshire PCT 380 427 473 473 473 Camden PCT 219 246 273 273 273 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 322 361 400 400 400 Central Lancashire PCT 354 397 440 440 440 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 255 286 317 317 317 Cornwall and Isles Of Scilly PCT 409 459 509 509 509 County Durham PCT 469 526 583 583 583 Coventry Teaching PCT 280 314 348 348 348 Croydon PCT 269 302 335 335 335 Cumbria Teaching PCT 403 452 501 501 501 Darlington PCT 82 92 102 102 102 Derby City PCT 211 237 263 263 263 Derbyshire County PCT 547 614 681 681 681 Devon PCT 545 611 678 678 678 Doncaster PCT 267 300 332 332 332 Dorset PCT 297 333 369 369 369 Dudley PCT 248 278 309 309 309 Ealing PCT 277 311 345 345 345 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 392 440 488 488 488 East Lancashire Teaching PCT 343 385 427 427 427 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 214 240 266 266 266 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 261 293 325 325 325 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 590 662 733 733 733 Enfield PCT 223 251 278 278 278 Gateshead PCT 189 212 235 235 235 Gloucestershire PCT 424 476 528 528 528 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 189 212 235 235 235 Greenwich Teaching PCT 205 230 255 255 255 Halton and St Helens PCT 289 324 359 359 359 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 156 175 194 194 194 Hampshire PCT 876 982 1,089 1,089 1,089 Haringey Teaching PCT 226 253 281 281 281 Harrow PCT 154 173 192 192 192 Hartlepool PCT 86 97 107 107 107 Hastings and Rother PCT 159 179 198 198 198 Havering PCT 194 217 241 241 241 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 280 314 349 349 349 Herefordshire PCT 135 151 167 167 167 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 191 215 238 238 238 Hillingdon PCT 189 212 235 235 235 Hounslow PCT 192 215 238 238 238 Hull Teaching PCT 241 270 299 299 299 Isle of Wight NHS PCT 120 135 149 149 149 Islington PCT 204 229 254 254 254 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 157 176 195 195 195 Kingston PCT 120 134 149 149 149 Kirklees PCT 311 349 387 387 387 Knowsley PCT 172 193 214 214 214 Lambeth PCT 277 311 344 344 344 Leeds PCT 592 664 736 736 736 Leicester City PCT 259 290 322 322 322 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 427 479 531 531 531 Lewisham PCT 239 268 297 297 297 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 524 588 652 652 652 Liverpool PCT 499 560 621 621 621 Luton PCT 151 169 187 187 187 Manchester PCT 456 511 567 567 567 Medway PCT 198 222 246 246 246 Mid Essex PCT 238 267 296 296 296 Middlesbrough PCT 141 158 176 176 176 Milton Keynes PCT 155 174 193 193 193 Newcastle PCT 242 271 300 300 300 Newham PCT 276 310 343 343 343 Norfolk PCT 540 606 672 672 672 North East Essex PCT 257 288 319 319 319 North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus 136 153 169 169 169 North Lancashire Teaching PCT 268 301 333 333 333 North Lincolnshire PCT 122 137 151 151 151 North Somerset PCT 148 165 183 183 183 North Staffordshire PCT 163 183 203 203 203 North Tees Teaching PCT 148 166 184 184 184 North Tyneside PCT 177 199 221 221 221 North Yorkshire and York PCT 546 613 679 679 679 Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 471 529 586 586 586 Northumberland Care Trust 253 284 314 314 314 Nottingham City PCT 255 286 317 317 317 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 497 558 618 618 618 Oldham PCT 207 232 258 258 258 Oxfordshire PCT 411 461 511 511 511 Peterborough PCT 122 137 151 151 151 Plymouth Teaching PCT 203 228 252 252 252 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 152 171 189 189 189 Redbridge PCT 181 203 225 231 231 Redcar and Cleveland PCT 121 136 151 151 151 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 125 140 155 155 155 Rotherham PCT 214 240 266 266 266 Salford PCT 224 251 279 279 279 Sandwell PCT 286 321 355 355 355 Sefton PCT 250 280 311 311 311 Sheffield PCT 454 510 565 565 565 Shropshire County PCT 211 236 262 262 262 Solihull Care Trust 150 169 187 187 187 Somerset PCT 387 434 481 481 481 South Birmingham PCT 294 330 366 366 366 South East Essex PCT 261 293 325 325 325 South Gloucestershire PCT 158 177 196 196 196 South Staffordshire PCT 421 472 523 523 523 South Tyneside PCT 150 168 186 186 186 South West Essex PCT 305 342 379 379 379 Southampton City PCT 195 219 243 243 243 Southwark PCT 253 284 315 315 315 Stockport PCT 223 250 278 278 278 Stoke on Trent PCT 239 269 298 298 298 Suffolk PCT 417 468 519 519 519 Sunderland Teaching PCT 266 299 331 331 331 Surrey PCT 738 828 918 918 918 Sutton and Merton PCT 279 313 347 347 347 Swindon PCT 140 157 174 174 174 Tameside and Glossop PCT 202 226 251 251 251 Telford and Wrekin PCT 125 140 155 155 155 Torbay Care Trust 122 137 152 152 152 Tower Hamlets PCT 239 269 298 298 298 Trafford PCT 166 187 207 207 207 Wakefield District PCT 289 324 360 360 360 Walsall Teaching PCT 232 260 288 288 288 Waltham Forest PCT 212 238 264 258 258 Wandsworth PCT 219 246 273 273 273 Warrington PCT 150 168 186 186 186 Warwickshire PCT 371 416 461 461 461 West Essex PCT 195 219 242 242 242 West Hertfordshire PCT 388 436 483 483 483 West Kent PCT 468 525 582 582 582 West Sussex PCT 595 668 741 741 741 Western Cheshire PCT 192 216 239 239 239 Westminster PCT 181 204 226 226 226 Wiltshire PCT 305 343 380 380 380 Wirral PCT 296 332 368 368 368 Wolverhampton City PCT 224 251 278 278 278 Worcestershire PCT 401 450 499 499 499 England 41,000 46,000 51,000 51,000 51,000 Note: These allocations were made to 303 PCTs but are shown for the 152 PCTs which were formed on 1 October 2006.
Children, Schools and Families
Academies
I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his questions 165167, 165168 and 165169 on 19 November 2007, Official Report, column 624W.
(2) if he will list the (a) officials, (b) special advisers and (c) Ministers who attended the Academies Seminar on 1 November 2007.
I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his questions 165167, 165168 and 165169 on 19 November 2007, Official Report, column 624W. No special advisers attended the seminar referred to.
I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his questions 165167, 165168 and 165169 on 19 November 2007, Official Report, column 624W.
Academies: Curriculum
The Department does not collect the information requested.
Academies: Finance
Information on sponsors’ contributions received to date towards academies’ capital costs is given in the following table. In noting the contributions, which are made to academy trusts, the Department does not differentiate between those made by companies and those made by named individuals or other types of organisations, because evidence received from trusts does not identify the sponsor involved and many academies have more than one sponsor.
There may be some payments that have been made but are not recorded in the table as the relevant trusts have yet to submit evidence to the Department that sponsorship has been paid and used to meet capital costs.
We have now changed the sponsorship model and sponsors will now, in most cases, establish an endowment fund rather than contributing to capital costs. Detailed monitoring of such contributions will commence at the end of February 2008, in respect of contributions made in the first half of the 2007-08 academic year.
Academies may also receive other donations apart from sponsorship. The Department does not collect details of these, but they are recorded in academies’ published accounts.
Confirmed capital contribution from sponsors (£000) 2001-02 1,160 2002-03 2,958 2003-04 4,961 2004-05 12,091 2005-06 12,339 2006-07 15,723 Up to 31 December 2007 14,685 Total 63,917
Academies: Fire Extinguishers
It is our expectation that all academies will now be designed to incorporate sprinklers. This is not a compulsory measure, but to demonstrate that sprinklers are not needed, the academy trust will need to be able to demonstrate that its buildings are low risk and that incorporation of sprinklers would not represent good value for money. For academies in the Building Schools for the Future programme the decision to install sprinklers will be shared between the academy trust and the relevant local authority.
This information is not immediately available to the Department. However, we intend to gather the information and once this exercise is complete, I will write to the hon. Member.
Academies: Free School Meals
The annual School Census for January 2007 shows that of the 46 academies then open, 10—including four former city technology colleges (CTCs)—had a lower proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals than the proportion living in the local authority area:
St Paul's Academy, Greenwich;
Burlington Danes Academy, Hammersmith and Fulham;
Habedashers’ Aske's Hatcham Academy (former CTC);
Sandwell Academy, Sandwell;
Walsall Academy, Walsall;
Salford City Academy, Salford;
Dixons City Academy (former CTC), Bradford;
The Kings Academy, Middlesbrough;
Macmillan Academy (former CTC), Middlesbrough; and
Landau Forte College (former CTC), Derby.
The 36 academies with a higher proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals than the proportion living in the local authority area are
Mossbourne Community Academy, Hackney;
Petchey Academy, Hackney;
Lambeth Academy, Lambeth;
Haberdashers’ Aske’s Knights Academy, Lewisham;
City of London Academy, Southwark;
the Academy at Peckham, Southwark;
Harris Academy, Bermondsey, Southwark;
Harris Girls’ Academy, East Dulwich, Southwark;
Paddington Academy, Westminster;
Westminster Academy, Westminster;
London Academy, Barnet;
Business Academy, Bexley;
Capital City Academy, Brent;
West London Academy, Ealing;
Greig City Academy, Haringey;
Stockley Academy, Hillingdon;
Harefield Academy, Hiliingdon;
Harris Academy, Merton;
St Mark's Church of England Academy, Merton;
Walthamstow Academy; Waltham Forest;
Grace Academy, Solihull;
the Academy of St Francis of Assisi, Liverpool;
North Liverpool Academy, Liverpool;
Manchester Academy, Manchester;
Barnsley Academy, Barnsley;
Trinity Academy, Doncaster;
Sheffield Park Academy, Sheffield;
Sheffield Springs Academy, Sheffield;
David Young Community Academy, Leeds;
the City Academy Bristol, City of Bristol;
Unity City Academy, Middlesbrough;
John Madejski Academy, Reading;
Gateway Academy, Thurrock;
Marlowe Academy, Kent;
Djanogly City Academy, City of Nottingham; and
Northampton Academy, Northamptonshire.
Details of the number and proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals in each academy and their local authorities are given in the following table.
Predecessor academy Year open Local authority Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals Number known to be eligible for free meals Percentage known to be eligible for free meals St. Pauls Academy 2005 Greenwich 179 25.6 4,050 28.1 Mossbourne Community Academy 2004 Hackney 249 40.6 2,460 37.3 Petchey Academy 2006 Hackney 86 47.8 2,460 37.3 Burlington Danes Academy 2006 Hammersmith and Fulham 166 20.6 1,520 25.3 Lambeth Academy 2004 Lambeth 229 43.0 3,060 37.4 Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham College1 2005 Lewisham 181 17.5 2,860 25.7 Haberdashers’ Aske’s Knights Academy 2005 Lewisham 321 44.1 2,860 25.7 City of London Academy 2003 Southwark 273 36.5 2,660 31.9 The Academy at Peckham 2003 Southwark 530 50.8 2,660 31.9 Harris Academy, Bermondsey 2006 Southwark 532 60.6 2,660 31.9 Harris Girls’ Academy, East Dulwich 2006 Southwark 312 40.6 2,660 31.9 Paddington Academy 2006 Westminster 428 54.7 1990 29.7 Westminster Academy 2006 Westminster 304 40.7 1990 29.7 London Academy 2004 Barnet 432 43.0 2,920 15.0 The Business Academy, Bexley 2002 Bexley 543 39.2 1,500 8.1 Capital City Academy 2003 Brent 313 34.9 3,750 22.6 West London Academy 2003 Ealing 439 40.6 3,930 25.6 Greig City Academy 2002 Haringey 251 37.4 4,010 33.8 Stockley Academy 2004 Hillingdon 274 40.8 2,880 16.8 The Harefield Academy 2005 Hillingdon 88 17.4 2,880 16.8 Harris Academy, Merton 2006 Merton 195 30.0 880 12.2 St Marks Church of England Academy 2006 Merton 194 27.1 880 12.2 Walthamstow Academy 2006 Waltham Forest 214 31.7 3,270 24.7 Sandwell Academy 2006 Sandwell 26 14.4 4,020 20.3 Grace Academy 2006 Solihull 319 29.6 1,440 10.1 Walsall Academy 2003 Walsall 82 12.0 3,480 16.8 The Academy of St Francis of Assisi 2005 Liverpool 312 47.2 8,430 27.8 North Liverpool Academy 2006 Liverpool 406 41.1 8,430 27.8 Manchester Academy 2003 Manchester 399 51.2 8,930 38.6 Salford City Academy 2005 Salford 105 18.0 2,650 23.3 The Barnsley Academy 2006 Barnsley 159 37.5 2,150 16.2 Trinity Academy 2005 Doncaster 176 16.4 2,780 13.8 Sheffield Park Academy 2006 Sheffield 385 36.3 4,170 14.3 Sheffield Springs Academy 2006 Sheffield 342 34.9 4,170 14.3 Dixons City Academy1 2005 Bradford 59 7.2 8,070 23.7 David Young Community Academy 2006 Leeds 371 42.1 7,450 16.0 The City Academy, Bristol 2003 Bristol, City of 381 39.7 2,600 17.1 Unity City Academy 2002 Middlesbrough 466 45.0 1,750 31.8 The King’s Academy 2003 Middlesbrough 293 25.8 1,750 31.8 Macmillan Academy1 2005 Middlesbrough 293 25.8 1,750 31.8 Landau Forte College1 2006 Derby 88 11.2 2,450 15.6 John Madejski Academy 2006 Reading 150 30.4 630 11.4 The Gateway Academy 2006 Thurrock 296 36.2 860 10.7 The Marlowe Academy 2005 Kent 187 31.5 7,790 7.9 Djanogly City Academy, Nottingham 2003 Nottingham 446 32.7 3,750 27.9 Northampton Academy 2004 Northamptonshire 193 16.3 2,510 5.5 1 Former CTC.
Academies: Sponsorship
When setting up an academy, the Department places requirements on the academy trust set up by the sponsor, rather than the sponsors themselves. The requirements are set out in the Funding Agreement and Deed of Gift. Copies of the model Funding Agreement and Deed of Gift have been placed in the House Library.
The names of public-sector sponsors and co-sponsors for open academies are shown in the following table. Information relates to the quarter in which each academy was opened.
Academy name Opening date Sponsor Co-sponsor Opening quarter City of London Southward Academy September 2003 Corporation of London — 3rd quarter Macmillan Academy September 2005 Macmillan CTC — 3rd quarter Dixons City Academy September 2005 Dixons CTC — 3rd quarter Madeley Academy April 2007 Thomas Telford School (CTC) — 2nd quarter John Cabot Academy September 2007 John Cabot CTC Trust — 3rd Quarter The Bristol Brunei Academy September 2007 John Cabot Academy — 3rd quarter Marsh Academy September 2007 Microsoft and Tonbridge School Kent CC 3rd quarter Leigh Technology Academy September 2007 Leigh CTC — 3rd quarter Harris City Academy, Crystal Palace September 2007 CTC Trust/Harris Federation of South London Schools Trust — 3rd quarter Cornwallis (name TBC), South Maidstone Federation September 2007 Cornwallis Online Learning Kent CC 3rd quarter New Line Learning Academy September 2007 Cornwallis Online Learning Kent CC 3rd quarter
Prior to 1 May 2007 Funding Agreements had been signed for academies where the Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Kent county council were co-sponsors, and where the Corporation of London was the lead sponsor. In addition to these, Funding Agreements had been signed where the following public sector bodies are acting as lead sponsors of academies:
Macmillan City Technology College;
Dixons City Technology College;
Thomas Telford School;
John Cabot City Technology College;
Leigh City Technology College;
Harris City Technology College; and
Brooke Weston City Technology College.
Academies: Standards
A range of possible measures available to the Department to deal with underperforming academies, similar to the range of interventions are available for dealing with other underperforming state-funded schools. These range from providing support through School Improvement Partners and Educational Advisers to powers vested in the Secretary of State, which include the power to close an academy in the unlikely event that other interventions have not worked.
Academies are independent schools, and local authorities have no powers of intervention relating to an Academy’s performance. However, each academy has at least one local authority representative on its governing body.
The February 2007 National Audit Office report on the academies programme found that for three main measures of GCSE performance in 2006, academy pupils gained on average better results than fresh start schools. The percentage of pupils in academies with five or more grades A*-C was 40 per cent. in comparison to 35 per cent. in fresh start schools; the percentage in academies with five or more grades A*-G was 80 per cent. in comparison to 79 per cent., and the percentage with five or more grades A*-C including English and maths was 22 per cent. in comparison to 17 per cent. in fresh start schools.
Assessments
The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) is responsible for setting the timetable for GCSE and A level examinations and does this after consulting on a provisional timetable a year in advance of when the examinations are taken. In the 2007 summer examination series, the final date for GCSE examinations was 27 June, the final date for GCE examinations was 28 June and for the final date for AEA examinations was 29 June. Across England local authorities (and independent schools) set term dates in full knowledge of these dates and typically finish summer term in mid-July.
Assessments: Standards
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 26 September 2007 his intention to establish an independent regulator of examinations and tests. On 17 December my Department, with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, published the consultation paper “Confidence in Standards: Regulating and developing qualifications and assessment” (Cm 7281), which sets out the detail of our proposals. Copies of the consultation paper are available in the House Library.
We are consulting on these proposals until 10 March 2008 and will bring forward legislation to establish the new regulator at the earliest opportunity.
Biometrics: Fingerprints
The Department has no plans to commission a review of the academic literature on the reversibility of biometric templates to recreate fingerprints. The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency is responsible for monitoring this and other aspects of technology in schools and will take appropriate action as it considers necessary. BECTA published guidance on the use of biometric technology in July 2007.
Buildings Schools for the Future Programme: Sustainable Development
The Department recently introduced new standards for carbon emissions from new school buildings. The Children's Plan contains a new requirement for all new build schools to reduce carbon emissions by at least 60 per cent. It also includes our longer-term ambition for all new school buildings to be zero carbon by 2016 and we are now appointing a taskforce to advise on how this can be achieved.
These targets for carbon emission complement our requirements for environmental assessments using BREEAM, the Building Research Establishments Environmental Assessment Methodology, which we have adapted for schools. Since 2005 it has been our requirement that major school building projects achieve a minimum BREEAM rating of ‘very good’.
Education Maintenance Allowance
The education maintenance allowance (EMA) was piloted in England from 1999, and launched nationally from September 2004. The administration costs increased as the scheme became available across the country from that date.
Education Maintenance Allowance: Copeland
(2) how many pupils were eligible in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland to receive education maintenance allowance at (i) £30, (ii) £20 and (iii) £10 over the last three years.
These are matters for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) which operates the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and holds the information about take-up and payments made under the scheme. Mark Haysom, the council's chief executive, will write to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 8 January 2008:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Questions that asked:
“How many pupils within Copeland have been eligible to receive education maintenance allowance over the past three years”; and
“How many pupils were eligible in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland to receive education maintenance allowance at (i) £30, (ii) £20 and (iii) £10 over the last three years.”
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.
To be eligible for an EMA a young person must be aged 16-19 and be in full-time learning or following a valid Entry to Employment Programme led Apprenticeship (at least 16 guided learning hours per week). Applications are income assessed, based on the learner’s total household income, with the maximum income to be eligible in 2007-08 of £30,810.
In the first year of national roll out (2004/05) EMA was available to all 16 year olds across England and to 17 and 18 year olds in former pilot areas (as Cumbria was not a pilot area this did not apply to them). 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.
The following table shows the percentage of young people receiving EMA in Cumbria Local Authority area during each academic year since national roll out. The reasons why young people did not receive EMA may be that: they were not eligible, they did not apply, or they were in employment, NEET, etc.
Percentage 2004-05 (16-year-olds only) 33 2005-06 (16 and 17-year-olds) 27 2006-07 (16, 17 and 18-year-olds) 23 2006-071 (16, 17 and 18-year-olds) 29 1 To end December.
The following table shows EMA take-up data split by payment band for Cumbria Local Authority area during each academic year since national roll out.
Band £30 £20 £10 Total Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 2004-05 1,587 74 238 11 329 15 2,154 2005-06 2,845 76 445 12 458 12 3,748 2006-07 3,724 79 504 11 491 10 4,719 2007-081 3,494 79 468 11 439 10 4,401 1 To end December.
I hope you find this information useful. EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 and to date in 2007/08 is now also available on the LSC website, at the following address:
http://www.lsc.gov.uk/providers/Data/statistics/learner/EMA_take_up.htm
Education Maintenance Allowance: Peterborough
This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), which operates the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and hold the information about take-up and payments made under the scheme. Mark Haysom, the council’s chief executive, will write to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 19 December 2007:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked:
"How many young people in Peterborough constituency received education maintenance grants in the last year for which figures are available."
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. EMA take-up for City of Peterborough Local Authority area is as follows:
2006/07—2,017
I hope you find this information useful. EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 and to date in 2007/08 is now also available on the LSC website at the following address:
http://www.lsc.gov.uk/providers/Data/statistics/learner/EMA_take_up.htm
Further Education: Essex
The following table shows the proportion of all academic age 16-year-olds participating in full-time education in Essex local authority in each year since 1997. These figures are not currently available at parliamentary constituency level.
Participation of 16-year-olds in education and training is published in the Statistical First Release: Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16 to 18-year-olds in England: 2005 and 2006 and Participation in Education and Training by 16 and 17-year-olds in each local area in England: 2004 and 2005. See the following link:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000734/index.shtml
Participation of 16-year-olds in full-time education, EssexPercentage19971998199920002001 (a)2001 (b)2002200320042005Essex171727170686971707274Essex1—717270677072717375Southend-on-Sea—787976776574677474Thurrock—646064616464676672England70707271717172727376 1 The two figures for Essex are for (i) Essex county council and (ii) Essex unitary authority (UA). The former contains Essex UA, Southend-on-Sea UA and Thurrock UA. Figures for these UAs are not available for 1997.Notes:1. Learner in Special Designated Institutes (SDIs) and External Institutes (EIs) have been included from 2002 onwards.2. For 2001 onwards, information for pupils in maintained schools, CTCs and academies is included by the pupil’s residence, rather than the address of the school. The table 2001 (a) provides the figures on the old basis, 2001 (b) on the new basis.
Further Education: Staffordshire
The following table shows the proportion of all academic age 16-year-olds participating in full-time education in Staffordshire local authority in each year since 1997. These figures are not currently available at parliamentary constituency level.
Participation of 16-year-olds in education and training is published in the Statistical First Release: Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 Year Olds in England; 2005 and 2006 and Participation in Education and Training by 16 and 17 Year Olds in each Local Area in England: 2004 and 2005, please see the following link:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000734/index.shtml
Percentage 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 (a) 2001 (b) 2002 2003 2004 2005 Staffordshire1 64 65 67 67 67 68 67 70 71 72 Staffordshire1 68 69 70 68 69 70 69 72 73 74 Stoke-on-Trent 50 52 58 61 59 60 59 62 64 67 England 70 70 72 71 71 71 72 72 73 76 1 The two figures for Staffordshire are for (a) Staffordshire county council and (b) Staffordshire unitary authority (UA). The former contains both Staffordshire UA and Stoke-on-Trent UA. Notes: 1. Learners in special designated institutes (SDIs) and external institutes (EIs) have been included from 2002 onwards. 2. For 2001 onwards, information for pupils in maintained schools, CTCs and academies is included by the pupil’s residence, rather than the address of the school. The table 2001 (b) provides the figures on the new basis, 2001 (a) on the old basis.
GCE A-Level
[holding answer 17 January 2008]: All young people should receive high-quality information, advice and guidance on learning and careers options from their schools and from other learning providers, and from the Connexions service so that they can make informed choices. We expect this advice to promote the proven benefits of further education and training. However, it is important that information, advice and guidance are impartial, reflecting needs of the learner, not of the institution providing the advice.
It is not the Department’s policy to promote one learning route over another. Our interest in ensuring that each learner is helped into education and training that is the best for that individual and which is most likely to sustain their participation in learning and lead to the highest level of attainment. For many learners A-levels are the most appropriate way forward; for others, different routes will be appropriate.
GCE A-Level: Standards
The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The information for the past two years can be found in the Library or on table 21 at the following links:
2005/06: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000702/index.shtml
2006/07: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000768/index.shtml
The information for other years can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Information for the last four years is in the Library.
Information for further years can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
General Certificate of Secondary Education: Standards
As part of the 2007 comprehensive spending review (CSR), a new set of public service agreements and national targets was announced in October 2007. From 2009 onwards there is a dual focus on ensuring that pupils reach the levels expected for their age in both English and mathematics (threshold targets) and improving the rates of progress made by pupils from five to 16 (new progression targets) with increased attention to achieving faster progress for underachieving groups such as children in care and ethnic-minority pupils.
The key stage 4 threshold target is for 53 per cent. of pupils to achieve 5A*-C GCSEs (and equivalent), including GCSEs in both English and maths by 2011.
The progression targets will be a major factor in helping all pupils—regardless of their background and circumstances—to realise their potential in English and mathematics in particular. By 2011 we want to see a 15 percentage point improvement in the number of pupils making two levels of progress in English and a 13 percentage point improvement in those making two levels of progress in mathematics between key stage 3 and key stage 4.
We have also made the commitment that, by 2012, no secondary school should have fewer than 30 per cent. of pupils achieving five GCSEs at grade A*-C including English and mathematics. This children’s plan, launched last month, also sets out the ambition that, by 2020, at least 90 per cent. of young people should achieve the equivalent of five higher GCSEs at age 19.
Gifted Children: Staffordshire
The available information is given in the tables. Information on gifted and talented pupils was collected for the first time via the school census in 2006.
2006 Tamworth parliamentary constituency Staffordshire local authority England3 Number of pupils2 Number of gifted and talented pupils2 Percentage of gifted and talented pupils4 Number of pupils2 Number of gifted and talented pupils2 Percentage of gifted and talented pupils4 Number of pupils2 Number of gifted and talented pupils2 Percentage of gifted and talented pupils4 Maintained primary schools n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Maintained secondary schools5 5,878 395 6.7 60,645 4,697 7.7 3,294,710 373,160 11.3 Total n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Tamworth parliamentary constituency Staffordshire local authority England3 Number of pupils2 Number of gifted and talented pupils2 Percentage of gifted and talented pupils4 Number of pupils2 Number of gifted and talented pupils2 Percentage of gifted and talented pupils4 Number of pupils2 Number of gifted and talented pupils2 Percentage of gifted and talented pupils4 Maintained primary schools 7,740 223 2.9 62,845 1,522 2.4 4,137,620 302,850 7.3 Maintained secondary schools5 5,677 480 8.5 59,671 5,629 9.4 3,256,370 425,830 13.1 Total 13,417 703 5.2 122,516 7,151 5.8 7,393,990 728,680 9.9 n/a = Not available. 1 Includes middle schools as deemed. 2 Includes pupils with sole and dual (main) registration. 3 National figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 4 The number of gifted and talented pupils expressed as a percentage of the total number of pupils. 5 Excludes city technology colleges and academies. Source: School Census.
Home Education
Yes: this is explained in the guidelines for local authorities on monitoring elective home education that were published in November 2007. A copy of the guidelines has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
I have no plans to meet Education Otherwise and other home education organisations. My officials are in regular contact with them.
Languages: General Certificate of Secondary Education
The numbers of maintained mainstream schools with no students entered for a GCSE in a modern language in each of the last three years are as follows:
Number 2006/07 27 2005/06 27 2004/05 38
The 2004/05 figure relates to French, German or Spanish only.
Languages: Primary Education
(2) which modern foreign languages are taught in primary schools in London.
The table details the proportion of primary schools in each London borough which reported in autumn 2006 that they were teaching languages in class time. The data were obtained from ongoing research commissioned by the Department, which estimated the proportion of schools teaching languages in class time. The figures are based on a representative sample of maintained primary schools and the survey achieved a 48 per cent. response rate nationally.
The major languages taught in primary schools in London were French, German, Italian and Spanish. Other languages taught in a small number of schools included Chinese, Japanese, Urdu, Panjabi, Hebrew, Turkish, Albanian and Bengali.
London LAs Percentage of responding primary schools teaching languages in class time Camden 100.00 Greenwich 78.57 Hackney 77.78 Hammersmith and Fulham 83.33 Islington 100.00 Kensington and Chelsea 83.33 Lambeth 81.25 Lewisham 50.00 Southwark 78.57 Tower Hamlets 25.00 Wandsworth 93.75 Westminster 100.00 Barking and Dagenham 100.00 Bamet 66.67 Bexley 100.00 Brent 71.43 Bromley 86.67 Croydon 63.16 Ealing 72.22 Enfield 86.67 Haringey 71.43 Harrow 100.00 Havering 86.67 Hillingdon 76.92 Hounslow 84.62 Kingston on Thames 66.67 Merton 91.67 Newham 90.91 Redbridge 57.14 Richmond upon Thames 100.00 Sutton 90.91 Waltham Forest 36.36
Mandarin: Primary Education
The Children's Plan, published in December 2007, confirmed that the primary curriculum will be reviewed, including introducing languages as a compulsory subject. This takes forward the recommendation in Lord Dearing's Languages Review that languages should become a compulsory part of the primary curriculum, and builds on the existing entitlement for all Key Stage 2 pupils to learn a language in class time by 2010.
Members: Correspondence
A reply to this letter was provided by Lord Adonis on 20 December 2007.
Private Education: Academic Year
We want an ‘independent educational institution’ to be one that provides the main part of a child’s education. As 28 weeks’ education per year and 12.5 hours’ education per week together constitute more than half a school year and more than half a typical school week for primary age children, these institutions will provide the main part of their pupils’ education.
Pupils: Accidents
The Health and Safety Executive has provided details, as requested, in the following table:
Non-fatal injuries 2002/03 4 2003/04 — 2004/05 1 2005/06 5 2006/071 7 1 Provisional. Notes: 1. Injuries are reported and defined under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995. The information available under RIDDOR 95 includes two categories of severity for members of the public (the category under which students are recorded): fatal injuries and non-fatal injuries that cause a person to be taken from the site of the accident to hospital. Across the period shown there are no recorded fatal injuries to students in Tamworth reported to HSE under RIDDOR. 2. Identified using Standard Occupational Classification 2000 (SOC2000) code 0002 'Student'. 3. Identified using Standard Industrial Classification 1992 (SIC92) codes 80100 'Primary education', 80200 'Secondary education' and 80210 'General secondary education'. 4. The annual basis is the planning year from 1 April to 31 March.
Pupils: Data Protection
The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency is responsible for producing and publishing guidance for schools on how to ensure the security of their IT systems. BECTA's latest guidance was published in September 2007 and is available on its website. This guidance includes information for schools on monitoring the physical security of ICT equipment, data security and the security of pupil information and data.
Pupils: Drugs
The requested information is not collected centrally.
Information on the number of exclusions (permanent and fixed period) from schools by reason for exclusion (which includes the category ‘drug and alcohol related’) has been placed in the Library.
Pupils: English Language
The available information shows the number of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English. Figures for the years requested have been placed in the Library. Data for the earlier years (1997 and 2001) have been included in the workbook but as the information is not directly comparable owing to a change in the coding framework, it has not been amalgamated into the time series.
The information is published annually in Schools and Pupils in England: January 2007 (Final). The latest figures relate to 2007 and are available at:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000744/index.shtml
The Department does not collect this information. It is a matter for each local authority to determine locally the level of funding for each of its services in the light of local circumstances.
School Leaving
Without compulsion, there is a risk that young people with lower aspirations, who may come from families and communities which have a poor experience of education and training, are missed as participation increases, and this group will become more marginalised. That is why we believe that to galvanise the system to provide better for this group we must go further, and a different approach is needed. The experience of other countries suggests that if this policy is to have the impact we want, we need to be clear that it can be enforced if necessary. For example, Western Australia raised the participation age from 15 to 16 and has seen the participation rate at 16 rise from 80 per cent. to 98 per cent. The Netherlands has recently changed the law too, and we will look to learn from its experience. Under plans to raise the participation age, sanctions will only be used as a last resort and the focus will be on ensuring there is the right provision and the right support for young people to participate in education and training post-16.
School Meals
Schools may spend all their income, whether from the Dedicated Schools Grant or other sources, including profit on school meals where the service is not contracted out, on expenditure for the purposes of the school or pupils in other maintained schools. Local Management of Schools means that schools are expected to budget within their resources however they are derived, and to manage their own expenditure in the way that best fits the priorities and local needs of the school.
Schools: Admissions
The Department does not collect this information.
Schools: Armed Forces
The Defence Committee recommendations for the then DfES that have been implemented are as follows.
We have included an indicator in the January 2008 school census which will facilitate research into service children’s outcomes;
We are working closely with the devolved Administrations on the MOD’s new cross border forum discussing provision for service children across the whole UK, particularly provision for those with statements of special educational needs (SEN) who move between countries within the UK;
To improve the transfer of pupil records when they move school, we have continued to publicise the statutory “15 school day rule” to ensure that all schools are aware of their responsibilities;
We are working with a group of heads of schools which have high mobility due to large numbers of service children, to develop best practice guidance to help schools deal with the difficulties mobility causes, and to ease the impact that frequent moves can have on the children;
The School Admissions Code requires admission authorities to take account of service families’ needs and allows them to allocate places in advance where families are moving to their area, using the unit HQ address if necessary where families have yet to be given an address. These provisions have been welcomed by the MOD.
One recommendation about children with statements of SEN was not accepted. For those children with statements who move frequently, there are regulations governing the transfer of information between local authorities, and the timing of reviews of the statements and any necessary reassessments of the children’s SEN. Previously statemented children who return from abroad may have been away for a considerable period and their needs may have changed. It is right that their needs are reassessed on return.
Schools: Biometrics
The Department has no plans to commission an assessment of the security systems used in schools (a) in libraries, (b) in canteens and (c) for registration. The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency is responsible for monitoring this and other aspects of technology in schools and will take appropriate action as it considers necessary. BECTA published guidance on the use of biometric technology in July 2007.
Schools: Buildings
Data on school temporary buildings were supplied to my Department by local education authorities in 2001, 2003 and 2005. However, checks on recent months indicate that the completeness and quality of the data was not good enough to accurately assess the number of buildings.
Central Government capital support for investment in schools has increased from under £700 million in 1996-97 to £6.4 billion in 2007-08 and will rise further to £8 billion by 2010-11. Progress is being made year by year on improving the quality of the school building stock. The bulk of schools capital is now allocated by formula to authorities and schools so that they can address their local priorities, including the replacement of decayed temporary accommodation, on which we have set a high priority. Given the high levels of funding, authorities have the opportunity to replace temporary buildings when they are considered to be unsuitable.
Modern, high-quality mobile or demountable buildings provide a good environment for teaching and learning where there is short-term need. When they are new, they are required to meet the same building environmental standards as buildings that are not demountable. They might, for instance, be needed to cope with a short-term increase in pupil numbers, or where extensive remodelling or rebuilding of permanent accommodation means providing temporary accommodation on the school site, rather than transporting children elsewhere.
The Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999 set out minimum standards for schools. These regulations are currently under review. The Department has also published a wide range of guidance and building bulletins on design and standards for school buildings.
Schools: Buses
[holding answer 17 January 2008]: I have been asked to reply.
The Department does not hold information on the number of designated school buses that are fitted with safety belts.
Schools: Curriculum
(2) when he will reply to question 173812, on the Opening Minds curriculum, tabled by the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton on 10 December 2007.
We do not collect data about which approaches schools take to planning their curriculum. That is a matter for schools themselves, as long as they meet the statutory requirements. The Opening Minds website www.rsa.org.uk, however, suggests that
“there are now over 135 schools using the Opening Minds framework of competences”.
Schools: Finance
The schools for which the Department holds cost information are academies, as follows, with estimated costs including sponsorship. My Department does not hold cost information for other recently completed schools, which were procured locally, Building prices vary significantly according to the size of school, site development costs and local prevailing construction pricing levels.
Academy Area £ million Bradford Academy Bradford 20 5 Brunei Academy Bristol 24.0 City of London Academy (Southwark) Southwark 33.7 David Young Community Academy Leeds 23.6 Djanogly City Academy Nottingham 23.7 Folkestone Academy Kent 36.8 Grace Academy Solihull 31.7 Haberdashers’ Aske’s Knights Academy Lewisham 40.5 Harris Academy Croydon 38.0 John Madejski Academy Reading 27.7 Leigh Technology Academy Kent 36.6 London Academy Barnet 34.4 Northampton Academy Northampton 27.4 Paddington Academy Westminster 31.5 Salford City Academy Salford 16.7 Sandwell Academy Sandwell 27.1 Stockley Academy Hillingdon 27.5 The Academy at Peckham Southwark 30.2 The Academy of St. Francis of Assisi Liverpool 20.9 The Bridge Academy Hackney 47.7 The City Academy Bristol 27.7 The Marlowe Academy Kent 27.8 The Petchey Academy Hackney 34.2 The Samworth Enterprise Academy Leicester 19.5 Thomas Deacon Academy Peterborough 50.4 Trinity Academy Doncaster 25.1 West London Academy Ealing 32.2 Westminster Academy Westminster 30.6
The Department allocates education so funding to local authorities the requested information for the Hendon constituency is not available. The guaranteed unit of funding per pupil for Barnet local authority for 2007-08 was £4,344 and for 2008-09 it will be £4,559. We do not apply a guaranteed unit of funding to specific grants.
Schools: Inspections
This is a matter for Ofsted. Her Majesty’s chief inspector of schools, Christine Gilbert, has written to my hon. Friend and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Library.
Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 14 January 2008:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, for a response.
Ofsted has inspected 18 schools in Hendon constituency in the last 12 months from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2007. The grades and the date on which they were inspected are shown in the table below.
URN Inspection date Grade School name 134798 26 February 2007 2 good London Academy 101336 27 February 2007 2 good St. Joseph’s RC Infant School 101355 14 March 2007 3 satisfactory Dollis Junior School 101326 21 March 2007 2 good St. Paul’s CofE Primary School 130935 21 March 2007 3 satisfactory The Hyde School 101359 25 April 2007 2 good Mill Hill County High School 103119 15 May 2007 2 good St. Mary’s and St. John’s CE Primary School 101364 17 May 2007 2 good St. James’ Catholic High School 101258 22 May 2007 1 outstanding Barnfield Primary School 101357 24 May 2007 2 good Hendon School 101395 14 June 2007 1 outstanding Northway School 101376 28 June 2007 1 outstanding Mathilda Marks-Kennedy Jewish Primary School 101339 3 July 2007 2 good Blessed Dominic RC School 133749 11 September 2007 2 good Northgate School 101274 14 November 2007 1 outstanding Deansbrook Infant School 101342 29 November 2007 1 outstanding The Annunciation RC Junior School 101275 10 December 2007 3 satisfactory Dollis Infant School 101343 11 December 2007 1 outstanding Independent Jewish Day School
Ofsted has four categories for grading school inspection: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate. Grade 1 is exceptionally and consistently high, grade 2 is generally above average with no criteria significantly below average, grade 3 is broadly average, and grade 4 is exceptionally low. Grade 4 schools can either be placed in ‘special measures’ or be given a ‘notice to improve’.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
Schools: Isle of Wight
I have had no discussions with officials on changes to numbers of teaching staff resulting from the reorganisation of schools on the Isle of Wight. This is entirely a matter for the local authority.
It will be the responsibility of Isle of Wight council to fund any redundancy payments that may result from the reorganisation of schools on the island for which the council is responsible.
No estimates have been made in respect of any redundancies that may result from the reorganisation of schools on the Isle of Wight, as these decisions are a matter for local determination.
No such study has been undertaken by the Department. It is for local authorities to decide how best to organise the schools in their areas in the light of local circumstances. Concerns about the proposal should therefore be directed to Isle of Wight council.
In making proposals, authorities must consider the implications for school travel and transport, and the Department’s statutory guidance to decision-makers makes clear that they should bear in mind that proposals should not unreasonably extend journey times or increase transport costs. In addition, the proposals should not result in too many children being prevented from walking or cycling to school because routes are unsuitable.
Schools: Listed Buildings
The Department does not hold information on which educational buildings are listed.
The bulk of schools capital is allocated by formula to authorities and schools, so that they can address their local asset management planning priorities, including any necessary repairs to listed buildings. Schools decide on the amount of revenue funding to allocate to building repairs and maintenance.
Central Government capital support for investment in schools has increased from under £700 million in 1996-97 to £6.4 billion in 2007-08, and will rise further to £8 billion by 2010-11. While reducing maintenance requirements is a long-term aim, the primary objectives for funding are to raise educational standards and tackle local deprivation. A substantial proportion of capital funding is targeted at transformational programmes, such as Building Schools for the Future and the primary capital programmes. Over time, these programmes will significantly reduce future maintenance requirements.
Schools: Repairs and Maintenance
The Department does not collect the information requested from schools or local authorities. It is the responsibility for each local authority and its schools to make decisions locally on repairs and maintenance.
Schools: Rural Areas
The allocation formula for dedicated schools grant (DSG) does not separately allocate money to support small rural schools; it starts from local authorities’ spending on schools for 2005-06, which is closely related to the formula for schools formula spending shares in use that year. That formula took account of the needs of sparsely populated authorities to keep open small rural primary schools, using an indicator of sparsity. The following table sets out estimated amounts within 2007-08 allocations of DSG, derived from the amounts allocated through the schools FSS formula in 2005-06 on the basis of sparsity, updated appropriately.
Authority Estimated amount for sparsity (£ million) Barking and Dagenham — Barnet — Barnsley 0.30 Bath and North East Somerset 0.49 Bedfordshire 2.49 Bexley — Birmingham — Blackburn with Darwen 0.20 Blackpool — Bolton — Bournemouth — Bracknell Forest 0.08 Bradford 0.48 Brent — Brighton and Hove — Bristol, City of — Bromley 0.06 Buckinghamshire 2.79 Bury — Calderdale 0.55 Cambridgeshire 5.88 Camden — Cheshire 3.52 City of London 0.002 Cornwall 5.27 Coventry — Croydon — Cumbria 6.37 Darlington 0.34 Derby — Derbyshire 4.36 Devon 8.99 Doncaster 1.62 Dorset 3.90 Dudley — Durham 2.61 Ealing — East Riding of Yorkshire 3.75 East Sussex 2.74 Enfield — Essex 6.27 Gateshead 0.12 Gloucestershire 4.16 Greenwich — Hackney — Halton 0.06 Hammersmith and Fulham — Hampshire 5.86 Haringey — Harrow — Hartlepool 0.13 Havering — Herefordshire 2.87 Hertfordshire 2.68 Hillingdon — Hounslow — Isle of Wight 0.92 Islington — Kensington and Chelsea — Kent 5.92 Kingston upon Hull, City of — Kingston upon Thames — Kirklees 1.01 Knowsley 0.23 Lambeth — Lancashire 4.66 Leeds 0.69 Leicester — Leicestershire 3.49 Lewisham — Lincolnshire 9.35 Liverpool — Luton — Manchester — Medway 0.42 Merton — Middlesbrough — Milton Keynes 0.76 Newcastle upon Tyne — Newham — Norfolk 8.80 North East Lincolnshire 0.42 North Lincolnshire 1.40 North Somerset 0.77 North Tyneside — North Yorkshire 10.17 Northamptonshire 4.15 Northumberland 3.29 Nottingham — Nottinghamshire 3.27 Oldham 0.21 Oxfordshire 4.19 Peterborough 0.49 Plymouth — Poole — Portsmouth — Reading — Redbridge — Redcar and Cleveland 0.39 Richmond upon Thames — Rochdale — Rotherham 0.49 Rutland 0.57 Salford — Sandwell — Sefton — Sheffield 0.32 Shropshire 4.36 Slough — Solihull 0.39 Somerset 5.39 South Gloucestershire 1.14 South Tyneside — Southampton — Southend-on-Sea — Southwark — St. Helens 0.13 Staffordshire 4.10 Stockport — Stockton-on-Tees 0.29 Stoke-on-Trent — Suffolk 6.12 Sunderland — Surrey 2.14 Sutton — Swindon 0.43 Tameside — Telford and Wrekin 0.59 Thurrock 0.21 Torbay — Tower Hamlets — Trafford — Wakefield 0.24 Walsall — Waltham Forest — Wandsworth — Warrington 0.06 Warwickshire 3.38 West Berkshire 1.05 West Sussex 2.96 Westminster — Wigan — Wiltshire 5.87 Windsor and Maidenhead 0.38 Wirral — Wokingham 0.38 Wolverhampton — Worcestershire 2.34 York 0.32
Schools: Staffordshire
Staffordshire's allocation of dedicated schools grant (DSG) for 2008-09 to 2010-11 depends on the following factors: the authority's 2007-08 guaranteed unit of funding for DSG and the number of pupils aged three to 15 in the authority's schools and early years providers. It includes an increase of £2.5 million for pockets of deprivation. Full details of the calculation of dedicated schools grant allocations may be found on TeacherNet at
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=12222.
Schools: Standards
Ofsted and the DCSF have discussed the relative performance of different types of school in the primary age phase, and are continuing to analyse relevant data. I will write to the hon. Member with further details.
Schools: Training
There is a range of training and development opportunities available to all school staff. However, there are no obligatory training courses which the Department requires school staff to attend annually.
Science: Secondary Education
(2) how much his Department spent on promoting the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics at key stage 3 in each year since 1997.
The Government are supporting a number of curricular and extra curricular programmes that aim to encourage the study of science at key stages 3 and 4 and beyond. These include
The introduction of a new science programme of study at key stage 3 for first teaching from September 2008. As with the new science programme of study at key stage 4 that was introduced in 2006 it will maintain the breadth, depth and challenge of the previous curriculum, but will have a better balance between knowledge and understanding.
The secondary national strategy which provides a comprehensive professional development programme for teachers which includes training and materials and support from local consultants who are experts in their field. The strategy sets high expectations and is designed to raise standards for all pupils in all circumstances, but also focuses on pupils who need extra support and who are falling behind.
The national network of science learning centres to provide professional development for science teachers and technicians. The training focuses on encouraging innovative and exciting teaching practice that will enthuse and inspire young people and improve the subject specialism of science teachers.
Piloting 250 after school science and engineering clubs offering an engaging and stretching programme of activities to key stage 3 pupils with interest and potential in science. A further 250 clubs will be established from September 2008.
Establishing a system for coordinating the many enhancement and enrichment activities that are available to make it easier for schools to access them. This will include the publication of directories of nationally available activities.
Project Faraday, which is developing inspirational exemplar designs for school laboratories which will reflect the latest thinking on what is required to ensure effective science teaching. A book showing the exemplar designs will be published in early 2008.
The new triple science support programme, delivered by the Learning and Skills Network, which provides practical advice and support to schools to offer separate GCSEs in biology, physics and chemistry.
Information on how much has been spent on science, technology, engineering and mathematics at key stage 3 since 1997 can be provided only at disproportionate cost, or cannot be disaggregated from wider budgets.
From September 2008 the Government want to make GCSEs in the individual sciences of physics, chemistry and biology (triple science) more accessible to pupils who would benefit. To achieve this we are introducing a non-statutory entitlement to triple science for all pupils who achieve level 6 in science at key stage 3. All specialist science colleges will be expected to deliver triple science from 2008. The Government have also put in place the triple science support programme to support schools as mentioned above. This will include the delivery of 600 days of training to schools by the end of March 2008. The programme has also established 40 local triple science networks to support schools starting to offer triple science.
Science: Teachers
The information is not available in the format requested, but information on the level of qualification of full-time teachers in service in secondary schools in the subjects they teach is available from the Secondary School Curriculum and Staffing Survey (SSCSS) an occasional sample survey undertaken in the years 1988, 1992, 1996, 2002 and 2007. Figures for 2007 are expected to be published in early 2008.
The following tables show the number of full-time teachers employed in maintained secondary schools by the highest post A-level qualification held in the subjects they taught in 1996 and 2002, the years for which figures are currently available.
Percentage Total Degree3 BEd PGCE Cert Ed Other qual. Total Number (thousand) Mathematics 47 18 15 17 3 100 27.1 English 49 18 14 18 1 100 31.6 Biology 55 13 14 18 1 100 11.3 Chemistry 66 10 14 10 — 100 10.7 Physics 53 12 20 13 2 100 10.4 General Science 29 13 44 13 1 100 15.5 Other Sciences 66 10 12 10 2 100 6.2 French 59 12 16 10 2 100 15.5 German 64 11 18 4 3 100 6.9 Spanish 68 5 21 — 6 100 2.5 Other Modem Languages 68 5 18 4 5 100 2.7 Design and Technology 16 32 13 35 4 100 11.1 Information Technology 36 17 19 8 20 100 4.9 Other Technology 47 13 6 19 15 100 4.4 Home Economics 13 25 4 55 3 100 6.8 Business Studies 31 22 18 17 12 100 4.3 Classics 83 3 7 2 6 100 1.4 History 54 14 14 17 1 100 19.2 Religious Education 34 20 17 26 3 100 8.6 Geography 43 22 12 23 1 100 15.6 Other Social Studies 70 14 8 6 3 100 11.3 Combined Arts/Humanities/Social Studies 55 19 14 11 1 100 4.2 Music 49 16 9 23 2 100 6.3 Drama 27 19 25 25 4 100 8.0 Art 42 17 9 30 3 100 10.8 Physical Education 13 37 11 38 1 100 22.0 Careers Education 11 10 11 20 48 100 0.9 Personal and Social Education 24 17 22 20 16 100 2.3 General Studies 20 23 28 24 5 100 2.2 General Primary Subjects 14 9 48 21 8 100 1.0 Other 45 13 10 10 22 100 21.5 Total2 44 18 15 19 4 100 307.2 1 Where a teacher has more than one post A-level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (degree) to right (other qualifications). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under degree. 2 Teachers are counted once against each subject in which they have a post A-level qualification 3 Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds. Source: 1996/97 Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey.
Percentage Degree3 BEd PGCE Cert Ed Other qual. No qual. Total teachers (thousand) Mathematics 42 ± 3 15 ± 2 9 ± 2 7 ± 1 2 ± 1 24 ± 2 28.2 English 51 ± 3 15 ± 2 7 ± 1 6 ± 1 1 ± 1 20 ± 2 29.4 Combined/General science 62 ± 3 12 ± 2 10 ± 2 4 ± 1 1 ± 1 11 ± 2 28.3 Biology4 71 ± 5 7 ± 3 11 ± 4 3 ± 2 - ± 1 7 ± 3 5.6 Chemistry4 72 ± 5 6 ± 3 12 ± 4 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 7 ± 3 5.2 Physics4 63 ± 6 11 ± 4 15 ± 4 3 ± 2 - ± - 8 ± 3 4.7 Other sciences4 10 ± 6 4 ± 4 5 ± 4 - ± - - ± - 80 ± 8 1.6 French 54 ± 3 7 ± 2 10 ± 2 3 ± 1 2 ± 1 23 ± 3 16.0 German 47 ± 5 6 ± 3 13 ± 4 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 30 ± 5 6.9 Spanish 37 ± 7 8 ± 4 19 ± 6 - ± - 3 ± 2 33 ± 7 3.6 Other modern languages 18 ± 8 - ± - 9 ± 7 - ± - 3 ± 4 71 ±10 1.4 Design and technology5 26 ± 3 20 ± 3 7 ± 2 21 ± 3 2 ± 1 24 ± 3 20.9 ICT5, 6 13 ± 2 6 ± 1 8 ± 2 2 ± 1 3 ± 1 69 ± 3 18.9 Other/Combined technology5 30± 1 0 13 ± 8 16 ± 7 18 ± 9 2 ± 3 20 ± 9 1.6 Business studies 30 ± 5 11 ± 4 9 ± 3 4 ± 2 3 ± 2 43 ± 5 6.5 Classics 33 ± 7 - ± - 2 ± 4 2 ± - - ± - 63 ± 7 1.0 History 57 ± 4 9 ± 2 6 ± 2 6 ± 2 - ± - 23 ± 3 13.7 Religious education 22 ± 3 8 ± 2 8 ± 2 4 ± 1 2 ± 1 57 ± 4 14.2 Geography 53 ± 4 9 ± 2 6 ± 2 5 ± 2 1 ± 1 25 ± 3 13.7 Other social studies 35 ± 5 6 ± 3 2 ± 2 2 ± 1 - ± 1 54 ± 6 4.9 Combined arts/humanities/ social studies 5 ± 3 4 ± 2 7 ± 3 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 83 ± 5 5.3 Music 59 ± 5 15 ± 4 5 ± 2 6 ± 3 2 ± 2 13 ± 4 6.3 Drama 25 ± 4 10 ± 3 12 ± 3 6 ± 2 2 ± 1 45 ± 5 8.1 Art and design 54 ± 4 10 ± 3 7 ± 2 9 ± 3 1 ± 1 20 ± 4 9.3 Physical education 25 ± 3 31 ± 3 6 ± 2 13 ± 2 2 ± 1 22 ± 2 21.4 Careers education 2 ± 2 1 ± 2 3 ± 3 4 ± 4 3 ± 4 87 ± 7 1.5 PSHE6 1 ± - 1 ± - 2 ± 1 1 ± - - ± - 95 ± 1 61.4 General studies 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 - ± 1 - ± - 95 ± 2 7.1 Citizenship 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 - ± 1 - ± - 94 ± 2 9.0 Other — — — — — — 32.8 Total2, 7 33 ± - 10 ±- 7 ± - 5 ± - 1 ± - 44 ± - 388.4 ‘-’ = zero or less than 0.5. 1 Where a teacher has more than one post A-level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (degree) to right (other qual.). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under degree. 2 Teachers are counted once against each subject which they are teaching. 3 Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds. 4 Teachers qualified in combined/general science are treated as qualified to teach biology, chemistry, or physics. Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry or physics are treated as qualified to teach combined/general science. 5 Teachers qualified in other/combined technology are treated as qualified to teach design and technology or information and communication technology. Teachers qualified in design and technology or information and communication technology are treated as qualified to teach other/combined technology. 6 Information and Communication Technology is abbreviated as ICT and Personal Social and Health Education is abbreviated as PSHE. 7 ‘Other’ not included in total percentages. Source: Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2002.
Secondary Education: GCE A-Levels
The 2006-07 revised figures are provided as follows:
Number of secondary schools with sixth forms who submitted more than one pupil for A level Percentage of secondary schools with sixth forms who submitted more than one pupil for a level Mathematics 2,353 92.9 Physics 2,060 81.3 Chemistry 2,202 86.9 Biology 2,270 89.6 French 1,561 61.6 Spanish 810 32.0 German 1,032 40.7 Mandarin 297 11.7
Secondary Education: Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
The information requested is set out as follows:
Newcastle upon Tyne local authority 2007 2006 2005 2004 Secondary1, 2 Number of pupils residing in LA3 14,574 14,812 15,059 14,038 Number of pupils4 attending schools maintained by the LA 14,115 14,414 14,687 13,920 Number of pupils in residence and attending schools maintained by the LA 13,316 13,565 13,820 13,054 Special1, 5 Number of pupils residing in LA3 291 286 244 246 Number of pupils4 attending schools maintained by the LA 306 306 296 296 Number of pupils in residence and attending schools maintained by the LA 248 246 218 214 1 Excludes pupils reported to be boarders. 2 Includes; Solely registered and main registration of dually registered pupils. Pupils aged 11 to 15 as at 31 August attending local authority maintained secondary middle deemed secondary, city technology colleges and academies. 3 Includes pupils attending maintained schools outside the LA. 4 Includes unmatched records, (i.e. with missing or invalid postcodes) 5 Includes: Solely registered and main registration of dually registered pupils. Pupils aged 11 to 15 as at 31 August 2006 attending maintained and non-maintained special schools.
Secondary Education: Teaching Methods
There is no single DCSF programme of small group tuition, although there are various programmes which encourage its use, including the Every Child a Reader and Every Child Counts programmes in primary schools, and Study Plus in secondary schools.
This range of programmes and the variety and flexibility of approaches used in schools already mean that we cannot give a simple cost for small group teaching in either primary or secondary schools. However, £1.6 billion has been committed to support personalised learning over the Comprehensive spending review SR period 2008-11, building on the £990 million allocated over the last two years. This funding is designed to ensure that every school has the capacity to deliver personalised learning, including the use of smaller groups where appropriate.
Specialised Diplomas
On 18 December 2007, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) announced that the diplomas would be judged equivalent to 5 GCSEs grade A*-G at the foundation level, 7 GCSEs grade A*-C at the higher level and 3.5 A-levels grade A*-E at the advanced level. The equivalence given to diplomas reflects the size and challenge of completing a large composite qualification.
Jim Knight: The estimated cost of introducing diplomas for 2008/09 is as follows:
KS4: £158 million direct/indirect costs of delivery
£45 million for the additional costs of work force development
The LSC will provide funding for 16 to 18-year-olds taking up diplomas in sixth forms and colleges based on the funding rates published on 21 December 2007 at http://www.lsc.gov.uk/providers/funding-policy/strategic-overview. These are based on an assessment of cost for each diploma line and level of learning.
The cost in subsequent years will not be known until the number of places and learners are confirmed.
To support the delivery of Diploma learning, we have developed and published guidance in September 2007 for the first five lines of learning, at Foundation Level (level one), Higher Level (level two) and Advanced Level (level three). The purpose of publishing this guidance early at least a year before first teaching of the Diplomas is to support partnership curriculum planners and teachers in making decisions about introducing the Diploma and devising schemes of work. The following curriculum specifications have been accredited and published for first teaching in September 2008:
Construction and the Built Environment
Creative and Media
Engineering
Information Technology
Society, Health and Development.
The guidance is available online at:
www.qca.org.uk/diploma
Specialised Diplomas: Finance
An initial allocation of £26 million to cover the additional costs of diplomas in respect of pupils starting diplomas at key stage 4 in 2008/09 was notified to local authorities on 18 December 2007. The average level of funding payable per student from this source in 2008-09 will amount to £1,000.
The LSC will provide funding for 16 to 18-year-olds taking up Diplomas in sixth forms and colleges based on the funding rates published on 21 December 2007.
Further details of the funding available and the rates that apply can be accessed through the 14-19 education and skills website at
http://www,dfes.gov.uk/14-19/index.cfm?sid=43
Specialist Schools: Barnet
The following table shows the information requested. There are 13 maintained secondary schools in Brent local authority, all of which have specialist status. The Government remain committed to the specialist schools programme as a means of raising attainment and achievement for all secondary-age pupils.
School name Specialism Second specialisms Leading options Specialist school recurrent funding 2007-08 (£) Alperton Community School Maths and Computing — — 181,379 Cardinal Hinsley Mathematics and Computing College Maths and Computing — — 59,985 Claremont High School Arts Maths and Computing Vocational 343,989 Convent of Jesus and Mary Language College Language — — 159,000 Copland—A Specialist Science Community College Science — — 215,559 JFS Humanities — — 223,209 John Kelly Boys’ Technology College Technology — — 94,170 John Kelly Girls’ Technology College Technology Language — 211,260 Kingsbury High School Maths and Computing — — 226,653 Preston Manor High School Science — Raising Achievement Transforming Learning 220,185 Queen’s Park Community School Business and Enterprise — — 129.000 St. Gregory RC High School Science — — 129,000 Wembley High Technology College Technology — Training School 190,134
Teachers
Taken together, the Children Act 1989 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006 give teachers the powers they need to manage pupils' behaviour, so new legislation in this area is unnecessary.
Teachers: Greater London
The following tables provide separately the full-time and part-time head count and part-time full-time equivalent (FTE) number of regular teachers employed in local authority-maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools in England, London and each London local authority from January 2003 to 2007.
2003 2004 2005 Nursery/primary Secondary Nursery/primary Secondary Nursery/primary Secondary England 176,460 189,830 174,230 192,780 172,580 196,050 London 26,620 25,850 26,940 26,100 26,860 26,820 City of London 20 — 10 — 10 — Camden 530 630 540 630 530 640 Greenwich 850 910 910 920 860 1,020 Hackney 860 540 850 490 930 500 Hammersmith and Fulham 450 450 510 420 490 490 Islington 680 500 670 560 690 530 Kensington and Chelsea 350 250 360 230 360 230 Lambeth 910 480 930 490 990 540 Lewisham 950 720 920 710 920 700 Southwark 1,120 700 1,080 710 1,050 710 Tower Hamlets 1,040 920 1,040 910 1,080 940 Wandsworth 800 610 790 640 810 670 Westminster 540 600 550 590 520 600 Barking and Dagenham 720 750 760 790 740 780 Barnet 1,080 1,340 1,090 1,280 1,090 1,250 Bexley 810 1,010 790 1,040 790 990 Brent 980 1,100 1,030 1,060 1,010 1,200 Bromley 980 1,220 970 1,280 980 1,330 Croydon 1,370 1,110 1,350 1,110 1,270 1,150 Ealing 1,070 900 1,110 890 1,070 940 Enfield 1,110 1,330 1,120 1,360 1,130 1,400 Haringey 930 720 900 750 910 800 Harrow 780 530 780 530 780 540 Havering 840 990 820 1,010 810 990 Hillingdon 940 1,030 960 1,100 970 1,150 Hounslow 760 1,000 790 1,070 810 1,080 Kingston upon Thames 460 550 450 530 460 550 Merton 590 490 560 460 580 480 Newham 1,270 1,140 1,460 1,140 1,420 1,170 Redbridge 930 1,200 950 1,210 920 1,170 Richmond upon Thames 480 420 470 380 470 390 Sutton 600 900 570 870 550 920 Waltham Forest 810 820 840 950 850 970
Nursery/primary Secondary Nursery/primary Secondary England 172,050 196,530 169,910 196,480 London 27,130 27,050 27,290 26,850 City of London 10 — 10 — Camden 540 680 560 690 Greenwich 910 1,010 870 1,040 Hackney 920 480 940 470 Hammersmith and Fulham 480 450 460 390 Islington 680 570 680 560 Kensington and Chelsea 370 230 370 230 Lambeth 980 520 1,010 550 Lewisham 910 630 930 640 Southwark 1,050 690 1,080 610 Tower Hamlets 1,100 1,010 1,140 1,040 Wandsworth 810 650 810 670 Westminster 530 590 570 490 Barking and Dagenham 740 830 750 840 Barnet 1,130 1,240 1,050 1,230 Bexley 810 1,020 810 1,050 Brent 1,030 1,190 1,050 1,210 Bromley 980 1,350 980 1,380 Croydon 1,190 1,140 1,150 1,140 Ealing 1,070 940 1,110 970 Enfield 1,160 1,450 1,160 1,430 Haringey 930 810 930 780 Harrow 800 550 800 590 Havering 780 1,090 780 1,060 Hillingdon 1,010 1,090 1,020 1,100 Hounslow 810 1,070 790 1,060 Kingston upon Thames 460 550 460 580 Merton 590 490 590 380 Newham 1,470 1,200 1,490 1,190 Redbridge 1,000 1,250 1,000 1,290 Richmond upon Thames 470 410 470 350 Sutton 550 910 590 950 Waltham Forest 880 960 900 920 ‘—’ Nil or negligible 1 Excludes teachers in occasional service on contracts of less than one month. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
2003 2004 2005 Nursery/primary Secondary Nursery/primary Secondary Nursery/primary Secondary England 42,660 31,930 45,030 33,660 47,660 34,930 London 6,420 4,260 6,460 4,300 6,690 4,390 City of London 10 — 10 — 10 — Camden 110 80 150 130 130 130 Greenwich 260 210 250 210 330 290 Hackney 180 100 190 90 170 90 Hammersmith and Fulham 90 50 120 90 90 70 Islington 140 80 140 60 140 70 Kensington and Chelsea 80 70 90 50 100 60 Lambeth 210 80 210 90 180 100 Lewisham 300 160 290 180 290 180 Southwark 160 80 150 50 170 60 Tower Hamlets 200 210 210 170 200 110 Wandsworth 220 150 210 170 220 180 Westminster 200 210 190 230 100 120 Barking and Dagenham 80 70 90 70 100 80 Barnet 420 240 390 250 410 240 Bexley 160 110 160 110 160 110 Brent 230 110 210 80 220 100 Bromley 300 310 260 290 250 270 Croydon 390 200 330 160 520 270 Ealing 190 200 250 150 230 140 Enfield 280 170 320 190 330 190 Haringey 180 70 200 80 210 90 Harrow 320 120 250 120 280 120 Havering 220 160 250 190 240 170 Hillingdon 170 120 230 180 230 180 Hounslow 160 120 140 140 160 140 Kingston upon Thames 130 90 170 130 130 130 Merton 150 80 150 70 170 80 Newham 90 90 190 110 110 90 Redbridge 210 180 210 180 220 210 Richmond upon Thames 210 80 210 70 210 60 Sutton 190 150 190 130 210 170 Waltham Forest 180 110 160 100 150 90
Nursery/primary Secondary Nursery/primary Secondary England 52,420 35,850 53,900 36,610 London 7,050 4,500 7,030 4,310 City of London 10 — — — Camden 120 130 130 130 Greenwich 300 230 260 200 Hackney 190 100 220 120 Hammersmith and Fulham 110 110 110 70 Islington 150 70 150 50 Kensington and Chelsea 110 50 90 50 Lambeth 200 100 220 80 Lewisham 300 150 280 130 Southwark 210 80 200 60 Tower Hamlets 190 130 190 120 Wandsworth 230 210 250 220 Westminster 110 70 100 60 Barking and Dagenham 110 80 110 110 Barnet 440 250 400 200 Bexley 200 140 210 130 Brent 260 110 230 110 Bromley 290 280 300 280 Croydon 400 190 410 220 Ealing 230 150 240 140 Enfield 350 200 360 200 Haringey 240 100 220 120 Harrow 340 140 300 120 Havering 240 190 260 170 Hillingdon 230 160 270 190 Hounslow 200 170 190 170 Kingston upon Thames 160 140 170 110 Merton 190 70 200 70 Newham 130 100 140 100 Redbridge 220 250 230 240 Richmond upon Thames 260 70 240 70 Sutton 150 190 220 170 Waltham Forest 180 120 150 110 ‘—’ Nil or negligible 1 Excludes teachers in occasional service on contracts of less than one month. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
2003 2004 2005 Nursery/primary Secondary Nursery/primary Secondary Nursery/primary Secondary England 20,900 16,960 22,410 18,220 23,690 19,010 London 3,140 2,280 3,150 2,250 3,340 2,370 City of London — — — — — — Camden 80 40 80 70 70 70 Greenwich 130 100 120 100 140 110 Hackney 90 40 90 40 90 40 Hammersmith and Fulham 50 30 60 40 40 40 Islington 70 50 90 30 70 40 Kensington and Chelsea 40 30 40 20 50 20 Lambeth 110 40 100 40 100 40 Lewisham 150 90 150 90 140 100 Southwark 80 50 80 30 90 40 Tower Hamlets 90 140 110 90 110 60 Wandsworth 100 80 90 80 110 80 Westminster 80 70 60 70 70 100 Barking and Dagenham 40 30 40 30 40 30 Barnet 200 140 200 140 200 140 Bexley 80 60 80 60 80 60 Brent 140 50 90 50 110 50 Bromley 140 160 130 160 130 150 Croydon 140 90 160 90 240 140 Ealing 90 130 100 70 110 70 Enfield 160 100 180 110 190 120 Haringey 90 40 100 50 110 50 Harrow 140 60 130 70 150 70 Havering 100 90 110 100 110 90 Hillingdon 90 60 90 90 90 90 Hounslow 80 70 80 80 90 90 Kingston upon Thames 60 50 70 60 70 80 Merton 70 50 70 40 80 50 Newham 60 50 50 60 60 50 Redbridge 110 100 110 100 110 120 Richmond upon Thames 100 40 110 40 110 40 Sutton 90 70 100 80 110 100 Waltham Forest 100 60 80 60 100 40
Nursery/primary Secondary Nursery/primary Secondary England 26,150 19,750 27,190 20,360 London 3,600 2,430 3,680 2,350 City of London — — — — Camden 70 70 70 70 Greenwich 170 110 200 100 Hackney 90 40 120 50 Hammersmith and Fulham 50 50 60 40 Islington 80 30 80 30 Kensington and Chelsea 50 20 50 20 Lambeth 100 40 110 40 Lewisham 160 90 160 70 Southwark 110 40 100 30 Tower Hamlets 100 70 110 70 Wandsworth 120 90 120 90 Westminster 50 30 50 30 Barking and Dagenham 40 40 50 50 Barnet 210 130 220 120 Bexley 110 90 110 80 Brent 120 70 110 70 Bromley 150 150 160 160 Croydon 190 110 190 110 Ealing 120 80 90 80 Enfield 190 110 200 120 Haringey 120 60 120 70 Harrow 170 70 160 70 Havering 110 110 120 90 Hillingdon 110 80 120 100 Hounslow 110 100 120 100 Kingston upon Thames 80 80 80 60 Merton 90 40 90 40 Newham 70 60 90 60 Redbridge 130 130 130 140 Richmond upon Thames 130 50 130 40 Sutton 120 110 110 100 Waltham Forest 90 70 80 70 ‘—’ Nil or negligible 1 Excludes teachers in occasional service on contracts of less than one month. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Teachers: Public Opinion
The Department often commissions research which involves both quantitive and qualitative research methods. However, the appropriate data collection method varies depending on the research aims and the time and budget available to carry out the research project. Data on (a) other discussion groups and (b) other qualitative and quantitive opinion research of teachers commissioned by my Department is not readily available. Gathering this information would involve disproportionate cost.
Tyndale Academy
In the last three months we have received one representation from the proprietor and one from a member of staff at Tyndale academy about the institution's registration.
Home Department
Airports: Security
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: As the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Canning Town (Jim Fitzpatrick), stated in his answer on 17 December 2007, the aviation security measures in place in the UK apply equally to all airports within the National Aviation Security programme.
Separately, the police require airlines to present passengers in a manner that would prevent any attempt to evade police scrutiny. To meet this requirement a number of airports across the United Kingdom have deployed digital imaging to ensure that the passenger who actually boards the aircraft is the same passenger that checked in. Digital imaging has been determined as the least intrusive method of meeting the police requirement, but there may be some variation in practice between airports.
Antisocial Behaviour
The Home Office does not record incidents of antisocial behaviour. Any such incidents are usually reported to the police, local authority, landlord or other frontline agency public whose task it is to deal directly with that problem. However, in common with many other Departments—for example the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Ministry of Justice—we do receive representations from members of the public, directly or through their Member of Parliament, about our policies in the field of antisocial behaviour. We received over 2,000 such letters and e-mails in the three years from 2005 to 2007.
Arrests: Drugs
Since 2003, drug testing of offenders for specified Class A drugs in police custody has operated as part of the drug interventions programme.
The police currently have the power to request persons aged 18 and over in police detention who have been charged or arrested with a "trigger offence" to provide a sample for testing for the presence of a specified Class A drug. Drug testing can be conducted only for offences with a substantial link to the use of heroin or cocaine/crack.
The trigger offences are set out in schedule 6 to the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000. These are the offences which have been shown to have the clearest link with drug misuse, particularly the misuse of heroin and cocaine/crack.
A person arrested or charged with a non-trigger offence may be tested if a police officer decides that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that Class A drug use caused or contributed to the offence. The decision to authorise a sample must be referred to a police officer of at least the rank of inspector.
Given the framework above, the data requested are not available.
Asylum Seekers
When an incident of verbal or physical abuse occurs against escort staff by detainees (which includes failed asylum seekers), staff are required to complete an incident report and submit it to senior managers. Staff can also report the matter to the police. Detainees wishing to complain against escort staff use complaints forms that are freely available in removal centres and submit them in confidence to the Border and Immigration Agency removal centre manager. Information on cases of physical and verbal abuse by and against failed asylum seekers is not collected separately and is therefore not available.
Asylum: Entry Clearances
[holding answer 17 January 2008]: Grants of discretionary leave (DL) are recorded on individual files. Information is collated on the total number of grants of DL and the number of grants of DL made at initial decision on applications by unaccompanied asylum-seeking children aged 17 and under at the time of decision, but not by sub-category. Information at sub-category level can be obtained only by examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.
Asylum: Housing
[holding answer 15 January 2008]: The numbers of asylum seekers in receipt of support, broken down by Government office region and local authority, are published on a quarterly and annual basis. Copies of these publications are available from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Further breakdowns of those in receipt of support by parliamentary constituency are available from the Library of the House.
Asylum: Newcastle City Council
The Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) has in place a contract with NECARS (the North East Consortium for Asylum and Refugee Support) for which the lead authority is Newcastle city council. The BIA does not hold a separate contract for asylum support with Newcastle city council.
Asylum: North Shields
This information is not centrally recorded and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Asylum: Somalia
A breakdown of removals to Somalia according to age and sex is set out in the following table. Information relating to the number of asylum applicants removed from the UK during the last quarter of 2007 will be published shortly in the Asylum Statistics: 4th Quarter 2007 bulletin, copies of which will be available from the House Library.
All returns to Somalia, including returns of women and children, are assessed on their individual merits against the background of the latest country information and will only take place when it is established that there are no protection needs.
Those without any legal basis of stay in the UK may also return voluntarily to Somalia. There are scheduled air services to a number of destinations in Somalia—Mogadishu, Bosasso, Hargeisa, Berbera, Burao and Galcaiyo.
Number of removals Gender Age of applicant at removal date Male Female Total Under 18 — — — 18-29 * — * 30-39 5 * 5 40-49 * — * 50-59 — — — 60+ — * * Total 5 * 10 1 Includes enforced removals, persons departing voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration and those who it is established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities. 2 Figures are rounded to the nearest five (— = 0, * = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. Note: Persons who had sought asylum at some stage, including dependants.
Burglary: Schools
The information requested is not collected centrally.
Community Support Officers
[holding answer 15 January 2008]: Information on the retention rate of police community support officers is a matter for each police authority and chief constable.
Crime Prevention: Young People
The Government have provided police and local authorities with a number of legislative options to maintain public order on our streets. The use of tactics, methods and technologies to control the unlawful assembly of young people, working within these legislative options, are operational matters for the police working with local authorities.
Crime: Internet
The Government remain committed to ratifying the Council of Europe convention on cybercrime, which we signed in 2001. The Government intend to begin the work of ratifying the convention in April 2008.
Crime: Surrey
(2) how many thefts were reported in Surrey in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what percentage were successfully detected;
(3) what the detection rate for domestic burglary was in Surrey in each of the last six years.
The information requested is shown in the following table.
Cheque and credit card fraud All theft offences Recorded Number detected Recorded Percentage detected 2002-03 2,349 576 27,789 13 2003-04 1,800 445 28,986 13 2004-05 1,466 743 25,374 14 2005-06 1,071 581 24,636 14 2006-071 2,489 2,209 25,857 17 1 The Fraud Act 2006 commenced on 15 January 2007, altering the definition and coverage of fraud and forgery offences. At that time, the counting of cheque and plastic card fraud changed to a “per account” basis rather than a “per transaction” basis.
Percentage detected 2001-02 12 2002-03 11 2003-04 13 2004-05 14 2005-06 12 2006-07 15
Crimes of Violence
The information requested is shown in the following table.
Violence against the person Criminal damage Drug offences 2000-01 1,610 1,721 103 2001-021 1,884 2,025 142 2002-03 1,905 1,872 116 2003-04 2,003 2,029 157 2004-05 2,240 1,907 212 2005-06 2,125 2,020 270 2006-07 2,214 1,950 337 1 The national crime recording standard was introduced in April 2002. Figures before and after that date are not directly comparable.
Crimes of Violence: Elderly People
The information requested is not available.
Police recorded crime statistics are available at police force and local authority area level, but details relating to the age of victims of crime is not collected. The British Crime Survey does collect this information and can provide the data at national level, but not at police force or local authority area level.
Criminal Proceedings: Disclosure of Information
The information requested is as follows:
PACE Codes
The following Codes of Practice have been issued under the provisions of section 60 and Part VI of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. These are:
Code A: Stop and Search introduced 1 January 1986 SI 1985/1937
Code B: Entry search and seizure introduced 1 January 1986 SI 1985/1937
Code C: Detention Questioning and Treatment (excluding terrorism cases) introduced 1 January 1986 S11985/1937
Code D: Identification introduced 1 January 1986 SI 1985/1937
Code E: Tape/Audio recording of interviews with suspects introduced on 20 July 1988 SI 1988/1200
Code F: Visual Recording of interviews with suspects introduced on 30 October 2002 SI 2002/2527. Selected force areas for pilot purposes. Order revoked 1 November 2003 SI 2003/2463
Code G: Arrest introduced on 1 January 2006 SI 2005/3503
Code H: Detention Questioning and Treatment (terrorism cases only) introduced on 25 July 2006 SI 2006/1938
All changes proposed to the PACE codes are subject to parliamentary scrutiny and approval. Prior to presentation before Parliament, there is either a full public consultation or a consultation with statutory stakeholders in accordance with section 67 (4) of PACE. The determination of the consultation process is carried out in discussion with the Home Affairs Committee.
The codes have been subject to change since their introduction in 1986. These changes have been carried out to reflect changes in the provisions of PACE and other legislation governing police powers and procedure. The changes have been detailed and extensive. An itemised list of all changes made since 1986 is not held centrally. However, I have placed in the Library a list of the relevant statutory instruments relating to the introduction of and revision to the PACE Codes since 1986 with a brief description of their effect; and details of the more recent changes can be found on the Home Office websites at
http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/operational-policing/powers-pace-codes/pace-code-intro
In March 2007 we announced the review of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and associated codes of practice (see PACE Review page on the Home Office website). We are currently considering final proposals on making the contents of the codes more accessible to both practitioners and members of the public. Final proposals will be subject to a final consultation in spring 2008.
CPIA Code
The original Code of Practice under section 23(1) of the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 (CPIA) was introduced by SI 1997/1033 and came into effect on 1 April 1997. A new version of this code of practice was introduced by SI 2005/985 and came into effect on 4 April 2005 (http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20050985.htm). The 2005 version of this code was preceded by a review and a public consultation exercise, “Criminal Justice Act 2003 Implementation: Disclosure Codes of Practice A Consultation Document”. (http://www. homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/2004-cons-cja-implementation/2004-cons-cja-implementation-doc?view=Binary)
The main changes made in the revised version include new provision for deputy disclosure officers and greater facility for the retention of copies instead of original investigative material.
Dangerous Driving
It is an offence under section 12(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 for a person to promote or take part in a race between motor vehicles on a highway. The offence carries a maximum fine at level 4 (£2,500), obligatory disqualification and obligatory endorsement of between three and 11 penalty points on the offender’s licence. The police also have a power under section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 to seize a vehicle that is being driven carelessly or inconsiderately on road contrary to section 3 of the 1988 Act and in such a way as to cause or be likely to cause alarm distress or annoyance. Enforcement of the law and exercise of the seizure power are operational matters for the police.
Departmental Data Protection
(2) on how many occasions in (a) her Department and (b) its agencies confidential data have been downloaded on to compact discs (i) without and (ii) with encryption in the last 12-month period for which figures are available; how many of those discs have been posted without using recorded or registered delivery; what procedures her Department has in place for the (A) transport, (B) exchange and (C) delivery of confidential or sensitive data; what records are kept of information held by her Department being sent outside the Department; what changes have been made to her Department’s rules and procedures on data protection in the last two years; on how many occasions her Department’s procedures and rules on data protection have been breached in the last five years; what those breaches were; what procedures her Department has in place on downloading confidential data on to computer discs before its transfer; what technical protections there are in her Department’s computer systems to prevent access to information held on those systems which is not in accordance with departmental procedures; and if she will place in the Library a copy of each of her Department’s rules and procedures on the protection of confidential data on individuals, businesses and other organisations;
(3) how many employees of each grade in her Department (a) have access to confidential or sensitive data and (b) are authorised to download such data to disc; how many of her Department’s employees have undergone data protection training in the last 12 months; what the average length of time is that each employee of (i) her Department and (ii) her Department’s agencies has spent on data protection training; how many investigations of employees of her Department for improperly accessing confidential information have taken place in the last 12 months; how many such investigations resulted in cases of disciplinary action; and what the circumstances of each of those cases were;
(4) what steps have been taken to protect individuals in the event of a data breach of the National Identity Register.
I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007, Official Report, column 1179W. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments’ procedures will be made on completion of the review.
I refer my right hon. Friend to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007, Official Report, column 1179W. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments’ procedures will be made on completion of the review.
I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007, Official Report, column 1179W. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments’ procedures will be made on completion of the review.
Departmental Freedom of Information
In 2005, 1,970 requests were received in the Home Office, of which 1,469 were resolvable. The non-resolvable cases were those where no information was held or where advice and assistance were provided. Of the 1,469 resolvable requests, 42 per cent. of the requests were granted in full and 35 per cent. were withheld in full. The remainder of requests resulted in a partial disclosure or the requests were not replied to in 2005.
In 2006, 2,861 requests were received of which 1,790 were resolvable. Of the resolvable requests, 42 per cent. were granted in full and 33 per cent were withheld in full. The remainder resulted in a partial disclosure or the requests were not replied to in 2006.
Between 1 January and 30 September 2007, 1,849 requests were received, of which 1,270 were resolvable. Of the resolvable requests, 50 per cent. were granted in full and 24 per cent. were withheld in full. The remainder resulted in a partial disclosure or the requests were still being processed after 30 September last year. All percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
All Freedom of Information requests are logged on an Access database. An automatic case reference number is generated by the database when a new case is added.
Unfortunately a summary of each request received by the Department could be provided only at disproportionate cost. FOI requests are often contained in letters detailing individuals' personal circumstances. To put the details of the requests into the public domain would require personal information (which would allow identification of the individual to be ascertained) to be removed. This could be done only at disproportionate cost. The Home Office disclosure log provides a useful picture of the types of request received by the Department and the information which has been disclosed as a result. The disclosure log can be found at
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/freedom-of-information/released-information/
It is also impossible to provide the specific reason why an exemption is applied without consulting each FOI response issued by the Department. This information could be collated only at disproportionate cost. It may however be useful to see the top ten exemptions used by the Department from September 2006 to August 2007.
1. S40 Personal information (139).
2. S31 Law enforcement (105).
3. S22 Information intended for future publication (89).
4. S35 Formulation of government policy (49).
5. S36 Prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs (44).
6. S43 Commercial interests (38).
7. S23 Information supplied by or related to bodies dealing with security matters (32).
8. S38 Health and safety (30).
9. S24 National security (29).
10. S42 Legal professional privilege (22).
The right hon. Gentleman should be aware that more than one exemption can be applied for withholding information within a single request.
Departmental Marketing
At present there are four displays in the Home Office and its agencies displaying the work and organisational structure of the Department, which include names and photographs of Ministers.
It is not possible without incurring disproportionate costs to identify separately the costs of specifically updating the ministerial information.
Driving Offences: Fixed Penalties
I have been asked to reply.
The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In the event of a driving licence being lost, Royal Mail will pay compensation to replace the licence and the national fixed penalty forum will assist with the claims.
Drugs: Children
(2) how many children under 16 were arrested in (a) the North East and (b) Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency for dealing class (i) A drugs, (ii) B drugs and (ii) C drugs in each of the last seven years.
The information requested is not available centrally.
The arrests collection undertaken by the Ministry of Justice provides data on persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences), by age group, gender, ethnicity, and main offence group, i.e. violence against the person, sexual offences, robbery, burglary, drugs offences etc. More detailed data about specific offences do not form part of this collection.
Drugs: Misuse
Mr. Coaker: Following a successful pilot in a limited number of sites between 2001 and 2003, drug testing of offenders for specified Class A drugs (heroin and cocaine/crack) in police custody came into operation from 2003 across 30 BCUs as part of the Drug Interventions Programme. Since that time the programme has expanded in a phased approach to 66 basic command units in 2004 and some 107 BCUs in 2005.
Only offenders arrested or charged with a "trigger offence"—largely acquisitive crime related offences—are required to provide a sample to be tested for specified Class A drugs.
Between 2003 and 2005, the programme operated drug testing at the point of charge. The average rate of positive tests for specified Class A drugs for offenders charged with a trigger offence was as follows:
2003-04: 54 per cent.
2004-05: 46 per cent.
From 2005 to the present time the programme operated drug testing at the point of arrest and the average rate of positive tests for specified Class A drugs for offenders arrested for a trigger offence was:
2005-06: 45 per cent.
2006-07: 37 per cent.
From 2003 the number of offenders entering treatment voluntarily through the Drug Interventions Programme are as follows:
Number 2003-04 1,950 2004-05 16,517 2005-06 24,557 2006-07 39,903
I have been asked to respond.
The strategy unit report on high-harm-causing drugs was undertaken in 2003, and contributed to wider policy debate across Government. The report did not make any formal recommendations to the Home Office, but helped to inform the development of the Government's existing drug strategy, which sets out a range of policies and interventions focusing on the most dangerous drugs that cause the most harm to communities and individuals.
Entry Clearances: Fraud
The information requested could be obtained only through detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
Essex Police Authority: Finance
(2) how much funding was allocated per head of population to Essex police authority in each year since 1990.
Essex police authority in its present format came into existence on 1 April 1995. Revenue grants for Essex police authority since 1995-96 are set out in the following table.
The Government do not distribute grant to police authorities purely on the basis of population. The police funding formula uses a range of data relating to demographic and social characteristics to reflect the relative needs of each authority. Grant allocations also take into account the relative tax base of each authority. Grant allocations are stabilised by damping to limit year-on-year variations.
Government grant1(£million) Resident population (million) 1995-96 123.29 1.56 1996-97 127.31 1.57 1997-98 129.70 1.58 1998-99 131.53 1.59 1999-2000 132.75 1.60 2000-01 142.51 1.61 2001-02 152.99 1.62 2002-03 157.94 1.62 2003-04 169.34 1.63 2004-05 173.67 1.64 2005-062 181.81 1.65 2006-073,4 180.43 1.65 2007-08 187.91 1.66 1 Revenue funding includes all grants inside Aggregate External Finance (AEF) (i.e. revenue grants paid for councils' core services), and includes formula grant and all specific grants. 2 2005-06 figures have been adjusted for purposes of comparison with future years following the transfer of pensions and security funding from general grant in 2006-07. 3 2006-07 Government grant figures are provisional outurn figures. 2007-08 figures are budget figures. 4 In keeping with an initiative by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, the data for 2006-07 have been collected on a Financial Reporting Standard 17 (FRS17) basis. On this basis, decisions relating to pensions are accounted for in the year they are taken, rather than the year to which they apply. As a result some expenditure on pensions may be reflected in the data and consequently comparisons between 2006-07 and data on a non-FRS17 basis may not be valid. Source: Population: Office of National Statistics, mid year population estimates and projections. Grants: DCLG.
Essex Police: Manpower
The data for police officers are taken from the Home Office Statistical Bulletin series “Police Service Strength England and Wales” which was first published in 1998, so the data are available from 1998 onwards. The data for operational police officers have been centrally collected since 2003, so the data are available from 2003 onwards. The available data are given in the following table.
Total officers per 100,000 population3 Total operational officers per 100,000 population3 1998 193 — 1999 190 — 2000 183 — 2001 179 — 2002 181 — 2003 186 177 2004 192 182 2005 198 187 2006 203 192 20074 203 196 1 Full-time equivalent. This figure includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. 2 This and other tables contain full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. 3 Officers per 100,000 population for City of London and Metropolitan Police are combined. 4 Functional group totals do not match published figures. Data quality may be an issue with this force.
European Police Office
No non-UK Europol officers currently have permission to operate within the United Kingdom.
Foreign Workers: Care Homes
The work permit arrangements do not require now, did not require under transitional arrangements introduced in August 2007, and did not require prior to the introduction of these transitional arrangements, jobs to be advertised nationally when a work permit holder changes employer but continues to do the same type of job. Normally this only applies when an application is received either before permit holders leave their current employment or within 28 days of their last day of work with their previous employer.
Applicants whose work permits have already expired should apply for extensions as soon as possible. Caseworkers consider all aspects of each individual case when making a decision.
Fraud: Credit Cards
The available information relates to offences of cheque and credit card fraud recorded in the Tamworth Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area and is given in the following table. Detections data is not available at CDRP level.
Cheque and credit card fraud Recorded Number detected 2002-03 239 1— 2003-04 287 1— 2004-05 234 1— 2005-06 126 1— 2006-072 98 1— 1 Not available. 2 The Fraud Act 2006 commenced on 15 January 2007, altering the definition and coverage of fraud and forgery offences. At that time, the counting of cheque and plastic card fraud changed to a “per account” basis rather than a “per transaction” basis.
Genetics: Databases
A number of procedures carried out by police forces, forensic suppliers and the National DNA Database Custodian’s staff are in place to ensure that information is recorded as accurately as possible on the National DNA Database. These procedures are designed to ensure as far as possible that errors are not included on the database in the first place rather than removing them once they are on. It is not possible to disaggregate the costs of these procedures from the general costs of work done by these organisations.
Human Trafficking
Under the Children Acts 1989 and 2004, it is the responsibility of local authorities rather than central Government to safeguard and promote the welfare of any child who is assessed to be at risk of harm and in need of accommodation. Any review of the security of the support and accommodation arrangements provided for child victims of human trafficking in particular areas would, therefore, be for the relevant local authorities.
On 7 December 2007 the Government published supplementary guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children—Safeguarding Children who may have been Trafficked, which actively guides practitioners towards making appropriate decisions for safeguarding children they suspect may have been trafficked. The Government will also shortly publish their reform programme for unaccompanied asylum seeking children which will include proposals on how safe arrangements for trafficked children may be further improved.
The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Mr. Coaker), who is responsible for crime reduction, has met representatives from children's charities to discuss the safeguarding of trafficked children, and informed them of the Government's policy aims for safeguarding child victims of trafficking.
I have been asked to reply.
The Government have announced their intention to accelerate plans to ratify and implement the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings by the end of 2008, which sets a minimum framework of support for all identified victims of trafficking. This will enable us to enhance our existing arrangements and build on the support provided by the Poppy Project.
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force on 1 May 2004. Prosecution and conviction figures under dedicated trafficking legislation are as follows:
Court cases Guilty verdicts 2004 4 3 2005 41 21 2006 78 27 2007 45 17
All the above figures relate to cases of human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. There have been no convictions to date for trafficking for exploitation under the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 which came into force on 1 December 2004.
The nature of the crime makes it difficult to make an accurate assessment of the extent of the problem. In order to understand the situation better, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and with the United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre continue to work on improving intelligence collection as a priority. The intelligence collected as part of the current Operation Pentameter 2 will help to improve our understanding of the nature and scale of trafficking throughout the UK.
However, findings from a Home Office research paper estimate that at any one time in 2003 there were in the region of 4,000 female victims of trafficking for prostitution in the UK.
Identity Cards: Foreigners
Yes. The UK Borders Act confirms the introduction of ID cards for foreign nationals from 2008, and we are on target.
Immigration Controls
Persons from outside the European economic area wishing to come to the UK to work or study and their dependants will need to apply under the points-based system once it is introduced.
Immigration: Children
The Home Office publishes a quarterly snapshot of people detained solely under Immigration Act powers on the last Saturday of each quarter, including a breakdown of children by length of detention. The latest published information pertains to people detained as at 29 September 2007.
Published statistics on immigration and asylum are also available from the Library of the House.
The Border and Immigration Agency is reviewing what statistics are published (all aspects of the statistics, not only statistics on children). A consultation document was issued on 6 December and a copy can be found at
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/bia-immig-stat-review-07.pdf
Immigration: Deportation
We do not hold this information in this format and to obtain it would entail work being carried out at a disproportionate cost.
Immigration: EC Countries
[holding answer 10 January 2008]: The UK is not a member of the Schengen area as we believe that maintaining our frontier controls, including a national visa system, is the most effective way to combat illegal migration and transnational crime. We work closely with our EU partners to ensure there is effective management of the migration into the EU.
Immigration: Kosovo
(2) what percentage of applications for British citizenship from Kosovans made since 2000 were processed within (a) three months, (b) six months and (c) one year; and if she will make a statement.
Out of the total number of people with their nationality recorded as Kosovan that were decided in 2007, 22.5 per cent. were refused. There is no record held of the number of individuals who have applied and subsequently been found not to be of Kosovan origin, and this information could be obtained by the detailed examination of individual case records only at disproportionate cost.
Please see the following table which shows the processing times of files from Kosovo.
The information has been provided from local management information and is not a National Statistic. As such, it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.
Cases created Percentage within three months Percentage within six months Percentage within one year 2002 915 17.4 45.7 93.9 2003 815 46.7 70.3 90.4 2004 920 61.6 81.3 98.9 2005 3,395 61.3 88.8 97.6 2006 785 58.1 87.6 94.0 2007 315 64.6 78.4 92.4 Notes: 1. The information has been provided from local management information and is not a National Statistic. As such, it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change. 2. Cases created in year rounded to nearest 5. 3. Local management information can only be obtained from the end of 2001, therefore figures only show complete years 2002 to 2007. 4. Applications relate to those cases with their nationality recorded as Kosovan. 5. These figure are based upon the number of cases created in the year.
Immigration: Sri Lanka
Statistics on Sri Lankan nationals granted settlement (indefinite leave to enter or remain), 1996 to 2006, are published in Table 5.7 in the Command Paper “Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2006”. This publication may be obtained from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
Immigration: Work Permits
Within the immigration rules there is no right of appeal against the refusal to issue a work permit and as such information on work permit appeals is not available. If a work permit is refused, the applicant can apply for a review of the case. The purpose and scope of the review is to consider whether the correct administrative procedures have been followed in reaching a decision on the application.
Independent Police Complaints Commission
(2) what guidance she (a) has issued and (b) plans to issue to police forces in England and Wales about the awarding of compensation to complainants whose complaints have been upheld by the Independent Police Complaints Commission; what recent representations she has received about the issue; and if she will make a statement.
Under Section 88 of the Police Act 1996, any decision to award compensation following inappropriate police conduct, including following a complaint upheld by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, is a matter for the chief officer of the force. No representations have been received.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) was established under the Police Reform Act 2002, with a remit covering complaints and conduct matters involving persons serving with the police service in England and Wales. The IPCC came into operation on 1 April 2004.
The following regulations were made under the Police Reform Act 2002 in bringing the IPCC into operation:
the Police (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/643), amended by S.I. 2006/1406;
the IPCC (Staff Conduct) Regulations 2004 S.I. 2004/660;
IPCC (Transitional Provisions) Order 2004 S.I. 2004/671;
the IPCC (Forces maintained otherwise than under Police Authorities) Order 2004 S.I. 2004/672 (relating to the MoD police and BTP).
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (Investigatory Powers) Order 2004 S.I. 2004/815 modifies, in relation to the functions of the IPCC,
Part 3 of the Police Act 1997 (authorisations to interfere with property);
and
Parts 2 (intrusive surveillance) and 4 (Tribunal) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
Schedule 12 to the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 amended the Police Reform Act 2002, extending the IPCC’s remit to cover death and serious injury matters, and to cover complaints against the Serious Organised Crime Agency.
The Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 and the Revenue and Customs (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/3311) as amended by S.I. 2006/1748 made under the 2005 Act extended the IPCC’s remit in relation to the Commissioners and officers of HM Revenue and Customs.
The Police and Justice Act 2006 will extend the IPCC’s jurisdiction to cover specified enforcement functions of immigration officers.
A Statutory Order was laid before Parliament on 5 June 2007 for the purpose of applying the Official Secrets Act to IPCC commissioners and staff.
Further legislation changes affecting the IPCC will be made as part of the introduction of a new simplified and modernised police misconduct system. However, no further regulatory changes are envisaged in the next 12 months.
Intelligence Services: Disclosure of Information
It is open to anyone who is aggrieved by conduct they believe has been taken against them or their property by, or on behalf of, the intelligence services to complain to the independent Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT). Anyone who suspects criminal wrongdoing should inform the police.
Members: Correspondence
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: The chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency responded to the hon. Member for West Worcestershire’s letter on 11 January 2008.
Metropolitan Police: Legal Costs
Defending actions brought against the Metropolitan police is a matter for the Metropolitan police and the Metropolitan Police Authority.
Pakistan: Arrests
The Home Office does not comment on individual cases.
Passports
There are no plans to require Northern Ireland citizens to carry and show passports when travelling to the rest of the United Kingdom.
Section 14 of the Police and Justice Act 2006 introduced a new power that will allow the police to capture passenger, crew and service information on air and sea journeys within the United Kingdom. The intention is that the power will be brought into force by secondary legislation in 2008. The specific police requirements under this power, which will include details of the routes affected and data required, are still under discussion within Government. Once the proposals have been finalised they will be subject to a 12-week public consultation.
It is expected that this police power will only apply to air and sea routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Passengers will not be required to use passports, but may be required to produce one of several types of documentation when travelling, to enable the carrier to meet the requirements of a police request.
Police
The requested data on police staff are published as part of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin (HOSB) series "Police Service Strength, England and Wales". These bulletins are in the Library of the House and can be downloaded from the Home Office website.
(i) Information requested for September 2004 can be found in Table 2 of HOSB 23/05 located at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr2305.pdf
(ii) Information requested for March 2007 can be found in Table 10a of HOSB 13/07 located at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1307.pdf
Police Stations: Closures
[holding answer 14 January 2008]: The management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for each police authority and the chief officer, who are responsible for assessing local needs.
Police: Burglary
[holding answer 15 January 2008]: The Home Office collect and publish recorded statistics on specific offences of theft. For example: theft from the person, theft from a vehicle, theft from a shop, theft by an employee etc. However, these statistics do not specify the item(s) which have been stolen.
Police: Cars
[holding answer 17 January 2008]: The police can seize vehicles under Section 59, Police Reform Act 2002 and Section 165A, Road Traffic Act 1988 as amended. Section 59 enables the police to seize a vehicle they reasonably believe is being driven in a way that both contravenes s3 or 34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (careless/inconsiderate driving or off-road driving without authority) and is causing or is likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance. Section 165A enables the police to seize a vehicle they reasonably believe is being driven by someone who does not have an appropriate licence (including a disqualified driver) or appropriate insurance. In both cases the police can hold the vehicle until a person pays prescribed charges in respect of its removal and storage and, in respect of s165A, produces licence and insurance. They can dispose of the vehicle if it is not claimed and retain sufficient of the proceeds to cover the unpaid charges.
The information requested is a matter for the police forces in Lancashire, Cumbria, north, south and west Yorkshire, Humberside and Great Manchester.
Police: Finance
I have been asked to reply.
Government funding for local authorities, including police authorities to fulfil their duties under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 was taken into account in the spending plans for formula grant (Revenue Support Grant, Police Grant, and National Non Domestic Rates) announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007, copies of which are available in the Library.
The information requested is shown in the following table.
Percentage Force 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Avon and Somerset 16.1 16.5 17.6 19.0 19.7 22.2 27.2 29.0 29.2 31.4 32.3 Bedfordshire 16.1 16.7 17.9 18.7 18.8 20.7 23.1 25.2 25.3 26.8 27.1 Cambridgeshire 17.1 15.9 16.4 18.8 19.6 25.4 28.3 30.7 30.7 33.2 34.0 Cheshire 16.9 17.4 17.4 18.4 18.6 20.7 23 2 24.6 24.9 26.2 27 0 Cleveland 11.4 9.6 11.8 12.0 12.3 16.2 18.8 20.5 20.8 21.9 22.1 Cumbria 15.4 18.7 19.5 20.3 21.1 22 9 27.4 30.1 30.1 31.3 31.8 Devon and Cornwall 16.7 15.7 16.4 17.6 17.9 20.8 26.5 28.2 28.8 30.1 30.6 Dorset 23.7 25.7 26.7 28.1 29.5 32.0 35.4 37.3 37.9 41.6 42.1 Durham 12.1 10.8 10.7 10.9 11.2 12.7 14.8 16.3 16.5 17.9 22 4 Essex 18.6 20.9 21.3 21.9 21.8 23.6 26.6 27.4 27.9 29.8 30.2 Gloucestershire 16.7 18.3 21.0 23.0 23.3 25.9 34.1 35.9 36.1 40.1 40.7 Hampshire 17.6 16,6 17.1 17.0 17.3 21 2 25.4 27.1 27.5 29.4 29.8 Hertfordshire 18.9 21.1 21.7 23.2 23.3 25.6 28.9 31.2 31.6 32 5 33.0 Humberside 12.7 12.4 12.5 13.3 17.7 19.3 21.6 23.8 24.1 25.3 25.6 Kent 17.0 15.4 16.2 16.5 16.8 20.0 24.0 25.6 26.1 28.7 29.1 Lancashire 13.6 13.3 13.9 14.5 15.2 16.4 18.2 20.0 20.6 21.8 23 2 Leicestershire 14.9 16.9 17.0 17.6 18.8 22.7 23.8 26.0 26.1 27 3 27.8 Lincolnshire 20.9 23.6 23.4 24.1 24.5 25.9 27.5 28.6 29.2 32.3 32.9 Norfolk 16.7 17.3 19.6 21.1 23.0 26.3 29.7 32.1 32.4 35.3 36.1 Northamptonshire 21.0 20.3 21.4 21.8 22.2 27.0 30.7 33.3 33.1 34.1 34.7 North Yorkshire 18.1 17.3 17.9 19.1 20.0 26.4 38.1 40.1 40.1 42.4 42.4 Nottinghamshire 12.6 13.3 14.4 14.9 15.4 18.3 21.7 23 0 23.3 25.0 25.3 Staffordshire 15.7 20.1 21.1 21.7 23.4 24.8 28.9 30.3 30.7 32.5 33.0 Suffolk 17.8 17.7 18.1 19.1 19.9 23.5 28.6 30.3 30.6 32.8 33.5 Surrey 17.0 25.3 27.5 30.8 31.8 35.3 42.7 44.2 44.6 45.6 46.1 Sussex 18.7 18.0 18.2 18.5 18.8 21.7 27.4 28.6 29.0 31.2 31.9 Thames Valley 19.4 18.2 19.4 20.1 20.5 22.8 29.5 31.7 32.0 33.7 34.2 Warwickshire 18.0 20.9 22.9 23.9 25.1 28.9 31.4 32.6 33.0 35.3 35.7 West Mercia 18.5 19.1 20.1 23.7 24.0 29.8 32.1 34.9 35.1 36.4 36.9 Wiltshire 18.6 20.6 21.8 23.4 24.7 26.7 30.0 31.5 32.0 34.5 35.0 Average shires 16.8 17.4 18.3 19.4 20.1 23.0 27.1 28.9 29.3 31.1 31.7 Greater Manchester 11.4 11.5 11.8 12.0 11.9 12.6 15.5 16.1 16.4 17.0 17.3 Merseyside 11.6 12.1 12.7 13.1 13.3 14.6 14.9 15.7 15.9 17.4 17.6 Northumbria 11.0 9.6 9.6 9.7 10.0 10.5 11.0 11.3 11.3 11.7 11.8 South Yorkshire 11.8 11.7 11.6 11.8 12.1 14.0 16.6 17.5 17.7 18.3 18.7 West Midlands 11.2 10.0 10.1 10.5 10.5 11.4 12.4 13.3 13.2 13.6 13.7 West Yorkshire 11.9 11.4 11.6 12.0 12.1 14.8 16.2 17.8 18.0 19.3 19.6 Average Mets 11.4 11.0 11.2 11.5 11.6 12.9 14.4 15.3 15.4 16.2 16.4 Average England (excl. London) 15.1 15.3 16.0 16:8 17.4 19.8 23.2 24.8 25.0 26.5 27.0 Metropolitan 10.6 12.5 13.1 13.6 16.4 17.7 20.1 22.2 22.5 25.0 25.6 Average England (incl. London) 13.9 14.6 15.2 16.0 17.1 19.3 22.4 24.1 24.4 26.1 26.7 Dyfed-Powys 16.5 19.7 22.7 25.3 25.5 26.8 31.5 33.9 34.9 37.4 37.4 Gwent 13.4 14.5 15.1 17.9 19.1 20.9 24.4 26.9 27.9 28.4 28.4 North Wales 15.8 18.4 19.8 22.4 22.4 25.3 29.9 32.9 35.2 37.9 37.9 South Wales 12.5 13.9 15.4 18.2 18.4 18.8 21.3 22.3 23.3 25.4 25.4 Average Wales 14.0 15.8 17.3 20.1 20.5 21.8 25.4 27.4 28.6 30.6 31.2 Average England and Wales 13.9 14.6 15.3 16.2 17.3 19.4 22.6 24.3 24.6 26.4 26.9 1 Net Budget Requirement figures used are taken from the BR3 (Budget Requirement 3) forms completed by all police authorities in England and Wales. Source: English police authorities—DCLG Welsh police authorities—WAG.
The information requested is shown in the following table.
Government grant1, 2 Police authority 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 Avon and Somerset 134.80 139.75 142.56 146.96 152.58 158.87 Bedfordshire 50.14 51.90 51.97 54.24 59.89 61.51 Cambridgeshire 57.23 60.66 62.87 66.89 71.27 76.80 Cheshire 85.08 88.15 91.65 94.16 100.79 103.02 Cleveland 67.59 72.66 73.65 76.30 80.96 84.06 Cumbria 50.94 51.11 51.84 53.66 55.61 60.11 Derbyshire 81.06 83.35 87.29 94.24 101.56 106.46 Devon and Cornwall 132.97 141.09 146.70 152.88 163.44 167.49 Dorset 54.09 54.88 56.58 58.82 62.45 65.46 Durham 65.06 69.68 72.46 74.77 77.69 81.78 Dyfed-Powys 24.67 25.21 25.92 26.77 28.00 28.17 Essex 129.70 131.53 132.75 142.51 152.99 157.94 Gloucestershire 50.59 51.78 52.12 52.88 55.55 58.78 Greater Manchester 315.27 328.12 337.39 351.70 374.55 384.68 Gwent 31.82 33.27 34.85 35.83 37.23 37.64 Hampshire 150.38 158.77 162.66 169.64 178.39 185.16 Hertfordshire 76.02 77.23 82.42 92.89 100.61 102.27 Humberside 93.43 97.83 99.71 103.06 106.20 110.26 Kent 141.72 151.44 154.31 162.74 178.10 179.96 Lancashire 146.86 153.65 155.94 163.35 173.85 174.78 Leicestershire 83.88 85.27 87.84 90.60 94.60 101.21 Lincolnshire 52.23 51.13 53.30 56.43 60.34 60.97 Merseyside 207.64 213.25 215.31 220.65 235.53 241.29 Metropolitan5 1,610.26 1,633.26 1,658.78 1,601.10 1,731.70 1 ,838.70 Norfolk 65.65 68.10 69.95 74.20 81.58 86.60 North Wales 34.96 36.27 37.95 39.16 41.36 41.11 North Yorkshire 59.23 62.62 63.89 66.55 72.69 71.68 Northamptonshire 50.77 53.28 55.14 57.14 59.46 62.21 Northumbria 173.67 185.28 192.25 197.06 209.79 211.02 Nottinghamshire 104.73 108.06 110.75 113.91 123.97 129.84 South Wales 76.37 79.54 81.98 84.27 88.02 89.25 South Yorkshire 141.47 147.75 152.90 159.24 167.09 168.77 Staffordshire 96.15 95.09 96.27 100.13 105.23 106.36 Suffolk 52.57 55.14 57.29 59.09 62.24 62.02 Surrey 75.60 67.61 67.61 83.09 83.35 87.48 Sussex 127.99 134.66 137.03 142.03 149.10 153.68 Thames Valley 171.15 181.27 184.64 193.02 210.13 219.41 Warwickshire 42.18 42.54 43.16 44.98 46.90 48.67 West Mercia 87.74 90.86 92.92 98.36 108.63 109.21 West Midlands 317.34 335.10 342.16 357.58 379.35 388.14 West Yorkshire 238.20 249.54 255.01 268.61 287.07 288.26 Wiltshire 52.08 52.87 53.84 57.20 60.89 60.78 England and Wales Total 5,861.30 6,050.55 6,185.59 4,737.60 5,038.79 5,173.15
2003-04 2004-05 2005-063 2006-074 2007-084 Avon and Somerset 173.99 175.19 183.81 185.92 184.21 Bedfordshire 66.83 69.22 73.11 74.15 76.21 Cambridgeshire 77.96 79.66 85.26 82.33 85.58 Cheshire 112.59 119.77 124.28 130.88 136.13 Cleveland 90.97 94.79 99.54 101.32 105.29 Cumbria 63.08 65.27 68.71 72.43 72.29 Derbyshire 111.23 114.88 119.38 117.32 119.81 Devon and Cornwall 174.26 180.29 189.16 190.95 199.38 Dorset 71.17 75.46 73.19 81.17 82.66 Durham 86.93 90.27 95.28 94.36 97.68 Dyfed-Powys 30.12 32.23 33.61 32.69 34.17 Essex 169.34 173.67 181.81 180.43 187.91 Gloucestershire 61.48 63.66 68.00 67.93 71.35 Greater Manchester 417.66 433.15 462.73 479.73 484.16 Gwent 40.90 43.29 44.44 44.27 45.70 Hampshire 197.87 208.08 239.16 222.35 221.75 Hertfordshire 108.85 114.58 117.84 121.12 127.33 Humberside 117.34 124.65 132.49 135.00 134.90 Kent 188.38 198.30 203.93 193.45 219.23 Lancashire 188.91 196.55 205.41 207.98 215.90 Leicestershire 107.59 111.45 118.17 124.81 126.03 Lincolnshire 64.98 68.22 71.17 66.54 72.47 Merseyside 267.38 269.90 279.85 276.08 287.30 Metropolitan5 1,923.90 1,983.50 1,928.50 2,019.00 2,115.40 Norfolk 90.79 94.37 99.27 100.08 102.25 North Wales 44.71 47.08 49.47 48.07 50.28 North Yorkshire 78.89 80.61 83.73 86.24 79.39 Northamptonshire 69.79 70.71 72.37 75.49 78.53 Northumbria 226.21 233.28 250.55 249.17 260.01 Nottinghamshire 136.54 142.04 148.94 143.48 145.55 South Wales 93.45 103.17 107.45 91.93 94.82 South Yorkshire 184.86 191.87 202.82 205.49 211.15 Staffordshire 112.87 117.62 122.43 122.05 126.77 Suffolk 69.57 71.81 74.76 73.73 75.57 Surrey 93.59 96.78 100.80 104.76 110.12 Sussex 168.05 180.99 180.95 156.10 189.14 Thames Valley 233.34 237.32 249.35 260.52 261.98 Warwickshire 51.91 53.90 56.16 54.57 56.91 West Mercia 114.12 117.77 122.50 126.05 131.49 West Midlands 415.20 433.31 466.12 471.41 487.88 West Yorkshire 310.30 329.12 347.12 345.62 348.95 Wiltshire 64.68 65.85 70.26 68.77 73.03 England and Wales total 5,548.65 5,770.08 6,075.37 6,066.75 6,271.23 1 Revenue funding includes all grants inside aggregate external finance (AEF) (i.e. revenue grants paid for councils’ core services), and includes formula grant and all specific grants. 2 Welsh Government grant includes Home Office police grant, floor funding and additional support provided to ensure Welsh police authorities receive at least a minimum increase in grant in line with English authorities. 3 In 2005-06 figures were adjusted for comparison purposes following the transfer of pensions and security funding from general grant in 2006-07. 4 2006-07 Government grant figures are provisional outturn figures. 2007-08 figures are budget figures. 5 The data for Metropolitan Police Authority from 2000-01 onwards is not available from DCLG as they are collected as consolidated data from GLA. Data used is compiled from Home Office data for allocated grants. Source: DCLG—from English police authorities/WAG—from Welsh police authorities.
Police: Football
(2) what the average amount spent by police forces was to police (a) football matches and (b) music events in each of the last five years.
Decisions on the distribution of resources are matters for the chief officer and the police authority.
Police: Manpower
Figures relating to 31 March 2007 appear in the following tables.
(a) Police community support officers Percentage1 White Mixed Asian or Asian British Black or black British Other ethnic group Not stated Total2 Avon and Somerset 95.7 1.3 0.7 0.7 0.7 1.0 100.0 Bedfordshire 89.2 3.6 6.0 1.2 0.0 0.0 100.0 Cambridgeshire 92.9 2.2 3.3 1.1 0.0 0.5 100.0 Cheshire 100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 Cleveland 98.2 0.0 1.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 Cumbria 98.8 1.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 Derbyshire 95.6 1.1 2.2 1.1 0.0 0.0 100.0 Devon and Cornwall 67.1 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.9 31.3 100.0 Dorset 97.5 0.8 1.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 Durham 98.6 0.7 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 Dyfed-Powys 98.7 0.0 0.0 1.3 0.0 0.0 100.0 Essex 95.3 1.0 1.1 1.0 0.0 1.5 100.0 Gloucestershire 86.6 1.8 2.4 0.0 1.2 8.0 100.0 Greater Manchester 95.5 0.4 2.9 1.2 0.0 0.0 100.0 Gwent 97.1 0.0 1.9 1.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 Hampshire 98.3 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.3 1.0 100.0 Hertfordshire 94.6 0.0 2.2 0.9 0.0 2.2 100.0 Humberside 99.0 0.5 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 100.0 Kent 96.1 1.5 1.5 0.0 1.0 0.0 100.0 Lancashire 97.6 0.5 1.1 0.0 0.0 0.8 100.0 Leicestershire 90.3 0.5 9.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 Lincolnshire 98.6 0.0 0.0 1.4 0.0 0.0 100.0 London, City of 83.3 8.3 5.6 2.8 0.0 0.0 100.0 Merseyside 94.6 3.6 1.5 0.3 0.0 0.0 100.0 Metropolitan Police 67.4 3.8 12.1 11.3 4.1 1.3 100.0 Norfolk 97.2 0.0 1.1 0.6 1.1 0.0 100.0 Northamptonshire 93.0 3.9 0.8 2.3 0.0 0.0 100.0 Northumbria 98.0 1.2 0.4 0.0 0.4 0.0 100.0 North Wales 95.9 0.7 1.4 0.0 0.0 2.1 100.0 North Yorkshire 99.3 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.0 100.0 Nottinghamshire 96.1 0.9 2.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 100.0 South Wales 98.3 0.0 0.8 0.0 0.3 0.6 100.0 South Yorkshire 95.1 0.0 1.2 3.0 0.3 0.3 100.0 Staffordshire 96.1 1.0 2.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 100.0 Suffolk 99.2 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 Surrey 93.1 0.0 3.5 1.0 0.5 2.0 100.0 Sussex 94.8 1.1 0.3 0.3 0.7 2.8 100.0 Thames Valley 93.0 1.9 4.2 0.5 0.0 0.5 100.0 Warwickshire 94.5 0.0 3.9 0.8 0.0 0.8 100.0 West Mercia 92.6 0.9 0.9 0.5 0.0 5.1 100.0 West Midlands 85.0 2.3 9.1 2.3 0.5 0.8 100.0 West Yorkshire 95.1 0.3 3.9 0.6 0.1 0.0 100.0 Wiltshire 98.3 0.8 0.0 0.8 0.0 0.0 100.0 England and Wales 86.8 1.7 5.0 3.6 1.3 1.6 100.0
Percentage1 White Mixed Black or black British Asian or Asian British Other ethnic group Not stated Total2 Avon and Somerset 98.4 0.4 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.0 100.0 Bedfordshire 93.1 1.4 0.9 2.9 0.1 1.7 100.0 Cambridgeshire 96.3 0.9 0.5 0.9 0.1 1.4 100.0 Cheshire 98.6 0.6 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.5 100.0 Cleveland 96.0 0.3 0.0 1.1 0.1 2.5 100.0 Cumbria 98.9 0.5 0.2 0.4 0.0 0.0 100.0 Derbyshire 96.5 0.8 0.4 2.1 0.1 0.0 100.0 Devon and Cornwall 91.0 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.1 8.3 100.0 Dorset 98.7 0.7 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.1 100.0 Durham 98.5 0.7 0.1 0.6 0.1 0.0 100.0 Dyfed Powys 99.2 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.0 100.0 Essex 98.0 1.0 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.1 100.0 Gloucestershire 97.9 0.7 0.5 0.2 0.4 0.4 100.0 Greater Manchester 96.1 1.5 0.6 1.5 0.4 0.0 100.0 Gwent 98.5 0.9 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.0 100.0 Hampshire 90.2 0.5 0.3 0.6 0.5 7.9 100.0 Hertfordshire 96.4 1.0 0.5 0.9 0.2 1.0 100.0 Humberside 99.0 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 100.0 Kent 98.0 0.8 0.3 0.6 0.3 0.0 100.0 Lancashire 86.6 1.0 0.1 1.6 0.1 10.5 100.0 Leicestershire 92.6 1.3 1.0 3.5 0.0 1.6 100.0 Lincolnshire 98.6 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.1 0.0 100.0 London, City of 94.9 1.4 1.6 2.0 0.1 0.0 100.0 Merseyside 97.3 1.4 0.4 0.3 0.6 0.0 100.0 Metropolitan Police 91.9 1.4 2.4 2.8 1.3 0.2 100.0 Norfolk 98.3 0.7 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.5 100.0 North Wales 98.6 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.8 100.0 North Yorkshire 98.7 0.6 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.1 100.0 Northamptonshire 87.4 1.1 1.5 1.0 0.2 8.8 100.0 Northumbria 98.4 0.6 0.1 0.4 0.3 0.3 100.0 Nottinghamshire 96.5 0.9 0.9 1.2 0.2 0.3 100.0 South Wales 86.2 1.1 0.1 0.4 0.2 12.0 100.0 South Yorkshire 96.6 0.1 1.1 1.6 0.1 0.6 100.0 Staffordshire 98.2 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 100.0 Suffolk 98.1 1.3 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 100.0 Surrey 95.7 1.7 0.4 0.8 0.3 1.1 100.0 Sussex 98.6 0.5 0.3 0.1 0.5 0.0 100.0 Thames Valley 92.9 1.5 0.8 1.3 0.2 3.4 100.0 Warwickshire 94.7 0.6 0.3 3.1 0.2 1.0 100.0 West Mercia 98.6 0.3 0.3 0.5 0.2 0.0 100.0 West Midlands 92.4 1.4 1.6 3.9 0.1 0.4 100.0 West Yorkshire 95.7 0.8 0.7 2.3 0.3 0.2 100.0 Wiltshire 98.6 0.6 0.5 0.2 0.1 0.0 100.0 England and Wales 94.7 1.0 0.9 1.5 0.4 1.4 100.0 1 Percentages are calculated on the numbers of full-time equivalent officers. 2 Some percentages may not add precisely to 100.0 because of rounding to one decimal place.
Police: Uniforms
This information is not held centrally. Decisions relating to the selection, purchase and issue of body armour are matters for individual chief officers of police.
Proscribed Organisations
The Government have applied to the Court of Appeal for leave to appeal the judgment of the Proscribed Organisations Appeals Commission (POAC) in relation to the proscription of the People’s Mujahedeen of Iran. No action will be taken in respect of the judgment until the appeals process has concluded.
Public Order Offences
It is an operational matter for the chief constable of the force area concerned, based on the individual circumstances of the situation, to determine whether action is required to respond to an offence or where they suspect an offence is about to be committed or to prevent a breach of the peace.
Violence Against the Person
The information requested is not available centrally from the recorded crime statistics. Details of the ages of victims and alleged offenders are not collected.
The information requested is not available centrally from the recorded crime statistics. Details of the ages of victims and alleged offenders are not collected.
Visits Abroad
The requested information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Department expects all official travel to be undertaken only where there is a clear business need and that, when such a need arises, it is carried out by the most efficient and economic means available, taking into account the cost of travel and subsistence, savings in official time, management benefit, and the needs of staff with disabilities. This is in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code.
West Mercia Police: Finance
Funding arrangements for the policing of community events are a matter for the chief constable and police authority concerned.
Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 22 January 2008
Prime Minister
Departmental E-mail
(2) which members of staff in Downing Street read the e-mails sent to him through the No. 10 website;
(3) how many members of the public have e-mailed him in each month since 27 June 2007;
(4) what procedures there are (a) to identify whether e-mails sent to the webpage are party political in nature and (b) to deal with such e-mails.
Since 27 June 2007, I have received approximately 27,000 e-mails via the No. 10 website. All e-mails are read by my Office, however, as made clear on the No. 10 website, it is not possible to reply to all e-mails.
Downing Street Political Office
(2) how much and what proportion of the administrative costs of the Downing Street Political Office was funded by the public purse in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07;
(3) for how much of his working time the administrator of the Downing Street Political Office will be based in Downing Street.
The staffing and associated costs for my Political Office are met by the Labour party. As has been the case under successive Administrations, marginal costs associated with the Political Office are met from within the overall budget for 10 Downing street.
Gordon Brown
The first List of Ministers’ Interests will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year.
Human Trafficking
My hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Crime Reduction (Mr. Coaker) will be attending on behalf of the Government.
Northern Ireland
Departmental Contracts
The (a) objective and (b) value of the contracts placed with (i) Deloitte and Touche, (ii) Ernst and Young, (iii) KPMG, (iv) PricewaterhouseCoopers and (v) PA Consulting by the Northern Ireland Office and its agencies in each year since 2004-05 are shown in the following tables.
Objective Value (£) 2004-05 Provision of Deputy Programme Manager to Causeway Programme 128,170 Technical Architect for Flax Programme 250,000 Production of business case for the State Pathologist’s Departmental Case Management System 5,100 Programme Scoping 14,119 Financial Advisors Framework 11,400 Finance backfill including Business Planning Support 17,798 Review of Finance Function and Business Planning Activity 21,380 Backfill for Accountant on sick absence including Preparation of Year End Accounts 16,020 Total 463,987 2005-06 Provision of Deputy Programme Manager to Causeway Programme 121,544 Document Management System for Flax Programme 31,000 Production of business case for the State Pathologist’s Departmental Case Management System 5,100 Completion of Status Review of the State Pathologist’s Department 11,850 Capacity Planning Pilot 10,375 Preparation of Business Case for Casebook 3 6,870 Business Case and assistance in procurement of new Finance System 25,795 Backfill for Accountant on sick absence 1,875 Consultancy Testing for Causeway Programme 25,000 Advice on transfer of Cross Border Senior Police Officer Pensions 40,000 Research of Court Bail in Northern Ireland 106,366 Evaluation of Bail Supervision and Support Scheme 54,039 Feasibility Study on One Stop Shop for Domestic Violence 48,696 Efficiency Review 23,500 Total 512,010 2006-07 Provision of Deputy Programme Manager to Causeway Programme 16,332 Flax Programme 23,800 NIO Connect Scoping Study 26,700 Completion and Analysis of Customer Satisfaction Survey 53,000 Domestic Violence Database Project 37,600 Health Check of EDRMS System 11,679 Prison Escorting Business Plan Review 34,781 Management Plan Grading Study 6,138 Total 210,030 2007-08 Provision of Testing Manager for Causeway Programme 39,163 Provision of Business Case for Perseus Programme 22,500 Quality Assurance of a Service Level Agreement 46,392 Total 108,055 Overall total 1,294,082
(ii) Ernst and Young
No contracts have been in place with Ernst and Young since 2004-05.
(iii) KPMG
No contracts have been in place with KPMG since 2004-05.
Objective Value (£) 2004-05 Provision of Accounting Services 2,438 Total 2,438 2005-06 Production of business case and provision of financial advisory service for a New Accommodation Project 59,290 Advice on Human Resources Restructuring 10,080 Development of Role Profiles 5,000 Provision of Prisoner Ombudsman 38,340 Investors In People Review 1,051 Total 113,761 2006-07 Production of business case and provision of financial advisory service for a New Accommodation Project 13,000 Advice on Human Resources Restructuring 2,135 Review of Role Profiling 1,314 Professional fees Restructuring 8,944 Total 25,393 2007-08 Production of business case and provision of financial advisory service for a New Accommodation Project 141,692 Preparations for Devolution 40,000 Total 81,692 Overall total 223,284 1 Ongoing.
Objective Value (£) 2004-05 — n/a 2005-06 Provision of Technical Assurance to Causeway Programme 72,800 Total 72,800 2006-07 Review of the Public Prosecution Service's Cast Management System 9,061 Total 9,061 2007-08 — n/a Overall total 81,861
Trade Unions
Ministers meet many people as part of the process of policy development. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Erasmus
The Department makes no direct financial contributions to the Erasmus Mundus programme, which is funded by the European Commission. Along with representatives of the other EU member states, my officials are involved in the development of the programme through membership of the Erasmus Mundus Committee. The latest statistical information available from the European Commission shows that in 2007, 13 third countries were involved in partnerships with EU institutions—Australia, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Japan, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, Ukraine and USA. In addition, scholarships were awarded to incoming students from 102 different third countries.
Europass
Europass was incorporated into the European Union's Lifelong Learning Programme with effect from 1 January 2007. There are currently no plans to extend the Europass beyond its current scope.
Higher Education: Gifts and Endowments
We do not hold data centrally on the total level on endowment funds held by universities but the income from such endowments amounted to nearly £300 million for 2005/06—the latest year for which data is available. Over the past decade, significant improvements have been made as more institutions have set up and expanded their professional fundraising capacity. This has been supported by the Government’s commitment to increase the level of voluntary giving to universities with the introduction of a £7.5 million capacity building scheme and the £200 million matched funding scheme over three years that was announced last year.
Higher Education: Greater London
No students currently studying equivalent or lower qualifications will be affected by these changes. In future, our policy of redistributing grant will widen participation and mean that more of the three million Londoners of working age who do not have a first higher-level qualification, especially those from non-traditional backgrounds, will be able to benefit from participating in higher education.
Higher Education: Peterborough
The main measure for tracking progress on increasing participation in higher education is currently the Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR). This is the sum of the HE initial participation rates for individual ages between 17 and 30 inclusive. It covers English-domiciled first time entrants to HE courses, which are expected to last for at least six months, at UK higher education institutions and English, Scottish and Welsh further education colleges, and who remain on their course for at least six months. The figures are shown in the table.
Percentage 1999-2000 39.3 2000-01 39.7 2001-02 40.2 2002-03 41.2 2003-04 40.3 2004-05 41.3 2005-06 42.8 Source: "Participation Rates in Higher Education: Academic Years 1999-2000 to 2005-06 (Provisional)" Statistical First Release, published by DfES.
Figures for 2006-07 will become available later this year. The HEIPR is not disaggregated below national level.
HEFCE's “Young participation in Higher Education” publication includes the proportion of young people who enter higher education at age 18 or 19 by parliamentary constituency, although this only covers the years up to 2000. Participation rates based on this work are given on the supporting POLAR website (www.hefce.ac.uk/polar).
The figures for Peterborough in each year from 1997 to 2000 are shown in the table.
Cohort reaching age 18 in year 1997 1998 1999 2000 Percentage from Peterborough entering HE aged 18 or 19 23 25 23 23 Percentage from England entering HE aged 18 or 19 29 29 29 30 Source: “Young Participation in Higher Education", published by HEFCE.
Research: Animal Experiments
In 2004 the Government established the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NCSRs) for research into alternatives to the use of animals in research; this is the first centre of its type in the world. Since its launch, baseline Government funding for the NCSRs has increased from £696,000 in 2004-05 to £2.218 million in this financial year. In addition to this, because of the number of additional high quality applications received, the NCSRs secured additional funding of £400,000 from the MRC-Medical Research Council—and BBSRC-the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
Research related to the 3Rs can also be submitted to MRC and BBSRC through their response mode funding mechanisms.
Students: Finance
The progressive re-distribution of institutional funding away from students doing equivalent or lower level qualifications will enable us to widen higher education participation and support more of the millions of people of all ages without a first higher education qualification, including the five million people over fifty without such qualifications. However, there will be transitional protection for existing students doing equivalent and lower level qualifications until they complete their courses. All of the £100 million will be redistributed to support our priorities, including the challenges posed by Sandy Leitch around the proportion of the workforce with higher level skills from under 30 per cent. to over 40 per cent. by 2020.
Communities and Local Government
Capita
Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not the usual practice of Government to disclose details of such meetings.
Council Tax Benefits: Tax Rates and Bands
(2) how many households in England have a liability for council tax.
Table 1 of the statistics release “Local Authority Taxbase—2007 England” gives details of dwellings in England as at 8 October 2007 that were exempt from council tax. This release is available on the Communities and Local Government’s website at:
http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/ctax/ctbase07.htm
Council Tax: Bedfordshire
Details of the council tax and the percentage change from the previous year this represented for each of the last 10 years for (i) Bedfordshire county council, (ii) South Bedfordshire district council and (iii) Luton borough council are available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/ctax/data/ctaxtimes.xls
Departmental Accountancy
The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Contracts
The total amount spent by the Department centrally with the five companies since 2004-05 is as follows
2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 to date Total Deloitte and Touche 882 1,653 241 86 2,862 Ernst and Young 434 763 18 0 1,215 KPMG 921 550 356 476 2,303 Pricewaterhouse- Coopers 926 970 1,338 1,099 4,333 PA Consulting 9,457 12,047 8,840 6,126 36,470
The nature of each contract involved could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 12 December 2007, Official Report, column 554W, and to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 14 June 2007, Official Report, column 1170W, which give details of certain departmental contracts.
The amounts spent by the Department’s agencies and nature of the contracts are set out as follows.
2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Total Nature of contract(s) Fire Service College Deloitte and Touche 3 0 0 0 0 Risk Management Workshop Ernst and Young 0 0 0 0 0 KPMG 0 0 0 0 0 PricewaterhouseCoopers 26 0 0 0 26 Pay and Grading Review PA Consulting 0 0 0 0 0 Ordnance Survey Deloitte and Touche 0 13 0 0 13 2005-06: International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Advice 2006-07: Computer Audit Services Ernst and Young 0 0 0 0 0 KPMG 0 0 0 0 0 PricewaterhouseCoopers 7 9 0 5 21 2004-05: Investigation of IFRS implementation impact 2005-06: Internal Audit 2005-06 and 2007-08: Agency Performance Monitor Review PA Consulting 0 0 0 0 0
Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre has not used the services of any of these companies. Information for the Planning Inspectorate could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Pay
Increased early severance/retirement costs incurred during this period were necessary in order to achieve future efficiency targets, strategic resourcing aims and to avoid compulsory redundancies.
Eco-Towns
We have received over 50 expressions of interest for eco-towns and expect to publish the proposals shortly, once we have completed an initial assessment of the applications received.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 14 January 2008, Official Report, column 920W.
English Language: Public Participation
The Department held two Citizens' Juries on English for speakers of other languages jointly with Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) in December 2007. The findings of these juries, which were held in London and Hull, will be taken into account alongside DIUS's the public consultation ‘Focusing English for Speakers of Other Languages on Community Cohesion’.
Fire Services: Cleveland
The provisional local government finance settlement, announced on the 6 December 2007, provisionally allocated £22.160 million in 2008-09, £22.270 million in 2009-10 and £22.382 million in 2010-11 in formula grant to Cleveland Fire Authority. The final settlement will be laid before the House shortly.
In addition, Cleveland Fire Authority will be allocated specific revenue grants to enable the implementation of an enhanced national resilience capability.
Cleveland will also benefit from the new Fire Capital Grants. These total £35 million and £45 million for England in years 2009-10 and 2010-11. We will be consulting on the distribution of these grants shortly.
Fire Services: Finance
The following table shows formula grant allocations for each combined fire authority, metropolitan fire authority and the GLA (fire) for the years 2005-06 to 2007-08. In addition 15 county fire authorities are responsible for providing the fire and rescue service within their areas. Their formula grants allocation covers all the services provided including fire, but the fire element cannot be separately identified. It is for each county to allocate funding between services in response to their statutory duties and local priorities.
£ million Formula grant Local authority 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 GLA Fire 277.288 248.308 254.453 Greater Manchester Fire 78.266 70.085 72.020 Merseyside Fire 52.019 44.198 45.391 South Yorkshire Fire 36.816 33.720 34.333 Tyne and Wear Fire 38.763 33.065 33.937 West Midlands Fire 82.228 76.456 77.397 West Yorkshire Fire 59.788 52.123 53.548 Avon Fire 25.827 23.946 24.388 Bedfordshire Fire 10.905 10.194 10.594 Berkshire Fire Authority 15.041 14.734 15.118 Buckinghamshire Fire 11.028 10.946 11.226 Cambridgeshire Fire 12.721 11.863 12.444 Cheshire Fire 17.008 15.525 16.471 Cleveland Fire 22.863 21.757 21.940 Derbyshire Fire 18.540 16.299 16.920 Devon Fire 22.614 20.469 n/a Devon and Somerset Fire n/a n/a 29.095 Dorset Fire 12.258 10.337 10.733 Durham Fire 13.907 12.258 13.058 East Sussex Fire 15.060 13.524 13.836 Essex Fire Authority 30.815 28.692 29.938 Hampshire Fire 28.522 26.627 27.595 Hereford and Worcester Fire 11.208 9.840 10.355 Humberside Fire 25.427 23.431 24.026 Kent Fire 28.958 27.048 28.111 Lancashire Fire 34.087 30.494 31.965 Leicestershire Fire 17.431 17.082 17.694 North Yorkshire Fire 13.568 12.335 12.712 Nottinghamshire Fire 21.679 20.179 21.073 Shropshire Fire 7.153 6.766 7.195 Staffordshire Fire 17.462 16.125 16.822 Wiltshire Fire 8.845 8.563 9.152 Notes: 1. Decreases in Formula Grant funding between 2005-06 and 2006-07 reflect the removal of firefighter pensions from revenue support grant. 2. From 2006-07 FRAs receive pensions top-up grant to cover any annual deficit in their firefighter pension funds.
Fire authorities also benefited from the following specific grant funding:
Type of funding 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Fire prevention grants n/a 5,689,926 5,651,208 Fire control 2,272,787 3,620,237 16,983,600 New Dimension 14,106,760 26,015,848 16,706,251 Pensions top up grant: Estimate n/a 138,937,033 163,155,000 Home fire risk checks initiative 5,000,000 5,000,000 10,000,000
The following table shows all incidents attended by English fire services between 2003-04 and 2004-05, including all fires, false alarms and special service incidents (including road traffic accidents and other non-fire or false alarm related incidents). The table also shows fire and false alarm incidents attended during the 2006 calendar year. Non-fire and non-false alarm data are not available for 2006.
All incidents All fires and false alarms1 FRS area 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006 (calendar) England 1,016,028 859,800 841,780 689,937 Avon 21,360 17,628 18,723 15,309 Bedfordshire 9,414 7,413 5,930 5,716 Berkshire 14,398 12,121 11,410 9,915 Buckinghamshire 10,999 9,791 9,699 8,242 Cambridgeshire 13,039 11,710 11,886 10,544 Cheshire 17,543 15,242 15,081 13,250 Cleveland 15,594 13,063 13,593 12,479 Cornwall 6,203 5,946 5,690 4,511 Cumbria 8,340 7,567 7,624 6,256 Derbyshire 14,773 12,428 12,826 10,594 Devon 18,308 17,374 16,676 12,114 Dorset 10,282 9,294 9,205 6,718 Durham 11,723 10,421 9,916 9,255 East Sussex 14,648 12,932 12,819 9,819 Essex 27,946 23,265 22,709 18,386 Gloucestershire 8,850 8,402 8,287 6,424 Greater London 181,642 158,756 155,224 106,084 Greater Manchester 64,240 54,052 52,414 47,316 Hampshire 27,138 22,389 22,697 18,717 Hereford and Worcester 10,785 9,016 8,801 7,609 Hertfordshire 14,941 12,000 11,526 9,412 Humberside 22,067 17,330 16,697 13,956 Isle of Wight 1,891 1,643 1,789 1,411 Isles of Scilly 35 26 33 33 Kent 28,916 23,325 23,497 18,919 Lancashire 30,907 26,518 24,995 17,808 Leicestershire 15,236 13,078 12,622 10,511 Lincolnshire 11,420 11,197 10,680 6,702 Merseyside 42,804 34,603 29,854 27,947 Norfolk 11,095 9,610 10,155 9,103 North Yorkshire 10,722 10,347 10,612 8,175 Northamptonshire 12,382 10,537 10,425 8,478 Northumberland 6,126 4,996 4,712 4,381 Nottinghamshire 23,476 18,482 17,757 15,393 Oxfordshire 6,957 6,451 6,469 5,016 Shropshire 7,008 5,880 5,966 5,296 Somerset 7,648 6,069 5,528 4,051 South Yorkshire 30,619 23,217 23,763 21,440 Staffordshire 18,233 15,249 15,672 14,227 Suffolk 9,366 7,803 7,941 7,408 Surrey 17,255 15,113 15,357 12,416 Tyne and Wear 29,533 23,773 23,523 23,602 Warwickshire 9,012 7,864 8,123 7,015 West Midlands 65,635 52,219 50,251 43,755 West Sussex 14,100 12,662 12,269 9,335 West Yorkshire 52,929 43,810 42,489 39,166 Wiltshire 8,488 7,188 7,865 5,723 1 Excluding road traffic accidents and other non-fire incidents. Note: Fire and false alarm data for 2006 are provisional.
The distribution of formula grant takes into account the relative needs and potential to raise income locally (resources) of an authority, relative to all other authorities providing the same service. It also contains a central allocation and a floor damping mechanism.
To reflect needs, the Fire and Rescue Relative Needs Formula (RNF) takes into account the resident population, coastline, deprivation, high risk sites, property and societal risk and community fire safety. The high risk sites element is measured by the number of top tier Control of Major Accident hazards (COMAH) sites per head. The COMAH sites data are sourced from the Health and Safety Executive and for the 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 settlement, the count is as at 1 October 2007.
Home Information Packs: Expenditure
An update on programme spend was given in the House on 29 October 2007, Official Report, column 653W. Since then HIPs and EPC expenditure has been as follows:
HIP programme spend (£) Admin costs1 124,591 Legal fees — Outside expertise — Website costs 4,211 Area trials — Research 188,757 Comms, publicity and publishing 598,046 Agency staff 17,402 Other costs 5,264 Total 938,271 1 Includes departmental staff working on HIPs and EPC development, management and implementation.
Housing: Low Incomes
The most significant step we have taken to improve the quality of social housing has been the introduction of the decent homes standard in 2001.
This led to the requirement, set out in the Deputy Prime Minister's Sustainable Communities Plan 2003, for all local housing authorities with council stock to undertake and complete stock options appraisal to identify investment options in order to meet the decent homes standard for all council housing by 2010.
These options included large scale voluntary stock transfer, arms length management organisations, and the private finance initiative, all with the potential for additional Government funding. In the West Midlands, three local authorities formed arms length management organisations (Sandwell, Solihull and Wolverhampton). Collectively they received allocations from CLG during 2007-08 of over £104 million, with over £340 million additional proposed for the period 2008 to 2011.
In April 2003 there were 137,698 non-decent council homes in the West Midlands making up just over 55 per cent. of the total council stock. Provisional figures as of April 2007 show that this figure has almost halved to 69,401 (-68,297), representing just 32 per cent. of the council housing stock. This is a clear demonstration that this policy is improving the quality of social housing in the region.
The decent homes target also applies to the social housing in the ownership of registered social landlords (RSLs). Here data available from the Housing Corporation for 2007, shows the number of non-decent dwellings owned by RSLs in the West Midlands to be 22,056, 9.46 per cent. of the regional RSL stock. RSLs are working effectively to achieve 100 per cent. decency without recourse to Government funding through the delivery of asset management strategies funded by rents and private finance.
In addition to renovations to properties in this sector, funding for the Affordable Housing programme, administered by the Housing Corporation, has resulted in an allocation to the West Midlands of £377 million over the period 2004-05 to 2007-08, to subsidise delivery of new high quality social housing, over 8,600 new affordable homes for rent and low cost sale through registered social landlords. We are now close to concluding the 2008 to 2011 allocations which will make available an additional £467 million through this programme, generating an additional 7,000 new social rented sector homes and 3,600 low cost homes.
Local Authorities: Finance
The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Local Authorities: Rodents
I have been asked to reply.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs holds no information on either the number of local authorities which charge for treating mice infestations in residential properties or the average price charged. It is for local authorities to decide on the most appropriate pest control programme in their own area, while having regard to their duties under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949.
Official Visits: Expenditure
The visit to Emscher Park in Germany on 3 to 5 October 2007 by the Thames Gateway chief executive and others was paid for by Communities and Local Government (CLG), the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and other agencies who had representatives on the trip. The cost of the flight of the Thames Gateway chief executive and other costs including accommodation, food and transport were paid for by CABE. The flight of one other CLG official was paid for by CLG, but accommodation and other costs for this officer were paid for by CABE. The total cost to CLG of this trip was therefore £377.00.
Redundancy Pay
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today reference parliamentary question 173309.
Regional Ministers: Accountability
[holding answer 21 January 2008]: The Government's position as set out in the “Governance of Britain” Green Paper proposes regional Ministers being held accountable through parliamentary questions and scrutiny by parliamentary committee. Whether this is best actioned by select committees or some other arrangement has yet to be decided. The details and structure of committees is under consideration by the Modernisation Committee of the House. The Government will be submitting their evidence in due course. It will ultimately be for Parliament to decide what structure for regional accountability will be established.
Regional Planning and Development: East of England
No further consultation is planned as part of the process of finalising the Regional Spatial Strategy for the East of England, also known as the East of England Plan. There has been substantial public consultation at the various stages of the plan’s development, namely the 14 week consultation on the Draft East of England Plan (launched December 2004), the 12 week consultation on the Secretary of State’s Proposed Changes to the Draft Plan (launched December 2006) and most recently the Secretary of State’s Further Proposed Changes to the Draft Plan (launched October 2007).
Regional Planning and Development: Fire Services
Fire and rescue authorities (FRAs) are required by the Fire and Rescue Service National Framework to have in place and maintain an Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) which reflects local need and sets out plans to tackle effectively both existing and potential risks to communities. The IRMP enables the authority to tailor cover for fire and other incidents to local circumstances—evaluating where risk is greatest and allocating resource accordingly. It is a requirement that the IRMP is subject to a full consultation with the local community before it is agreed and published.
It is not the role of Ministers to agree the operational proposals in an authority’s plan; that is for the elected members of the authority concerned. They are best placed to act on the professional advice of principal officers, including taking into consideration any relevant local planning and community strategies, and to balance the competing local demands on available resources for the benefits of the communities they serve.
Regional Planning and Development: South East Region
The Secretary of State’s Proposed Changes for the draft Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) for the South East (The South East Plan) will be published for consultation later this year.
Sleeping Rough
A national estimate of the number of rough sleepers in England is published every September. The estimate is based on the results of local authority street counts in those areas where a known, or suspected, rough sleeping problem has been identified. The following table sets out the national rough sleeping estimate, broken down by region, for each year since 1998. We do not hold this information for 1997.
This Department does not hold information relating to the age of rough sleepers.
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 ENG 1,850 1,633 1,180 703 596 504 508 459 502 498 SW 290 203 124 75 61 64 44 50 63 58 SE 327 282 200 115 60 45 35 53 47 71 NW 181 194 108 47 49 37 64 35 36 33 NE 14 27 5 13 7 0 0 1 4 3 WM 99 89 36 38 27 16 23 29 13 13 EM 91 59 47 26 21 21 32 30 31 5 E 162 88 65 22 38 24 29 18 24 36 Y&H 65 56 49 10 12 30 16 22 17 31 L 621 635 546 357 321 267 265 221 267 248
Trade Unions
Ministers meet many people as part of the process of policy development. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.
Urban Areas: Sustainable Development
(2) whether the availability of public sector land in an area will affect determinations on the selection of locations for eco-towns.
We have received over 50 expressions of interest for eco-towns and expect to publish the proposals shortly, once we have completed an initial assessment of the applications received. In the Eco-towns Prospectus (published on 23 July), land use was one of the seven criteria against which eco-town proposals will be assessed, and we said that “where there are good opportunities to do so, schemes should make use of suitable surplus public sector land, or brownfield land”.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) today reference parliamentary question 164771.
We expect to announce proposals shortly, once an initial assessment has taken place. There will be considerable opportunity for consultation before the process is completed.
[holding answer 17 January 2008]: We are consulting with local authorities in the relevant areas covered by proposed eco-towns in January 2008 as part of an initial assessment of bids and expect to publish proposals shortly. There will be considerable opportunity for consultation before the process is completed.
Written Questions
I have now replied to my hon. Friend’s question.
Youth Services: Finance
From April 2008, no funding streams will be directly linked to local area agreements (LAAs). Local partners are responsible for collectively agreeing how they will resource delivery of their LAA priorities from their mainstream funding, including by aligning or pooling resources where it makes sense to do so.
The Government are maximising local authorities’ freedom to target their resources on what matters most to local people, including their LAA priorities, by moving over £5 billion of former specific grants such as the Children’s Fund into non-ringfenced general grants (either Revenue Support Grant or the new Area Based Grant) over the comprehensive spending review period.
Under the new arrangements, the Government will continue to allocate funding to local authorities where there is a recognised need for additional support for preventative services for children aged five to 13. However, it will be paid as part of the non-ringfenced Area Based Grant from April 2008, so local authorities will be free to decide how best to use the resources to support local priorities.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts Council of England: Grants
[holding answer 16 January 2008]: In 2007-08 Arts Council England are supporting 36 regularly funded theatre-based producing companies outside London.
Capita
Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not the usual practice of Government to disclose details of such meetings.
Coastal Areas: Finance
The £45 million fund (£15 million a year over three years) for seaside resorts announced on 30 November 2007 will come from departmental funds made available through the 2007 comprehensive spending review. We have asked the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, who will lead the programme, to seek to attract at least equal matching funding from public and private partners to further enhance the programme. This match-funding has yet to be determined.
The funding is available from the next financial year. The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment is developing the criteria and timetable for the seaside resorts initiative. I expect they will make some allocations early in 2008-09.
Departmental Accountancy
No element of the Department's annual expenditure or revenue is uprated using any of the aforementioned indices. Pay increases are governed by Her Majesty's Treasury guidance, their approval and affordability. Staff salaries, for staff below the senior civil service, are increased annually in DCMS, but these are not uprated by any measure of inflation. Senior civil service salary costs are subject to review by the Senior Salaries Review Body. They do not apply inflation indices but do take them into account as part of the evidence they consider.
Departmental Marketing
The Department produced two displays showing ministerial names and photographs for the London Open House in 2005 and 2007. The costs were:
Display costs (£) 2005 250.27 2007 270.25
Expenditure on such posters or displays by the Department's agencies could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisors
Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the “Model Contract” and “Code of Conduct for Special Advisers”, copies of which are in the Library of the House.
Digital Switchover Help Scheme: Copeland
Details of the number of households eligible for assistance from the Digital Switchover Help Scheme in the Copeland area and the number and proportion of eligible households in Copeland who responded to scheme communications and took up the offer of help during the switchover period are set out in the table. No specific forecast was made of the number of households who would take up the offer of assistance in the Copeland area, though projections were made for the UK Scheme as a whole, based on survey work carried out in 2006.
DCMS, Digital UK, Ofcom, the BBC and Digital Switchover Help Scheme Ltd., the wholly owned BBC subsidiary company responsible for the delivery of the Help Scheme, are looking closely at the possible reasons for the level of help scheme take-up as part of a detailed evaluation of the successful programme to switch-off analogue television services in the Copeland area on 14 November 2007. It is too early to draw any firm conclusions.
Whitehaven/Copeland Help Scheme Total Free £40 charge Number of eligible households1, 2, 3, 4 8,600 3,100 5,500 Projected take-up (households)5 5,900 2,700 3,200 Response rate (households)6 6,412 2,431 3,981 Response rate (percentage) 75 78 72 Take-up (households)6 2,808 1,780 1,028 Of whom needed an aerial installation 197 — — Take-up (percentage) — 57 19 Opted out (households)6 3,604 651 2,953 1 The figures for eligible households and forecast take-up are rounded to the nearest 100. 2 Eligibility for help from the Digital Switchover Help Scheme is by household. Household is defined as a ‘benefit unit’ rather than the whole household definition used by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG), the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Office to forecast future household growth. The scheme definition of eligible households mirrors Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) definition of a benefit unit: a married couple or couple living together as husband and wife (which from December 2005 includes gay couples) and any dependent children. It excludes adults deemed to be non-dependents who, if eligible, are able to claim assistance from the help scheme in their own right. 3 The estimates of the number of eligible households use data from the Department for Work and Pensions Client Group Analysis for November 2005 for the Copeland parliamentary constituency adjusted by changes in future household and benefits growth for the period from 2005 until the date switchover took place. 4 The estimates of eligible people do not include households where the person qualifying for help under the scheme is registered blind or registered partially sighted and qualifies on grounds of registration rather than on grounds of age or entitlement to disability benefits. 5 The projected take-up figures for Copeland parliamentary constituency are based on the modelling work carried out by DCMS to set the overall budget for the UK-wide help scheme. 6 The eligibility period for the scheme in Whitehaven and Copeland closed on 13 December. These are final figures.
Licensing
(2) which local authorities have adopted cumulative impact areas under the Licensing Act 2003;
(3) how many local authorities have designated cumulative impact areas in their licensing policies.
The data which the Department for Culture, Media and Sport hold on local authority cumulative impact areas were published in the Department’s licensing statistical bulletin on 8 November 2007 and are set out in the table. The data cover cumulative impact areas in force on 31 March 2007 and are based upon a response rate of 80 per cent. of licensing authorities. Details of individual licensing authority statements of licensing policy are not held centrally.
Licensing authority Cumulative impact areas Leeds 4 Bexley 3 Newcastle upon Tyne 3 Bristol 2 Bromley 2 Fareham 2 Merton 2 Pembrokeshire 2 Portsmouth 2 Richmond upon Thames 2 Scarborough 2 Trafford 2 Warwick 2 Aylesbury Vale 1 Birmingham 1 Blackpool 1 Blaenau Gwent 1 Bournemouth 1 Bridgend 1 Cardiff 1 Colchester 1 Croydon 1 Dudley 1 Ealing 1 Easington 1 East Hampshire 1 East Staffordshire 1 Eastbourne 1 Hackney 1 Hartlepool 1 Herefordshire 1 Hinckley and Bosworth 1 Isles of Scilly 1 King’s Lynn and West Norfolk 1 Lancaster 1 Leicester 1 Lichfield 1 Lincoln 1 Middlesbrough 1 Newcastle-under-Lyme 1 Nottingham 1 Oadby and Wigston 1 Oxford 1 Preston 1 Restormel 1 Shrewsbury and Atcham 1 South Tyneside 1 Southend-on-Sea 1 Torbay 1 Wakefield 1 Watford 1 Windsor and Maidenhead 1 Worthing 1 York 1 Note: The number of ‘cumulative impact areas’ published on 9 November 2007 for two licensing authorities were incorrect: Melton licensing authority had recorded the wrong number of cumulative impact areas as six; it has been amended to zero in the revised statistical bulletin published on 15 January 2008. Warwick’s number of cumulative impact areas was incorrectly inputted as four; this has been corrected to two in the revised statistical bulletin published on 15 January 2008.
The Prime Minister was referring to the evaluation of the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 which has been on-going since the new regime came into effect on 24 November 2005.
A variety of officials have worked in the various strands of the project in both the Home Office and Department for Culture, Media and Sport since 2005, some of which are now complete. There are currently eight officials involved in licensing issues in the DCMS's Tourism Licensing and Economic Impact Division who are involved in elements of the evaluation to varying degrees. In addition there are a number of people within the Department who have previously contributed to specific reviews or initiatives.
Regulation
The information available is listed in the tables. The remaining information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
£ million Charity Commission Football Licensing Authority Independent Television Commission Ofcom1 (Office of Communications) Ofcom (Office of Communications) 1997-98 21.368 0.896 — — — 1998-99 — 0.858 — — — 1999-2000 — 0.945 — — — 2000-01 — 0.945 — — — 2001-02 — 0.955 — — — 2002-03 — 0.955 — — — 2003-04 — 2.042 — 234.0 — 2004-05 — 1.083 — — 140.6 2005-06 — 1.138 — — 133.0 2006-07 — 1.174 — — 129.5
Radio Authority Oflot (Office of the National Lottery) National Lottery Commission Gaming Board for Great Britain Gambling Commission 1997-98 — 2.410 — — — 1998-99 — 2.252 — — — 1999-2000 3.940 — 3.452 — — 2000-01 4.149 — 4.965 — — 2001-02 4.406 — 4.965 3.800 — 2002-03 — — 3.182 3.860 — 2003-04 — — 4.075 4.240 — 2004-05 — — 4.194 — 14.253 2005-06 — — 8.886 — 10.204 2006-07 — — 9.200 — 18.742 1 Responsibility for Ofcom is shared with BERR. 2 Budget is period from the start of Ofcom (29 December 2003 to 31 March 2004).
Sports: Females
The information is as follows:
(a) It is not possible to provide total figures for investment into women's sport. Sport England's funding benefits young people and adults of all ages, especially those within hard-to-reach or priority groups, of which women are identified as one of the key target groups.
We do have figures on programmes specifically targeted at women. For example, the Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation, which exists to promote sport and active recreation as an integral part of life for women and girls, has received the following funding:
2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Core costs (exchequer) 150,000 200,000 200,000 200,000 329,333 Project support (exchequer) — — — — 133,000 Project support (lottery) — 83,729 — 65,207 56,454 Total 150,000 283,729 200,000 265,207 418,787 1 £20,000 to support work across the Sports Equity Alliance, not solely women's sport.
UK Sport has funded the following women's sport programmes:
£30,000 (£10,000 in 2006-07 and £20,000 in 2007-08) has been invested in the Women and Leadership Development Programme, established in partnership with the BOA and CCPR to address the lack of women in senior decision making sports positions.
£67,500 has been invested between 2004 and 2008 in international women's sport development projects.
Synchronised swimming, (£1,617,000 for April 2006 to March 2009) and rhythmic gymnastics (integrated into the overall British Gymnastics Beijing award of £9 million) which are both female only sports.
Since 2003, female athletes have received 39 to 41 per cent. of UK Sport World Class Performance programme and World Class Pathway programme awards.
(b) The latest figures available for the funding of women's netball by Sport England are:
Lottery (£) 2003-04 11,823,752 2004-05 2,029,430 2005-06 2,751,675 2006-07 2,893,925 2007-08 3,232,884 1 The award figure is for the period 1 September 2002 to 31 March 2004
Exchequer (£) 2003-04 1868,000 2004-05 2435,284 2005-06 1,371,853 2006-07 613,500 2007-08 205,700 1 The award figure is for the period 1 September 2002 to 31 August 2004. 2 Includes awards in periods between 1 February 2002 to 31 March 2005. Note: Netball also benefits from awards to multi-sport projects e.g. multi-use games areas.
Tourism: Vocational Training
The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) Yorkshire and the Humber has provided data for each of the last five years (including the current academic year) on the number of people in Cleethorpes in work-based learning in travel and tourism and in hospitality and catering. The LSC has also provided data on the number undertaking learning through Train to Gain since it was rolled out nationally in 2006.
In 2003-04, 30 Cleethorpes residents were involved in work-based learning in travel and tourism and in hospitality and catering; in 2004-05, there were 20 people; in 2005-06, there were 22 people; in 2006-07, there were 26 people; and in 2007-08 there have been 23 people so far. In addition, 21 Cleethorpes residents started learning through Train to Gain in 2006-07; and seven in 2007-08 so far.
Leader of the House
Departmental Meetings
I have regular meetings with the Prime Minister.
Transport
Shrewsbury to London Rail Service
The Department has not been notified of a planned date for the start of the service. But I expect it to bring major benefits to passengers from Wrexham and Shropshire and look forward to its inauguration.
Smartcards
We expect all travel concession authorities to introduce smartcards for the new concession. We have provided authorities with around £31 million for the introduction of these cards.
Air Travel
The Department for Transport uses data from surveys including the DfT public experiences of and attitudes to air travel survey and the Civil Aviation Authority's passenger surveys. The Future of Air Transport White Paper and the Project for the Sustainable Development of Heathrow were supported by modelling of passengers' choice of surface access mode to airports. The Department recently published an analysis of end-to-end journeys, with a focus on Heathrow.
Rail Overcrowding
The July 2007 rail White Paper committed the Government to spend £15 billion on their railway between 2009 and 2014. £10 billion of that is specifically devoted to measures to increase capacity. These include 1,300 extra carriages, £5.5 billion for Thameslink and £600 million for improvements at Birmingham New Street and Reading. We have also recently announced a funding package for Crossrail.
Air Transport Auxiliary
I regret to inform my hon. Friend that we have no present plans to do so. But he is welcome to write to me with details.
Metronet
The Mayor of London and Transport for London have provided regular updates on progress since Metronet entered administration.
The Spending Review settlement reached with TfL makes provision for costs arising from Metronet's administration.
The extent to which Metronet's delivery had slipped behind their spending, and therefore the scale of any long-term costs, will become clear only when London Underground have been able to review Metronet's detailed accounts, if they take control of the Metronet assets from administration.
Rail Staff
The rail industry is undertaking a range of initiatives to help reduce the number of staff assaults and has set up a Rail Personal Security Group to address this. The British Transport police has made staff assaults a priority in its policing plan for the last three years.
Aircraft Noise
“The Future of Air Transport” White Paper provided a clear approach to the local environmental challenges of airport operation, in terms of noise and the impact on the area in which airports operate. In particular it set out our key aim to limit and where possible reduce the number of people in the UK significantly affected by aircraft noise.
In addition to measures taken by airport operators, the Government have acted to strengthen airport operators’ powers to control noise at airports; implemented a new night noise regime for London airports that caps flight numbers at current levels and provide incentives for introducing quieter aircraft and continued to undertake appropriate research into aircraft noise.
Bus Accessibility
In 2000, the Government introduced the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations requiring all new and existing buses and coaches, with a carrying capacity of more than 22 passengers and used on local or scheduled services, to be accessible to the widest possible range of disabled people.
In addition, regulations were introduced in 2002 and 2006, which placed certain duties on bus and coach operators and staff with respect to disabled people.
We have also announced that free off-peak local bus travel anywhere in England for people aged 60 and over and disabled people resident in England would be in place from April 2008.
Concessionary Travel
We expect all travel concession authorities to introduce smartcards for the new concession. We have provided authorities with around £31 million for the introduction of these cards.
The chosen formula, following the Department's consultation last November, is based on data on eligible population, bus patronage, overnight visitors and retail floor space. Of the four options presented in the consultation, there was a clear preference for Option 4. Our proposed distribution amends this slightly to take account of the responses.
I have undertaken meetings with stakeholder groups, including bus users, both at regional and national level. These discussions covered a range of issues, including the new national bus concession.
West Coast Main Line
The Department monitors the performance of all passenger train operators. In the year to 5 January 2008 West Coast trains achieved an average punctuality of 85.9 per cent.
Vehicle Size
The study was actually commissioned in October 2006 and the full report should be published by the end of February. At present, we do not intend to publish a response, but following speculation in the media about the Government allowing trials of “super” lorries, the Secretary of State has previously made clear that we are sceptical of these vehicles and have no plans to permit them in the UK.
Buses: Stockton
Through the Local Transport Bill, we will give local authorities increased flexibility and powers to work with bus operators to improve local bus services.
Railways
Rail use has grown consistently in recent years. We expect that trend to continue. The rail White Paper incorporates our best estimate of future demand and an undertaking to spend £10 billion between 2009 and 2014 on capacity improvements to cater for it.
Boxing day service provision is a matter for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network, and the passenger train operators.
Bicycles: Children
The Department is developing a new research project looking at a range of road safety and cycling issues. This will examine the following topics:
Road user safety and cycling data;
Cycling infrastructure;
Attitudes and behaviours; and
Bicycle helmets.
A draft specification has been prepared and we are discussing this with stakeholders. A meeting was held with cycling groups on 14 December, and a meeting with others including the Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust is scheduled for 25 January. Once these meetings are completed, the Department intends to commission the research.
The Department also intends to publish the 2006 cycle helmet wearing survey shortly.
David Abrahams
[holding answer 3 December 2007]: The information is as follows:
(a) The central Department has received no such representations.
(b) During the period August 2005 to October 2006 there were over 200 e-mail exchanges and four letters between the Highways Agency and its consultants, and the developer's consultants in relation to the Durham Green Business Park proposal. The Highways Agency and its consultants also attended three meetings with the developer's consultants; two of these were attended by David Martin (also known as David Abrahams). All these related to the potential traffic impact of the proposed development on the road network and mitigation measures required.
The central Department has not been party to any correspondence regarding the Durham Green Business Park planning application and does not hold any documentation relating to the application.
All correspondence and documentation relating to the Durham Green Business Park planning application held by the Highways Agency will be placed in the House of Commons Library as soon as it can be assembled. All correspondence and documentation related to the potential traffic impact of the proposed development on the road network and the mitigation measures required.
Departmental Data Protection
The Department, including its Agencies, is not aware of any instances where former employees have accessed sensitive data after the termination of their employment.
Level Crossings: Hampshire
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has provided the overall number of fatalities and injuries at level crossings in Hampshire since 2002 in the following table. Data for 2007 are not yet available.
Fatalities Injuries Total 2002 1 0 1 2003 1 0 1 2004 1 0 1 2005 0 1 1 2006 0 1 1 Total 3 2 5
Level Crossings: Safety
Improving the safety of level crossings requires co-operation among a wide range of stakeholders. The Office of Rail Regulation, Network Rail and the Department, together with many other key players, are working to achieve this. Network Rail is running campaigns to raise level crossing safety awareness. The latest industry statistics suggest that risk at level crossings has been reduced.
Eliminating level crossings open to road traffic by providing road bridges is a matter for local highways authorities, local councils and Network Rail. There are examples of level crossings being replaced by bridges where risk to crossing users has necessitated such action. There is no timetable within the Network Rail Strategic Business Plan for eliminating level crossings by providing bridges.
Network Rail
(2) what meetings she had with executives from Network Rail in each of the last three months; and what was discussed at each meeting.
The Secretary of State for Transport holds regular bilateral meetings with senior executives from Network Rail to discuss issues of common interest. In the last six months four such meetings have been held.
In addition, the Secretary of State met with Iain Coucher, chief executive of Network Rail, on 3 January, to express her concern at the inconvenience caused to passengers and freight operators by Network Rail's engineering over-runs over the new year period and to seek reassurances that these would not be repeated.
[holding answer 21 January 2008]: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) began a planned review of Network Rail's network licence in 2007 with a view to giving it a more purposeful format and to ensure that it remains fit for purpose going forward. In reviewing Network Rail's licence, ORR will take into account the findings of their investigation into the recent over-running engineering works, to the extent that these are relevant.
Network Rail: Bridges
[holding answer 21 January 2008]: These are operational matters for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail’s chief executive at the following address for a response to his question.
Iain Coucher
Chief Executive
Network Rail
40 Melton street
London NW1 2EE
Network Rail: Repairs and Maintenance
[holding answer 21 January 2008]: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) is currently working with the industry to review compensation arrangements for engineering works in order to introduce stronger incentives on Network Rail to manage them more effectively and efficiently. In the light of the findings of its investigation into the recent engineering overruns, ORR will consider whether any further changes may be needed to the network code in respect of engineering works or the arrangements for paying compensation.
[holding answer 21 January 2008]: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) is investigating whether Network Rail is in breach of its network licence following the engineering overruns at Rugby and Liverpool Street Station.
An important part of ORR’s investigation is to examine the robustness of Network Rail’s plans for the remaining work to enhance the West Coast Main Line. ORR will consider whether the findings of its investigation have implications for the timetable for completion of the West Coast works.
Railway Stations: Accidents
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) records accident data against the geographical location of where the accident occurs. There is no further sub division into the nature of the location e.g. station, signal box, track. Details of accidents to people at stations could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
ORR has however provided details of all fatalities and injuries occurring on the railways in Hampshire since 2002. Data for 2007 are not yet available. The information is broken down by person category and is detailed in the following tables:
Passenger Railway employees Other members of the public Trespassers Suicides 2002 1 0 0 2 1 2003 0 1 0 2 1 2004 1 1 1 2 4 2005 0 0 0 3 4 2006 0 0 0 7 2 Total 2 2 1 16 10
Passenger Railway employees Other members of the public Trespassers Attempted suicides 2002 34 56 — 1 1 2003 29 59 — 2 0 2004 33 48 — 5 1 2005 34 47 1 3 1 2006 18 30 1 6 1 Total 148 240 2 17 4
Railways: Construction
[holding answer 21 January 2008]: 46 miles of new two track high speed railway were built by London and Continental Railways for section 1 of the channel tunnel rail link completed in 2003, and a further 24 miles were built for section 2 completed in 2007. The channel tunnel rail link was constructed as a public private partnership project with a 90-year concession and is not the direct responsibility of Network Rail.
Otherwise, the amount of railway built each year is an operational matter for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address for a response to his question:
Iain Coucher
Chief Executive
Network Rail
40 Melton Street
London
NW1 2EE
Railways: Disabled
The Department does not assess the compliance of railway stations with Part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Station operators are required to take reasonable steps to ensure that disabled people do not find it impossible or unreasonably difficult to access their services. Operators are responding to these duties, but where a disabled person believes that they have been discriminated against contrary to Part 3 they can bring a claim against the operator.
Railways: Fares
In the absence of specific grounds for doing so, the Department has made no formal assessment of the recent increases in unregulated fares. However, we keep unregulated fares under review.
The Department continues to listen to the representations of train users and has invited passenger focus to take a greater role in commenting on the specification of future franchises.
This Government want to encourage people to make more informed choices about how and when they travel. As part of our strategy to give people an alternative to travelling by car and meet our environmental obligations on CO2 emissions, we are putting record investment in public transport. The Government are investing £88 million in the railway each week and with over one billion passenger journeys last year, we now have the fastest growing railway in Europe.
Railways: Gravesend
The following types of ticket are subject to fares regulation:
Gravesend to London Terminals standard day single, standard day return and season tickets.
In addition the Gravesend to London All Zone Travelcard and Travelcard seasons tickets Zones 2-6 (inclusive) are regulated.
The average travel time between Gravesend and London is outlined in the following table:
From London To London 1997 50 52 1998 50 52 1999 51 53 2000 52 53 2001 52 53 2002 52 53 2003 52 53 2004 53 54 2005 53 54 2006 53 54 2007 54 54
Railways: Passengers
[holding answer 21 January 2008]: The Department does not hold this information. The Office of Rail Regulation does however publish "National Rail Trends" on a quarterly basis. This document shows a variety of industry information and statistics including journey and revenue information by three sectors of operators, "Long Distance", "London and South East", and "Regional".
Railways: Planning
The Government do not propose to take a blanket approach to safeguarding all potential alignments or disused lines. This would be disproportionate and blight homes and properties. Strict controls are already in place for the development of railway land and local authorities can use local planning processes to protect sites or alignments if they deem this appropriate.
Railways: Standards
The Department does not hold punctuality and reliability information broken down by service groups. Inquiries relating to data should be made to the relevant train operating companies.
For (a) (i):
Chief Operating Officer
First Great Western
Head Office
Milford House
1 Milford Street
Swindon
SN1 1HL
and (a) (ii) (iii) and (iv):
Managing Director
South West Trains
Friars Bridge Court
41-45 Blackfriars Road
London
SE1 8NZ
The numbers of passengers on rail services running in excess of capacity is shown in the following table:
2005 2006 Route AM PM AM PM (i) Portsmouth to Cardiff n/a n/a n/a n/a (ii) Portsmouth to London (via Guildford) 411 146 827 487 (iii) Portsmouth to London (via Basingstoke) 0 62 106 107 (iv) Southampton to Havant n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a = Not available.
The data in the table relate to the previous South West Trains franchise. Data for the successor Stagecoach South Western Trains Franchise in autumn 2007 are being collected and are currently not available.
The rail White Paper was published in July 2007. It sets out the resources we intend to make available to the rail industry and the increases in capacity, as well as safety and performance, that we expect the industry to deliver in return.
There are no specific requirements regarding levels of overcrowding on these routes. The Department's general requirements for overcrowding are that passengers should not be expected to stand for more than 20 minutes.
Railways: Watford
While there are some trains that could be converted from single- to dual-voltage, those trains are all in full use on other services from which they cannot be released, and therefore not available to preserve the Watford to Brighton service. The Government have already announced the intention to procure 1,300 additional vehicles for the rail network in England and Wales between 2008 and 2014.
Clapham Junction is one of 92 stations selected for major improvements as part of the £370 million “Access for All” project. This will benefit all those passengers with disabilities who may need to change trains at Clapham Junction, including the few who wish to travel between Watford and Brighton.
Regulation
Since its formation on 29 May 2002, the Department has had responsibility for the Civil Aviation Authority which is responsible for the regulation of civil aviation in the United Kingdom. The CAA is financially independent of Government and is financed by those it regulates. The financial statements for the CAA are published in its annual accounts.
The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) was formed on 1 April 2003 following the merger of the Vehicle Inspectorate and the Traffic Area Network division of the Department for Transport. VOSA provides a range of licensing, testing and enforcement services with the aim of improving the roadworthiness standards of vehicles ensuring the compliance of operators and drivers with road traffic legislation, and supporting the independent Traffic Commissioners. The financial statements for the Vehicle Inspectorate were published in its annual accounts.
Roads
In the last 10 years (1998-2007) there have been a total of 205 detrunking orders predominantly for short lengths of the trunk road network. A breakdown of these detrunking orders by year is given in the following table:
Number 1998 7 1999 9 2000 6 2001 30 2002 44 2003 57 2004 15 2005 9 2006 16 2007 12 Total 205
Shipping: Containers
In the period of time specified the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has operated two databases to record incidents, including recording where containers are lost overboard. There is no separate database to record the loss of containers.
The MCA relies on ships reporting loss of containers in accordance with national and European legislation.
To give a specific number would require a manual interrogation of the incident recording system and that would incur disproportionate costs.
The vessel traffic monitoring directive covers the reporting of hazardous incidents including the loss of containers at sea. Any vessel losing containers is obliged to report the loss to Her Majesty's Coastguard (HMCG) in the UK. Reports of containers lost will be captured in the Consolidated European Reporting System (CERS).
Vessels encountering lost containers at sea are obliged under the Merchant Shipping (Safety of Navigation) Regulations 2002 to report hazardous incidents to HMCG in the UK.
South West Trains: Rolling Stock
A guidance note for interior design of trains has been issued by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC). This document will have been taken into account by the designers of new trains like Class 444 and in the refurbishment of older trains like Class 442.
For further information and a copy of this document please contact either South West Trains or ATOC at the following addresses:
South West Trains
Friars Bridge Court
41-45 Blackfriars road
London
SE1 8NZ
Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC)
3rd Floor
40 Bernard street
London
WC1N 1BY
Train Operating Companies: Fines
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has imposed the following penalties on railway companies in the last three years:
Penalty (£) Railway company Reasons 2006 250,000 Network Rail Breach of Condition 7 of Network Licence regarding inaccurate infrastructure information 2006 4.1 million English Welsh and Scottish Railway Infringement of prohibition contained in Chapter II of the Competition Act 1998, resulting in exclusion of competitors from the coal haulage-by-rail market 2007 2.4 million Network Rail Breach of Condition 7 of Network Licence regarding the Portsmouth re-signalling scheme
All the penalties levied were paid into the Consolidated Fund. Any penalties on rail companies following prosecution for breaches of health and safety legislation would be determined by the courts.
Trains: Standards
The full report was made available for independent review by Passenger Focus and the findings of the subsequent report published on the South West Trains website. Passenger Focus has confirmed the published findings to be an accurate reflection of the report.
Transport: Radioactive Materials
[holding answer 21 January 2008]: Since 1989 reports detailing all events involving the transport of radioactive material in the UK have been produced by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) working under contract to the Department for Transport.
Copies of these reports have been placed in the House Library and recent ones have been placed on the HPA website and are also available via the Department's website at the following address:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/freight/dgt1/guidance/guidance7class/theradiologicalimpactofthetr1178
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
[holding answer 21 January 2008]: NATO nations have made a collective commitment to Afghanistan and to meet the force levels set out in the Combined Joint Statement of Requirements. We routinely raise Afghanistan issues, including force levels, in bilateral and multilateral meetings.
Combat search and rescue is a specialist subset of Joint Personnel Recovery Operations. It refers to the recovery of trained and equipped isolated personnel, such as downed aircrew, when conducted in a threat environment. Allocation of resources for this task on current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan is a coalition responsibility and we are content the current system provides a satisfactory degree of cover.
Aircraft Carriers: Procurement
I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Des Browne) gave on 7 January 2008, Official Report, column 21W, to the hon. Member for New Forest East (Dr. Lewis).
Armed Forces: Compensation
Under the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) Order 2005, benefits are payable to eligible surviving adult dependants/children of servicemen killed in action on or after 6 April 2005. The scheme provides compensation where death was caused by service on or after 6 April 2005 (causes before this date are considered under the war pension scheme).
Benefits are calculated in accordance with the rules of the scheme and consist of a bereavement grant of up to £20,000, a survivor’s guaranteed income payment (SGIP) payable for life and payments to eligible children.
The calculation for SGIP is based on the serviceman’s salary and age at death and is taxable. This is paid monthly for life even in the event of remarriage. Payments to eligible children are based on similar calculations but the payment for children depends on the number of children and whether there is a surviving adult dependant.
It is not normally a necessity that an inquest is carried out before compensation can be paid, the results of an inquest may however be required if there is a question as to whether death was due to service.
The settling of funeral accounts and associated expenses is an entirely separate process and is not affected by any decision on compensation payments. Families may choose between having a service (military) funeral or a private family funeral. In the first instance all approved expense arising from a service funeral is paid by the MOD and the family also receive a cash grant of £500 to use as they wish to defray incidental expenses. If the family elect to have a private funeral then a grant is made, according to the type of funeral or cremation, currently up to a maximum of £2,760.
Armed Forces: Housing
(2) what the average cost was of upgrading a (a) single living accommodation and (b) single family accommodation from standard 2 to a standard 1 in the latest period for which figures are available;
(3) what the average cost was of upgrading a (a) single living accommodation and (b) single family accommodation from standard 3 to a standard 2 in the latest period for which figures are available.
MOD does not collect data in the form requested, nor does the Department approach the modernisation or upgrading of service families accommodation (SFA) and single living accommodation (SLA) in the way suggested.
The only time that we would improve a standard 4 for condition property just to standard 3, or simply uplifting any standard to one higher, would be as part of life-cycle maintenance activity; for instance, replacing bathrooms, kitchens or boilers and this would be classified as an upgrade.
It should be noted that 95 per cent. of SFA in mainland Great Britain is already at either standard 1 (60 per cent.) or standard 2 (35 per cent.) for condition. Over the last three years some 5,500 properties in the UK and 20,000 SLA worldwide have been upgraded to standard 1. Another 600 SFA will be upgraded in the current year with funding in place for a further 600 in 2008-09, and 800 per annum in subsequent years. By 2013 the Department is planning to upgrade a further 30,000 SLA to Grade 1.
[holding answer 17 January 2008]: In each of the last four years the following numbers of service families accommodation (SFA) properties were upgraded to standard 1 for condition (S1fC).
Financial year Number upgraded to S1fC 2006-07 1,215 2005-06 1,705 2004-05 2,610 2003-04 1,402
It is not possible separately to identify the number of properties that were upgraded to S2fC in each of the last four years. The Department only has targets to upgrade SFA to S1fC, other lesser upgrades would only take place as part of life-cycle maintenance activity (for instance replacing bathrooms, kitchens or boilers).
Armed Forces: Literacy
The armed forces recognise that improving basic skills enhances the ability of service personnel to cope with work pressures and increases their potential for career development. Basic skills education is one of several roles for service education officers, but is also delivered by appropriately trained civilian staff. Significant key skills training is also delivered within vocational training programmes.
Establishing the full cost of basic skills education across the armed forces could be achieved only at disproportionate cost. Hence in this response the expenditure identified is that which relates specifically to the employment and support of specialist manpower whose primary role is the delivery of basic skills education.
Royal Navy
Basic skills tutors have been directly employed by the RN since 2006 and the costs relating to their role are as follows:
2006 2007 Basic skills tutors 250,000 250,000
Army
As the largest of the services the army has the greatest requirement for basic skills education and support. The costs directly attributable to Basic Skills Development Managers (BSDM) (salary, travel and subsistence and in-house training) since their engagement in 2002 are shown in the following table.
BSDM Admin SP Total 2002 480,000 102,000 582,000 2003 1,046,000 741,000 1,787,000 2004 1,191,000 765,000 1,956,000 2005 1,361,000 828,000 2,189,000 2006 1,612,000 874,000 2,486,000 2007 1,665,000 942,000 2,607,000
Royal Air Force
The RAF has a higher academic entry standard than the Army and RN. Any basic skills educational requirements are met primarily through the use of local college programmes, outside normal working hours and utilising Learning and Skills Council funding. Where literacy and numeracy packages have been delivered on RAF bases they have been funded by the individuals themselves. There are therefore no figures available for directly attributable costs for basic skills education for the RAF in the period 2000-07.
Armed Forces: Pay
The Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB) is currently deliberating and will submit its report to my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary in due course. The Government will then consider whether to implement the AFPRB recommendations.
Armed Forces: Vacancies
Details of percentage shortfalls for pinch point trades are provided in the following table. The figures are those reported for financial year 2007-08 quarter 3 returns.
Pinch points Percentage shortfall Royal Navy RN Harrier GR7 Instructors 57 Lt GR7 Harrier Pilots 51 Merlin Observers 46 Merlin Pilots 39 Merlin Aircrew 22 Able Bodied Warfare Specialist (Sensors Submariner) 26 Able Bodied Warfare Specialist (Tactical Submariner 22 Strategic Weapons Systems Junior Ranks 29 Leading Hand Warfare 33 Able Bodied Diver 35 Royal Marines Other Ranks 9 Sea-King and Lynx Avionics Supervisors 18 Petty Officer Mine Warfare 25 Nuclear Watchkeepers 24 Able Bodied Seaman 40 Army Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Vehicle Mechanic 1 20 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Recovery Mechanic 20 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Armourer 12 Royal Engineers Clerk of Works 15 Army Medical Service—General Surgeon 63 Royal Engineers Mechanical Engineer Fitter 20 Royal Logistics Corps Ammunition Technician 44 Royal Logistic Corps—Postal and Courier Operator 16 Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps—Radiographer 43 Royal Engineers Military Engineer Geographic 36 Intelligence Operational Military Intelligence 26 Royal Engineers Explosive Ordnance Disposal 49 Royal Signals Information Systems Engineer 2 Royal Engineers Command, Control and Communications Systems 13 Army Medical Service—General Medical Practitioner 12 Royal Logistics Corps Chef 12 Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps—Operation Department Practitioner 37 Royal Logistics Corps Petroleum Operator 42 AG Corps Staff and Personnel Service (Mil Admin) 14 Royal Artillery—Operator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle 48 Army Medical Service—Nurse Officer 27 Army Medical Service—A and E Nurse Officer 30 Army Medical Service—Anaesthetist 62 Army Medical Service—Radiologist 80 Army Medical Service—Orthopaedic Surgeon 61 Army Medical Service—Intensive Therapy Unit Nurse Officer 23 RAF Medical 29 Operational Support (Intelligence) 3 Operational Support (RAF Regiment) 17 Operational Support (Provost/Security) 8 Operational Support (Flight Ops) 8 Princess Mary’s RAF Nursing Service 18 Weapons Support (Air Load Master) 11 Weapons Support (Linguist) 19 Air Traffic Control/Flight Operations Manager/Flight Operations Assistant—Sergeant 10 Firefighter 12 Gunner 16 Movements Operations/Controller 1 RAF Police 8 Staff Nurse (RGN) A and E 14
Atlas Consortium: Contracts
I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave on 30 January 2007, Official Report, column 154-55W to my hon. Friend the Member for North-West Leicestershire (David Taylor).
Delivery of some elements of the Defence Information Infrastructure (Future) (DII(F)) increment 1 are up to a year behind the original plan; however increments 1 and 2a have been combined to provide a more efficient and effective overall delivery plan. Over 22,000 DII(F) terminals have been delivered, supporting over 62,000 users.
Bowman Combat Radio System: Batteries
No. The Bowman prime contract was let in 2001 and the prime contractor, who has a commitment to supply the Bowman suite of batteries until 2009, issued a set of performance criteria and tested the market to ensure that the supplier offering the most appropriate, cost effective solutions was selected.
A Bowman power study is being conducted which, when complete, should assist with ensuring that improved capabilities are delivered to the armed forces and aid the future procurement strategy for batteries.
The Department has not undertaken an assessment of ABSL/AEA's ability to provide batteries for Bowman to the required standard. Overall responsibility to MOD for the standard of the product rests with the Bowman Prime Contractor, General Dynamics United Kingdom Ltd. However, ABSL Power Solutions, as the battery provider, is responsible for the quality and assurance of their products.
In 2006, Bowman High Frequency (HF) Mark 1 radio batteries were recalled when it became evident that an immersion requirement had not been met and water ingress could occur. The battery provider, ABSL Power Solutions agreed to replace all Mark 1 HF batteries at no cost to the Department and the replacement programme is continuing. Overall responsibility to MOD for the standard of the product rests with the Bowman prime contractor, General Dynamics United Kingdom Ltd. However, ABSL Power Solutions, as the battery provider, is responsible for the quality and assurance of their products.
Departmental Alcoholic Drinks
All public procurement procedures must comply with the EC treaty. The relevant principles of the treaty from a public procurement point of view are the free movement of goods and services and non-discrimination on the grounds of nationality. This legislation is designed to ensure that all public procurement across the European Union is fair, transparent and non-discriminatory. This means that the MOD cannot specify that it will buy goods solely from a particular country or locality, as that would discriminate against producers from other EU member states.
However, the Government are committed to increase opportunities for small and local suppliers to tender for contracts, thus increasing competition and securing better value for money.
Departmental Art Works
No such acquisitions have been made since 2004. There is no departmental budget for art acquisition in 2007-08.
Helicopters
The following table shows the helicopters owned and leased by the Department for use by the armed forces. The original date of manufacture has been taken as when the first aircraft came off production, except for the Lynx for which the date of the first Lynx Trials Installation Flight has been given. The first year in service has been taken as the year in which the aircraft were first flown by the UK military.
The original dates of manufacture for the leased aircraft relate to the specific aircraft currently being leased by the MOD.
Helicopter type MOD owned/leased Original date of manufacture First in service year Agusta A109 A Owned 1979 1984 Agusta A109 AM Owned 1984 1984 Apache AH Mk1 Owned 2000 2001 Chinook Owned 1980 1981 Gazelle Owned 1972 1973 Lynx Owned 1972 1977 Merlin Mk1 Owned 1995 1999 Merlin Mk3 Owned 1998 2000 Puma Owned 1971 1971 Sea King Owned 1969 1969 Agusta Westland A109E Leased 2006 2006 Bell 212 Leased 1971 1994 Dauphin Leased 1990 1996 Griffin (Bell 412) Leased 1996 1997 Squirrel Leased 1996 1997
Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations
[holding answer 21 January 2008]: The UK Government remains absolutely committed to bringing to justice those responsible for the murder of six members of the Royal Military Police at Al Majar Al Kabir on 24 June 2003. Ministers, and our ambassador in Baghdad, frequently press the Iraqi authorities to enact the arrest warrants issued in 2006 and will continue to do so until these individuals are apprehended. I personally raised this issue with the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, when I met him last October and he offered his full co-operation.
Kuwait: Armed Forces
Under the current arrangements armed forces personnel may only receive the Iraq Medal for service on the land and in the airspace of Iraq, as well as the waters of the Northern Gulf, Iraqi territorial seas and Iraqi internal waters. However, in common with all campaign medals the situation is kept under constant review by the Chain of Command, and continues to take into account the ongoing risks and rigours of the operations in which British troops are involved.
Council tax relief will be paid to service personnel serving in Camp Buehring who are involved in Operation Telic (roulement) 11. Payment will be made from 1 April 2008 and, in line with the introduction of operational allowance payment for these personnel, will be backdated to 1 November 2007.
Military Aircraft: Helicopters
The planned out of service dates for all military helicopters such as they were from 1997 to 2007 are listed as follows:
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Army Agusta A109 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 Apache AH1 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 2030 2030 2030 2030 Gazelle AH1 2018 2018 2018 2018 2018 2018 2018 2018 2018 2018 2018 Lynx AH7 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2013 Lynx AH9 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2013 Royal Navy Lynx HAS31 — — — — — — — — 2012 2012 2013 Lynx HMA81 — — — — — — — — 2014 2014 2015 Merlin HM1 n/a n/a 2029 2029 2029 2029 2029 2029 2029 2029 2029 Sea King HC4 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 Sea King HAS5 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 Sea King HAS6(CR) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 2008 2008 2008 2008 Sea King ASaCT n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 2018 2018 2018 2018 2018 2018 Royal Air Force Chinook HC2 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 Chinook HC2a 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 Merlin HC3 n/a n/a n/a 2030 2030 2030 2030 2030 2030 2030 2030 Puma HCl 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2012 Sea King HAR3 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 Sea King HAR3a 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 1 Comprehensive data unobtainable in the time available
The table does not include the commercially owned helicopters that the Department leases.
RAF Menwith Hill
As I stated in my reply of 7 January 2008, Official Report, column 30W, it is not the practice of the Government to make public the details of correspondence with foreign governments as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice international relations.
Training: Young People
(2) what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on the provision of military training or other activities for young offenders as an alternative to court proceedings.
The Military Corrective Training Centre (MCTC) at Colchester exists to retrain and rehabilitate service personnel who have offended and will return to active service, as well as those resettling into civilian life having been discharged from the armed forces. The MCTC is not specifically targeted at individuals between the ages of 16 to 25; however any courts martial ruling would have taken into account an individual's age. The MCTC acts in accordance with Home Office guidance on the treatment of those under 18 years of age. It is regularly inspected by HMIP.
There are no military programmes in place for civilians; any rehabilitation would be a matter for the civilian criminal justice system. However my Department is involved in helping vulnerable young people through the Outreach programme and the Army Cadet force's youth and community project, which helps socially disengaged young people to become responsible citizens. We also work with other Government Departments on initiatives such as Skill Force, providing alternative training for young people at risk of exclusion.
No discussions have taken place with the Secretary of State for Justice on the provision of military training for young offenders prior to court proceedings.