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Mrs. Browning: The number of brucellosis cattle herd breakdowns in Great Britain in each year since 1985 from which the organism Brucella abortus was recovered were:
1985: 69
1986: 39
1987: 3
1988: 1
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1989: 61990: 1
1991: None
1992: None
1993: 1
1994: None
Foot and Mouth Disease
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of foot and mouth disease occurred in each year since 1978. [22175]
Mrs. Browning: There was one outbreak of foot and mouth disease which occurred in 1981 on the Isle of Wight. There have been no outbreaks since then.
Pleuro-pneumonia
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of pleuro-pneumonia occurred in each year since 1985. [22170]
Mrs. Browning: There have been no confirmed cases of pleuro- pneumonia in England since 1898.
Column 226
Hygiene Standards
Mr. Battle: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many prosecutions of dairy farmers in Lancashire for failing to comply with necessary hygiene standards (a) have been successfully undertaken and (b) are outstanding since 1990. [22272]
Mrs. Browning [holding answer 2 May 1995]: Responsibility for the enforcement of hygiene standards at dairy farms is split between Agricultural Development Advisory Service, an executive agency of the Ministry and the Welsh Office, and local authority environmental health departments. There have been no prosecutions by ADAS in Lancashire since 1990. Information on prosecutions by environmental health departments is not held centrally.
Civil Service (Early Retirement)
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the individual value of each (a) compulsory early retirement and (b) flexible early retirement package received by civil servants leaving his department on grounds of limited efficiency in each of the last five years. [22093]
Mr. Jack [holding answer 2 May 1995]: Compensation payments for early retirement on grounds of limited efficiency are age, salary and service related. Details of limited efficiency early retirements for each of the last five financial years are as follows:
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|Annual
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990-91
Compulsory |Nil |Nil |Nil |Nil
Flexible |Nil |Nil |Nil |Nil
1991-92
Compulsory |Nil |Nil |Nil |Nil
Flexible |Nil |Nil |Nil |Nil
1992-93
Compulsory |Nil |Nil |Nil |Nil
Flexible |3,607.27 |9,702.39 |Nil |Nil
1993-94
Compulsory |Nil |Nil |Nil |Nil
Flexible |4,444.73 |12,025.30 |Nil |Nil
1994-95
Compulsory |Nil |Nil |Nil |Nil
Flexible |Nil |Nil |Nil |Nil
TREASURY
Fraud
Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are being taken to help to combat fraud in the European Union. [20412]
Mr. Anthony Coombs: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to combat fraud within the European Union with particular reference to the common agricultural policy and the cohesion budget. [20439]
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Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: I refer to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Shersby) on 30 March 1995, Official Report , columns 654 55 .
Hospitality
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent on official hospitality by his Department in 1994 95. [21211]
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 1 May 1995]: In1994 95, spending on official hospitality by Her Majesty's Treasury was £85,888.
Column 227
Market Testing
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with market testing programmes in which his Department has been engaged since their inception. [21379]
Sir George Young [holding answer 1 May 1995]: The Treasury's estimated cost to date of employing consultants in connection with market testing programmes is as follows:
Support to
|In House Team|Department
|£ |£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 April 1992-30 September 1993 |21,018 |37,692
1 October 1993-30 September 1994 |15,087 |47,878
1 October 1994-31 March 1995 |nil |64,625
|-------- |--------
Sub totals |36,105 |150,195
Conflicts of Interest
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions during the last five years (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in his Department or its agencies have declared conflicts of interest; and how many instructions have been issued about their retention, disposal or management. [21400]
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 1 May 1995]: The information requested is not held centrally.
Allowances
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each agency and the central Department for which he is responsible (a) the total amount of removal costs and associated expenses reimbursed to officials who were required to relocate as part of their employment, (b) the amount of each of the highest three claims that were concluded and settled and (c) the average amount of each claim in each of the last three years. [19648]
Mr. Nelson: The amounts shown below are in respect of cases which were completed during the past three years. The information is as follows:
HM Treasury
Year |£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a)
1992-93 |No cases concluded and settled.
1993-94 |244,465.00
1994-95 |29,981.00
(b)
1992-93 |No cases concluded and settled.
1993-94 |49,609.00
|45,824.00
|44,311.00
1994-95 |27,897.00
|2,083.00-only two cases during year.
(c)
1992-93 |No cases concluded and settled.
1993-94 |34,924.00
1994-95 |14,991.00
Paymaster
No costs incurred
Central Statistical Office
(a) The total amount of removal costs and associated expenses reimbursed to officials who were required to relocate as part of their employment:
1992 93: £138,000.00
1993 94: £166,000.00
1994 95: £180,000.00
(b) and (c) CSO could provide this information only at disproportionate cost.
Royal Mint
Only one employee fell into the category during the last three years with expenses totalling £32,329.16.
Valuation Office
Year |£
---------------------------------------
1992-93 |1,768,000.00
1993-94 |1,652,000.00
1994-95 |1,001,000.00
(b)
1992-93 |21,129.00
|20,054.00
|19,433.00
1993-94 |79,413.00
|62,479.00
|32,811.00
1994-95 |69,244.00
|42,125.00
|25,541.00
(c) These figures are based on individual claims rather than cases.
1992 93: £3,189.00
1993 94: £2,034.00
1994 95: £1,686.00
Equal Opportunities
Ms Corston: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he proposes to take to establish the policies, objectives and measurable targets relating to (a) women's economic opportunities and (b) women's access to productive resources contained in article 26e of the programme for action agreed at the world summit for social development in Copenhagen. [22269]
Miss Widdecombe: I have been asked to reply.
The United Kingdom's report for the United Nations fourth world conference on women, produced in October 1994, details key achievements and priorities for action in a range of areas of particular interest to women. A copy is available in the Library.
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OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
RMS St. Helena
Sir David Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will extend the remit of the consultants reviewing the sailing schedule of RMS St. Helena to include all forms of passenger linkage to the island and their potential. [22012]
Mr. Baldry: No. The consultants were required to focus on the specific issue of a rescheduling of RMS St. Helena. This is a priority matter for the St. Helena Government because of the early improvement in access to the island which would result. The consultations draft report is currently under consideration.
Palestine
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Government will provide to the Palestine National Authority during 1995. [20420]
Mr. Baldry: We are committed to providing £82 million over three years from 1994 95 to support the Palestinian Authority and the peace process. This includes contributions through the European Union and other multilateral organisations, notably the United Nations relief and works agency. Our bilateral aid includes a £1.25 million project in support of the Palestinian police and a £5 million know-how programme announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in March. Our aid priorities are good government, finance and private enterprise, water, health and education.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Conflicts of Interest
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage on how many occasions during the last five years (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in his Department or its agencies have declared conflicts of interest; and how many instructions have been issued about their retention, disposal or management. [21390]
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 1 May 1995]: For the Department and agencies for which I am responsible, any conflict of interest involving civil servants will have been dealt with in accordance with established guidance.
My Department has existed for three years. It holds no central records on the number of occasions during that period that career civil servants have declared conflicts of interest.
In the same period, no special advisers in my Department have declared conflicts of interest.
PRIME MINISTER
Acts of Union
Rev. Ian Paisley: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list all the amendments which have been made to the Acts of Union between England and Scotland; and how many
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of these have affected Scottish law and how many English law; and in what way. [21411]The Prime Minister: The information requested can be obtained by an examination of the official revised edition of the "Statutes in Force" published by HMSO. This shows the Union with Scotland Act 1706, which was passed by the English Parliament, and the Union with England Act 1707, which was passed by the Scottish Parliament, revised to 1 February 1978, together with a note of all the repeals and amendments which have been made to those Acts until then. Cumulative supplements to the "Statutes in Force" were published until February 1991 but no amendments are shown to have been made to those Acts. Since then, information as to any further repeals or amendments to those Acts can be obtained by looking at the "Table on the Effect of Legislation" in part IV of each annual volume of the "Public General Acts", published by HMSO. This has recently been published for 1993 and shows a repeal of article XXII of the Union with Scotland Act 1706.
EDUCATION
Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proposals she has to promote the education of children affected by attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and if she will make a statement. [20550]
Mr. Forth: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 24 January 1995, Official Report, column 166 67.
GNVQ Courses
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many schools and colleges currently offer intermediate and advanced GNVQ courses in (a) health and social care, (b) leisure and tourism, (c) business, (d) art and design, (e) manufacturing, (f) science, (g) construction and the build environment, (h) hospitality and catering, (i) engineering, (j) information technology, (k) distribution, (l) media, communications and production and (m) management studies in each county in England and Wales; [21801]
(2) how many schools and colleges currently offer foundation GNVQ courses in (a) health and social care, (b) leisure and tourism, (c) business, (d) art and design, (e) manufacturing, (f) science, (g) construction and the built environment, (h) hospitality and catering, (i) engineering and (j) information technology in each county in England and Wales.
Mr. Boswell: It will take some time to gather this information. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Initial Teacher Training Report
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when she expects to publish the report on school centred initial teacher training and if she will place it in the Library immediately. [22190]
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Mr. Robin Squire: This is a matter for Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools, who heads the Office for Standards in Education. I have asked Mr. Chris Woodhead to write to the hon. Member.
Teachers
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what mechanisms her Department now uses to forecast the numbers of teachers needed over the next decade. [22191]
Mr. Robin Squire: The Department's targets for intakes to initial teacher training courses are based on supply and demand models which take account of a range of data, including the number and age of the existing teacher force, movements into and out of teaching, and demographic trends.
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what are the current figures for unfilled teaching posts. [22192]
Mr. Robin Squire: The latest figures for unfilled teaching posts in England--January 1994--are given in the table. Figures for teacher vacancies are not yet available for 1995.
D
|Vancancies
|Number of |percentage of
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Primary/Nursery |762 |0.4
Secondary |624 |0.4
|-------- |--------
Total |1,386 |0.4
<1> Advertised vacancies for full-time permanent appointments (or
appointments of at least one term's duration). Includes vacancies
being filled on a temporary basis.
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what over -capacity there currently is in teacher supply. [22193]
Mr. Robin Squire: There are currently some 365,000 qualified teachers under 55 in England who are not serving as full-time teachers in maintained nursery, primary or secondary schools. In terms of future supply, the Teacher Training Agency was advised in November 1994 of the Secretary of State's targets for initial teacher training for 1995 96 to 1997 98. These envisage an 11 per cent. increase in secondary targets over this period, but with a similar reduction in primary targets.
Mature Students
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what measures she is taking to assist mature students on teacher education courses who have difficulties with teaching practice arrangements. [22194]
Mr. Robin Squire: It is up to higher education institutions to make suitable arrangements for all their students to attend teaching practice. The Department has, however, recently funded the cost of developing a distance-learning postgraduate certificate of education course, run by the Open university, which should help students who have difficulties. My right hon. Friend has also established the Teacher Training Agency with a remit which includes improving the quality and efficiency of all routes into the teaching profession and promoting
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teaching as a career. One of the TTA's own published aims is to devise a strategy for increasing the diversity of routes into teaching in order to meet the varying needs of prospective teachers, by spring 1996.Teachers Pensions Agency
Mr. Trend: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what key performance targets she has set for the Teachers Pensions Agency in 1995 96. [22923]
Mr. Robin Squire: For 1995 96, the key performance targets for the Teachers Pensions Agency are:
a. To achieve an improvement in efficiency of 7.5 per cent. in the use of running cost resources within the agency's control; b. To process 97 per cent. of the applications for retirement awards by the payable date, or if later, then within 30 days of receipt of the application;
c. To meet the agreed accuracy target for pensions-related calculations;
d. To provide a substantive answer to 95 per cent. of written inquiries within 15 working days of their receipt;
e. To manage the programme agreed with the agency's clients for the collection and processing of service and salary data relating to teachers and to seek timely submission of that data.
Private Finance
Mr. Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what initiatives have been undertaken to secure private finance for her Department's projects. [22319]
Mr. Robin Squire: The Department does not have direct responsibility for education sector projects. Its role is to encourage the funding bodies, local education authorities and education institutions to take advantage of the private finance opportunities available.
The Department published its booklet, "Education means business", copies of which were placed in the Library. This booklet was sent to all maintained schools, colleges and universities as well as banks, accountancy firms, construction companies and other private sector enterprises that had expressed an interest in PFI.
On 23 March the Department, together with the Higher Education Funding Council for England, hosted a conference at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre about private finance in higher education. This very successful conference--at which my right hon. Friend gave the key note speech--was attended by representatives of higher education institutions and the private sector.
The Further Education Funding Council is now organising a similar conference for the further education sector in late September. For LEAs, the Department is organising a series of seminars to discuss barriers to private finance and ways by which they might be overcome, and visiting a number of individual authorities. One of the most significant steps that we are taking to secure private finance in the grant-maintained sector is to remove the barrier to commercial borrowing.
In addition to the action that the Department is undertaking, the HEFCE has published its own booklet entitled, "Private Investment in higher education". Copies will be placed in the Library. The FEFC is to publish a booklet about private finance in the further education sector.
Column 233
Mr. Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many staff at her Department are employed (a) full time and (b) part time on projects undertaken to secure private finance for her Department's projects. [22321]
Mr. Robin Squire: The Department has a dedicated private finance unit employing six staff on a part-time basis. Staff in the individual higher education, further education and schools policy branches also work on a part-time basis to encourage private finance in their specialist areas and the information branch includes the private finance initiative within its portfolio.
Mr. Simpson: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Education what percentage of her Department's budget is allocated to initiatives which have been undertaken to secure private finance for her Department's projects. [22320]
Mr. Robin Squire: None. The Department does not have direct responsibility for education sector projects. Its role in the private finance initiative is to encourage the funding bodies, LEAs and institutions to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the initiative. The resources required relate mainly to hospitality and travelling and are a tiny percentage of the Department's budget. For the 1994 95 financial year, about £101,000 was spent on the preparation and printing of the booklet, "Education means business".
Medical Students
Mr. Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when she next proposes to meet the British Medical Association to discuss the concerns of students in relation to grants for courses in medical training. [22108]
Mr. Boswell: My right hon. Friend has no plans to meet the British Medical Association. She is aware of the arguments currently being advanced by the BMA medical students committee, and has corresponded with it about them.
Information Products
Mr. Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what has been the total cost of information products produced and distributed by her Department in (a) 1994 95, (b) 1993 94 and (c) 1992 93; and what is her proposed budget for 1995 96. [22322]
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