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Excess winter mortality, England and Wales Period |Excess winter deaths|Percentage ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1984-85 |42,278 |26.5 1985-86 |49,446 |27.7 1986-87 |26,449 |14.9 1987-88 |33,098 |18.4 1988-89 |21,235 |11.8 1989-90 |47,083 |26.3 1990-91 |37,845 |21.5 1991-92 |24,845 |19.9 1992-93 |25,656 |14.5 1993-94 |25,890 |14.2
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the success or otherwise of the private finance initiative in hospital capital works; and if he will make a statement. [37569]
Mr. Sackville: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Dulwich (Ms Jowell) on 16 October and to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Attercliffe (Mr. Betts) on 28 June at col 594 .
Read Codes
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will give details of the tendering procedure for the contract for the development of a Read codes system to apply to the national health service; what business case was presented before signing the contract; and if he will list any significant revisions to the contract subsequent to signing it; [37570]
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(2) if the arrangements for the contract awarded to Loughborough university for the development of Read codes and its application to the national health service complied with European Commission rules on public sector tendering; whether variations in the conventional departmental and Treasury rules were required in the placing of the contract; and if he will give the value of the contract in year 1 and prospectively in years 2 and 3; [37571](3) if he will make a statement on the development contract for the introduction of Read codes as the basis for computerised coding in the national health service. [37572]
Mr. Sackville: In 1990 all rights to Read codes were purchased on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health from their inventor Dr. James Read. The purchase price was independently assessed at the time by experts from Hambros Bank Ltd. Further development of the codes was then given to the national health service for coding and classification, an NHS body located in Loughborough which was created for the purpose and is a part of the NHS Executive. There has therefore never been a development contract with Loughborough university or any other body and the questions of tendering and associated procedures do not apply.
Breast Cancer
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Government intend to respond to the third report of the Health Committee on Breast Cancer Services, HC 324; and if he will make a statement. [38327]
Mr. Sackville: Copies of the Government's response to the Health Committee's third report on Breast Cancer Services have been laid before the House today. I warmly welcome the Committee's report, particularly its commendation of the achievements of the national health service breast screening programme and its support for the new strategic framework for the development of cancer services.
WALES
Modern Apprenticeships
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people under the modern manufacturing apprenticeships scheme enjoy employed status. [37020]
Mr. Richards: A total of 498 young people started modern apprenticeships in manufacturing engineering in Wales in 1994 95. Of these, 473 or 95 per cent. now have employed status.
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are in receipt of a bursary under the modern manufacturing apprenticeship scheme and what proportion this is of the total number of such apprenticeships. [37019]
Mr. Richards: A total of 498 young people started modern apprenticeships in manufacturing engineering in Wales in 1994 95. Of these, 188 or 37.75 per cent., were in receipt of a bursary. All but a few have completed their first year of training and are now in employment. Figures for the 1995 96 apprentice intake are not yet available.
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Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total Government expenditure to date upon the modern manufacturing apprenticeship scheme. [37023]
Mr. Richards: Modern apprenticeships in manufacturing engineering were introduced in Wales in 1994 95. Total Government expenditure, through Welsh training and enterprise councils, in support of modern apprenticeships in 1994 95 was £9.5 million.
Rates of Pay
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate his Department has made of the average hourly rate of pay for men employed in manufacturing (a) in Mid Glamorgan and (b) in Wales; and what percentage these represent of the United Kingdom average. [37244]
Mr. Richards: The available information covers Great Britain only and is shown in the following table:
Average hourly earnings of full-time men in manufacturing<1>: 1994
|Average hourly
|earnings excluding|Per cent. of GB
|overtime (pence) |average
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mid Glamorgan |677 |83.4
Wales |752 |92.6
Great Britain |812 |100.0
Source:
New Earnings Survey.
<1> At April, full-time men on adult rates whose pay was not affected by
absence.
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate his Department has made of the average hourly rate of pay in food retailing in (a) Mid Glamorgan and (b) Wales; and what percentage these represent of the United Kingdom average. [37245]
Mr. Richards: Reliable estimates are not available.
Residential Homes
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales; (1) what estimate his Department has made of the number of complaints made about care in (a) residential and (b) nursing homes last year. [37011]
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the number of care assistants in residential homes that have nursing
qualifications; [37016]
(3) what estimate his Department has made of the average gross and net profits made by private residential and nursing homes. [37017]
Mr. Richards: The information requested is not held centrally.
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate his Department has of the number of residential homes and nursing homes in Wales. [37014]
Mr. Richards: There were 681 residential care homes and 391 private nursing homes open on 31 March 1994.
Unemployment
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many men are currently out of work in Wales: how
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many of these have been unemployed for more than (a) six months and (b) 12 months and what percentages these are of the total numbers out of work; and what were the equivalent figures in 1979. [37403]Mr. Richards: The number of men on the claimant unemployment count, not seasonally adjusted, in Wales at August 1995 was 83,118. The latest figures by duration of unemployment are for July 1995, when 46,007 men on the claimant count in Wales had been unemployed for more than six months and 30,167 had been unemployed for more than 12 months, representing 55 per cent. and 36 per cent. respectively of all men on the claimant count. Equivalent figures for 1979 are not available.
Student Grants
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the estimated average value of a maintenance grant for students in local further education made by each county council in Wales last year. [37217]
Mr. Richards: The information requested is in the following table.
Average Discretionary Awards made for maintenance to
students
in further education in Welsh LEAs for 1993-94
LEA |Average award per
|recipient
|£
------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |250
Dyfed |590
Gwent |550
Gwynedd |220
Mid Glamorgan |370
Powys |660
South Glamorgan |70
West Glamorgan |550
Wales Total<1> |350
Note:
<1> Wales total has been grossed to compensate for
partial returns. Average figures have been rounded to
the nearest £10.
Source:
F503G.
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many maintenance grants have been awarded in each county to assist students in local further education during each of the last three years. [37216]
Mr. Richards: The information requested is in the following table:
Total number of discretionary awards made to students in further education by Welsh LEAS LEA |1991-92|1992-93|1993-94 ------------------------------------------------ Clwyd |2,240 |3,090 |1,860 Dyfed |1,980 |1,600 |990 Gwent |70 |4,460 |4,510 Gwynedd |3,020 |3,200 |3,210 Mid Glamorgan |4,500 |4,950 |3,570 Powys |780 |410 |630 South Glamorgan |390 |2,630 |3,550 West Glamorgan |430 |280 |890 Wales Total<1> |13,400 |20,610 |19,210 <1> Wales total has been grossed to compensate for partial returns. Source: F503G.
Training Expenditure
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his Department has spent on youth training and adult training in (a) 1993, (b) 1994 and (c) 1995. [37057]
Mr. Richards: The information requested for the financial years 1992 93 to 1994 95 is as follows:
£000's
|Youth training
|including youth
|credits |Adult training<1>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1992-93 |39,408 |53,508
1993-94 |40,424 |54,854
1994-95 |42,683 |63,981
Note:
Comparable information for 1995-96 will not be available until the
Appropriation Accounts are completed next year.
<1>Employment training and employment action was replaced by training
for work in April 1993.
Source:
Appropriation accounts.
Training and Enterprise Councils
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of each Welsh TEC's budget is spent on training unemployed (a) adults and (b) 16 and 17-year-olds. [37056]
Mr. Richards: The percentage of each Welsh TEC's budget spent on training unemployed adults during 1994 95 financial year is shown in the following table. The figures include trainees who were without jobs prior to the start of their training but who acquired employed status on or during the course of that training. Comparable information for 16 and 17- year-olds is not available separately and is therefore provided for those young people, within the 16 to 24 age group who are eligible for youth training.
Percentage of welsh TEC budgets spent on training
unemployed
during 1994-95
|(b) 16 to
|(a) Adults |24-year-olds
Gwent |24 per cent.|36 per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------
Mid Glamorgan |23 per cent.|38 per cent.
North East Wales |16 per cent.|39 per cent.
Powys |15 per cent.|32 per cent.
South Glamorgan |24 per cent.|35 per cent.
Targed |20 per cent.|35 per cent.
West Wales |22 per cent.|36 per cent.
Training for Work
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list comparative figures on the number of adults entering training for work programmes for (a) 1993, (b) 1994 and (c) 1995 to date. [37306]
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Mr. Richards: The information requested, by financial year, is as follows:
Training for Work
|Starts
-------------------------
1993-94 |18,995
1994-95 |19,439
1995-96<1> |5,072
<1>To 10 September
Source:
TEC Management
Information.
Cardiff Bay Opera House Trust
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date his Department first received representations in relation to the acquisition of land from Associated British Ports for the purposes of constructing the proposed Cardiff Bay opera house; on what date representations were received with particular reference to potential conflicts of interest; on what date the Cardiff Bay Opera House Trust transaction with Associated British Ports was completed; and on what date the conflict of interest issue was resolved. [35234]
Mr. Hague [pursuant to his answer, 18 July 1995, c. 1200-1]: I regret that there was an error in the original reply. The reference to the Cardiff Bay development corporation was incorrect and should have read the Cardiff Bay Opera House Trust. The parties to the heads of agreement were the Cardiff Bay Opera House Trust and Associated British Ports.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Intervention Board
Mr. Congdon: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to publish a revised framework document for the Intervention Board executive agency. [38031]
Mr. Douglas Hogg: I am pleased to say that a revised policy and resources framework document for 1995 has been published and copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Agriculture Council
Mr. Congdon: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 25 September and if he will make a statement. [38030]
Mr. Douglas Hogg: At this meeting, the Council set the rate of rotational set-aside for arable crops to be harvested in 1996 at 10 per cent. It also set the rate for non-rotational set-aside at the same level. This compares with 1995 rates of 12 per cent. and 17 per cent.--12 per cent. and 15 per cent. in the United Kingdom--for the two types of set- aside respectively. The decision was taken by qualified majority vote, with Portugal voting against.
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The decision is a good compromise between the aim of ensuring adequate supplies and avoiding a renewed build up of stocks with a risk of increased budgetary costs. A single set-aside rate will make the scheme simpler for farmers which I welcome as wholly in keeping with my desire for greater deregulation.At my insistence, the Commission has promised, for the current marketing year as well as for 1996 97, to manage the market so as to ensure that cereals market prices are consistent with the aims of the 1992 reforms, and that priority in supply is given to consumers within the European Union in particular livestock farmers. I intend to make sure this undertaking is properly fulfilled.
The Council also adopted a directive which will impose licensing and registration arrangements on manufacturers and users of a range of non- medicinal additives in animal feed. I voted against, on the grounds that no adequate justification has been given, in terms of risk to animal or human health, for introducing these requirements. The Council had an initial exchange of views on the Commission's proposals for changes to the support system for rice.
The meeting was joined for part of the time by nine Ministers of Agriculture from the countries of central and eastern Europe, including the Baltic states. These Ministers explained the aims of their existing agriculture policies and their expectations for the development of their farm sectors, as well as their views on the common agricultural policy in the light of their hopes for the eventual accession of their countries to the European Union.
Cropping Systems
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the letter of the Minister of State, 1349, of 30 June, if he will make a statement on the purpose of the less intensive farming and environmental project of non-intensive farming and the environment, SCARAB or pesticides and TALISMANS on the economic and agronomic effects of reduced input systems. [37278]
Mr. Boswell: SCARAB--seeking confirmation about results at Boxworth- -and TALISMAN--towards a low input system minimising agrochemicals--and agrochemicals nitrogen--are complementary projects designed to determine whether the conclusions of the earlier Boxworth project of 1981 to 1988 are valid for different soils and crop rotations. These projects seek to compare the environmental, economic and agronomic effects, including yield penalties, of adopting cropping systems which use lower inputs of agrochemicals than conventional cropping systems. SCARAB focuses on environmental and ecological effects of pesticide applications on non- target invertebrates and soil micro-organisms, whereas TALISMAN primarily seeks to measure economic effects.
The less intensive farming and environmental research project--LIFE--aims to provide fundamental information on the effects, interactions and ecological implications of an integrated farming systems approach and to develop less intensive systems which are economically and ecologically sound and sustainable in the long-term.
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Farm Sizes
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the number of farms of the size (a) 1 25 hectares, (b) 26 50 hectares, (c) 51 75 hectares, (d) 76 100 hectares, (e) 101 150 hectares, (f) 151 200 hectares and (g) 201 or more hectares for (i) the last available year and (ii) 1985. [36433]
Mr. Ancram: The information is given in the table:
|1994
Number of farms of |1985 |(hectares)
size (hectares)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Less than 26 |19,272 |15,353
26-50.9 |8,083 |7,324
51-75.9 |2,762 |3,059
76-100.9 |1,102 |1,222
101-150.9 |757 |931
151-200.9 |235 |264
201 and over |215 |251
All farms |32,426 |28,404
Children (Northern Ireland) Order
Rev. Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the reasons for the delay in bringing the Children (Northern Ireland) Order into force; and if he will make a statement. [37317]
Mr. Moss: I do not recognise that there will be any unnecessary delay in implementing the Children Order. As I told the House during the debate on the draft order on 8 February at column 427 we envisaged the order coming into operation during the 1996 97 financial year. It has been agreed with all agencies involved that the new legislation will come into operation in October 1996. Substantial preparatory work is necessary across all the statutory and voluntary agencies involved. This work, which includes the training of staff in a wide range of disciplines, the creation of a guardian ad litem service and the preparation of a considerable volume of regulations, guidance and court rules, is proceeding according to plan.
Working Mothers
Rev. Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he made to the Secretary of State for Employment seeking a Northern Ireland input to the publication, "Mothers in Employment"; what was the response; and if he will make a statement. [37314]
Mr. Ancram: None. The former Department of the Employment took responsibility for providing input on behalf of the Government. I have nothing to add to those inputs or to the Government's final response which was also prepared by the Department of Employment.
Rev. Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what considerations underlie the differential in treatment of working mothers between Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom mainland. [37316]
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Mr. Ancram: The reason why there are some differentials in administration and implementation is because of different financial priorities and organisational arrangements. There is, however, no differential in either legal provision or general policy.
Compensation Agency
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what date the revised framework document and the corporate and business plans for the Compensation Agency were published.
Sir John Wheeler: The documents were published on 2 August 1995. The framework document takes account of the recent triennial review of that agency. The prior options study, completed as part of the review, recommended that the agency should retain agency status from 1 April 1995. An evaluation of the agency which was also carried out under the review confirmed that the agency has been a success, realising benefits for both the public and Government. Copies of the framework document and evaluation report and of the agency's corporate and business plans have been placed in the Library.
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Nursery Education
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on the progress of her plans for nursery education for four-year-olds. [36841]
Mr. Robin Squire: It was announced yesterday that phase 1 of the pre -school education voucher scheme would take place in Wandsworth, Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea.
My right hon. Friend is currently consulting on various elements of the new pre-school education voucher scheme. She will publish detailed proposals for implementation of the new scheme later in the year, after considering consultation responses.
Around 160 companies expressed interest in administering the voucher scheme. A shortlist of companies have been invited to tender for the contract, and the contractor will be appointed around the end of October.
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the approximate additional cost for places per year for any local education authority entering the original pilot scheme for nursery school vouchers; which authorities have made firm applications to participate; and what are the net additional costs or financial benefits to each such authority. [37226]
Mr. Rooker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on recent progress in respect of implementing her policy of vouchers for pre-school nursery education; and if she will list participating local education authorities indicating in each case their political control. [37065]
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Mr. Robin Squire: My right hon. Friend is currently consulting on various elements of the new pre-school education voucher scheme. She will publish detailed proposals for implementation of the new scheme later in the year, after considering consultation responses. It was announced yesterday that the local education authorities participating in phase 1 of the voucher scheme will be Wandsworth, Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea. These are all
Conservative-controlled authorities.
The additional costs or financial benefit to each authority will depend on the level at which it currently funds places, decisions on the provision of new places in maintained schools and the operation of parental choice.
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her oral statement of 6 July, Official Report , columns 517-19, if additional funding, above the value of the voucher, will be provided for children defined as at risk under the Children Act 1989. [36180]
Mr. Robin Squire: It will be for local authorities to continue to spend resources in addition to the value of the voucher on children defined as at risk under the Children Act 1989.
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her oral statement of 6 July, Official Report , columns 517-19, where responsibility for planning the provision of pre- school places for all four year olds will rest. [36171]
Mr. Robin Squire: Pre-school places for four year olds will be provided by the maintained, private and voluntary sectors in response to parental demand expressed through the vouchers parents will receive.
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her oral statement of 6 July, Official Report, columns 517 19, how she envisages that parents will make an informed choice between the providers available locally. [36153]
Mr. Robin Squire: Parents will be able to obtain information about all providers in their locality. To be eligible to redeem pre-school education vouchers, each institution will be required to publish information about its activities, which will allow parents to make an informed choice.
Surplus Places, Liverpool
Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much capital allocation has been given to Liverpool city council since 1985 to remove surplus places in schools. [36438]
Mr. Robin Squire: This information is available only for the period from April 1990. Over that period, Liverpool education authority has been allocated some £12 million in annual capital guidelines for the removal of surplus places in its schools. A further £9 million in grant aid, representing 85 per cent. of governors' costs, has been approved for the removal of surplus places in voluntary aided schools. The total amount is therefore £21 million.
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Standard Spending Assessments
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list each county's standard assessment funding per primary school pupil and per secondary school pupil and the average of all English and Welsh counties for this financial year. [36767]
Mr. Robin Squire: The allocations per pupil for the 1995 96 education standard spending assessment for each English county, and the average allocation of all English counties, are set out in the table. There are no standard spending assessments for education in Wales, where county councils' SSAs include provision for education.
Unit SSA allocations 1995-96
£
|Primary |Secondary
County |per 5-10 pupil |per 11-15 pupil
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Avon |1,838 |2,460
Bedfordshire |1,995 |2,664
Berkshire |1,988 |2,664
Buckinghamshire |1,966 |2,630
Cambridgeshire |1,876 |2,508
Cheshire |1,817 |2,408
Cleveland |1,940 |2,589
Cornwall |1,893 |2,522
Cumbria |1,856 |2,470
Derbyshire |1,812 |2,415
Devon |1,879 |2,506
Dorset |1,833 |2,440
Durham |1,884 |2,512
East Sussex |2,000 |2,672
Essex |1,989 |2,647
Gloucestershire |1,836 |2,435
Hampshire |1,930 |2,575
Hereford and Worcester |1,827 |2,439
Hertfordshire |2,010 |2,663
Humberside |1,891 |2,509
Isle of Wight |2,016 |2,696
Kent |1,968 |2,620
Lancashire |1,877 |2,502
Leicestershire |1,864 |2,483
Lincolnshire |1,873 |2,483
Norfolk |1,881 |2,508
North Yorkshire |1,827 |2,422
Northamptonshire |1,836 |2,448
Northumberland |1,825 |2,421
Nottinghamshire |1,883 |2,506
Oxfordshire |1,933 |2,575
Shropshire |1,862 |2,479
Somerset |1,846 |2,489
Staffordshire |1,805 |2,398
Suffolk |1,820 |2,422
Surrey |1,998 |2,679
Warwickshire |1,822 |2,433
West Sussex |1,932 |2,571
Wiltshire |1,835 |2,451
Average for English
Shire Counties |1,895 |2,525
Surplus Places
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask (1) the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if she will list the proportion of school places in each English and Welsh county that her Department has identified as surplus in each of the last three years in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools; [36775]
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(2) if she will list the proportion of surplus school places in each English and Welsh county in the last three financial years in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools. [36770]Mrs. Gillan: The most recent figures available for England are in respect of the position in January 1994. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my hon. Friend gave the hon. Member for St. Ives (Mr. Harris) on 9 December 1994, Official Report, column 410 14, which gave for each local education authority the total number of unfilled places in schools where the number of places is greater than the number of pupils. Figures from the 1995 survey are currently being processed.
Matters in Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
School Budgets
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of funding has been delegated to the schools budget in this financial year in each English and Welsh county. [36769]
Mr. Robin Squire: The table shows the percentage of the potential schools budget delegated to schools in 1995 96 by each county local education authority in England. The funding of schools in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
|PSB delegated
Local Education |per cent.
Authority
-------------------------------------------------------
Avon |88.1
Bedfordshire |91.2
Berkshire |93.1
Buckinghamshire |88.4
Cambridgeshire |89.3
Cheshire |90.9
Cleveland |89.4
Cornwall |89.0
Cumbria |91.8
Derbyshire |89.3
Devon |91.9
Dorset |89.7
Durham |88.5
East Sussex |88.9
Essex |89.0
Gloucestershire |91.1
Hampshire |88.6
Hereford and Worcester |90.8
Hertfordshire |94.1
Humberside |88.7
Isle of Wight |90.2
Isles of Scilly |85.1
Kent |87.5
Lancashire |87.7
Leicestershire |88.4
Lincolnshire |89.5
Norfolk |91.4
North Yorkshire |89.8
Northamptonshire |92.9
Northumberland |90.8
Nottinghamshire |88.8
Oxfordshire |91.6
Shropshire |88.2
Somerset |91.1
Staffordshire |92.8
Suffolk |90.6
Surrey |89.8
Warwickshire |88.4
West Sussex |88.9
Wiltshire |89.6
Complaints
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement about the rights of individual members of the public to make complaints to any of the appropriate ombudsmen about services or projects funded through the private finance initiative in her Department. [36834]
Mr. Robin Squire: The Parliamentary Ombudsman has, subject to the conditions of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967, jurisdiction to investigate complaints from members of the public about the way in which they have been treated by Government Departments, other public sector bodies engaged in the work of central Government and those acting on their behalf. The ombudsman can investigate complaints about projects or services funded through the private finance initiative if they are carried out by or on behalf of a Department or public body within his jurisdiction--that is, those bodies listed in schedule 2 to the 1967 Act. The Department for Education and Employment falls within the scope of schedule 2, as does the Education Assets Board and the Office for Standards in Education. I should stress that projects or services funded by the private finance initiative at individual universities, colleges and schools are unlikely to fall into the category of projects or services carried out by or on behalf of the DFEE, and therefore the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration has no role in relation to complaints about them.
Under section 25 of the Local Government Act 1974, the Local Commissioner for Administration may investigate complaints about local authorities and those acting on their behalf. The local ombudsman can therefore investigate complaints about projects or services funded through the private finance initiative if they are carried out by or on behalf of a local education authority in the exercise of its administrative functions.
Training Programmes
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what plans she has to relax the eligibility rule for entry into Government-funded training and jobsearch programmes in (a) Mid- Glamorgan, (b) Merthyr and (c) Rhymney; [37054] (2) how many entrants to the job club programmes in Wales have entered employment in each year since the programme began; [37052] (3) how many entrants to the job club programme in each district of Wales entered employment last year. [37053]
Mr. Forth: Responsibility for the subject of the questions has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Column 293
Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Ted Rowlands, dated 18 October 1995:The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about Government funded training and Jobsearch programmes and Jobclub performance in Wales.
There are no plans to relax the eligibility rules for entry into Government funded training and Jobsearch programmes.
The information on Jobclub entrants who have entered employment since the programme began in 1987 is contained in the attached table 1.
The information on Jobclub entrants entering employment in each district in Wales in the last financial year is contained in table 2.
I hope this is helpful.
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