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Nursery Education
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of three and four year-olds currently receive state nursery education; and what are the equivalent figures for France and Germany. [6284]
Mr. Robin Squire: International comparisons of participation in education by young children are difficult to make because of the need to ensure consistent definition across countries. The latest available information on three and four-year-olds participating in public and private education is shown in the following table. Separate participation rates for state nursery education only are not available.
| 3 and 4 year-olds Per cent. | |
|---|---|
| France | 100 |
| Former West Germany | 49 |
| United Kingdom | (34)53 |
Source: Education Statistics for the United Kingdom, 1995 edition, HMSO. Education at a Glance, OECD, 1995. Notes:
(33) Pupils aged 3 and 4 as a percentage of the population aged 3 and 4.
(34) Fifty seven in 1995.
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment she has made of the educational benefit a child receives from nursery education. [6285]
Mr. Squire: There is a widespread acknowledgement, based on evidence from research studies in the United States and this country, that children benefit from good quality nursery education in primary education and beyond.
Illegal Immigrants
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate she has made of the cost to the Employment Service of implementing the proposed sanctions against employing illegal immigrants. [6286]
Mr. Forth: The provisions of the Asylum and Immigration Bill and the related Home Office consultation document on the prevention of illegal working do not propose additional functions or duties for the Employment Service.
Small Firms
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what has been the outcome of her Department's review of measures taken to facilitate small firms' access to appropriate areas of Government procurement in the light of best practice. [6660]
Mr. Paice: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade today.
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Mrs. Ann Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make it her policy to abolish the Equal Opportunities Commission. [6807]
Mrs. Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many members currently serve on the Equal Opportunities Commission; and how many of these are (a) men and (b) women. [6803]
Mrs. Gillan:
At present, there are 11 commissioners. Eight are women and three are men.
Mrs. Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many and what percentage of the employees of the Equal Opportunities Commission are (a) male and (b) female. [6801]
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Mrs. Gillan:
A total of 30--17.6 per cent.--of the commission's employees are men and 140--82.4 per cent.--are women.
Mrs. Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the total level of public funding for the Equal Opportunities Commission in (a) the current and (b) the next financial year. [6805]
Mrs. Gillan:
The Equal Opportunities Commission's grant in aid for 1995-96 is £6,156,000. In 1996-97 grant in aid is £5,820,650.
Mrs. Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the individuals who currently serve on the Equal Opportunities Commission, indicating in each case the date and duration of their appointment, together with any other relevant positions which they hold, and the basis of the experience or qualification on which that appointment was made. [6804]
Mrs. Gillan:
The information is set out in the following table:
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| Name | Other relevant positions | Date appointed | Appointment expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kamlesh Bahl | Consultant; Lawyer | 14 June 1993 | 13 June 1996 |
| Diane Brittan | Chair, Community Industry; Deputy Chair, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority | 1 January 1988 | 31 December 1996 |
| Joan Stringer | Assistant Principal, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, member of the Higher Education Quality Council | 18 April 1995 | 17 April 1998 |
| Robert Fleeman | Director, Fleeman Cooper and Smaller Businesses Advisory Services Ltd; Industrial Tribunal member | 1 December 1994 | 30 November 1997 |
| Richard Grayson | Retired BP Company Secretary; member CBI Companies Committee | 1 December 1994 | 30 November 1997 |
| Noreen Bray | Director, Good Relations Ltd | 1 September 1990 | 31 August 1996 |
| Cecilia Wells | Consultant in Human Resource Management | 1 January 1991 | 31 December 1996 |
| Anne Gibson | National Officer, Union for Manufacturing, Science and Finance | 1 May 1991 | 30 April 1997 |
| Mary Berg | Industrial Economist | 13 June 1994 | 12 June 1997 |
| Peter Smith | General Secretary, Association of Teachers and Lecturers | 13 June 1994 | 12 June 1997 |
| Elizabeth Symons | General Secretary, Association of First Division Civil Servants; member of the Employment Appeal Tribunal | 1 November 1995 | 31 October 1998 |
Appointments are made by the Secretary of State on the basis of a candidate's overall fitness to serve a Commissioner.
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Mrs. Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment to what extent the Equal Opportunities Commission operates an equal opportunities policy; and to what extent the employee gender profile is taken into account in this matter. [6802]
Mrs. Gillan: The Equal Opportunities Commission operates an equal opportunities policy and keeps it under review. An equal opportunity statement is placed in all advertisements for posts. The commission's recruitment practices are designed to ensure that no groups are unfairly excluded from applying for posts and that appointments are made solely on merit.
Mrs. Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many cases in the last year for which figures are available were brought or supported by the Equal Opportunities Commission in which discrimination was alleged against (a) women and (b) men. [6806]
Mrs. Gillan: In 1995 the Equal Opportunities Commission brought or supported 94 cases, of which 82 alleged discrimination against women and 12 alleged discrimination against men.
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DEFENCE
Boarding School Allowance
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Service Children's Education Authority to complete its review of whether the Quantock school, Taunton, is suitable to remain on the MOD admissible schools list. [6178]
Mr. Soames: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 11 December 1995, Official Report, column 478-79). It is expected that the review of the pastoral care at Quantock school by the Service Children's Education Authority will be completed by 31 March 1996.
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 11 December, what plans he has to bring to the attention of parents of children who benefit from the boarding school allowance the observation of the Service Children's Education Authority regarding the pastoral arrangements of Quantock school, Taunton. [6199]
Mr. Soames: SCEA provides on request an advisory service to all service parents on boarding school provision
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in the United Kingdom. In the case of Quantock school, Taunton, SCEA will continue to provide a similar service. The final choice of school, however, is a matter of parental choice.
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much each school on the MOD admissible schools list received from the service boarding school allowance. [6179]
Mr. Soames: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Batus, Canada
Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of (a) fatalities and (b) serious injuries which have occurred at Batus, Suffield, Canada, for each year since 1972; and if he will state the cause in each case. [4932]
Mr. Soames [holding answer 11 December 1995]: The information requested is as follows:
| Year | Numbers | Cause of death |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 1 | 1 RTA |
| 1973 | Nil | -- |
| 1974 | 3 | 3 RTAs |
| 1975 | 1 | Drowned on Exercise |
| 1976 | 2 | 1 stepped in front of a vehicle, 1 scout car overturned |
| 1977 | 2 | 1 inhalation of vomit, 1 RTA |
| 1978 | 2 | 1 RTA; 1 accident on adventure training |
| 1979 | 1 | Crushed in Tank |
| 1980 | 3 | 1 Collision Tank/scout car; 1 struck by lightning; 1 drowned on adventure training |
| 1981 | Nil | -- |
| 1982 | 2 | 1 GSW on exercise; 1 helicopter crash |
| 1983 | 1 | Training explosion |
| 1984 | 1 | Helicopter crash |
| 1985 | Nil | -- |
| 1986 | Nil | -- |
| 1987 | 3 | 2 RTAs; 1 killed by debris from helicopter crash |
| 1988 | 1 | RTA |
| 1989 | Nil | -- |
| 1990 | Nil | -- |
| 1991 | Nil | -- |
| 1992 | 1 | Crushed between two vehicles |
| 1993 | 1 | Accident with warrior armoured fighting vehicle |
| 1994 | 5 | 1 Collision with warrior/landrover; 2 buried in trench; 1 run over by warrior; 1 GSW on exercise |
| 1995 | Nil | -- |
| Year | Total injured | Numbers and details |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 15 | 1 eye injury; 14 shrapnel wounds |
| 1973 | 1 | RTA soldier hit by car |
| 1974 | 6 | 1 trapped by vehicles; 2 ammo explosions 1 rocket launcher explosion 2 fire in Tank |
| 1975 | Nil | |
| 1976 | 1 | ammo explosion |
| 1977 | 2 | 1 smoke grenade explosion; 1 RTA |
| 1978 | Nil | |
| 1979 | 1 | ammo explosion |
| 1980 | 1 | breach explosion |
| 1981 | 2 | 2 ammo explosion |
| 1982 | Nil | |
| 1983 | 1 | ammo explosion |
| 1984 | 2 | explosion in landrover |
| 1985 | 7 | 4 ammo explosions; 2 RTAs; 1 GSW |
| 1986 | 4 | 2 RTAs; 1 ammo explosion; 1 back blast |
| 1987 | 4 | 3 RTAs; 1 ammo explosion |
| 1988 | 2 | ammo explosions |
| 1989 | 8 | 3 GSWs; 1 vehicle fire; 3 ammo explosions 1 laser beam injury |
| 1990 | Nil | |
| 1991 | 1 | ammo explosion |
| 1992 | 5 | 4 ammo explosions; 1 mortar incident |
| 1993 | 4 | 3 ammo explosions; 1 tank barrel in face |
| 1994 | 2 | 2 GSW |
| 1995 | Nil | |
RTA = Road Traffic accident. GSW = Gun shot wound.
18 Dec 1995 : Column: 982
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