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Teachers' Pensions
Sir Richard Body: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what was the total amount paid in pension contributions (a) by employers of teachers in the public sector and (b) by teachers; [14810]
- (2) if she will estimate the cost of the pensions of teachers in the public sector for the current year. [14790]
Mr. Robin Squire: The total amounts paid in pension contributions to the teachers' superannuation scheme during 1994-95 were £971,009,000 by teachers' employers and £687,743,000 by teachers. The cost of pensions for teachers in the teachers' superannuation scheme, as measured by the most recent approved estimate for gross expenditure for 1995-96 on the teachers' superannuation vote is £2,952,145,000.
Access to Work
Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations she has had on the decision to limit the access to work scheme announced in her answer on 14 December, Official Report, column 738; and if she will make a statement. [14137]
Mr. Paice: Since the announcement about access to work, made on 14 December by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, we have received requests for further clarification of the announcement; expressions of concern about the immediate measures taken and about the level of planned expenditure for 1996-97 and requests for information about the review of the programme and its future operation.
Nursery Inspectors
Mr. Milburn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has for nursery inspectors to be required to undergo police checks. [14771]
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Mr. Robin Squire:
Subject to parliamentary approval, it will be for Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools to recruit, train and register funded nursery education inspectors. This Department will agree with the chief inspector general criteria relating to suitability.
Mr. Barry Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what instructions jobcentre staff receive about reporting employers to the Equal Opportunities Commission when there has been no complaint of sex discrimination. [14501]
Mr. Forth:
Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Mike Fogden to Mr. Barry Field, dated 12 February 1996:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about what instructions Jobcentre staff receive about reporting employers to the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) when there has been no complaint of sex discrimination.
It may be helpful if I begin by explaining that both employers and the Employment Service (ES) are required to operate within the provisions of the Sex Discrimination Acts 1975 and 1986. Whilst doing all we can to help employers fill their vacancies, the ES is required to challenge any indication that an employer may be seeking to recruit unlawfully. In the first instance, my people would attempt to resolve the matter by explaining what the law requires and asking the employer to reconsider their recruitment practices. Where instances of this sort cannot be resolved by the ES in that way, details are referred to the EOC for their consideration.
I should also stress that my people at Jobcentres run the risk of being a party to discrimination if they display a vacancy for an employer who has indicated they intend unlawfully to discriminate against a job applicant. This position is not affected by the absence of a complaint by a jobseeker.
I hope this helps to clarify the position.
Joint Service Command and Staff College
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what (a) was his original estimate and (b) is his current estimate of the total cost of locating the new joint service command and staff college at Camberley; [14421]
- (2) when his Department concluded that the works programme for the new joint service command and staff college would be delayed; and what reasons were given; [14422]
(3) what studies his Department has commissioned to investigate the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of locating the new joint service command and staff college at Camberley; from whom; and at what cost; [14423]
(4) if he has commissioned studies investigating the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of locating the new joint service command and staff college elsewhere than Camberley; from whom; and at what cost; [14424]
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(5) what is his estimate of the financial involvement expected from the private sector in the provision of accommodation and services for the new joint service command and staff college; [14425]
(6) what sites in (i) Scotland, (ii) England and (iii) Wales he has examined as possible locations for the joint service command and staff college; [14426]
(7) how many proposals he has received for alternative locations for the joint service command and staff college; [14427]
(8) what is his estimate of the financial cost of the delay to the works programme for the new joint service command and staff college. [14428]
Mr. Soames [holding answer 9 February 1996]: My Department has examined in detail the Royal Naval college Greenwich, the Army staff college at Camberley and RAF Bracknell as potential locations for the joint service command and staff college.
The estimated cost of establishing a JSCSC at Camberley, which I placed in the Library of the House on 31 March 1995 following the consultation period, was £208 million over 25 years at net present value. Our current estimate of the costs, on a comparable basis, is some £239 million.
The increase in estimated cost is principally the result of an increase in student numbers--from 312 to 367 on the main course--IT and academic support. These changes would be applicable to the JSCSC irrespective of its location, so the conclusion that Camberley is the most cost-effective and appropriate of the sites examined remains robust.
By bringing to the project private sector skills and disciplines, we expect to make significant savings over the current estimate. No proposals exploring the feasibility of alternative locations for the JSCSC have yet been received, nor will we be able to estimate the financial involvement from the private sector until we have received expressions of interest, for which we will advertise shortly.
In September 1995, we received the initial report from the works project manager and subsequently concluded that the works programme for the JSCSC buildings could not realistically be completed by September 1997.
We have since commissioned work to examine how staff training would best be delivered until the main works programme is complete. We have examined Queen Elizabeth Park barracks at Guildford and the royal military academy Sandhurst as possible options for an interim site for the JSCSC as well as split site options, but work to date indicates that RAF Bracknell is likely to be the most appropriate and cost-effective temporary site.
There will be some additional costs in establishing the JSCSC at an interim site and I will publish these once the formal appraisal of the options is complete. It will, however, enable us to avoid delay in introducing this key change to officer training, and, on current evidence, is also likely to be significantly cheaper than running on the existing staff colleges.
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| Subject | Consultant | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| JSCSC options study locations for JSCSC | Building design partnership | 43 |
| Further investigations of Camberley site | Building design partnership | 10 |
| Detailed work to develop JSCSC proposals at Camberley | White Young (works project manager) | 328 |
| Site options within Camberley for junior college | Cecil Denny Heighton | 12 |
| Options for interim sites (not yet complete) | Campbell Reith Hill | (2)15 |
(2) Estimate.
Royal Flights
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give a breakdown of the sum spent by his Department on royal flights in civil aircraft in 1994-95. [14894]
Mr. Soames: The Ministry of Defence arranges commercial air travel for certain members of the royal family where such travel is made on official business and where a commercial aircraft would provide a more appropriate form of transport than a military aircraft. The details for 1994-95 are:
| Cost | ||
|---|---|---|
| Destination | £ | Member of the Royal Family |
| Brasilia | (3)27,545 | HRH The Prince of Wales |
| Zimbabwe | 23,245 | HRH The Princess of Wales |
| Geneva | (4)1,445 | HRH The Princess of Wales |
| Los Angeles and Hong Kong | 82,410 | HRH The Prince of Wales |
| Japan | (5)24,906 | HRH The Prince of Wales |
| Total | (6)160,000 | HRH The Princess of Wales |
(3) Relates to a visit made in an earlier financial year.
(4) Amount covers 2 separate visits.
(5) Amount covers the outward leg of the journey only. Payment for the return leg will fall in financial year 1995-96.
(6) Rounded to nearest £ thousand.
Mr. Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which members of the Government used the services of No. 32 (the Royal) Squadron in 1994-95 and the Queen's Flight in 1993-94. [14812]
Mr. Soames: The following members of the Government used the services of the Queen's Flight in financial years 1993-94 and 1994-95:
1993-94
Prime Minister;
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs;
Secretary of State for Defence;
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland;
Minister of State for Defence Procurement;
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence.
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 445
- 1994-95
Prime Minister;
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs;
Secretary of State for Defence;
Secretary of state for Northern Ireland;
Minister of State for the Armed Forces.
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