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Youth Training
Mr. Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is (a) the number and (b) the percentage of youth training trainees who currently have employed status. [21090]
Mr. Paice: As at December 1995, there were 284,500 on youth training in Great Britain. An estimated 54 per cent. had employed status.
Mr. Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people were on (a) youth training and youth credits and (b) modern apprenticeship schemes (i) on average for 1994-95 and (ii) at the last date for which figures are available. [21089]
Mr. Paice: On average in 1994-95, there were 278,000 people on youth training in Great Britain. In December 1995, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 284,500 people on YT in Great Britain.
As modern apprenticeship prototypes did not begin until September 1994, it is not possible to give an average figure for the full financial year 1994-95. However, on 7 April 1995 according to training and enterprise council estimates 1,393 people had started modern apprenticeships in the 17 prototype TECs in England.
In December 1995, the latest date for which figures are available, there were over 16,000 people on modern apprenticeships in Great Britain. However, the number is growing rapidly and there are currently estimated to be over 20,000 on modern apprenticeships.
Mr. Bradley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what sums from public funds are currently controlled by (a) TECs and (b) local enterprise companies. [21088]
Mr. Paice:
Training and enterprise council budgets on DFEE programmes for 1995-96 are £1,246 million for England. TECs also contract separately with other Government Departments such as the Department for Trade and Industry and the Department of the Environment. Funds controlled by TECs in Wales and LECs in Scotland are a matter for the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland.
Mr. Ashton:
To ask the Secretary of State for
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Education and Employment if she will make a statement on (i) the new criteria for work permits for foreign football players (a) when they first enter the country, (b) after the first full 12 months and set number of appearances and (c) on moving to another United Kingdom football club and (ii) the likely effect on extra work permits of the EC ruling on foreign players; and if she will meet the Football Association and the Professional Footballers Association in the near future to discuss the new situation and the outcome of the Bosman decision. [21260]
Mrs. Gillan:
The work permit criteria remain unchanged for foreign footballers when they first enter the country and where they are retained by their club after the first or successive season. Permits are normally issued only for current internationals. To qualify for extension of their work permits, footballers must normally play in approximately 75 per cent. of their club's first team games. The work permit criteria governing transfer to another club have been revised to allow players who are current internationals one work permit transfer to a new club regardless of the number of first team appearances they have made for their existing club. Thereafter, to qualify for a further permit they will again normally be expected to play in approximately 75 per cent. of first team games.
The Department consulted the football bodies about the revised criteria. The decision of the European Court of Justice in the Bosman case concerns transfer fees and rules operated by the sporting bodies. It does not affect the issue of work permits.
Mr. Byers:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much was spent by (a) her Department and (b) training and enterprise councils to develop the field system computer package; and how many TECs are presently using the system. [20524]
Mr. Paice
[holding answer 14 March 1996]: The Department for Education and Employment spent £12.414 million in developing the field system--TFS. A further £30.222 million was spent on computer equipment, installation and training. Training and enterprise councils did not contribute toward the cost of developing the system. In April 1993, the Department withdrew from supporting TFS, and TECs became fully responsible for meeting their own information technology needs. Up-to-date information on TECs' usage of the system is not available.
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Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
Mr. Riddick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he is in a position to announce the establishment of a UK A1 area under the provisions of the global maritime distress and safety system. [16340]
Mr. Norris: I am pleased to announce that the seas around the UK coastline will become an A1 area--that is, an area within automated very high frequency radiotelephone coverage of coast stations.
Between now and 1999, VHF digital selective calling--DSC--equipment will be installed in HM Coastguard's radio sites. Implementation will begin this year with stations in the English channel. The GMDSS system is being implemented in line with requirements in the safety of life at sea convention--SOLAS--and applies to passenger and merchant vessels of 300 gross tonnage and upwards, for both national and international voyages.
This decision means that, as implementation progresses, ship operators in the sea area around the UK coast will be able to press a simple distress button automatically to alert shore-based DSC stations as well as other ships. The system does not need voice activation or telegraphy and so will speed up the transmission of distress messages. In order to maintain services for smaller vessels not covered by the new system, HM Coastguard will maintain a listening watch on the present calling and safety channel, channel 16, for as long as necessary after 1 February 1999.
Mr. Illsley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many spillages from oil tankers have occurred (a) worldwide and (b) in European waters in the last 10 years; and how many spillages involved vessels flying flags of convenience. [17593]
Mr. Norris:
Estimates from the International Tanker Owners Federation are that there were 366 oil spills from oil tankers, of 7 tonnes or more, worldwide between 1986 and 1995. Of these, 91 were in European waters. Complete information on the flag of the vessels involved is not available.
Mr. Allen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in which circumstances tankers operate in and out of Milford Haven without tugs. [17893]
Mr. Norris:
It is normal practice for tankers to use the navigable channels at the entrance of Milford Haven without tugs.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he will take to ensure that a salvage tug is located at Milford Haven. [20909]
Mr. Norris:
The Coastguard agency continues to keep the supply of emergency tugs under review. In deciding future deployment, we will take into account experience
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of the Government-funded provision of dedicated emergency tugs at Dover and Stornoway this winter, of liaison arrangements with tug operators, and of any relevant findings of the investigations into the Sea Empress incident.
Mr. Allen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what monitoring is undertaken by his Department of the total value of all the bids for (a) packages, (b) major road schemes and (c) bridge strengthening, as submitted by local highway authorities in their transport policies and programmes documents; and in what form this information is publicly available. [18161]
Mr. Norris:
My Department keeps records under all headings of bids that local authorities make in their annual TPP submissions. All information kept on the local transport database is publicly available on request. Under the code of practice on access to Government information, a charge may be made where a significant amount of staff time is needed to process the data requested.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each recommendation set out in the airports policy White Paper 1985 the actions his Department has taken to date. [18290]
Mr. Norris:
My Department has submitted a note to the inspector of the current public inquiry into BAA plc's plans for a fifth terminal at Heathrow which addresses the developments in airports policy since the 1985 White Paper. I have placed a copy of this note in the Library of the House.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the major initiatives taken by his Department relating to aviation since the publication of the 1985 airports policy White Paper. [18442]
Mr. Norris:
The Department has taken forward a wide range of aviation initiatives in respect of air traffic control, noise and emissions, provision of airport capacity, privatisation of Government and local authority-owned airports, and the liberalisation of air services between the UK and other countries. Key achievements are summarised in the annual departmental reports since 1991, and prior to that in the transport section of the Government's expenditure plans. In respect of airports policy, I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I am giving today to her Question 18290.
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