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Rental Housing
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he will take to increase the number of affordable homes for rent; and if he will make a statement. [31004]
5 Jun 1996 : Column: 491
Mr. Gwilym Jones: Some £85.390 million is being made available during the current year to housing associations enabling the provision of at least 3,500 additional homes, some 80 per cent. of which will be for rent.
Departmental Property
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what properties are owned or leased by his Department for the use of Ministers; what was the total running cost for each property for the latest year available; and if he will make a statement. [30748]
5 Jun 1996 : Column: 492
Mr. Gwilym Jones: The Welsh Office has no properties for the sole use of Ministers. Ministers have rooms in properties in Cardiff and London. The cost of these properties are included in the running cost expenditure published in the Welsh Office departmental report 1996, Cm 3215.
Teachers
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many full-time teachers were employed by Welsh local education authorities in (a) 1993, (b) 1994 and (c) 1995; and if he will make a statement. [30749]
Mr. Hague: Information on full-time qualified teachers is given in the following table:
5 Jun 1996 : Column: 491
| 1993 (12) | 1994 (13) | 1995 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local education authority | Schools(13) | Further education institutions (14) | Schools(13) | Further education institutions (14) | Schools(13) | Further education institutions(14) |
| Clwyd | 3,315 | 686 | 3,006 | 0 | 2,898 | 0 |
| Dyfed | 3,341 | 364 | 3,241 | 14 | 3,171 | 15 |
| Gwent | 3,743 | 414 | 3,710 | 8 | 3,674 | 7 |
| Gwynedd | 2,053 | 203 | 1,987 | 0 | 1,928 | 0 |
| Mid Glamorgan | 5,138 | 508 | 5,078 | 1 | 5,138 | 1 |
| Powys | 1,085 | 118 | 1,084 | 2 | 1,053 | 2 |
| South Glamorgan | 3,537 | 347 | 3,347 | 66 | 3,404 | 69 |
| West Glamorgan | 3,212 | 464 | 3,256 | 12 | 3,226 | 11 |
| Wales | 25,424 | 3,104 | 24,709 | 103 | 24,492 | 105 |
Notes:
(11) At January each year.
(12) From 1 April 1993 sixth form colleges and FE colleges became autonomous institutions funded by the Further Education Funding Council for Wales and teachers at these institutions were no longer employed by the local authority.
(13) Includes full-time qualified teachers based in schools, pupil referral units, peripatetic teachers, advisory teachers, teachers providing education otherwise than at school and in 1993 teachers in two sixth form colleges.
(14) Full-time lecturers employed by local authorities to provide further education in adult or community centres, youth clubs and centres, other establishments and in 1993 in FE colleges.
Source: Form 618G.
5 Jun 1996 : Column: 491
General Practitioners
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how he proposes to recruit more general practitioners. [31001]
Mr. Hague: Government policy is to secure an adequate supply of appropriately trained doctors in each sector and specialty, including general practice. This is achieved through advisory and planning mechanisms at a UK and Wales level.
The medical work force standing advisory committee considers the longer-term need for doctors and makes recommendations on the intake of medical schools. In 1995, the committee recommended an increase of 11 per cent. in UK medical school intakes by the year 20000 to a total of 4,970. The Government have accepted that recommendation.
The Welsh Office is involved in UK work force planning through its representation on the advisory group on medical education and staffing. This group is examining the issue of recruitment and retention of GPs. The Welsh Office also has regular discussions with education providers in Wales to ensure that there are appropriate training opportunities to potential GPs.
5 Jun 1996 : Column: 492
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to make mortgages more affordable for young people; and if he will make a statement. [31005]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
We already have schemes which make home ownership more affordable for those on lower incomes, including young people, who cannot raise a sufficient mortgage to buy a home of their own. The successful homefinder and homebuy option schemes, operated by councils and housing associations respectively, allow people to buy a home for 70 per cent. of its value. The remaining 30 per cent. is held as a charge on the property and does not have to be repaid until the home is sold.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received during the last 12 months on the future of rural railway services; and if he will make a statement. [30746]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
Fifteen representations were received in the 12 months ended 30 April 1996.
5 Jun 1996 : Column: 493
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what progress he is making on the elimination of bureaucracy, waste and maladministration in the conduct of non-departmental public bodies in Wales; and if he will make a statement; [30744]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
The Welsh Office continues to remind public bodies of the need for the highest standards of propriety in the conduct of public affairs in Wales. We have developed the arrangements previously introduced for monitoring and controlling the performance of public bodies in Wales. This work has meant that the Welsh Office has already been able to put into effect a number of recommendations of the first report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life.
My right hon. Friend and I hold regular meetings with each Welsh executive public body to consider targets and performance; and they are provided with clear statements of their responsibilities, the roles of the board and staff and of the Welsh Office. Each pubic body is also expected to adopt, with such adaptations as are appropriate to its circumstances, the code of best practice for board members of public bodies published by HM Treasury in June 1994. This requires public bodies and their boards to:
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people, eligible for assistance under the travel-to-interview scheme, were unemployed for (a) longer than four weeks and (b) longer than 13 weeks in each year since 1993-94. [30541]
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. Brian Donohoe, dated 5 June 1996:
5 Jun 1996 : Column: 494
Mr. Matthew Banks:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what research she has (a) undertaken and (b) evaluated into the potential benefits to trainees of encouraging TECs to award longer-term contracts to training providers; and if she will make a statement; [31216]
Mr. Paice:
There has been no research specifically into this issue.
(2) what new measures he will introduce to make quangos democratically accountable; and if he will make a statement. [30745]
observe the highest standard of impartiality, integrity and objectivity in relation to their stewardship of public funds;
comply with Government policy on openness and to respond to all reasonable requests for information;
be accountable to Parliament, individual citizens and staff for the activities of the bodies concerned, their stewardship of public funds and the extent to which key performance targets have been met;
maximise value of money by ensuring their activities are carried out in the most efficient and economical way.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions on how many people, eligible for assistance under the Travel to Interview Scheme (TIS), were employed for longer than four weeks and longer than 13 weeks in each year since 1993-94.
I am unable to provide the information you ask for, as my Jobcentres do not record how long people who apply for TIS have been unemployed. However, in the sample taken for a recent study, 26% of applications were from people unemployed for less than 13 weeks.
I am sorry I cannot be more helpful.
(2) what measures she plans to introduce to encourage TECs to extend longer-term contracts to local, regional and national training providers; and if she will make a statement. [31217]
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