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EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Qualification Levels (Don Valley)
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many young people with an educational qualification below national vocational qualification level 2 in the Don Valley parliamentary constituency (a) have been and (b) are being trained by the Barnsley-Doncaster training and enterprise council. [36161]
Mr. Paice: The information is not available in the form requested. The national follow-up survey of all 1994-95 youth training leavers indicates that 30 per cent. of participants in the Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council's youth programmes had no qualifications when they joined.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many of those in the age range 18 to 25 years (a) resident in the Don Valley parliamentary constituency and (b) resident in related travel-to-work areas have obtained national vocational qualification level 2. [36160]
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Mr. Paice: The information is not available in the form requested. I understand that in the Doncaster district 1,025 participants on the Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council's youth programmes obtained a qualification at NVQ level 2 or higher during 1995-96. Other young people will have achieved NVQ level 2 or above as a result of other education and training programmes, including those not organised by the TEC. Figures for this are not available at constituency level.
Examination Results (Cheshire)
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the number of school students achieving grades C and above in GCSE examinations in Cheshire for each of the last five years and how that number relates to the national average. [36370]
Mr. Paice: The table gives the (i) number of and (ii) percentage of 15-year-old pupils attaining grades C and above in GCSE examinations in Cheshire and England for the years 1995, 1994, 1993 and 1992. The data for 1991 are not available on a consistent basis.
| Number of 15-year-old pupils achieving 1+ grades A*-C(3) | Percentage of 15-year-old pupils achieving 1+ grades A*-C(3) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheshire | England | Cheshire | England | |
| 1991-92 | 7,454 | 316,689 | 68 | 64 |
| 1992-93 | 7,356 | 314,835 | 71 | 66 |
| 1993-94 | 7,549 | 328,635 | 72 | 68 |
| 1994-95 | 8,360 | 356,843 | 72 | 68 |
(1) Those pupils aged 15 at 31 August.
(2) Including grant-maintained schools, city technology colleges and maintained special schools.
(3) Grade A
* was introduced in 1993-94.
City College, Manchester
Mr. Eastham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations she has received from City college, Manchester in respect of redundancies consequent on funding reduction. [36940]
Mr. Paice: My right hon. Friend has received one letter.
Post-16 Education
Mr. Eastham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps she is taking to ensure a local provision of post-16 education in Manchester. [36922]
Mr. Paice: It is the statutory duty of the Further Education Funding Council to secure the provision of sufficient facilities for full-time education for those aged 16 to 18, and adequate facilities for part-time education for those aged over 16 and for full-time education for those aged 19 and over. I understand that there is no shortage of provision in Manchester.
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HOME DEPARTMENT
Slave Trade
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce further legislation in respect of trafficking in human beings. [36562]
Mr. Kirkhope: Under section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971, it is an offence for a person to be knowingly concerned in making or carrying out arrangements for securing or facilitating the entry into the United Kingdom of anyone who he knows or has reason to believe is an illegal entrant. Clause 5 of the Asylum and Immigration Bill extends this provision to include facilitating for reward the entry of an asylum claimant, and facilitating the acquisition of leave to remain by deception. No further legislative changes are planned.
Dr. Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to guarantee foreign prostitutes illegally present in the United Kingdom immunity from expulsion if they come forward. [36563]
Dr. Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures to prevent trafficking in women were discussed by officials from his Department and from the immigration service at the recent European Commission conference in Vienna. [36565]
Mr. Kirkhope: The conference discussed a wide range of issues in the areas of migration policy, social policy and protection, law enforcement and police co-operation, and judicial co-operation. The European Commission is considering the conclusions of the conference with a view to presenting a communication to the Council and the European Parliament.
Cheshire Fire Service
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of incidents attended by the Cheshire fire service in each of the last five years. [36470]
Mr. Sackville: The available information is in the following table:
| Year | Cheshire |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 15,588 |
| 1991 | 14,956 |
| 1992 | 13,754 |
| 1993(4) | 14,084 |
| 1994(5) | 16,449 |
(4) From 1993, the figures for special service incidents attended are included on a financial year basis rather than a calendar year basis.
(5) Provisional data. As from 1994, the coverage of the data was extended to include certain non-emergency calls, of which 76 were recorded in 1994.
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Hutton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many private finance initiative
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applications have been received from (a) police authorities and (b) fire brigades; and what is the total value of these projects. [36246]
Mr. Sackville: It is for police and fire authorities to take forward private finance schemes. My hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Local Government, Housing and Urban Regeneration announced on 21 May measures to help local authorities to engage in private finance initiative projects.
The Home Office is supporting 13 police forces in the development of 14 "pathfinder" PFI projects, with an estimated total capital value of around £130 million. A number of fire brigades are also being encouraged to explore potential private finance options.
DEFENCE
Low Flying
Mr. Alan W. Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what mechanism compensation may be claimed for health damage to a child or adult caused by low flying aircraft; and how many such claims there have been since 1990. [36813]
Mr. Soames: My Department will pay reasonable compensation providing it can be demonstrated that military aircraft activity is responsible for any injury sustained. Individuals should submit their claim in writing to:
The Ministry of Defence
PL(LS) Claims 3
Room 459
Lacon House
Theobalds Road
London WC1X 8RY
Mr. Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much is the Department's annual expenditure on research into possible health damage to people caused by low flying aircraft. [36814]
Mr. Soames: My Department is involved in research, both intramurally and extramurally, into a wide range of issues which have a bearing on the relationship between military aircraft activity and health. The annual expenditure specific to the possible effect of military low flying on health, however, cannot be separately identified.
Service Accommodation
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the recommendations of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body 1996 report concerning the use of the assured shorthold tenancy as a basis for fixing service accommodation rents. [37069]
Mr. Soames: The Armed Forces Pay Review Body stated in its 1996 report that it has adopted as the basis for its recommendations on accommodation charges a
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weighted average derived from all relevant housing sectors. This includes assured shorthold tenancies, but these are not the sole comparator. The Government have accepted the review body's recommendation.
Dr. Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if armed forces accommodation newly constructed by his Department is included in his plans for the sale of the married quarters housing stock. [37068]
Mr. Arbuthnot: The estate intended for sale ranges widely in age, from properties constructed recently to housing built before 1945.
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