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Sewer Baiting

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the legal responsibility of local authorities and the water service companies with respect to sewer baiting. [20988]

Mr. Clappison: There is no specific duty on water and sewerage companies in relation to the control of rats in sewers. However, all sewerage undertakers have programmes to control and reduce the number of rats in their systems. This includes the use of baits in pumping stations and air vents to stop rats entering the system, or on ledges within sewers.

Local authorities have a long-standing duty to keep themselves informed about the sufficiency of drainage systems in their area to ensure that they do not pose a threat to public health. Failure to control rat infestations on property could be enforceable by the local authority environmental health officer under part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, if it is judged to be a statutory nuisance.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Prime Minister's Question Time

Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make a staement on (a) his assessment of, and (b) consultations on, possible changes to the format of Prime Minister's Question Time; and what was the outcome. [20451]

Mr. Newton: I have nothing further to add to my speech in the debate on parliamentary procedure on 11 July 1996, Official Report, columns 631-71.

Scottish Grand Committee

Mr. McAvoy: To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will bring forward proposals to amend the Standing Orders to limit the time taken by Front-Bench spokespersons on speeches at the Scottish Grand Committee. [20448]

19 Mar 1997 : Column: 606

Mr. Newton: I think matters of this kind are better dealt with informally.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Ms Marie Younie

Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations she has received concerning the case of Marie Younie and the governing body of Belfairs community college in Leigh; and if she will make a statement concerning the conduct of the governing body and the Funding Agency for Schools in relation to their treatment of Ms Younie and the legal costs involved in her case. [20633]

Mrs. Gillan: My right hon. Friend has received many representations in support of both the governing body and Ms Younie since the breakdown in their relations. It is not possible to guarantee good working relations in any occupation and it is particularly unfortunate when this happens in schools. Nevertheless, this is an internal school matter. It is for the governing body to determine what action is deemed appropriate, but the Funding Agency for Schools is responsible for ensuring propriety in the use of public funds by grant-maintained schools.

Free School Meals

Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will rank primary schools in order of the proportion of children eligible for free school meals. [20509]

Mrs. Gillan: Information on the proportion of children eligible for free meals for any particular school is not published centrally.

Departmental Legislation

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many Bills her Department and its predecessor Department have sponsored in each of the last 15 years; and how many have been passed by Parliament. [19772]

Mr. Robin Squire [holding answer 18 March 1997]: The Department has sponsored a total of 32 Government Bills between 1982 and 1997. The breakdown for each year is as follows:

	Bill	Result
1981-82	Employment Bill	Passed
1982-83	Education (Fees and Awards) Bill	Passed
1983-84	Education (Grants and Awards) Bill	Passed
	Trade Union Bill	Passed
1984-85	Education (Corporal Punishment) Bill	Withdrawn
	Further Education Bill	Passed
1985-86	Education Bill (Lords)	Passed
	Education (No.2) Bill	Passed
	Education (Amendment) Bill	Passed
	Sex Discrimination Bill (Lords)	Passed
	Wages Bill	Passed
1986-87	Teachers' Pay and Conditions Bill	Passed
1987-88	Education Reform Bill	Passed
	Employment Bill	Passed
1988-89	Dock Work Bill	Passed
	Employment Bill	Passed
1989-90	Education (Student Loans) Bill	Passed
	Employment Bill	Passed
1990-91	School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Bill	Withdrawn
	School Teachers' Pay and Conditions (No.2) Bill	Passed
1991-92	Education (Schools) Bill	Passed
	Further and Higher Education Bill	Passed
	Offshore Safety Bill	Passed
1992-93	Education Bill	Passed
	Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Bill	Passed
1993-94	Education Bill (Lords)	Passed
	Sunday Trading Bill	Passed
1994-95	(Disability Discrimination Bill	Passed Supporter)
	(Jobseekers Bill	Passed Supporter)
1995-96	Education (Student Loans) Bill	Passed
	Nursery Education and Grant Maintained Schools Bill	Passed
1996-97	Education Bill	In Process

19 Mar 1997 : Column: 607

Skills Mismatch

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment she has made of the extent of skills mismatch on a regional basis. [19470]

Mr. Paice: The Department funds an annual survey of employers' recruitment difficulties which provides data at regional level and monitors similar data from the CBI. Recruitment difficulties tend to be higher in the southern regions of the country. However, they are generally lower in these regions than they were at the peak of the economic cycle in 1990. Many recruitment difficulties may not be due to skills mismatch.

Employment Service

Mrs. Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what performance targets will be set to ensure that the Employment Service achieves its aims and objectives in 1997-98. [21391]

Mrs. Gillian Shephard: The Employment Service's aim is to promote a competitive, efficient and flexible labour market by helping unemployed people into work, while ensuring they understand and fulfil the conditions for receipt of jobseeker's allowance. This aim is supported by five objectives.

I have set the Employment Service targets for each of its objectives as follows:

Objective A:

To offer unemployed people, particularly the longer-term unemployed and others at a disadvantage in the labour market, help and advice in finding work or appropriate training; and to encourage employers to recruit them.

Targets

1. To place 1.75 million unemployed people into work, of whom 1,050,000 million are JSA claimants.

2. 47.5 per cent. of total JSA claimant placings to be long-term (six months plus) claimants.

3. To place into work 75,000 JSA claimants out of work for two years or more.

4. 43 per cent. positive outcomes for JSA claimants invited to a 12-month advisory interview.

5. 150,000 ES clients to start on training for work.

19 Mar 1997 : Column: 608

Objective B:

To offer people with disabilities particular help and advice in finding and retaining work or appropriate training; and to help and encourage employers to make such opportunities available to them.

Target:

6. 4.8 per cent. of total unemployed placings achieved to be people with disabilities.

Objective C:

To advise jobseekers of the labour market conditions for receipt of jobseeker's allowance and to ensure that those receiving it are available for and actively seeking work, where appropriate by requiring specific activities of individual claimants.

Targets:

7. 10 per cent. of initial claim enquiries not to be pursued as new claims.

8. 145,000 submissions to adjudication where there is an arguable case with supporting information to show that the claimant is not available for, actively seeking or willing to accept work.

9. 70 per cent. of adjudication decisions made within 14 days.

10. 97 per cent. of Training for Work allowance payments to be accurate.

11. To ensure 90 per cent. of claims to JSA are passed to the Benefits Agency within seven days from date of claim.

12. To ensure that the accuracy of ES activity on a JSA claim is 97 per cent.

Objective D:

To provide services to all clients in accordance with published standards and expectations, developed in line with the citizens charter initiative.

Standard:

13. To deliver the standards of service in the jobseeker's charter.

Objective E:

To manage the delivery of programmes and services efficiently, effectively and economically, and within the resources available.

Target:

14. To achieve £40 million in efficiency savings.

In addition, the Employment Service will be measured against the following criteria, to ensure that it is satisfactorily operating the jobseeker's allowance:

to achieve effective joint working between ES and BA;

to improve the service to jobseekers;

jobseekers should improve the effectiveness and intensity of their jobsearch;

the intervention regime operates effectively, both qualitatively and quantitatively; and staff and clients understand the purpose of jobseeker's agreements and use them effectively.

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