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Social Work Courses

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the impact of recent changes to the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations for vocational courses involving work experience and a work placement on the take-up rate for places on two-year certificate of qualification in social work courses; and if he will make a statement. [10153]

Dr. Howells: Further to the previous reply I gave to the hon. Member on 24 June 1997, Official Report, column 446, only sandwich courses leading to the DipHE (social work) will be affected by the recent changes to the provisions for sandwich courses in the regulations, DipHE (social work) courses are offered by 54 institutions in the United Kingdom, with about 6,000 students in attendance. Not all these students will hold mandatory awards. On the evidence provided so far to the Department by the Central Council for the Education and Training of Social Workers, no course has yet been discovered that has clearly been affected by the new provisions.

24 Jul 1997 : Column: 756

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Unmarked Graves

Mr. Ottaway: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps are taken, when burial grounds are sold to private developers, to ensure that the location of unmarked graves is not lost. [9858]

Mr. Bell: Under the Parochial Registers and Records Measure 1978 parishes are required to maintain a burials register--including that of unmarked graves--for each Church of England burial ground in the parish. Such records as exist regarding the location of unmarked graves would be preserved even in the event of a disposal of the burial ground concerned. Where the Commissioners make a scheme under section 30 of the Pastoral Measure 1983 enabling the secular development of a surplus burial ground it is the responsibility thereafter of the new owner--initially usually the Diocesian Board of Finance--to ensure that the provisions of section 65 and schedule 6 to the Measure regarding the disposal or otherwise of human remains are complied with.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department is also involved in this procedure whereby the removal of any remains and their new point of burial have to be recorded by the owner in a certificate in a prescribed manner and deposited at the General Register Office. Where a burial ground is being disposed of with a redundant church similar provisions apply.