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National Disability Council
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to ensure public access to the agendas, council papers and minutes of National Disability Council meetings. [17740]
Mr. Alan Howarth: The National Disability Council (NDC) has a good record on openness. For example, it produces an annual report giving full information on its activities, writes to its partners during the year to keep them in touch with developments and undertakes wide public consultation before presenting Codes of Practice to Government on access for disabled people to goods, facilities, services and premises.
We will be considering how the NDC and other Non-Departmental Public Bodies which advise my Department might be made even more open in the light of comments made on the consultation document "Opening up Quangos" issued earlier this month by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representation Her Majesty's Government received from the National Disability Council (a) before and (b) after 3 May in respect of securing amendments to the Treaty of European Union in favour of the disabled. [17739]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
As noted in its annual report for 1996-97, the National Disability Council (NDC) advised Government both before and after 3 May of its concerns that the Treaty did not sufficiently protect the interests of disabled people. It urged support for an amendment to Article 6a which had been proposed to combat discrimination based on various grounds, including disability. The NDC also encouraged amendment of Article 100a to ensure that measures designed to harmonise the single market did not inadvertently damage the interests of disabled people.
With support from the UK Government, an amendment to Article 6a was agreed at the Intergovernmental Conference in June. The Government also initiated and secured a declaration on Article 100a which requires the institutions of the European Community to take account of the needs of disabled people in drawing up single market measures. The NDC subsequently welcomed these positive steps forward for disabled people.
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much the Government has spent on
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advertising (a) on commercial radio, (b) on television and (c) in newspapers in relation to its policy on tuition fees for university students. [17939]
Dr. Howells:
The cost for advertising, in relation to the policy on tuition fees for university students, is, for commercial radio, £222,209 and for the national press, £137,831. There has been no advertising on television.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many Welfare to Work places will be created in (a) Wales, (b) the North West, (c) the East Midlands and (d) the South West; and if he will make a statement. [17646]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
We will offer help to everyone who becomes eligible for the new deal and sufficient places will be available to meet this commitment.
We are making good progress in Wales, the North-West, the East Midlands and the South West--as elsewhere--in the planning and implementation of the New Deal.
Mr. Ivan Henderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what obligations and responsibilities a private sector organisation given the lead role in a New Deal district, would have towards the local partners, particularly local authorities, involved in delivering the service within their local area. [18354]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
We have invited bids from the private sector, under contract to the Employment service (ES) to lead the delivery of new deal in a total of ten
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locations. The bidding process will make clear that private sector organisations should consider carefully the particular needs within each locality and the key local partners, including local authorities, they need to work with to make new deal a success. The successful private sector lead organisation will need to continue to work closely with a range of local public and private sector bodies effectively to delivery new deal opportunities to clients.
Detailed arrangements for delivery will be a matter for discussion between the lead organisation and its partners. However, it is expected that in most cases these will take the form of a written contract, the terms and conditions of which will be binding on all parties.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assistance New Deal participants aged over 25 years and unemployed for more than two years will receive during the period before their six-month placement begins. [18710]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
We are currently considering the detailed design of the new deal for people aged 25 years or over and unemployed for two years or more. We will make an announcement shortly.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the local education authorities where the pupil teacher ratio in 1997 was below that in (a) 1974, (b) 1979 and (c) 1991 in maintained (i) nursery, (ii) primary and (iii) secondary schools. [18555]
Mr. Byers
[holding answer 1 December 1997]: The available information is shown in the following table.
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n/ap = not applicable.
n/av = not available.
(3) No comparable data for ILEA.
(4) Lower than 1991.
(5) Lower than 1979.
(6) No comparable data for the new unitary authorities.
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