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New Deal
Mr. Willis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many young people aged between 18 and 24 years, unemployed for over six months, will benefit from the new deal in the first year of operation. [19134]
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Mr. Andrew Smith:
It is not possible to provide precise estimates of the total numbers of young people who will require help from the New Deal. In its first year, we will offer to help everyone who becomes eligible for the New Deal, and sufficient places will be available to meet this commitment.
Mr. Willis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of the new deal resources for education and training he expects to be allocated to the further education sector. [19192]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
FE Colleges will have the opportunity to bid for well over £100 million-worth of New Deal resources next year.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what action he will take to ensure that unemployed adults participating in the new deal will be able to continue their training beyond NVQ Level 2 or equivalent. [18992]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
The Full-Time Education and Training Option in the New Deal for unemployed people aged 18 to 24 is primarily aimed at helping young people who do not hold qualifications at or above N/SVQ2 or equivalent. In circumstances where it will clearly enhance their employability, young people who already hold Level 2 qualifications will be able to work towards a higher level qualification. Under the education and training element of the other three options, participants will pursue an approved qualification, which might be at NVQ Level 3, or equivalent, if appropriate.
The education and training element of the New Deal for adults will allow the long-term unemployed to study on full-time employment related courses for qualifications broadly up to NVQ3 level for up to a year while receiving Jobseeker's Allowance.
Mr. Sawford:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people are currently employed as school classroom technicians. [18128]
| Technicians(18) | |
|---|---|
| Nursery | n/a |
| Primary | n/a |
| Middle | 173 |
| Secondary | 12,420 |
| Special(19) | 256 |
| Pupil Referral unit | n/a |
| City Technology Colleges | 143 |
| Independent | n/a |
n/a = not available.
(18) Includes laboratory assistants/technicians, design technology assistants/technicians (including home economics assistants, craft technicians), IT technicians.
(19) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
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HOME DEPARTMENT
Immigration Service
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many telephone lines are in service at Lunar House; and how many telephone operators are on duty during daytime working hours. [18397]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 4 November 1997]: There are 162 telephone lines connecting either to an operator, or to a recorded message or directly to a member of staff. Of these, 28 are to the Telephone Inquiry Bureau which is staffed by an average of 20 staff on weekdays from 9am (10am Thursday) to 4.45pm (4.30pm Friday). The precise number of operators depends upon the demands of the Public Inquiry Office, with which staffing is shared.
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what studies he has carried out into improving the Immigration Service by decentralising immigration control functions to offices outside London. [18398]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 4 November 1997]: Fewer than half the staff of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate work at the Croydon headquarters. The rest are at locations around the United Kingdom including sea and airports, enforcement offices, detention centres, presenting officer units and the Nationality office in Liverpool. The use of accommodation is kept under review but in present circumstances significant shifts of work away from Croydon are unlikely to be cost effective.
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints have been received regarding accessibility of the Immigration Service at Lunar House by telephone in the last 12 months. [18395]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 4 November 1997]: This information is not collated centrally. The Telephone Inquiry Bureau received 13 complaints.
Computers (Century Date Change)
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contingency measures he has established against failures in millennium compliance in each emergency service. [19197]
Mr. Straw [holding answer 4 November 1997]: It is the responsibility of each police force and fire brigade to ensure that its information technology and communications systems are Year 2000 compliant.
The Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) is co-ordinating the police response to the millennium problem. PITO has issued a guide to the police which provides a blueprint for action and has also held two conferences this year to disseminate best practice. A national electronic police bulletin-board is regularly updated to provide on-going advice and guidance to forces. Forces are engaging their information technology (IT) suppliers to ensure their local systems will be complaint and are also writing to other organisations in their area, whose millennium compliance may be crucial to police operations, to seek assurance that those systems will be ready. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary is monitoring the progress of forces
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during its regular inspections. The Police National Computer, which is operated by PITO, will be compliant by early 1999.
In the case of the fire service, discussions have been held with the relevant fire service committees and central guidance, in the form of a Home Office Circular, will be issued to brigades later this month. Her Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate will also be monitoring progress within brigades.
If, during its audit of IT systems, a force or brigade establishes that there is a problem which cannot be, or is unlikely to be resolved before the millennium, it will be expected to establish contingency plans to ensure the continued integrity of its emergency service.
I have placed a copy of the guidance issued by PITO in the Library. A copy of the Home Office circular to chief fire officers will also be placed in the Library as soon as it is published.
The contingency arrangements made by the Coastguard Agency and the ambulance service are a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and for Health respectively.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances MI5 is permitted to determine that a file is not suitable for Ministerial eyes. [18685]
Mr. Straw
[holding answer 4 November 1997]: By virtue of section 2(2)(a) of the Security Service Act 1989, the Director General of the Security Service is under a duty to ensure that there are arrangements in place for securing that no information is disclosed by the Service except so far as is necessary for the proper discharge of its functions, for the purpose of preventing or detecting serious crime or for the purpose of any criminal proceedings. The Director General must have regard to these provisions in deciding what information in the possession of the Service should be disclosed to persons or organisations outside the Service.
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 13 November 1997, Official Report, column 647, if he will list those former Home Office officials and Prison Service staff who have taken paid employment with Group 4 Prison and Court Services Ltd. after leaving his Department; and if he will list all their former responsibilities within his Department. [17770]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 25 November 1997]: We now understand from Group 4 Prison and Court Services Ltd. that they have employed a total of 40 former Prison Service employees. This includes 14 former governor grades, not 20 as previously stated in my answer to a Question from the right hon. Member on 13 November 1997, Official Report, column 647, and two Psychologists. The remainder were either prison officers of differing grades and specialisms, or prison auxiliaries.
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It is not general policy to mention officials or former officials by name.
Details of posts held by former officials are not kept centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Helen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he intends to take to enable health care staff in prisons to develop the skills of practice as community nurses; and if he will make a statement. [19294]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 5 November 1997]: The Prison Service supports the training and development of nurses through a variety of health-related training programmes including England National Boards courses, National Vocational Qualifications, diplomas and university degrees in health care. Prison health care centres have developed and continue to develop close links with community nursing teams in local National Health Service Trusts and General Practitioner practices, contributing to the development of community nursing skills of prison health care staff, along the more formal training courses.
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