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Millennium Compliance

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what assessment he has made of the extent to which the computer systems in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies to which his Department is responsible will be modified and tested in relation to the millennium computer problem by January 1999; and if he will make a statement; [60148]

Mr. Michael: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Council to my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Garston

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(Maria Eagle), 21 October 1998, Official Report, column 1109, in which she announced the results of the latest quarterly review of Government Departments' and Agencies' progress in tackling the bug. This also covered key organisations within the wider public sector including Local Authorities and the NHS in Wales. The information the hon. Member requests will be found in the copies of Departments' plans which have been published in the libraries of the House. The results of the next quarterly review will be announced shortly to the House and the updates to quarterly plans will be placed in the Libraries of the House and on the internet.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the problems which have arisen in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies for which his Department is responsible from millennium compliance; if he will make a statement on progress to date in tackling such problems; and what are the priority areas for remedial work. [60147]

Mr. Michael: My right hon. Friend the President of the Council presents quarterly reviews to Parliament of progress on tackling all issues, including progress on remedial work, relating to the Millennium date change problem across central Government and the wider public sector. The information the hon. Member requests will be found in the copies of Departments' plans, which have been placed in the Libraries of the House and on the Internet. The next review to Parliament will be presented shortly and will provide a report on progress to date in my Department.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the contingency plans drawn up by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies in relation to problems arising from millennium compliance including the embedded chip problem after 31 December 1999. [60149]

Mr. Michael: My right hon. Friend the President of the Council presents quarterly reviews to Parliament of progress on tackling all issues relating to the Millennium date change problem across central Government and the wider public sector. The next review to Parliament will be presented shortly. In accordance with the response of my right hon. Friend the President of the Council to the PAC recommendations in October, my Department will complete risk assessments and have initial year 2000 business continuity plans in place by the end of January 1999.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

New Deal

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will estimate the demand for the full-time education and training option under the new deal (a) nationally, (b) by region and (c) for each category of intake during 1998-99 and for each of the next three years. [59188]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The choices will be for the young people to make, but we expect nationally around a fifth to make up the education and training option. This may vary a little regionally.

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Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the average cost per 18 to 24 year old of options completed under the new deal for young people (a) nationally, (b) by Pathfinder area and (c) by new deal option. [59197]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The unit costs for each option, which apply to all units of delivery, are as follows:





Contracts were negotiated around these costs and will be monitored accordingly as new deal clients flow into, and subsequently complete, the options. The actual costs incurred will be monitored and systems are being put in place to do so. Information will be available early next year. Significant numbers will not complete new deal options until the first quarter of next year.

Mr. Rowe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many young people aged 18 to 25 years have enrolled on the New Deal; and what percentage of these are (a) male, (b) disabled and (c) from ethnic minorities. [59783]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The number of young people joining New Deal for 18-24 years olds between January and the end of September is 165,600. A breakdown of this figure is possible only for the 148,100 starting before the end of August. Of these (a) 72% are male, (b) 13% are disabled, and (c) 13% are from ethnic minorities.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by region those employers which had unfilled vacancies for new deal trainees and the number of vacancies involved in each case at the latest available date. [59185]

Mr. Andrew Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 11 November 1998, Official Report, column 236. Over 29,000 employers have signed up to New Deal leading to 54,000 New Deal job pledges. New Deal participants are also, of course, eligible to apply for other jobs. At present, further employer-related information is unavailable.

Lip Reading Classes

Mr. Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what measures he is taking to ensure that all people who lose their hearing have the opportunity to attend lip reading classes; [59314]

Mr. Mudie: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State acknowledges the importance of training in lip reading in helping to secure the communication needs of deaf people.

The availability of courses in further education colleges is a matter for local decision, although the Further Education Funding Council has a duty to secure adequacy

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and sufficiency of provision for which it is responsible; and, in doing so, to have regard to the needs of students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

Similarly, the range of adult education courses offered by local authorities is decided locally, and the Secretary of State has issued no guidance on how they might do so. All authorities are, however, required to publish annual statements containing details of the further educational provision that they make for disabled people, and the relevant facilities which are available.

Class Sizes

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the changes which have been made to Form 7 data collection for the calculation of class sizes in England since January. [59193]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Copies of the data collection forms for maintained primary and secondary schools for January 1998 and 1999 have been placed in the Library.

Head Teachers (Secondment)

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by local education authority the percentage of head teachers on secondment for one term or longer for the most recent year for which the information is available. [59194]

Mr. Charles Clarke: This information is not held centrally.

Rural Schools

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what factors are taken into account when deciding whether to allow the closure of a village or rural school; and what the timescale is for such a decision-making process. [59600]

Ms Estelle Morris: When considering proposals for the closure of a rural school, all factors bearing on the proposals will be taken into account, although the presumption will be against closure. Factors that will be considered will include the overall supply of school places in the area and the likely future demand for places; any points made by the Local Education Authority or by the school proposed for closure or by other schools; the standard of the school that is proposed for closure and the standards and accessibility of alternative schools; the views of parents and other interested parties; the overall effect of the closure on the local community; and the cost implications of the possible options. The aim is to reach a decision within five months of the date of publication of the proposals.

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