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Sure Start Strategy
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Prime Minister what arrangements he proposes to make for the parliamentary accountability of the Sure Start strategy. [65651]
The Prime Minister:
Sure Start is a vital element in the Government's work to improve services and other support for young children and their families. We have committed £540 million over the next three years, including £452 million in England, to achieving Sure Start's objectives. Sure Start is an interdepartmental strategy, and
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its success will require active partnership within Government and a continuing commitment to innovation. I want the arrangements for securing Parliamentary accountability for Sure Start both to be clear and to underline these principles.
I have therefore decided that, in England:
My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales are accountable to Parliament for Sure Start and equivalent programmes in Scotland and Wales respectively.
Mrs. Humble:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government plan to respond to the representations made on behalf of the 14 staff dismissed from GCHQ for refusing to give up their trades union membership. [65653]
Mr. Robin Cook:
After discussions with the Council of Civil Service Unions and the TUC, I have decided to offer compensation for lost pension rights to the 14 staff dismissed from GCHQ for retaining their membership of the national Civil Service trades unions.
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This decision reflects the principled stand which the 14 trade unionists took, to the point of dismissal, against the attempt to take away their basic trades union rights.
The additional pensions benefits will be provided through a special scheme under the Superannuation Act 1972, which will be laid before Parliament once the details have been finalised.
Mr. Robert Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list (a) the (i) task forces, (ii) review panels and (iii) advisory groups his Department has, (b) the remit of each and (c) the members of each together with their principal employment and their level of remuneration. [62806]
Mr. Mudie:
As the information asked for is lengthy, it has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what has been the total expenditure and the breakdown of expenditure in his Department since May 1997 on (a) public opinion research, (b) television, radio and newspaper advertising and (c) direct mail. [63924]
Mr. Mudie:
The figures for total expenditure by the Department since May 1997, in each of the categories stated above are as follows:
Therefore the total spend on research, advertising and direct mail for the period May 1997 until present is £9,558,290 or an average of £477,914 per month.
This compares with a total spend on research, advertising and direct mail for the previous financial year 1996-97 of £7,172,497 or an average of £597,708 per month.
Mr. Maples:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the term average cost in respect of the costs of travel by Ministers in his Department in RAF and privately chartered aircraft refers to the average cost per passenger. [64775]
Mr. Mudie:
No. The average cost refers to the average cost per trip and not the average cost per passenger.
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Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list all the local authority education authorities specifying in respect of each whether the chair of education is a man or a woman. [65316]
Ms Estelle Morris:
This information is not collected by my Department.
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if Millennium bug busters who have completed a subsidised training course have an obligation to work in the United Kingdom. [64821]
Mr. Mudie:
There is no requirement for Bug Buster trainees to work in the UK after they have completed their training.
Mr. Sawford:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will review the position of students who are required to attend a foundation course before taking up a university place who currently receive no grant for the year of their foundation course. [63358]
Mr. Mudie:
Current legislation restricts mandatory awards to courses leading to a first degree, HND, DipHE and to courses of initial teacher training. We have decided broadly to carry forward this position for the new student support arrangements which are being introduced for the 1999-2000 academic year. However, students on foundation courses in further education will be eligible to apply for assistance through the new further education student support arrangements which will be introduced in September.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what non-military organisations currently use the RN Hospital Haslar site; [65298]
(3) what discussions he had with the non-MoD users of the RN Hospital Haslar concerning his proposals for the hospital; [65299]
(4) how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses are employed at RN Hospital Haslar; and what are their specialisms. [65301]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Secondary Care Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from C. G. Callow to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 12 January 1999:
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My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment will take the lead on Sure Start within the Cabinet, while my right hon. Friend the Minister for Public Health will have day-to-day responsibility for the policy and will chair the interdepartmental steering group of Ministers and officials which will take it forward and monitors progress;
a new interdepartmental Sure Start Unit, based in the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE), will run the programme at official level, with its terms of reference and targets set by the steering group. Ms Naomi Eisenstadt, currently Chief Executive of Family Service Units, will take up her appointment as the head of the Sure Start shortly;
subject to approval of the necessary Estimate, Sure Start expenditure for England will be carried on its own Vote. The Head of the Sure Start Unit will be an additional Accounting Officer within the DfEE. As is usual, the appointment as additional Accounting Officer will be made by the Treasury and a copy of the letter of appointment, setting out the respective roles and responsibilities of the additional Accounting Officer and the Permanent Secretary of the DfEE as Principal Accounting Officer, will be sent to the Comptroller and Auditor General and to the Clerk of the Committee of Public Accounts;
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment will be the Minister ultimately answerable to Parliament for Sure Start. But my right hon. Friend the Minister for Public Health will normally answer Parliamentary Questions on Sure Start in this House, and in the case of Oral Questions will do so during DfEE Question Time. The Government expect that the relevant Select Committees will normally wish to invite her to appear when they examine Sure Start. My noble friend the Baroness Hollis of Heigham, a member of the Sure Start steering group, will answer for the Government in another place.
My right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Public Health is writing today to the Chairman of the Committee for Public Accounts and the Chairmen of the Select Committees for Health and for Education and Employment, and the Government will liaise as necessary with the House authorities, to ensure that these arrangements work well and secure effective accountability for this innovative policy.
Public Opinion Research
May 1997 until present: £1,073,681.00
Television, Radio and Newspaper Advertising
May 1997 until present
TV: £1,760,198
Radio: £2,219,211
Press: £4,480,116
Total: £8,459,525
Direct Mail
May 1997 until present £25,084.
(2) what investment has taken place in medical facilities at the RN Hospital Haslar in each of the last 10 years; [65300]
I am replying to your Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence concerning a number of issues at the Royal Hospital Haslar. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Defence Secondary Care Agency.
Your Questions and my responses are as follows:
What discussions has the Secretary of State for Defence had with non-MOD users of RH Haslar?
Staffs in the SDR Implementation Team and from this Agency have spent some time discussing our proposals in detail with our colleagues in the NHS. In particular, they worked closely with the Portsmouth Health Authority and the Portsmouth Hospitals Trust. In addition, they have also consulted the NHS Executive through the MOD/NHS Liaison Group.
The local population, including official bodies, will be consulted fully when the Portsmouth Health Authority present publicly their plans for the provision of secondary health care in the area.
What non-military organisations currently use RH Haslar?
Presently we have Gardner Merchant, Lasercare, NAAFI, Hampshire County Council, The League of Friends and Radio Haslar on the site.
In addition, Portsmouth Health Authority, local GP Fundholding practices and other NHS referral agents provide patients.
How many doctors and nurses are employed at RH Haslar and what are their specialisms?
Our current records show the following strength details, including attachments:
| RN | Army | RAF | Civilian | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors | |||||
| A&E | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Surgery | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Anaesthetics | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 18 |
| Medicine | 8 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 18 |
| ENT | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Orthopaedics | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Radiology | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Pathology | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| Max Fax | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Opthalmology | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| R&R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Psychiatry | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Obs & Gynae | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Paediatrics | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Nuclear | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Urology | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Civ. Med. Practitioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Specialist Registrars | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Sen. House Officers | 9 | 18 | 6 | 0 | 33 |
| Pre. Reg. House Officers | 10 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| Total | 50 | 53 | 30 | 22 | 155 |
| Nurses | 87 | 129 | 92 | 67 | 375 |
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