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Science Laboratories
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many new scientific laboratories have been built in schools in the last five years. [78232]
Mr. Charles Clarke: This information is not held centrally.
Education Funding (Leicestershire)
Mr. Tredinnick:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what advice he has given
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Leicestershire County Council concerning the expenditure of the 1999-2000 increase in the education SSA for the county; and if he will make a statement; [78247]
(3) if he will list the education authorities which have not passed on to schools the whole of the increase in the education SSA for 1998-99; and if he will make a statement. [78337]
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Ms Estelle Morris
[holding answer 23 March 1999]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to all English Local Education Authorities, including Leicestershire, to urge them to use all of the cash increase in the education SSA for 1999-2000 to support education services. We expect every Local Education Authority of whatever political control to ensure that the increase is spent on education and used in the direct delivery of services. No responses have been received from the leaders of the Conservative and Liberal Groups to the letters which have been sent to the County Council. The Labour Group Leader has indicated that the Labour Group is committed to providing additional resources for education in Leicestershire. Final data are not yet available on actual expenditure in 1998-99 or planned expenditure in 1999-2000 but we will be monitoring the financial returns of authorities to see whether the cash increase in the education SSA has been used to support education.
Ms Abbott:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what his engagements were at 11.00 am on Friday 19 March; and if he will make a statement; [78447]
(3) what engagements the Minister for School Standards had at 11.00 am on Friday 19 March; and if he will make a statement; [78449]
(4) what engagements the Minister for Education and Employment had at 11.00 am on Friday 19 March; and if he will make a statement; [78450]
(5) what engagements the Under-Secretary of State responsible for Lifelong Learning, my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, East (Mr. Mudie), had at 11.00 am on Friday 19 March; and if he will make a statement; [78452]
(6) what engagements the Under-Secretary of State responsible for School Standards, my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Clarke), had at 11.00 am on Friday 19 March; and if he will make a statement; [78453]
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(7) what engagements the Under-Secretary of State responsible for Employment and Equal Opportunities, my hon. Friend the Member for Barking (Ms Hodge), had at 11.00 am on Friday 19 March; and if he will make a statement. [78454]
Mr. Blunkett:
Following the briefing given to my hon. Friends the Members for Hackney, North and Stoke Newington (Ms Abbott) and for Hackney, South and Shoreditch (Mr. Sedgemore) by the School Standards Minister the day before the announcement relating to Hackney LEA on Thursday, 18 March, Education and Employment Ministers were visiting a range of schools and other facilities throughout England on Friday. Details are as follows:
(2) what responses he has received from the leaders of the (a) Conservative, (b) Liberal and (c) Labour county councillors in Leicestershire to his letter of 1 March to county councillors entitled Education Funding; and if he will make a statement; [78246]
(2) what engagements the Minister for Employment, Welfare to Work and Equal Opportunities had at 11.00 am on Friday 19 March; and if he will make a statement; [78448]
I was visiting Mossbrook Special School in Sheffield and attending an international education seminar;
The Minister for Employment, Welfare to Work and Equal Opportunities was giving a speech in Oxford to the Tourism Business Scheme on recruitment problems in the Tourist Industry and visiting a New Deal self-build project;
The Minister for School Standards had a two hour dental appointment and was in Birmingham on Departmental and Constituency business;
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Lifelong Learning was visiting Rawthorpe High School in Huddersfield;
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for School Standards was opening the Milton Keynes Educational Partnership Conference in Northampton;
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment and Equal Opportunities was addressing a childcare conference in Gloucester.
Baroness Blackstone was in London providing Ministerial cover.
Appointments
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those people he has appointed to public bodies since 1 November 1998, indicating the positions to which they have been appointed and if they receive remuneration. [76419]
Mr. Fatchett:
Since 1 November 1998, the Secretary of State or other FCO Ministers have made or approved the following appointments to non-departmental public bodies:
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| £ | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name of Appointee | Body | Position | Remuneration |
| Keith Vaz MP | British Council | Vice Chairman | Nil |
| D. A. Thompson (reappointment) | Commonwealth Institute | Chairman | 15,000 |
| Tony Baldry MP | Commonwealth Institute | Governor | Nil |
| Floella Benjamin | Commonwealth Institute | Governor | Nil |
| Algy Cluff (reappointment) | Commonwealth Institute | Governor | Nil |
| Lord Dholakia | Commonwealth Institute | Governor | Nil |
| Anne Ferguson | Commonwealth Institute | Governor | Nil |
| Mary Marsh | Commonwealth Institute | Governor | Nil |
| Anthea Millett | Commonwealth Institute | Governor | Nil |
| Bill Morris | Commonwealth Institute | Governor | Nil |
| Helen Robinson (reappointment) | Commonwealth Institute | Governor | Nil |
| Jonathon Taylor | Commonwealth Institute | Governor | Nil |
| Sam Younger | Commonwealth Institute | Governor | Nil |
| Keith Vaz MP | Commonwealth Institute | Governor | Nil |
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Gibraltar
Mr. Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Spanish Foreign Minister concerning his recent statements about alleged criminal activity in Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement; [76928]
Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recent allegations about criminal activity in Gibraltar made by the Spanish Foreign Minister; and if he will make a statement. [76395]
Ms Quin [holding answer 15 March 1999]: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised Spanish allegations about criminal activity in Gibraltar with the Spanish Foreign Minister when they met on 21 February. He made clear to Sr. Matutes the strength of British and Gibraltarian determination to confront criminal activity in any form. He invited the Spanish authorities to substantiate their allegations.
We have received details of some specific Spanish concerns. We have been looking into these, together with the relevant Gibraltar authorities, and are responding.
Mr. Wilshire:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the instructions given to (a) the Governor of Gibraltar and (b) the Royal Gibraltar Police regarding the enforcement of the laws restricting fishing in Gibraltar's territorial waters. [78352]
Ms Quin:
It is not our practice to reveal details of confidential exchanges between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and any Governor or Ambassador. Nor is it our practice to give details of the operational instructions given to the Royal Gibraltar Police.
Mr. Wilshire:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the agreement reached with the Spanish Government on fishing by Spanish trawlers in Gibraltar's territorial waters. [78351]
Ms Quin:
The understanding reached with Spain was not a written document. On 5 October 1998, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and the Spanish Foreign Minister confirmed an understanding reached earlier between British and Spanish officials on the basis for a return to the situation that had prevailed in British waters around Gibraltar between 1991 and 1997, when fishing took place in moderation and the fishermen respected the authority of the Gibraltar law enforcement agencies. They agreed that we should revert to that situation.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the Attorney General of Pakistan to discuss the law as it affects women in Pakistan. [76349]
Mr. Fatchett
[holding answer 23 March 1999]: Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary have met the Attorney General of Pakistan. We discuss the law as it affects women as part of our continuing dialogue with Pakistan.
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