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Housing Benefit

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what estimate he has made of the number of landlords in

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(a) Pendle, (b) Burnley, (c) Blackburn, (d) Rossendale, (e) Darwen and (f) Hyndburn whose rents are met from housing benefit; [82321]

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.

The total numbers of rent allowance cases in Pendle, Burnley, Blackburn, Rossendale, Darwen and Hyndburn (claims from tenants living in the private rented sector) in May 1998

Local authorityRent allowance cases (private landlords, excluding housing associations)
Pendle1,990
Burnley2,670
Blackburn with Darwen2,590
Rossendale1,110
Hyndburn2,100

Source:

Housing Benefit Management Information System


The total numbers of rent allowance cases (claims from tenants living in the private rented sector) since May 1990 in Great Britain

MayRent allowance recipients (private tenants, excluding housing associations)
1990not available
1991not available
1992952,000
19931,068,000
19941,125,000
19951,160,000
19961,155,000
19971,067,000
1998971,000

Source:

Housing Benefit Management Information System


SCOTLAND

Education (Expenditure)

Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much central Government money was spent per capita in 1998 on helping schools meet special educational needs. [82212]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 26 April 1999]: In the financial year 1998-99, the Scottish Office provided £6.5 million directly to seven grant-aided special schools in Scotland, and £1.2 million to support training of local authority staff working in special needs. It is not possible to express this in capita terms. Expenditure per pupil in local authority schools is the responsibility of each education authority. Local authority expenditure is supported by Aggregate External Finance. Such support is not specific to particular local authority services and it is for each authority to determine the allocation of all resources at its disposal.

Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much central Government money was spent per capita in 1998 on grants to (a) voluntary aided schools and (b) voluntary controlled schools. [82214]

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Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 26 April 1999]: There are no such schools in Scotland.

Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much central Government money was spent per capita in 1998 on (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools, (c) further education colleges and (d) universities. [82213]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 26 April 1999]: Direct expenditure by the Scottish Office on the education of school pupils is limited to grants made available to Jordanhill School, two self-governing schools, and certain residential special schools. Grants are also made available for pupils at certain independent schools under the Assisted Places Scheme. Comprehensive information on the division of these resources between the primary and secondary sectors is not available. Expenditure per pupil in education authority schools is the responsibility of each education authority. Local authority expenditure is supported by Aggregate External Finance. Such support is not specific to particular local authority services and it is for each authority to determine the allocation of all resources at its disposal.

The average central Government funding, in the form of grant to further education colleges in Scotland, per full-time equivalent student in financial year 1996-97 (the latest year for which final student data are available) was £3,418.

Information is not held in the format requested for university students. However, based on the allocation to higher education institutions, including universities, made by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council in 1998-99, the main source of central Government funding, an estimate of spend per full-time equivalent student is £5,465. This does not include additional central Government money which individual institutions may access through a variety of programmes nor spending on the maintenance element of student support.

Pre-school Education

Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of increasing the grant for pre-school education to cover four year old pupils whose parents wish to defer entry to primary school; and if he will make a statement; [81745]

Mrs. Liddell: We believe that decisions on whether a child should have their entry to school deferred should be taken locally in consultation with the education authority so that the maturity and preparedness for school of each child can be taken into account on an individual basis. Anecdotal evidence suggests that around 5% of children have their entry to primary school deferred each year. The cost of financing these places through the pre-school education grant would be around £3.5m each year.

We understand that all local authorities fund a number of children who have had their entry to primary school deferred.

As from 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

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NORTHERN IRELAND

Training Staff (Religious Affiliation)

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will provide a breakdown of the religious composition of (a) the training staff employed at each level and (b) the trainees at each Government training centre in Northern Ireland at the latest date for which figures are available. [82193]

Mr. Ingram: Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Training and Employment Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Ian Walters. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Ian Walters to Mr. Roy Beggs, dated 28 April 1999:



    I have consulted colleagues in the Department of Finance and Personnel which, on behalf of the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) and as required by the Fair Employment (Monitoring) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999, maintains monitoring information on the composition of the NICS. In carrying out this function the Department is required to protect the confidentiality of monitoring information held on individual members of staff and of groups where the community background of individuals could be deduced.


    In addition, the Department seeks to ensure that the use it makes of such monitoring information is compatible with the actions or measures it might lawfully take to address any lack of fair participation revealed by monitoring. In practice this means that the NICS does not maintain monitoring information by grade for the staff employed in Training Centres, who constitute a single occupational group. The breakdown of the community background of these staff at 1 January 1999, the latest date for which information is available, is:

NumberPercentage
Protestant12352.3
Roman Catholic8536.2
Not determined2711.5


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