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Mortgage Costs (Benefit Claimants)
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of paying in full the mortgage interest costs of recipients of Income Support and related benefits from the first day of receipt of benefit. [84663]
Angela Eagle: The estimated cost of paying mortgage interest to working age people, as well as pensioners, from the first day of a benefit claim is £80 million.
Notes:
1. Mortgage interest can be included in Income Support and income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.
2. The costs are based on survey data from the 1996-97 Family Resources Survey and modelled on the Policy Simulation Model which is uprated to 1999-2000 prices and benefit levels.
3. The figures are rounded to the nearest £5 million.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Media Relations
Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department how many (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers involved in media relations were employed within his Department at 1 May (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999. [84198]
Mr. Vaz: Four civil servants, all members of the Government Information and Communications Service (GICS), were employed in my Department for media relations on 1 May in the years 1997-99.
The Special Adviser in this Department has ad hoc contact with the media but is not specifically employed in media relations.
Community Legal Service
Mr. Garnier:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to the answer of 13 May 1999, Official Report, column 183, if he will set a date for publication of the Community Legal Service consultation document. [84669]
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Mr. Vaz:
Further to the answer of the 13 May 1999, Official Report, column 183, given by my hon. Friend the hon. Member for Ashfield (Mr. Hoon), I can confirm that the publication of the consultation paper will take place soon.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the draft Commission legislation on the jurisdiction, recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters and parental responsibility for children; and what is the Government's policy on the draft legislation. [84094]
Mr. Vaz:
The proposal for a Council Regulation on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters and in matters of parental responsibility for joint children was published by the European Commission on 4 May 1999.
The Government are currently assessing this proposal and its implications; it is based on a convention dealing with the same subject matter which was agreed by the member states of the European Union in 1998. The Government have not yet decided what steps to take in relation to this proposal.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the draft Commission directive on the service of judicial and extra-judicial documents in civil and commercial matters; and what is his policy thereto. [84093]
Mr. Vaz:
The provisional version of the Directive was published by the European Commission on 4 May 1999. The Government are presently considering their response.
Voluntary Rationing Scheme
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much funding was provided under the voluntary rationing scheme in the last financial year; how many grants were made; when funding ceased to be available; and if he will make a statement on funding for the scheme for this year. [83130]
Mr. Charles Clarke [holding answer 4 May 1999]: Funding of £11.1 million was provided under the Voluntary Rationing Scheme (VRS) in 1998-99. This expenditure supported 1,036 VRS repair projects and 739 VRS capital projects. Funding for VRS repair grant was available to Voluntary Aided schools throughout 1998-99. However, due to an unusually high demand in the early part of the year, funding for VRS capital work was not provided between 27 August 1998 and 31 March 1999.
The Voluntary Rationing Scheme is one of a number of largely demand led elements in the overall provision of grant to governing bodies for building work at Voluntary Aided schools. The amount available in any year depends on the total demand for grant for all types of capital and repair work at these schools. Funding for VRS capital will be monitored closely throughout 1999-2000 and schools
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will be informed if any changes are necessary. The VRS repair arrangements have been subsumed into new and streamlined funding procedures which came into effect on 1 April 1999, after full consultation with the Churches.
In 1999-2000, the total budget for the provision of grant towards the governors' liabilities for building work at Voluntary Aided schools is £121 million. This compares with an amount of £103 million at the time the original budget was set for 1998-99. Of the £121 million available for 1999-2000 some £17 million has provisionally been set aside for demand led elements such as the Voluntary Rationing Scheme.
Mr. Green:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to introduce an NVQ in hospital portering; and if he will make a statement. [84395]
Mr. Mudie:
There are no plans to develop an NVQ in hospital portering. The Healthcare National Training Organisation as the body responsible for developing NVQs in this sector will be looking at the feasibility of such qualifications.
Mr. Blizzard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to ensure that pupils have the opportunity to take part in outdoor activities as part of the school curriculum. [84693]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
Under my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's proposals for a revised National Curriculum from 2000, on which we are currently consulting, outdoor and adventurous activities continue to be available for pupils aged 7-16 as one of six areas of activity in the physical education curriculum.
Mr. Salter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will publish a summary of the responses to the Green Paper, "The Learning Age". [84795]
Mr. Mudie:
We received about 3,000 thoughtful and constructive responses to "The Learning Age". They supported our vision of the learning society and our proposals for achieving it.
A document summarising the responses is now available and I am placing copies in the Library.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers involved in media relations were employed within his Department at 1 May (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999. [84195]
Mr. Mudie:
Information on the numbers of permanent civil servants employed in Departmental Press Offices during the financial years 1997-98 and 1998-99 was provided in a memorandum to the Select Committee on Public Administration and published in its report, "The Government Information and Communication Service"
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(HC770) in July 1998. A copy is in the Library. The number of press officers in post at DfEE on 1 May 1999 are 30.
Special Advisers in this Department have ad hoc contact with the media but none are employed specifically in media relations.
Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance is issued by his Department to local education authorities in respect of the provision of boxing in schools. [84229]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The Department does not issue any guidance on the provision of boxing in schools. Boxing is not a part of the National Curriculum for physical education but it is open to LEAs and schools to decide whether to offer boxing as an extra-curricular activity, should they wish to and if they have the expertise and resources to do so.
The British Association of Advisers and Lecturers in Physical Education produce "Safe Practice in Physical Education", which includes guidance on the provision of boxing in schools.
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on the total number of releases under the open government initiative. [84752]
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Dr. Jack Cunningham:
The latest number of records released under the open government initiative now stands at over 102,000 and relates to releases up to the end of March 1999. This represents an increase of just under 6 per cent. over the previous total of over 96,000 which I announced on 23 February 1999, Official Report, column 255, and related to the total figure as at the end of September 1998.
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