| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Cycling to School
Mr. Lock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what funds his Department has allocated in the current and next two financial years to support cycling to school. [85392]
Mr. Charles Clarke: We have made over £100,000 available this financial year to support safer routes--including cycling--to school. We will be considering the case for further funding in the next two financial years.
Community Computer Centres
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the national body to deliver community computer centres will be established. [85411]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
We are in the process of establishing a co-ordinating group to steer this important initiative and to advise my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Education and Employment and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. An announcement will be made
10 Jun 1999 : Column: 391
before the summer and I expect the first learning centres to be established this year, but I can say that the group will have a broad range of members unpaid, including both Government officials and individuals with experience in the private sector.
Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on recent developments in Government action to widen participation in further education. [85425]
Mr. Mudie:
We are committed to widening participation in further education and have taken action to achieve this.
We have secured an excellent financial settlement for further education which will enable significant progress to be made towards securing an extra 700,000 students in further education in 2001-02 compared to 1997-98. This expansion is principally focused on widening participation to those who have not traditionally taken advantage of learning opportunities. We have also announced a new Further Education Student Support package, targeted at those most in need, which will come into force from September.
The introduction of the University for Industry and Individual Learning Accounts, from next year, will both assist in removing barriers to learning and widening participation in further education.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people in the North West have been through the New Deal since its commencement. [85428]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
The latest Government Statistical Service figures to the end of March 1999 show that 37,790 young people, in the Employment Service North West region, have joined the New Deal for young people since it started in the first Pathfinder areas in January 1998. Of these 17,800 have left, leaving 19,900 still participating at some stage of the New Deal process.
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what support has been given to schools to enable them to become accessible to those with disabilities. [85429]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The Schools Access Initiative gives capital support to make more mainstream schools accessible to disabled pupils and those with sensory impairments. It has run each year since 1996 and a total of £25 million had been allocated by March 1999. A further £100 million has been earmarked over the next three years.
10 Jun 1999 : Column: 392
Mr. Worthington:
To ask the Prime Minister what undertakings were given to the Government of Macedonia during his recent visit to Macedonia, with respect to (a) levels of aid from the United Kingdom, (b) the willingness of the United Kingdom to accept refugees from Macedonia, (c) assistance and the speed of delivery of assistance from the European Union and (d) help from international financial institutions; and what progress has been made in fulfilling these undertakings. [84788]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 24 May 1999]: During my visit to Macedonia, I gave the following undertakings to the Government of Macedonia:
Mr. Green:
To ask the Prime Minister when he received a report from the Department for Education and Employment on the review of post-16 training and education. [85723]
The Prime Minister:
As is the case for any aspect of developing government policy, my office has received regular reports on the progress of the Review, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment will be making an announcement about our proposals in due course.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Prime Minister what is his policy on the use of depleted uranium and cluster bombs by British forces; and if he will make a statement. [85351]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 9 June 1999]: It is our policy to use cluster bombs in circumstances where there is a military requirement to do so, and our normal
10 Jun 1999 : Column: 393
criteria for minimising collateral damage can be satisfied. Cluster bombs are the most effective weapon available against concentrations of armoured and soft-skinned vehicles, artillery, anti-aircraft artillery or fielded forces. In the current conflict in the Balkans, cluster bombs are being used against specific, identified military targets and a high level of accuracy is being achieved.
Depleted uranium weapons are not weapons of mass and indiscriminate destruction. They are ammunition designed specifically to penetrate tank armour on the battlefield and do not have effects on the wider population. Their use is not prohibited under any international agreements, including the Geneva Conventions.
DU-based ammunition have not been used by UK forces during military operations against Iraq since the 1990-1991 Gulf conflict; neither have they been used by UK forces in recent operations in the Balkans. Nevertheless, if the operational situation and the safety of UK troops required such a capability, DU-based ammunition would be deployed and used.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will place a copy of the letter sent from his chief of staff to the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party on Monday 17 May in the Library. [86138]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 9 June 1999]: It is not the normal practice of Government to publish communications sent in confidence, in line with paragraph 2 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 17 May 1999, Official Report, column 267, on meetings with President Clinton, how many meetings he held with members and officials of the United States Government during his visit of 21 to 25 April; and if he will list the dates and locations of each meeting, and the names of the members and officials of the United States Government at each meeting. [86297]
The Prime Minister:
During my visit to the United States of America in April, I met President Clinton on a number of occasions, both privately and during sessions of the NATO Summit.
(a) The UK would allocate an additional £20 million for humanitarian assistance to the refugees in the region, including Macedonia, making a total of £40 million since the crisis started. £14.5 million of the additional £20 million has now been committed. I also promised £5 million of technical assistance to Macedonia to increase the capacity of the Government to absorb international assistance and to carry out reform. The Department for International Development is in the process of identifying suitable projects.
(b) I made clear to the Government of Macedonia that the UK was willing to accept refugees from Macedonia provided that they were properly selected by the UNHCR. The Government have since accelerated the arrival of refugees from the region and has now taken 2,782 people.
(c) I promised the Macedonian Government to press for the European Union to disperse the 25 million euro of budgetary assistance as soon as possible. I spoke subsequently to the President of the Commission to make sure that this happened. The first instalment was paid by the European Commission on 12 May, the second instalment will be released on 1 July and the third on 15 October. The European Commission has also provided technical assistance to the Macedonian Treasury to help them to disburse these funds through the budget.
(d) On my return from Macedonia, I also spoke to the Managing Director of the IMF in advance of the Donor Conference on assistance to Macedonia on 5 May. I asked that the IMF and other international financial institutions should speed up their support for Macedonia. At the Donor Conference, the international community, including the international financial institutions, pledged $252 million in financial assistance to Macedonia.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |