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EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Booster Classes
Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children have attended year 6 booster classes in 1998-99. [87676]
Ms Estelle Morris: We do not yet have this information. LEAs are required to provide a report on the number of Year 6 pupils who attended the booster classes. The information is to be provided at the end of the 1999 Summer term.
Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans there are to continue year 6 booster classes in 1999-2000. [87677]
Ms Estelle Morris: We will make an announcement shortly about the 1999-2000 Year 6 booster programme.
Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment in which (a) local education authorities and (b) districts year 6 booster classes have been introduced. [87675]
Ms Estelle Morris: All LEAs were allocated funding for additional literacy and numeracy classes for Year 6 pupils.
We do not hold nationally data on the distribution of Standards Fund grant at district level.
Drug Education Forum
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what grants he has made to the Drug Education Forum; who are its members; what arrangements he has made to monitor its use of funds; and if he will make a statement. [87892]
Mr. Charles Clarke [holding answer 22 June 1999]: We have agreed to a grant of up to £50,000 for the Drug Education Forum for each of the three years from 1998-99 to 2000-01. This supports a full-time co-ordinator post, and also covers administrative and information support, including the production of a drug education newsletter for teachers in schools. Grants of £13,000 and £26,000 were provided in 1996-97 and 1997-98 respectively.
The Forum's membership is made up of representatives of each of the six main teacher unions; the Association of Chief Police Officers; the Drug Education Practitioners
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Forum; the Evangelical Coalition on Drugs; the Health Education Authority; Hope UK; Life Education Centres; the Local Government Drugs Forum; the National Association of Youth and Community Education Officers; the National Children's Bureau; the National Health Education Group; the National Standing Committee of Advisors, Inspectors and Consultants of Personal and Social Education; Release; the Roehampton Institute London; the Standing Conference on Drug Abuse, and the Advisory Council on Alcohol and Drug Education.
A condition of grant to the Forum is that the books and records relating to the claiming and use of the grant are open to inspection by the National Audit Office and representatives of the Secretary of State as and when they may require. The Forum's work is also monitored by officials from my Department, along with those of Department of Health, Home Office and the UK Anti-Drugs Co-ordination Unit, who attend the Forum's regular meetings as observers.
Adult Protective Legislation
Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to introduce legislation to reform (a) adult protective legislation and (b) enduring power of attorney. [87632]
Mr. Vaz: The Government published the consultation paper "Who Decides?" in December 1997 about the recommendations of the Law Commission on decision- making for mentally incapacitated adults, which included proposals for reform of enduring powers of attorney. We wish to give very careful consideration to all the issues involved before deciding the way forward. No decisions have yet been taken on whether there should be legislation and, if so, when it should be introduced.
SCOTLAND
Genetically Modified Fish
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to license test projects for the farming of genetically modified fish in Scotland. [87259]
Mr. Macdonald: None. No applications for consent to release GM fish into the environment have been made under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1992 (as amended).
Policy on this issue will be devolved from 1 July 1999.
DEFENCE
Depleted Uranium
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what tests were carried out on members of the 21 EOD Squadron who conducted clean-up operations in Kuwait in 1991 in relation to damage from ingesting depleted uranium dust. [86947]
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Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 15 June 1999]: None. However, as I set out in the detailed paper, "Testing for the Presence of Depleted Uranium in UK Veterans of the Gulf conflict: The Current Position", published on 19 March 1999, all Gulf veterans who are concerned that their health has been adversely affected by service during the Gulf conflict (that is, August 1990 to July 1991), including by possible exposure to depleted uranium (DU), are entitled to seek a referral to the Gulf veterans' Medical Assessment Programme (MAP) for a full medical assessment. Copies of the DU Testing paper have been placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the timetable for disarming the KLA. [87306]
Mr. George Robertson:
In the undertaking signed with KFOR on 21 June, the KLA have agreed that, within thirty days, all prohibited weapons with the exception of automatic small arms will be handed in to secure weapons storage sites. Automatic small arms will be handed in in phases over ninety days.
I am placing a copy of the undertaking in the Library of the House.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what day to day contact British officers have with their Russian counterparts in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement. [87569]
Mr. George Robertson:
Day-to-day communication between British forces and the Russian contingent in Kosovo has been through a Russian-speaking UK liaison officer. There have also been meetings between KFOR commander Lt Gen Jackson and the commander of the Russian forces in Kosovo, Gen Zavarzin. Gp Capt Morley, the UK officer responsible for the establishment of an air port of disembarkation (APOD) for NATO forces at Pristina airport, has also held discussions with Russian officers. Following the recent agreement on the integration of Russian forces into the peacekeeping effort in Kosovo, more formal lines of communication are now being established.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure NATO remains solely in charge of Operation Joint Guardian in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement. [87568]
Mr. George Robertson:
Operation Joint Guardian remains a NATO led operation. As far as Russian participation in KFOR is concerned, the arrangement recently negotiated between the US and Russian Defence Ministers, and agreed by the North Atlantic Council, ensures that there will be unity of command under the NATO Commander of Operation Joint Guardian, Lieutenant General Sir Mike Jackson. Political direction will continue to be given by the North Atlantic Council, with consultations on Russian participation through the Permanent Joint Council.
Mr. Burgon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total number of British forces committed to Kosovo operations. [88210]
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Mr. George Robertson:
As of 21 June, some 13,000 UK service personnel were deployed on Kosovo related operations, as follows:
The RAF element of the UK contribution to Kosovo operations will be reduced to around 900 as a result of the decision announced yesterday to re-deploy all 12 RAF Tornados from Solenzara in Corsica to RAF Bruggen, five VC10 tankers from Ancona in Italy to RAF Brize Norton and 10 Harrier GR7s from Gioia del Colle in Italy to RAF Wittering. Six GR7s will remain in at Gioia del Colle, two Tristars at Ancona and up to three E-3Ds at Aviano in Italy. Nimrod R reconnaissance sorties will continue to be flown, albeit at reduced frequency. The aircraft withdrawn to their home bases remain available for Kosovo operations if required.
Mr. Jim Murphy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Naval Bases and Supply Agency for 1999-2000. [88277]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
The following targets have been set for the Naval Bases and Supply Agency for 1999-2000.
Mr. Jim Murphy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Ships Support Agency for 1999-2000. [88278]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
The following key targets have been set for the Ships Support Agency for 1999-2000.
23 Jun 1999 : Column: 398
Royal Navy: 880
Army: 10,320 (7,300 in Kosovo, 2,900 in Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia and 120 in Albania)
RAF: 1,800.
Key Target 1:
To provide 31,871 Standard Berthing Unit days.
Key Target 2:
To complete the Fleet Time Maintenance Loading programme to within three per cent. of budget.
Key Target 3:
To supply 80 per cent. of available Material within demand timescales while achieving agreed targets for high priority operational defects.
Key Target 4:
To supply 95 per cent. of available, maintained Munitions within demand timescales.
Key Target 5:
To ensure 99 per cent. availability of the Food product range in meeting customer's requirements.
Key Target 6:
To provide 30 per cent. of entitled personnel with Accommodation to JSP 315 Grade 2 standard or better and the remainder with Grades 3 and 4.
Key Target 1:
To deliver upkeep periods with less than eight per cent. overrun.
Key Target 2:
To contain the cost of upkeep periods within three per cent. of the budget.
Key Target 3:
To limit to less than six per cent. the fleet time during which vessels are unable, for Material reasons, to perform their programmed tasks.
Key Target 4:
To limit to less than four the average number of Operational Defects outstanding per vessel in fleet time.
Key Target 5:
To provide 70 per cent. materially available vessel days.
Key Target 6:
To provide materially available vessel days for less than £39.4K each.
Key Target 7:
To achieve a stock turnover ratio of less than 2.9:1.
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