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School Pupils (Drug Possessions)
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the number of pupils found to be in possession of controlled drugs on school premises in the last year for which figures are available. [91132]
Mr. Charles Clarke: These figures are not centrally available. However, we have asked local education authorities to provide us with information on the number of drug related exclusions of more than five school days in the current school year. This information should be available early next year.
Class Sizes (Greater London)
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the average class size of state schools within the Greater London area. [90773]
Ms Estelle Morris: Provisional figures show that the average class size for classes taught by one teacher in maintained primary and secondary schools in Greater London as at January 1999 are 27.3 and 21.8 respectively.
Young People (Leicestershire)
Mr. Reed:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of 17 to 18-year-olds in Leicestershire are in (a) schools, (b) further education and (c) work. [91207]
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Mr. Mudie:
In 1996-97, the proportion of young people aged 16 or 17 at the start of the academic year, in full or part-time education in schools and further education in Leicestershire, were 34 per cent. and 44 per cent. respectively.
The proportion of young people aged 16 or 17 at the start of the academic year, in employment, in the winter of 1998, in Leicestershire was 68 per cent.
Many young people combine work with education so there are significant overlaps between these groups.
Mr. Reed:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the performance of private sector companies delivering the New Deal. [91205]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
It is still early days, but progress in the 10 New Deal for Young People Private Sector-led Units of Delivery appears to be generally satisfactory. They are subject to the same evaluation and continuous improvement strategy as other units. As part of this, ES and its partners are working together to improve performance in the delivery of the New Deal. Private Sector-led Units of Delivery are no exception, and ES will shortly be undertaking a series of comprehensive contract review meetings with these partners. It is too early to make reliable assessments of performance for the New Deal 25+ Pilots.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many kilometres have been travelled on his Department's business in each of the last three years broken down by (a) foot, (b) bike, (c) bus, (d) train, (e) tram, (f) light-rail, (g) plane, (h) motorbike, (i) car, (j) taxi, (k) river-taxi and (l) other modes of transport; what plans and targets his Department has to reduce the kilometres travelled by private transport by his Department's employees; and if he will make a statement. [91020]
Mr. Mudie
[holding answer 13 July 1999]: Information on business travel is not collected in the form requested. As published in the Integrated Transport White Paper in July 1998, the Government have set a target for all Government Department headquarters buildings and main buildings occupied by Executive Agencies and Government Offices for the Regions to have green transport plans by March 1999 and all other key buildings by March 2000.
We have completed plans covering our five headquarters buildings. The Employment Service have also completed a plan covering their headquarters and main buildings. We are developing plans for all other key buildings in line with the targets set out in the White Paper. The plans include measures to reduce single occupancy car use by employees for commuting and business travel.
Mr. Lock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance he has issued to local authorities about charging parents for school transport to the nearest denominational school to their home. [91291]
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Mr. Charles Clarke:
The Department has issued no specific guidance on charges for transport to denominational schools as this is for Local Education Authorities to consider in the light of local circumstances. General guidance on the duties and powers of Local Education Authorities with regard to school transport is contained in a letter from the Department to Chief Education Officers dated 21 January 1994.
Mr. Shaw:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the National Disability Council will report on its activities during the 1998-99 financial year. [91823]
Ms Hodge:
I am pleased to announce that the Secretary of State has today laid the National Disability Council's fourth annual report before Parliament. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions and in what circumstances English Heritage has exercised its powers to take control of an ancient monument. [89400]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 2 July 1999]: English Heritage does not have powers to take control of an ancient monument in the sense of a compulsory acquisition. Its management of historic sites and properties arises under the direction of myself, or through acquisition or Guardianship arrangements entered into by agreement.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will set out the responsibilities of English Heritage in relation to local government archaeological services. [89404]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 2 July 1999]: English Heritage has policy responsibility for advising Local Authorities on the adequacy of their archaeological services; more specifically it assists with the funding of archaeological posts in local authorities connected with data gathering and the maintenance of Sites and Monuments Records (a contribution of £164,752 in 1999-2000). It also funds survey work, totalling £387,876 in 1999/2000; provides archaeological planning advice to the Greater London Boroughs; provides eight scientific advisers to assist local authorities' archaeological curators (with a ninth post due to be filled shortly); and funds an administrative support post for the Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people were employed in local government archaeological services (a) in 1990 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. [89403]
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Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 2 July 1999]: A 'RESCUE' (The British Archaeological Trust) survey in 1990 indicated that 1,021 people were employed in local government archaeological services in that year; I understand that a forthcoming report by the Institute of Field Archaeologists and the Council for British Archaeology will show that, at September 1998, 795 people were employed. The reduction partly reflects the increase in the provision of private sector archaeological services following the publication in 1990 of Planning Policy Guidance Note 16--Archaeology and Planning.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education and Employment regarding the development of NVQs in archaeology. [89414]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 2 July 1999]: None, but the relevance of NVQs to archaeology is one of the issues being considered by English Heritage and archaeological bodies within English Heritage's Training Liaison Forum.
Mr. Gorrie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment the Sports Council has made of the opportunities available to girls and young women to take part in previously mostly male team sports; and what plans it has to expand those opportunities. [91054]
Mr. Banks:
Sport England works with a range of organisations, including the Women's Sports Foundation, to promote and encourage opportunities for girls and young women in sport at all levels.
Sport England regularly commissions research into sporting participation patterns and trends and will be carrying out its Young People and Sport survey later this year, which will focus specifically on the participation rates of girls in sport.
Projects developed with Lottery funding are monitored to assess the participation levels of previously under-represented groups. Gender-specific targets have been set in the document developed by Sport England entitled "England, the Sporting Nation" and targets for increasing the participation rates for women in sport are being developed in line with the new Funding Agreement with this Department.
As part of its aim to raise the participation rates of girls in sport, Sport England has undertaken a pilot initiative, 'Girl Sport', and hopes to begin introducing the initiative nationwide later this year.
Any governing body which receives funding from Sport England must provide development proposals for women's sport as a condition of that funding. Also, all organisations applying for funding from the National Lottery Sports Fund are required to include ways of encouraging the participation of women and girls. This is now helping to increase participation levels, particularly in those sports that have traditionally been male- dominated.
Sport England has also organised gender equity training for governing bodies, including senior executives.
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Specific activities that Sport England has undertaken with governing bodies of sports that have been traditionally male-dominated include:
providing financial support for a women's development officer for rugby league;
encouraging women's sections of rugby union clubs;
helping to facilitate the amalgamation of male and female governing bodies in football and cricket, with the result of additional resources for the development of the women's game, with girls' age-group national teams formally established.
Where the men's professional game is ineligible for lottery revenue support through the 'World Class Performance' programme, Sport England are still able to support women's elite sport in cricket and rugby union.
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