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New Qualifications
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what response he has sent to proposals from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority for a new qualification framework at degree level. [94944]
Mr. Wicks:
The independent Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education published a consultative paper on Higher Education Qualifications Frameworks on
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18 October, requesting responses by 20 December. The Department has received copies of the paper and will be considering whether to comment.
Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations he has received about creating a national register of school playing fields. [95186]
Jacqui Smith:
The Department has received representations from both the National Playing Fields Association (NPFA) and the Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR) about creating a national register of playing fields, including school playing fields. Sport England, with the support of the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, the NPFA and the CCPR, have been working with local authorities on a suitable model for a register which can be used by local authorities to undertake assessments of all playing field need and provision in their area, including school playing fields.
Mrs. May:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many members of the People's Panel responded to the recent research on the Literacy Hour; how many of those were parents with primary school-age children; and if he will publish the questions asked on the Literacy Hour. [95103]
Ms Estelle Morris:
1,003 responded to the question on the literacy hour, of which 160 had children aged 5-10 in the household.
Fuller results are published on the internet (www.servicefirst.gov.uk).
Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many students will be recruited as student mentors; what will be their terms and conditions of employment; if it will be subject to the consent of the higher education institutions in which they are enrolled; and if such appointments will be subject to competitive selection procedures, prior or in-course training and independent evaluation of performance. [94947]
Ms Estelle Morris:
A pilot project of student mentoring is to be trialled in secondary schools in a number of Education Action Zones. About 600 students from six volunteer universities will be working as mentors, contracted on an annual basis to provide up to 120 hours of mentoring per year. They will be supervised and supported by their universities. There will be a rigorous selection process for mentors, including one-to-one interviews and accredited training. The project will be subject to independent evaluation.
Departmental Twinning
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many requests there have been to his Department for placement of officials
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from Central, East European and CIS states as twins of his officials; how many such officials have been accepted as twins; and from which countries (a) those who were accepted and (b) those who were not accepted came. [93996]
Jane Kennedy:
I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer given today by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz).
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if the Lord Chancellor intends to exercise his powers under section 71 of the Access to Justice Act 1999 in relation to the Paddington train crash. [95107]
Jane Kennedy:
Section 71 of the Access to Justice Act 1999 is not yet in force. The Lord Chancellor is considering when the section should be implemented and whether it will apply to the inquiry chaired by Lord Cullen into the Paddington train crash.
Jackie Ballard:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if an action plan for increasing the representation of women in public life has been (a) prepared by his Department and (b) published since November 1998. [94842]
Jane Kennedy:
I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given today by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office.
Insulin Injectors and Pens
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when pen needles for diabetics' insulin injectors will become available on the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [94425]
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what decision he has reached about his proposal to prevent pre-filled insulin injection pen systems being available on prescription for diabetics; [95105]
- (2) what estimate he has made of the amount that would be saved by the NHS if pre-filled insulin injection pen systems were no longer available to diabetics on prescription; and if he will publish a cost-benefit analysis of the proposal. [95106]
Mr. Denham: We have consulted on proposals which would include allowing insulin pen needles to be prescribed by general practitioners on the National Health Service. We have received representations from most of the organisations consulted. We are considering them, and are seeking clarification on certain points before we make our final decisions.
PFIs (Lancashire)
Mr. Evans:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many private finance initiatives are currently in operation within the Health Service in Lancashire. [94185]
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Mr. Denham
[holding answer 19 October 1999]: There are four schemes at various stages of preparation. They are at Bay Community National Health Service Trust; Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Care NHS Trust (two schemes); and Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde Community NHS Trust.
Dr. Julian Lewis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what progress has been made in achieving single-sex wards in psychiatric units to the extent that there are no male patients anywhere in women-only wards; [94355]
Mr. Hutton:
The National Health Service Executive has a clear objective to work towards the elimination of mixed sex accommodation in 95 per cent. of health authority areas by the year 2002. The NHS Executive has set three national objectives:
We will shortly publish new guidance for mental health units to reinforce earlier guidance designed to ensure the privacy, safety and dignity of patients. This guidance will also help to ensure that new NHS buildings will be constructed on the basis of having segregated accommodation for male and female patients.
Dr. Julian Lewis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will define single-sex wards in relation to (a) sleeping, (b) washing, (c) eating and (d) socialising facilities. [94357]
Mr. Denham:
Single-sex accommodation in hospitals is defined by compliance with the Government's national objectives to secure good standards of privacy and dignity for patients, to ensure that washing and toilet facilities are segregated and to provide safe facilities for the mentally ill.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of schools in each health authority agreed to participate in the Health Education Authority's skin cancer campaign, Sun Know How. [94059]
Yvette Cooper:
The Health Education Authority (HEA) has produced sun safety guidelines for schools including a good practice guide on the use of sunscreens. Although the authority does not at present hold statistics on the percentage of schools in each health authority that participated in the Sun Know How campaign, representatives of around 80 per cent. of health and local authorities receive comprehensive support, including training, resources and policy advice.
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(2) if all new psychiatric in-patient units are being constructed on the basis of the segregation of the sexes. [94356]
to ensure that appropriate organisational arrangements are in place to secure good standards of privacy and dignity;
to fully achieve the current Patient's Charter standard for segregated washing and toilet facilities across the NHS;
to provide safe facilities for patients in hospital who are mentally ill, which safeguards their privacy and dignity.
For the third objective, the latest progress report indicates that 56 per cent. of health authorities expect to achieve this by the end of 1999. 97 per cent. of health authorities expect to meet it by 2002.
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