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Citizenship Curriculum
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if he will include in the new citizenship curriculum provision for the study of aspects of global citizenship, in particular sustainable development; [96461]
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Jacqui Smith:
The framework for education for citizenship will include the study of the world as a global community. We will issue guidance, to include global citizenship and sustainable development, which will be available to schools in the new year.
Mr. Sanders:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what representations he has received about the quality of service experienced by clients of the Student Loans Company; [96595]
Mr. Wicks:
The Student Loans Company (SLC) has played a major part in the successful introduction of the new student support arrangements. To date in academic year 1999-2000, it has made 494,000 student loans. This is around 150,000 more than at the same time in 1998-99. 325,000 telephone inquiries have been answered on the SLC's student support helpline since the start of academic year 1999-2000.
The Department has received 90 complaints from students about the service provided by the SLC on loans for academic year 1999-2000. These represent a very small proportion--some 0.02 per cent.--of the 494,000 loans made. While there have been a very small number of concerns, students have benefited this year from our commitment to get loans to students at the start of term.
Mr. Alan Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children were in receipt of an assisted place; and what was the total cost in England and Wales in each year since 1992. [96860]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The information requested is shown in the following table and is in respect of children in England. The cost in 1998-99 was £22 million less than planned expenditure under the previous administration. That saving was used to provide extra teachers to reduce class sizes. Figures for Wales are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
(2) what measures he is taking to ensure that guidance notes on the citizenship curriculum give attention to global citizenship. [96462]
(2) what assessment he has made of the performances of the Student Loans Company in relation to the (a) processing of applications and (b) answering of telephone inquiries. [96596]
| Academic year | Number of assisted pupils | Total cost in financial year (£ million) |
|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 28,674 | (17)92.9 |
| 1993-94 | 29,291 | 92.3 |
| 1994-95 | 29,743 | 101.5 |
| 1995-96 | 29,917 | 104.8 |
| 1996-97 | 33,144 | 117.5 |
| 1997-98 | 36,458 | 134.4 |
| 1998-99 | 29,795 | 125.6 |
(17) Includes £4.9 million brought forward from financial year 1993-94
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Education Expenditure
Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the current amounts available for expenditure on education by each of the (a) shire counties and (b) unitary authorities as a percentage of total spending; and indicate what each such authority would have to spend to bring it up to the spending level of the highest-spending shire county. [95221]
Ms Estelle Morris: The information given in the table shows, for 1999-2000, for each shire and unitary local authority in England, (i) the percentage of each authority's total spending which was allocated to education, and (ii) the extra sum each would have to allocate in order to spend as much per pupil as Slough.
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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Dairy Industry
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on prospects for the dairy industry. [95837]
Ms Quin: The UK dairy industry has faced a particularly difficult two years and this situation will not easily or quickly be reversed. But recent assistance from the Government in the form of a waiver of cattle passport charges, together with an ending to the uncertainty regarding Milk Marque, will go some way to helping the sector stabilise.
Grassland
Sir Peter Emery: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to comply with the EU Directive on EIA agricultural land use changes to prevent further losses of grassland in Devon. [96876]
Mr. Morley: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hereford (Mr. Keetch) on 2 November 1999, Official Report, column 157.
Lamb
Miss Geraldine Smith:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he plans to take to improve the export market for lamb. [95758]
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Ms Quin:
Exports of sheepmeat remain close to historic levels. My fellow Ministers and I and overseas posts will ensure that we give British lamb a high profile wherever possible, but the promotion of exports is principally a matter for the industry itself.
Mr. Peter Bottomley:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the costs of the damage caused by the recent storm on the West Sussex coast. [96328]
Mr. Morley:
Information about such costs is not collected centrally. Local authorities have statutory powers to deal with emergencies and are expected to budget accordingly. They may apply for additional financial assistance where there is a case for doing so under existing rules. Where capital works for flood and coastal defences are justified, government grant will be considered against normal criteria.
Mr. Gareth Thomas:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to increase funding in respect of Rural Development Regulation. [96928]
Mr. Morley:
Options for funding the Rural Development Regulation are still being considered. An announcement will be made in due course.
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