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Primary and Secondary Pupils (SSAs)
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will state (a) the primary school per pupil Standard Spending Assessment and (b) the secondary school per pupil Standard Spending Assessment for each English local education authority in 1999-2000 and 2000-01; and how many pupils (i) attract such Standard Spending Assessment and (ii) receive free school meals in each school sector and local education authority for the same years. [111352]
Ms Estelle Morris: I will place a table in the Library that shows the Standard Spending Assessment per primary pupil and per secondary pupil for each English local education authority in 1999-2000 and 2000-01. The number of primary pupils and secondary pupils used in calculating the Standard Spending Assessment for each local education authority for the same years is also given in the table. We are unable to provide for each sector the number of primary and secondary pupils who receive free school meals: the table therefore lists the proportion of children under 18 who are entitled to free school meals.
New Deal (Young People)
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many 18 to 24-year-olds have started the New Deal scheme in Shrewsbury and Atcham, broken down into (a) New Deal Options and (b) other destinations. [110128]
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Ms Jowell:
In the period to the end of November 1999, 321 young people had joined New Deal in the Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency. The following shows the breakdown requested:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| People joining a New Deal option: | |
| Employment | 14 |
| Full-time education/training | 46 |
| Voluntary sector | 46 |
| Environment task force | 50 |
| Total | 156 |
| People leaving from New Deal: | |
| Unsubsidised employment | 96 |
| Other destinations: | |
| Other benefits | 9 |
| Other known destination | 31 |
| Not known | 67 |
| Total | 213 |
We know from a recent survey that many of those who left for unknown destinations will have found work.
Ofsted Reports
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the local education authorities in respect of which Ofsted has expressed serious concern. [111575]
Ms Estelle Morris: This is a matter for Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member and to place a copy of his letter in the Library.
School Meals
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for each local education authority the average price of school meals in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [110702]
Jacqui Smith: This information is not collected centrally. Under education legislation, it is up to local education authorities, and schools with delegated budgets for school meals, to decide what price to charge.
Departmental Employees
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of the total workforce in his Department is of ethnic minority origin; and what steps he is taking to encourage the employment of people from the ethnic minorities in his Department. [102736]
Mr. Wills: The percentage of the work force in my Department who, at 1 April 1999, declared themselves to be of ethnic minority origin is 8.3 per cent.
My right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office set out in her reply of 16 December 1999, Official Report, column 264W, corporate action that we are taking to encourage the employment of people from ethnic minority communities. We are developing a comprehensive outreach strategy which, for example
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includes contacting all organisations that help people from ethnic minorities into employment and establishing what further steps we should be taking to attract and retain people from ethnic minority backgrounds, this includes:
In June 1998 the Department appointed a Senior Equal Opportunities Adviser from outside the Department to work with staff and advise the Board on how to take forward equal opportunities in the Department.
Moreover, in July 1999, we published a Race Equality Action Plan--"Race Equality in DfEE: Our Targets for the Future". This sets out targets for representation at senior management level (Grade 7 and above) grades in the Department. It includes action to improve the recruitment, career progression and retention of ethnic minority staff.
The launch of a unique and high profile secondment/ exchange initiative--aimed to encourage experienced, senior ethnic minority managers from other organisations to join us on secondments or exchanges. The initial response to this national exercise was high. We will currently be shortlisting the names of successful candidates from the first tranche of applicants and the first successful candidate will start his post on 10 January 2000.
By providing opportunities for students to work with us on short term placement, for example we have increased the number of Windsor Fellowship graduates that we sponsor. The Department will continue to take measures which increase the numbers of people from ethnic minorities who are recruited, retained and promoted in the organisation.
Mr. Crausby:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of the total workforce in his Department is registered as disabled; and what steps he is taking to encourage the employment of disabled people in his Department. [102047]
Ms Hodge:
The percentage of the work force in my Department who have identified themselves as having a disability under the definition contained in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 is 6 per cent.
Our recruitment strategy includes contacting all organisations that help people with disabilities into employment. We are examining what other steps we should take to attract people with disabilities in recruitment exercises.
My Department has for a number of years used the Disability Symbol on all recruitment exercises. This employment initiative guarantees a person with a disability an interview as long as they meet the minimum criteria for that particular recruitment exercise. We are also members of the SCOPE fast track programme which provides personal development training and work placements for graduate level people with disabilities.
In addition, as part of the Department's Equal Opportunities Strategy, an Advisory Group for People with Disabilities was established in 1996. This group
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advises the DfEE Board on any issue which affects people with disabilities including recruitment, retention and awareness raising.
My Department will continue to take measures to increase the numbers of people with disabilities who are recruited and to ensure that the retention of people with disabilities is a priority within the organisation.
Ms Bridget Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about the tax regime for stakeholder pensions. [111928]
Mr. Darling:
Our proposals for the stakeholder pension tax regime were well received when we announced these in September 1999. We are grateful for all of the constructive responses, which we have considered carefully.
I am placing in the Library a copy of a document: "Stakeholder Pensions: Details of The Tax Regime And Draft Finance Bill Clauses". This outlines a number of key decisions on the tax regime and draft Finance Bill clauses to implement these.
Stakeholder pensions are intended to fill the gap for many people who can afford to save for their retirement but do not currently have a suitable means of doing so. From April 2001 there will be a new single tax regime for stakeholder and personal pensions. Retirement savers currently excluded from taking out personal pensions will then be able to do so, enabling:
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Marketing the Department to applicants from ethnic minority communities by placing adverts in ethnic press; taking part in recruitment fairs aimed at ethnic minority graduates and undergraduates; and also making contact with over 100 ethnic minority organisations to research the barriers that prevent people from ethnic minority backgrounds joining the civil service.
people taking career breaks, for example mature students and carers, to take out a stakeholder pension and benefit from the tax relief it attracts;
The main aspects of the tax regime for stakeholder pensions confirmed today are:
self employed people on low earnings to receive more tax relief on their pension contributions;
costs to be kept down so that pension savers can be offered low cost, good value stakeholder products.
stakeholder pensions will be part of a radically reformed and much simplified tax regime for all defined contributions pensions;
contributions up to £3,600 each tax year can be made irrespective of earnings. Higher level contributions can be made under the existing personal pension age and earnings related limits and can continue for up to five years after earnings have ceased or reduced;
all contributions from individuals will be paid net of basis rate tax with the pension provider reclaiming that tax from the Inland Revenue;
employers' money purchase schemes may opt onto this new tax regime;
new and simpler rules will replace the existing personal pension "carry forward/carry back" rules;
10 per cent. of the pension contribution can be used for life assurance;
tax relief for waiver of pension contributions insurance will be simplified and broadened to circumstances other than ill-health, such as unemployment;
shares from an approved employee share scheme can, within the contribution limits, be put into the pension and attract tax relief;
contributors must be resident in UK unless serving or the spouse or someone serving, abroad and undertaking "Crown duties";
simplification will be introduced into the administrative arrangements for DC pensions--for example, electronic and telephone applications will be permitted and various information requirements relaxed;
We have decided that stakeholder contributions should not be made if an individual is also contributing to a defined occupational scheme--ie so called "full concurrency" will not be allowed. We are however inviting employers representatives and bodies representing the pensions industry to bring forward any ideas they have which will, through some limited form of concurrency, help moderate earners to increase their pension provision.
the rules regarding benefits are being altered to allow phased vesting from within a single arrangement. This technical change will ease administration for new and existing PP providers.
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