---

Home Detention Curfew Scheme

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Miss Widdecombe) of 27 January 2000, Official Report, column 249W, if he will list, for each category of offence, the specific offences for which those prisoners released to date under the Home Detention Curfew scheme were convicted; what was the (a) average and (b) maximum sentence (i) received and (ii) served for each offence; and if he will make a statement. [112739]

Mr. Boateng [holding answer 2 March 2000]: A further breakdown of the original offences committed by prisoners released under the Home Detention Curfew scheme in 1999 is shown in the table. The data are taken from the Prison Service's inmate information system based on the data recorded by each prison. The maximum sentence for each type of offence, and maximum time served, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by manually sifting the details of some 15,000 prisoners who were placed on Home Detention Curfew in 1999.

In operating the Home Detention Curfew scheme the Prison Service has an overriding duty to protect the public. No prisoner can be placed on Home Detention Curfew without first passing a risk assessment. Where there is a likelihood of offending while on curfew, or of breaching the curfew, or where the risk to the public is unacceptable, Home Detention Curfew is refused. The effectiveness of the risk assessment is demonstrated by the fact that overall the scheme has an impressive success rate of 95 per cent. of curfewees completing their period of curfew licence.

7 Mar 2000 : Column: 572W

Months

	Average
Offence	Sentence	Time served
Manslaughter	33.7	15.0
Other homicide and attempted homicide	23.6	10.0
Wounding	15.5	6.2
Assaults	7.4	2.6
Cruelty to children	15.2	6.3
Other violence against the person	15.8	6.4
Sexual offences	8.9	3.2
Indecent assault	10.2	3.8
Unlawful sexual intercourse	6.0	1.2
Bigamy	7.4	2.5
Burglary	19.1	7.1
Robbery	25.6	11.0
Taking and driving away	9.9	3.7
Other theft	11.2	4.2
Handling stolen goods	13.5	5.2
Fraud	12.9	4.9
Forgery	11.1	4.1
Drugs	20.1	8.4
Arson	22.1	9.3
Criminal damage	13.0	5.1
In charge or driving under the influence of drink or drugs	4.4	1.4
Other motoring offences	5.4	1.7
Drunkenness	4.7	1.4
Blackmail	20.1	8.3
Kidnapping	19.6	8.2
Affray	9.6	3.4
Violent disorder	14.9	5.8
Perjury/libel/pervert the course of justice	10.1	3.7
Threat/disorderly behaviour	9.2	3.4
Breach of Court Order	9.3	2.9
Other offences	12.2	4.7
Offence not recorded	12.4	4.7

Interception of Communications

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the number of interceptions of communications on non- public telecommunications networks in 1998 and 1999 by (a) law enforcement agencies and (b) others. [111134]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The statutory framework regulating interception of communications sent by post or by means of public telecommunication systems in the United Kingdom is provided by the Interception of Communications Act 1985. This Act does not extend to non-public telecommunications networks. The Government are legislating, through the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill, to extend the law to regulate this kind of interception.

Because current law does not require a warrant to be signed by the Secretary of State in order for interception to be carried out on non-public telecommunications networks, figures for such interceptions are not held centrally.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Parental Leave

Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will estimate the cost of extending the entitlement to unpaid parental leave to staff in his Department in respect of their children born before 15 December 1999. [113136]

7 Mar 2000 : Column: 573W

Mr. Wills: It is not known how many civil servants in the Department for Education and Employment have children born before 15 December 1999, nor how many would take parental leave if they became entitled to it. Information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

A-level Computing Examination, 1999

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many (a) requests for re-marks, (b) requests for re-marks with reports and (c) appeals against decisions were lodged with the AQA in respect of the 1999 GCE 'A' level computing examination. [112035]

Mr. Wicks: I understand from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority that the information requested is as follows:

	Number
Requests for re-marks	188
Requests for re-marks with reports	85
Appeals against decision	1

Bishop Gilpin Primary School

Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will authorise the age of transfer proposals in relation to the two form entry year four at Bishop Gilpin Primary School due to go ahead in September 2000. [R] [111618]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 22 February 2000]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State hopes to make a decision on the age of transfer proposals across Merton Local Education Authority by April.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will reply to the Question from the hon. Member for Putney tabled on 17 February relating to Bishop Gilpin School. [113449]

Jacqui Smith: I refer my hon. Friend to the above reply.

Examination Scripts

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to make available to candidates the marked scripts of 'A' level and GCSE examinations. [112034]

Mr. Wicks: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 30 November 1999 that measures would ensure access to all GCE 'A' level and some GCSE marked examination scripts in 2000 and all GCSE scripts from 2001.

School Exclusions (Ethnic Minorities)

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many permanent school exclusions there were in each year since 1990 (a) in total and (b) of pupils of ethnic minority origin. [113497]

7 Mar 2000 : Column: 574W

Jacqui Smith: The number of permanent exclusions from maintained schools (except Special Schools) submitting returns under the voluntary National Exclusions Reporting System which covered the period from April 1990 to April 1992 was 2,910 in year one and 3,833 in year two.

The first set of complete data systematically collected by the Department on permanent exclusions by ethnic minority from maintained schools in England related to the school year 1995-96. The latest available data relate to the school year 1997-98. These figures, which are not directly comparable with those derived from the National Exclusions Reporting System, are shown in the table.

Information on permanent exclusions for the academic year 1998-99 is currently being collected and national estimates are expected to be published in a Statistical First Release in May.

Numbers of permanent exclusions, including pupils of ethnic minority origin in schools (2) in England 1995-96--1997-98

	Number of permanent exclusions (3)	Number of ethnic minority permanent exclusions
1997-98	12,298	1,995
1996-97	12,668	2,113
1995-96	12,476	2,196

(2) Includes Maintained Primary, Secondary, Special and Non- maintained Special Schools.

(3) Includes some pupils who were unclassified according to ethnic group.

Source:

January schools' census

Renewable Energy

Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of his Department's electricity is generated from renewable sources; and what target his Department has for meeting its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2010. [113052]

Mr. Wills: My Department has secured 10 per cent. of its supply of electricity from renewable sources, from October last year. This meets the aim set for achievement by the year 2010. We will continue to monitor developments in renewable energy provision to improve on this wherever possible.

"Computers for Teachers"

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will extend the Computers for Teachers Programme to teachers in sixth form colleges. [112822]

Mr. Wills [holding answer 3 March 2000]: Schools have a legal obligation to teach IT, both as a curriculum subject in its own right, and across all other subjects. The burden of this teaching role falls largely upon the classroom teacher. In order to provide teachers with the skills to discharge this responsibility, the New Opportunities Fund (NOF) ICT Training programme was developed specifically for teachers in schools, and it aims to give serving teachers the opportunity to raise their pedagogical capability to that now required of newly qualified teachers.

7 Mar 2000 : Column: 575W

The purpose of the Computers for Teachers initiative is to complement that training by raising teacher competence and confidence in their personal use of ICT. For this reason, the scheme has given priority to school teachers and there are no current plans to extend it to teachers in sixth form colleges.

---