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Departmental Buildings
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list (a) the offices (i) owned and (ii) rented by his Department and its agencies in Scotland and (b) the number of staff (i) employed and (ii) that can be accommodated (1) in total and (2) at each site. [114240]
Ms Beverley Hughes: The information is given in the table, based on the local property managers' response to the question:
| Office and Location | Number of staff employed | Number of staff that can be accommodated |
|---|---|---|
| Maritime and Coastguard Agency | ||
| Marine House, Aberdeen | 56 | 84 |
| Glasgow M. O., Glasgow | 16 | 16 |
| Leith M. O., Edinburgh | 4 | 10 |
| Navy Buildings, Greenock | 30 | 30 |
| Total | 106 | 140 |
| DVLA | ||
| Aberdeen | 10 | 11 |
| Dundee | 11 | 14 |
| Edinburgh | 29 | 29 |
| Glasgow | 45 | 53 |
| Inverness | 6 | 7 |
| Total | 101 | 114 |
| DSA | ||
| Haymarket House, Edinburgh | 18 | 23 |
| Boydstone Road, Glasgow | 4 | 7 |
| DTC, Glasgow Road, Edinburgh | 1 | 1 |
| DTC, Balgownie Road, Aberdeen | 2 | 2 |
| Total | 25 | 33 |
| DETR (C) | ||
| Mulberry House, Edinburgh | 0 | 10 |
| Total | 0 | 10 |
| Vehicle Inspectorate | ||
| Grayfield House, Edinburgh | 5 | 5 |
| HGVTS--Livingston | 25 | 25 |
| Bishopbriggs HGVTS--Glasgow | 30 | 30 |
| Kilmarnock HGVTS--Kilmarnock | 20 | 20 |
| East Fortune HGVTS--East Fortune | 2 | 2 |
| Charlesford HGVTS--Charlesford | 2 | 2 |
| Kirkcaldy HGVTS--Kirkcaldy | 3 | 3 |
| Lochgilphoad HGVTS--Lochgilphoad | 2 | 2 |
| Perth HGVTS--Perth | 20 | 20 |
| Montrose HGVTS--Montrose | 2 | 2 |
| Fort William HGVTS--Fort William | 2 | 2 |
| Aberdeen HGVTS--Aberdeen | 20 | 20 |
| Keith HGVTS--Keith | 2 | 2 |
| Inverness HGVTS--Inverness | 20 | 20 |
| Lairg HGVTS--Lairg | 2 | 2 |
| Wick HGVTS--Wick | 2 | 2 |
| Kirkwall HGVTS--Kirkwall | 2 | 2 |
| Lerwick HGVTS--Lerwick | 2 | 2 |
| Stornoway HGVTS--Stornoway | 2 | 2 |
| Portree HGVTS--Portree | 2 | 2 |
| Total | 167 | 167 |
| Traffic Area Network | ||
| Argyle House, Edinburgh | 42 | 42 |
| Total | 42 | 42 |
| Overall totals | 441 | 506 |
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Planning Inspectorate Agency
Ms Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what performance targets he proposes to set the Planning Inspectorate Agency for 2000-01. [115215]
Mr. Raynsford: The Planning Inspectorate has a key role to play in continuing to improve the efficiency and certainty with which the planning system delivers quality services to business and other users. To this end, I have set demanding key performance targets for the Planning Inspectorate for 2000-01. These include tougher targets for handling planning appeals and for providing Inspectors for local plan inquiries. I am also making the Inspectorate's performance in handling plan inquiries the theme for their customer satisfaction survey, with a clear requirement to act upon the results.
The tougher appeals targets which I am setting the Inspectorate to improve the service they deliver to customers makes it even more imperative that all parties to the appeals process play their part by co-operating with the Inspectorate in meeting deadlines and agreeing dates offered for inquiries.
The targets for 2000-01 are as follows:
Timeliness
(a) 80 per cent. of all planning appeals decided by written representations to be determined within 17 weeks;
(b) 80 per cent. of all planning appeals decided by hearings to be determined within 23 weeks;
(c) 80 per cent. of all planning appeals decided by inquiries to be determined within 33 weeks;
(d) to provide an Inspector for local plan inquiries in at least 90 per cent. of cases on the date requested by the local authority, provided that the objection period has ended and at least six months' notice has been given; and
(e) to deliver 90 per cent. of Inspectors' reports on local plan inquiries to local authorities according to timescales agreed under service agreements.
Efficiency
To generate a 3 per cent. improvement in the use of running costs compared to 1999-2000.
Quality
To satisfy the Advisory Panel on Standards, and thus the Secretary of State and the National Assembly for Wales, annually and following rigorous monitoring, that the quality of all the Inspectorate's work is being maintained at a high standard, with 99 per cent. of its casework free from justified complaint.
Information and Guidance
To survey customer satisfaction with the Inspectorate's performance in handling development plan inquiries and to act upon the results.
Indirect Discrimination
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the impact on (a) his Department, (b) local education authorities and (c) schools of the extension to all duties of public authorities of the provisions of the Race Relations Act 1976 in respect of indirect discrimination. [114708]
15 Mar 2000 : Column: 217W
Ms Hodge:
The Race Relations Act 1976 has always applied to local education authorities and schools in respect of direct and indirect discrimination, so an extension is not necessary. The Department for Education and Employment itself has established systems that take account of the need to avoid any indirect discrimination on race grounds throughout all its functions.
Mr. Hilary Benn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the average percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals in the 500 schools with the (a) highest and (b) lowest proportion of pupils achieving five grade A*-C passes at GCSE in the last year for which figures are available. [114667]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The proportions of pupils "known to be eligible for free school meals" averaged over the 500 maintained, mainstream secondary schools with the highest, and lowest, percentages of 15-year-old pupils achieving five or more GCSE/GNVQ grades A*-C in 1999 were 5 and 37 per cent., respectively.
15 Mar 2000 : Column: 218W
Mr. Ashdown:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is his estimate of the average class sizes for (a) five, (b) six, (c) seven, (d) eight, (e) nine, (f) 10, (g) 11, (h) 12, (i) 13, (j) 14, (k) 15, (l) 16 and (m) 17 year olds for schools within the Yeovil constituency for (i) 1995-96, (ii) 1996-97, (iii) 1997-98, (iv) 1998-99 and (v) 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [114181]
Ms Estelle Morris
[holding answer 14 March 2000]: The available information on average class sizes collected in January for the Parliamentary constituency of Yeovil is shown in the tables. The class size count for January 2000 is currently being undertaken and provisional national estimates are expected to be published in April.
The Government are well on course to deliver their pledge to limit infant classes for five, six and seven year-olds to 30 or below by September 2001. In Yeovil Parliamentary constituency, the latest infant class size count carried out in September 1999 showed the average size of class to be 26.1 pupils per class.
15 Mar 2000 : Column: 217W
| Year groups | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position as at January | Reception | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Mixed | Overall (15) |
| 1999 | ||||||||||
| Average class size | 25.8 | 28.1 | 28.6 | 29.1 | 29.5 | 28.8 | 28.1 | (16)-- | 28.1 | 27.8 |
| Pupils | 1,085 | 478 | 658 | 640 | 649 | 518 | 561 | (16)-- | 2,806 | 7,455 |
| Classes | 42 | 17 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 20 | (16)-- | 100 | 268 |
| 1998 | ||||||||||
| Average class size | 27.1 | 28.2 | 28.1 | 29.0 | 28.9 | 29.6 | 26.4 | (17)-- | 26.8 | 27.6 |
| Pupils | 1,058 | 479 | 674 | 697 | 693 | 621 | 476 | (17)-- | 2,729 | 7,467 |
| Classes | 39 | 17 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 18 | (17)-- | 102 | 271 |
| 1997 | ||||||||||
| Average class size | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | 27.0 |
| Pupils | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | 7,409 |
| Classes | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | 274 |
| 1996 | ||||||||||
| Average class size | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | 27.0 |
| Pupils | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | 7,159 |
| Classes | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | (17)-- | 265 |
(15) Includes all year groups and nursery classes
(16) Not applicable (no classes of this type)
(17) Not available
15 Mar 2000 : Column: 217W
(18) Ages as the start of the academic year (August 31)
15 Mar 2000 : Column: 219W
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