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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 30 March 2000
CABINET OFFICE
Modernising Government
Angela Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what changes she intends to make to the Modernising Government Action Plan targets for delivery of Government services electronically. [117046]
Mr. Ian McCartney: In October 1997, the Prime Minister announced that within five years a member of the public would be able to carry out a quarter of dealings with Government electronically through their telephone, television, or computer. Further, in March 1999, in our Modernising Government White Paper we proposed that all Government services should be available online by 2008.
We have been making good progress. Already, we offer online tax returns and online advice in areas such as health, overseas travel and consumer protection. Businesses can make online returns to Companies House, and soon they will be able to make VAT returns online. Next week the Small Business Service will launch a website offering small and medium businesses tailored advice based on their size, location, and sector.
But we want to increase the pace of change in Government so that we can offer our businesses and citizens more efficient and effective services. I am pleased to announce that the Prime Minister has today decided to bring forward the date by which all Government services should be available online from 2008 to 2005. Also, in line with the outcome agreed at the Lisbon summit, Government Departments will be expected to prioritise their proposals for offering all services online by 2005 so as to ensure online access to main basic public services by 2003.
We are also introducing an improved monitoring regime. Progress towards the target will no longer be based on the number of individual transactions with Departments. Instead we will monitor progress on the basis of the number of services that we deliver online. The monitoring regime for UK based services will as far as possible be aligned with public service agreements and service delivery agreements.
Mr. Page:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will estimate the total administrative cost imposed on businesses as a result of regulation since May 1997. [R] [115689]
Mr. Stringer:
The information required is not held in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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All regulatory proposals likely to impact on business are subject to Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA). RIAs are published and placed in the Libraries of the House. In addition a series of Command Papers list RIAs for each six month period, the most recent being Cm 4664.
RIAs contain a wide range of information on the costs and benefits of each proposal.
Mr. Maclennan:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if an agreed definition of taskforces has been identified since the publication of the sixth report of the Neill Committee (Cm 4557-I). [116640]
Mr. Stringer:
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory), on 9 December 1999, Official Report, column 634W. We are considering carefully the recommendations made in the sixth Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life and will respond in due course.
Mr. Berry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the Government will respond to the final report of the disability rights taskforce. [117387]
Ms Hodge:
The final report of the Disability Rights Taskforce, "From Exclusion to Inclusion", was published on 13 December 1999. The Government have already announced that they intend to legislate to address the Taskforce's recommendations on education, introducing significant new civil rights for disabled children and students in school, further, higher and adult education. We issued a public consultation paper on the measures to be included in the legislation on 17 March 2000.
Further to the response to the education recommendations, the Government have issued today an interim response to the Taskforce's report, which is available on the Government's Disability website at www.disability.gov.uk or from the DDA Helpline on 0345 622 633. Copies have been placed in the House Libraries. The interim response covers a range of the Taskforce's recommendations in the areas of local government, health and social services, housing and the environment and participation in public life.
The Taskforce made a number of recommendations that require changes to the Disability Discrimination Act and the Government are still considering these. A final response to the report will be made in due course.
Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement about the outcome of the latest valuation of the teachers' pension scheme. [117306]
Mr. Wicks:
I have today laid formally before both Houses; the Report and Supplementary Report of the Government Actuary on the Teachers' Pension Scheme
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for the period 1991-96. As a result of the Supplementary Report, the rate of contribution payable by employers will be increased by 0.95 per cent. from 1 April 2002.
In the Government Actuary's initial report on the valuation of the scheme he recommended that the employer contribution rate should be increased from April 2000 to remove the balance of liability over the next 40 years as required under the pension regulations. The Government Actuary was subsequently asked to advise on the consequences of an alternative approach which would enable the increase in the employer contribution rate to come into effect in 2002, but with the deficit still being removed within 40 years from 2000. We have decided to adopt the alternative approach with the result that some £90 million will be available in each of the next two years for the direct benefit of schools. Teachers can be assured that this approach does not in any way affect the security of the Teachers' Pension Scheme or the level of benefits payable to its members.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what amounts are projected to be spent from public funds in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) Scotland and (e) Northern Ireland (i) in cash terms and (ii) as a proportion of GDP for financial years 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02 on education; and if he will make a statement. [116645]
Mr. Blunkett:
Next year, the proportion of GDP spent on UK education and training will be around 5.0 per cent., not including education and training supported under the New Deal.
UK education spending will increase from £41.1 billion in 1999-2000 to £45.8 billion in 2000-01, using the narrower definition of education in "Budget 2000", and, subject to spending review decisions to be announced in the summer, £48.0 billion in 2001-02.
The Manifesto commitment was to increase the share of national income spent on education. We shall meet that commitment: spending will be higher as a proportion of GDP by 2001-02 than it was in 1996-97, and over 16 per cent. higher in real terms.
Details of spending in England will be published shortly in the DfEE Departmental Report. Spending in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the National Assembly, Scottish Executive and Northern Ireland Office.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what impact there has been on (a) the timetable for and (b) the cost of providing internet access to schools as a result of delays caused by the Competition Commission's review of the proposed acquisition by NTL of Cable and Wireless Communications' cable interests. [116960]
Mr. Wills:
The Government do not anticipate any delays in the programme for connecting all schools to the internet by 2002. The cost of providing internet access for schools is subject to a number of factors, including
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the availability of relevant services and competition in the market. It is not yet clear what effect, if any, the proposed merger will have on the cost of such services.
Ms Buck:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the permanent exclusion rate (a) per 1,000 pupils, (b) per 1,000 white pupils and (c) per 1,000 black pupils in each local education authority in (i) 1996-97, (ii) 1997-98 and (iii) 1998-99. [116075]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The information requested is available in tables, copies of which have been placed in the Library. 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.
Mr. Allan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by unit of delivery (a) how many people joined the full-time education and employment option of the New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds between January 1998 and the end of September 1999 and (b) how many people were on this option at the end of each month between January 1998 and the end of September 1999. [113677]
Ms Jowell
[holding answer 9 March 2000]: There are four separate New Deal options--full-time education and training, employment, voluntary sector and environment task force. There is no full-time education and employment option.
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