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Basic Skills Agency
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on (a) his quinquennial assessment of the Basic Skills Agency, (b) his plans for its continued public funding and (c) its relationship with work to improve adult literacy standards being conducted within his own Department. [119146]
Mr. Wicks: The Department's quinquennial review of the Basic Skills Agency is now in its final stages; the resulting report will be placed in the Library of the House. We anticipate that the Agency will continue in its present role at the forefront of innovation and development in basic skills and will continue to receive public funding to support that role.
Work has already begun on a number of new measures to tackle the problem of poor basic skills among adults, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State plans to announce a full national strategy for the longer term later this year. To manage the implementation of this national strategy we are setting up a new Adult Basic Skills Strategy Unit at the Department for Education and Employment. The new Unit and the Basic Skills Agency
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will need to work closely together in carrying out their separate but complementary roles in support of the national strategy.
LEA Funding Bids
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for each local education authority in Hampshire the (a) number and (b) value of funding bids made to his Department in (i) the financial year 1979-80, (ii) the financial year 1990-91 and (iii) each financial year from 1992-93 to 1998-99 for the repair of school buildings. [116021]
Jacqui Smith: The three tables answer the hon. Gentleman's question for the financial years from 1995-96 to 1998-99. We have no access to records for any years before then.
| Year | Number of bids | Value of bids |
|---|---|---|
| Hampshire | ||
| 1995-96(21) | 17 | 4,600 |
| 1996-97(21) | 12 | 5,893 |
| 1997-98 | 40 | 12,949 |
| 1998-99 | 171 | 23,970 |
| Southampton(22) | ||
| 1997-98 | 12 | 3,946,000 |
| 1998-99 | 86 | 4,421,205 |
| Portsmouth(22) | ||
| 1997-98 | 9 | 2,776,000 |
| 1998-99 | 125 | 2,864,862 |
(21) Figures for 1995-96 and 1996-97 do not include bids made under the Schools Renewal Challenge Fund.
(22) Before 1997-98, all Portsmouth and Southampton schools were maintained by Hampshire LEA.
Student Loans Company
Liz Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what guarantees of minimum service he has set for the Student Loans Company; [119039]
- (2) what monitoring procedures he has put in place to measure the efficiency of the Student Loans Company; and if he will make a statement on performance to date. [119040]
Mr. Wicks: We set the Student Loans Company challenging performance targets each financial and academic year, which are detailed and reported on in the Company's Annual Report. Targets for the financial year 1999-2000 and academic year 1999-2000 cover lending, tuition fees, collections, customer services, managing the sold loans portfolio, and the Company's operating costs.
The latest published performance against our targets is set out in the Company's 1999 Annual Report, copies of which are available in the House Libraries.
Education Maintenance Allowances
Mr. Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proposals he has to extend Education Maintenance allowances beyond the pilot schemes currently in operation; when he will announce a timetable for extending the scheme; and what
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criteria local education authorities must satisfy to qualify for inclusion in the Education Maintenance Allowance scheme. [119037]
Mr. Wicks: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 29 March 2000 that an additional £50 million will be allocated from September 2000 to expand the education maintenance allowance (EMA) pilots. The new money will allow us to expand some of the original pilots and to introduce EMAs in 40 new areas (which were set out in the Secretary of State's announcement). We will shortly announce the model that each new area will be testing.
We have chosen a selection of new areas where we believe the EMA has the potential to make the most difference. They have relatively low post-16 participation, low GCSE attainment and high deprivation. The choice of areas also includes some additional rural areas where we will be concentrating on transports costs.
The new pilots will mean that EMAs will be available in almost a third of the country. We will be monitoring the new pilots carefully to inform future decisions about EMAs, including whether to expand further.
PRIME MINISTER
New Zealand Honours List
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Government of New Zealand concerning the possible discontinuance by New Zealand of the practice of making nominations for knighthoods and damehoods. [119032]
The Prime Minister: None. This is a matter between the Government of New Zealand and its Head of State.
Pig Farmers
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Prime Minister if he will visit Parliament Square to meet the protesters there; and if he will ensure that the state aid available to pig farmers is processed and paid as a matter of urgency. [119447]
The Prime Minister: Under state aid rules, the European Commission must approve a scheme before it can be introduced. The scheme we announced at the farming summit on 30 March has already been formally notified to the Commission, which has two months to respond. The scheme will be introduced as soon as possible following Commission approval.
WWI Executed Soldiers (Pardons)
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to discuss pardons for soldiers executed in the First World War when he next meets the Prime Minister of New Zealand. [119159]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 14 April 2000]: There are no such plans. The Government's position was outlined by the then Minister for the Armed Forces, my right hon. Friend the Member for Hamilton, North and Bellshill (Dr. Reid), in a statement on 24 July 1998, Official Report, columns 1372-75.
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Ministerial Meetings
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions in the past two years he has met representatives of (a) farming unions, (b) the Country Landowners Association, (c) the Country Sports Organisation and (d) the Old Age Pensioners Association. [118888]
The Prime Minister: Over the past two years I have met farmers, countryside representatives and pensioners at a number of events. Specific examples include meetings with farmers representatives at the farming summit on 30 March 2000, countryside representatives on 11 November 1999 and pensioners at a reception for older people held on 14 June 1999. In addition, during the course of my visits throughout the country I meet and talk to a wide range of people, including pensioners and people from rural communities on a regular basis.
Colombia
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Prime Minister (1) if Her Majesty's Government will discuss with other donor countries the Plan Colombia mechanisms for monitoring progress on human rights, including contact with Colombian non-governmental human rights organisations; [119450]
- (2) if he raised human rights improvement during discussions on Plan Colombia with President Pastrana. [119449]
The Prime Minister: Following his talks with President Pastrana on 13 April, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs announced that the United Kingdom would be willing to convene a gathering of interested countries at official level to study the proposals in Plan Colombia in advance of the donors conference planned for July in Spain. Monitoring progress on human rights will be one of the areas discussed. During the talks on 13 April, President Pastrana reaffirmed his commitment to ensure respect for human rights.
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with the President of Colombia concerning British assistance for Plan Colombia. [119050]
The Prime Minister: I met President Pastrana on 13 April. We exchanged views on a number of issues, including how the international community might help President Pastrana take forward the peace process in his country. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs announced that the United Kingdom was willing to convene a gathering of interested countries at official level to study the proposals in Plan Colombia in advance of the donors conference planned for July in Spain.
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