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Grant-maintained Schools

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the average amount received by (a) former grant-maintained primary schools and (b) former grant-maintained secondary schools as a result of cash protection in 1999-2000 expressed (i) in cash terms and (ii) on a per pupil basis. [120257]

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Ms Estelle Morris: The table provides the information requested:

		£
	Average amount per school(2)	Average amount per pupil
Primary schools	16,900	60
Secondary schools	39,800	41

(2) To nearest £100

These figures have been estimated on the basis of information supplied to the Department by local education authorities.

Benefit Entitlement (Over-60s)

Mr. Caplin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he plans to make benefit entitlement for those aged over 60 years dependent on their willingness to take up employment. [120912]

Mr. Blunkett: The Performance and Innovation Unit report, "Winning the Generation Game", published last month made 75 recommendations about improving people's opportunity to contribute to society in their later working years. This included a recommendation that the over-60s exemption from JSA be removed as pension ages are equalised between 2010 and 2020. However, the Government have no plans before then to introduce forms of conditionality for older workers which would move beyond the requirement to attend for interview and advice on employment prospects and benefit from the generous programme of measures we have introduced to make work pay for the over-50s. Consideration of how the recommendations will be implemented will be taken in due course and will seek to build on the clear philosophy and policy already set out by the Government.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Rural Households

Mr. McWalter: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he plans to provide assistance to householders in rural areas of Northern Ireland who do not have access to mains water and sewerage connections. [121114]

Mr. George Howarth: I can announce that from today the reasonable cost limit for connection of an existing property to mains water supplies will be increased from

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£2,900 to £5,000. The reasonable cost limit for connection to the public sewers will also be increased from £2,300 to £4,000. This will enable nearly a third of all homes at present without running water--an estimated 6,000 in total--to link with the mains water and sewerage systems for the first time.

Technical constraints mean it will still be impossible to connect some remote homes to mains supplies. These homes will continue to rely on private water supplies, some of which may not be entirely satisfactory. I have therefore instructed my officials to explore whether it would be possible to provide some form of assistance to help people who live in these remote dwellings to improve the quality of their private supplies.

The maximum cost allowances available for the connection of new properties to mains water and sewerage services are currently under review. Revised charging guidelines for the provision of water and sewerage infrastructure to new properties will be introduced on 1 January 2001.

In the interim, the current maximum cost allowances of £2,900 for connection to mains water supplies, and £2,300 for connection to public sewerage services will continue to be applied to all properties.

Prison Service

Ms Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Northern Ireland Prison Service intends to publish its 2000 to 2003 Corporate and Business Plan; and what performance targets have been set for 2000 to 2001. [121115]

Mr. Ingram: The Northern Ireland Prison Service's Corporate and Business Plan for 2000-03 was published today. The following key performance targets have been set for 2000-01:

1. To ensure 100 per cent. security for prisoners in high and top risk categories.
2. To ensure at least 99.5 per cent. security for prisoners in medium and low risk categories.
3. To ensure that the number of assaults by prisoners on staff is less than the 1999-2000 level of 9.4 per 100 prisoners.
4. To ensure that the number of assaults by prisoners on prisoners is less than the 1999-2000 level of 9.5 per 100 prisoners.
5. To achieve an 80 per cent. utilisation of available places in education, and training and employment workshops.
6. To ensure that an average of at least 50 per cent. of the eligible prison population is working to a sentence plan.
7. To evaluate the system of booked visits and, if appropriate, introduce to a second establishment by March 2001.
8. To achieve an average of at least five days development and training per member of staff.
9. To ensure that the average cost per prisoner place does not exceed the range £76,000-£81,000.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Birth Certificates

Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what purposes his Department requires a birth certificate to be furnished by

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(a) employees, (b) contractors, (c) those applying for employment and contracts and (d) other persons. [120319]

Mr. Hain: A birth certificate or similar documentary evidence may be required for one or more of the following reasons:

Proof of identity

Proof of eligibility under the Civil Service nationality rules

Proof of age

Kosovo

Ms Kelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the supply of demining equipment for use by BACTEC International in Kosovo. [121192]

Mr. Vaz: We have approved the export to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) of 18 sets of protective body armour and helmets for use by BACTEC International Ltd., an organisation engaged in humanitarian demining activities in Kosovo on behalf of the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK).

These goods are on the Military List. UN Security Council resolution UNSCR 1160 (1998) imposed an arms embargo on the FRY. The only exception to this embargo is that in UNSCR 1244 (1999), which provides that prohibitions imposed by UNSCR 1160 shall not apply to the sale or supply of arms and related material for use by the international civil and security presence in Kosovo. We have notified the UN Sanctions Committee of this export and they have raised no objection. The export of the equipment required for demining purposes is not prohibited by the EU arms embargo.

Echelon Surveillance System

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on debate within the EU on the Echelon surveillance system. [120774]

Mr. Vaz: Policy on the interception of communications is a matter for member states. There are, however, some areas which may impinge on surveillance and interception related matters, such as data protection, in which the EU has a legitimate interest. It is the long-standing policy of the British Government, as of many other governments, not to comment on alleged interception activity.

International Criminal Court

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from Governments other than that of the United States concerning the recent US proposal to provide a Supplemental Document and a Rule to Article 98 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. [120762]

Mr. Hain: We have received no such representations.

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DEFENCE

Richard Hudson

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to protect the rights of Mr. Richard Hudson, arrested for a driving offence in Macedonia in August 1999. [118359]

Mr. Spellar: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him on 11 April 2000, Official Report, column 112W, by the Minster of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Neath (Mr. Hain).

Training Ammunition

Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the supplies of training ammunition held by Challenger II tanks in Bosnia and Kosovo. [120790]

Mr. Spellar: Challenger II has only recently been introduced to Kosovo and is being introduced to Bosnia shortly. The supplies of training ammunition held by units for use by main battle tanks in Bosnia and Kosovo are entirely adequate for their needs. The facilities and opportunities for training in Bosnia are good, but the operational environment in Kosovo does not currently afford such good opportunities.

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