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GCSE Statistics

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of pupils achieved at least five GCSEs at grades A* to C at

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(a) Blakelaw school, (b) Earl Marshall school and (c) Regis school in (i) 1996, (ii) 1997 and (iii) 1998. [121969]

Ms Estelle Morris: The proportion of pupils who achieved at least five GCSEs at grades A* to C was as follows:

Percentage

	(i) 1995-96	(ii) 1996-97	(iii) 1997-98
(a) Blakelaw school	10	9	7
(b) Earl Marshall school	8	11	10
(c) Regis school	24	25	29

New Deal (Sheffield)

Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many New Deal places have been (a) offered, (b) taken up and (c) completed within Sheffield City Council since the start of the New Deal initiative. [121492]

Ms Jowell: From April 1998 to date (10 May 2000), Sheffield City Council have employed two new deal 25+ clients on the New Deal subsidised employment option. These were a result of the clients being encouraged by their New Deal personal advisers to market the option themselves to prospective employers.

One client commenced subsidised employment on 7 September 1999 and has since been retained after the six-month subsidy period.

The other client commenced subsidised employment on 26 April 2000, and is in the process of completing the subsidised period of six months.

Departmental Publications

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list each publication issued by his Department since May 1997, the number of copies printed of each publication and the cost of publication, printing and distribution of each publication. [121328]

Mr. Wicks [holding answer 9 May 2000]: It is not possible to provide all the information requested on individual publications without disproportionate expense.

The Department faces enormous communication challenges in reaching its diverse audiences, including around 6.5 million parents, over 415,000 teachers, some 8.5 million students in further and higher education and up to 3.2 million small and medium-sized employers. Since May 1997, the Department has spent £5.85 million from its central Advertising and Publicity Budget on printing 559 new information leaflets and booklets. Print runs vary greatly--from 4.3 million copies of the leaflet "It all adds up", which shows parents easy ways to help with their children's mathematics, to 5,000 copies of an information pack on Millennium Volunteers.

Distribution costs for publications cannot be separated from the Department's contract with its mailing house without disproportionate expense. Since May 1997 this contract has cost £5.22 million for distribution and fulfilment of requests for publications funded from the Advertising and Publicity Budget.

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Further Education

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the funding available for individual students at further education colleges on similar courses when sourced by (a) the Further Education Funding Council and (b) New Deal programmes. [121688]

Mr. Wicks: Currently the Further Education Funding Council and Employment Service funding systems are not directly comparable. We intend that all post-16 funding should be on a more comparable basis in future. We are currently consulting on a common funding system across the Learning and Skills Council and Employment Service.

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many further education corporations have not yet cleared their 1998-99 accounts following external audit. [121687]

Mr. Wicks: Matters concerning external audits and college accounts are dealt with by the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC). I have asked the Chief Executive to reply to the hon. Member direct.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Trawlermen

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what date he expects to publish his joint report with the Department of Trade and Industry on compensation for distant-water trawlermen. [121955]

Mr. Morley: It is not customary for policy advice given by officials to Ministers to be made publicly available. I can assure the House that the trawlermen's case is well understood and that the Government are considering it as a matter of urgency.

Environment Agency (Fisheries)

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what representations he has received on the environmental impact caused by the cut in grant in aid for the Environment Agency for fisheries work; [121734]

(2) what representations he has received on the effects on the Environment Agency's fisheries work as a result of the cuts in their grant in aid. [121758]

Mr. Morley: I have received representations from a number of individuals and organisations, including some 150 letters from Members of Parliament and over 90 letters from the general public.

Migratory Salmonid Fisheries

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what initiatives he is pursuing to aid migratory salmonid fisheries. [121733]

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Mr. Morley: The report of the independent Group established by Ministers to review all aspects of salmon and freshwater fisheries legislation and policy in England and Wales was issued for public consultation in March. This report includes many recommendations aimed at improving migratory salmonid fisheries. Interested parties have until 31 July to submit their views; we shall then prepare a Government response setting out how we intend to take matters forward.

Pest Shooting

Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his current policy to allow a general licence to shoot pests includes (a) sporting events and (b) mass shoots; and if he will make a statement. [121782]

Mr. Morley: The shooting of certain 'pest' bird species is permitted under the terms of general licences issued by MAFF and DETR under the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The general licences allow authorised persons, such as the landowner or occupier, or a person acting with the owner or occupier's permission, to kill or take certain bird species. This control is permitted for the purposes of preventing damage to agriculture (licensed by MAFF) and to preserve public health or public or air safety (licensed by DETR) and does not cover sporting events.

The populations of the species concerned are monitored and there is no evidence that their conservation status is currently threatened by any of these control measures.

Primates

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many primates are kept in research laboratories in the UK funded through the European Community; and if he will make a statement. [121306]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.

Home Office records are not held in such a way as to identify the numbers of primates, or other animals, being held at designated establishments at a particular time, nor do they record centrally the sources of funding of establishments engaged in animal research. It is the nature of the work proposed in relation to the cost/benefit assessment, rather than the source of funding, which is the key consideration in deciding whether a project should be licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

PRIME MINISTER

Broadcasting (Religious Freedom)

Mr. Leigh: To ask the Prime Minister how many letters have been received by his office since 1 May 1997 supporting greater religious freedom in broadcasting. [121324]

The Prime Minister: Between 1 May 1997 and 20 April 2000 my Office received 9,898 letters regarding broadcasting. Information on whether letters supported greater religious freedom in broadcasting is not kept.

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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

New Millennium Experience Company

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is his latest estimate of net receipts to the New Millennium Experience Company from ticket sales. [120229]

Janet Anderson [holding answer 2 May 2000]: Net receipts from ticket sales up to 31 December 1999 will be published in the company's 1 April 1999--31 December 1999 Annual Report and Financial Statements due to be published before the end of June. Forecast net receipts from ticket sales over the project life-time are an integral part of the business review. They will be informed by assumptions and judgments made about ticket yield and about percentages of sales through the different ticket distribution channels--the call centre, the National Lottery, the website (www.dome2000.co.uk). The potential range of net receipts under discussion are commercially confidential because they are directly relevant to the company's competitive position in the visitor attraction market-place.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what expressions of corporate interest in acquiring the New Millennium Experience Company as a going concern he has received. [121952]

Janet Anderson [holding answer 12 May 2000]: The Dome Legacy competition has received one serious expression of interest in acquiring the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) as a going concern since financial offers were invited.

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