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Skills Shortages

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what additional help has been provided to small and medium-sized enterprises since May 1997 to help them tackle skills shortages. [123460]

Mr. Wicks [holding answer 23 May 2000]: Much of the support provided to help small and medium-sized enterprises tackle skills shortages is distributed through Training and Enterprise Councils. In particular, the Department provides the Councils with a flexible local competitiveness budget to help support local firms. In the last three financial years this budget has totalled £180 million.

In autumn this year, I expect the Government's plans for a university for industry to come to fruition, when learndirect becomes fully operational. Small and medium-sized enterprises are a priority for learndirect, and it will introduce new and more flexible ways for small firms to meet their skills needs, through the internet and a range of high quality on-line learning materials. Last year the Government made some £50 million available to develop this important new initiative and have just announced funding of £84 million for this year.

The Department also funds the Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative (SFEDI) to share good business practice and to help small firms survive and thrive. It provides support to small businesses from sole traders to companies with up to 20 employees.

The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry is in the process of establishing a new Small Business Service to provide comprehensive support to small and medium- sized enterprises, including support for the development of their workforces. The full local network is expected to be in place by April 2001.

Sixth Forms

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what recent research he has commissioned on pupil performance in small sixth forms; and if he will make a statement. [123508]

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Mr. Wicks: Our most recent statistics show that, in 1998-99, average GCE A-level points scores for 17-year-olds attempting 1+ A/AS level (excluding General Studies) in maintained school sixth forms were as follows:

	Points scores
Average	15.3
50 pupils or less	9.2
201 pupils or more	16.6

Socrates Programme

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the objectives of the youth element of the Socrates Programme in the UK concerning the Building of Europe and Strengthening of Sense of Solidarity; what specific European (a) social and (b) political model is envisaged; and if he will make a statement. [123603]

Ms Jowell: The EU Socrates Programme supports education co-operation between member states and does not support youth activities. These are covered by the EU Youth Programme which principally supports exchanges of young people between member states. Article 2.1 (a) and (b) of the European Council Decision ¹ under which the Youth Programme operates states that the objectives of the programme are:

(a) "to promote an active contribution by young people to the building of Europe through their participation in transnational exchanges within the Community or with third countries so as develop understanding of the cultural diversity of Europe and its fundamental common values, thus helping to promote respect for human rights and to combat racism, anti-semitism and xenophobia;

(b) to strengthen their sense of solidarity through more extensive participation by young people in transnational community-service activities within the Community or with third countries, in particular those with which the Community has concluded co-operation agreements".

The Council Decision does not envisage or promote any specific European social or political model.

¹ Decision No. 1031/2000/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 April 2000 establishing the "Youth" Community action programme (Official Journal L 117, 18.5.2000, p. 1).

Education and the Euro

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the (a) mandate and (b) activities to date of the European Community Working Group on Education and the Euro, with particular reference to its planned activities in the UK. [123614]

Ms Jowell: This Commission working group was set up to exchange experience and good practice about euro information activities for schools. It has met three times to date. The group does not have the power to propose activity in the UK or any other member state.

Laptops

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many laptop computers

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used by Ministers, officials and special advisers in his Department have been (a) lost and (b) stolen since May 1997. [123734]

Mr. Wills [holding answer 25 May 2000]: Since May 1997, 17 laptop computers have been reported as stolen in the Department for Education and Employment. None has been reported as lost. In order to counter future incidents of theft, laptop computers are now electronically tagged.

Student Financial Support

Mr. Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what financial support is available to students in the first 28 weeks of leave of absence for the purpose of medical treatment or therapy. [123761]

Mr. Wicks: Under the Education (Student Support) Regulations, full-time students in England and Wales who are absent from their course because of illness are entitled to continue to receive student support for the first 60 days of absence. Before academic year 1998-99 this was only 28 days. Local education authorities have the discretion to decide whether such students continue to receive support after the first 60 days' absence. Among the factors they will consider in coming to a decision is the possibility of financial hardship.

Additional assistance for students studying in the UK who are absent from their course due to illness may be available through the Access Funds. These allow universities and colleges to provide discretionary support for students in particular need; and a total of £76.4 million has been made available in England for the 1999-2000 academic year.

British Sign Language

Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what representations he has received calling for the official recognition of British Sign Language; and if he will make a statement; [123770]

(2) what plans he has to grant official recognition to British Sign Language. [123783]

Ms Hodge: The Government have received a number of representations about recognition of British Sign Language, particularly since they announced their intention to ratify the Council of Europe's "European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages". The Charter contains what appears to be a fairly specific definition of what constitutes a regional or minority language. It is clear that those who drafted the Charter did not intend that sign languages come within its terms. We understand that of the 22 member states which have signed the Charter, nine have ratified it and none of these countries has specified their indigenous sign language. We have concluded that consideration of sign languages should not impede signature and ratification but the issue should be explored with other parties once we have ratified the Charter. The Charter has been signed and ratification is currently subject to Parliamentary procedures. Our understanding is that, after ratification, representations on sign languages could be considered by the Charter's Committee of Experts in about 18 months' time when the UK would be submitting its report on the implementation of its obligations under the Charter.

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Deaf Children

Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the adequacy of specialist nursery provision for children who are deaf; and if he will make a statement. [123772]

Jacqui Smith: Inspection of specialist and mainstream early education provision is carried out by Ofsted. The inspectors check whether staff in the settings are following the Desirable Learning Outcomes (to be replaced with the new Early Learning Goals in September 2000) and are having regard to the Code of Practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs (SEN).

Where settings cater mainly for children with SEN, the inspection is undertaken by an inspector who is specially trained by Ofsted to inspect SEN provision, using additional guidance developed by Ofsted for this purpose.

Opinion Research

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will place copies of the

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results of all market and opinion research carried out by his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies since May 1997, in the Library. [123806]

Mr. Wicks [holding answer 25 May 2000]: Results of some of the market and opinion research projects commissioned by the Department since May 1997 are already held in the House of Commons Library. I will arrange for the results of the other projects commissioned in this period to be sent to the Library.

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