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Non-departmental Public Bodies

Mr. Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many and what percentage of the (a) paid and (b) unpaid appointments which he has made to Non-departmental Public Bodies since 1 May 1997 were women. [129841]

Mr. Wills [holding answer 11 July 2000]: The total number of appointments and re-appointments to DfEE Non-departmental Public Bodies since 1 May 1997 is 410. Of these, 141 have been women, 15 of which have been paid appointments (25 per cent. of all paid appointments and re-appointments) and 126 have been unpaid (36 per cent. of all unpaid appointments and re-appointments).

This Government are committed to increasing the representation of women in public life. In support of this, the Department has drawn up an action plan for increasing the number of women and ethnic minorities holding public appointments. The latest plans, together with the Government's overall plan, were published 24 May

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2000 in "Quangos: Opening up Public Appointments 2000-2003", copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.

Residential Care Homes

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what arrangements exist to ensure that residential care establishments teach the National Curriculum. [129770]

Jacqui Smith: Although residential care establishments are able to access and use the National Curriculum if they are undertaking education within their establishments, only maintained schools are obligated to do so.

The Government expects and is committed to providing mainstream education including access to the full National Curriculum for all children of school age, wherever this is suitable. The recently published joint Department for Education and Employment and Department of Health "Guidance On The Education of Children and Young People in Public Care" stipulates that: "The Government expects local authorities to set a maximum time limit of twenty school days within which they must secure an education placement for any pupil in public care. It will be a full-time place in a local mainstream school unless the circumstances of the child make full-time or local or mainstream provision unsuitable". This is supported by statutory guidance in Circular LAC(2000)13.

Youth Employment

Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the numbers of 16 and 17 year-olds in full-time work with no training. [127615]

Ms Jowell: The Department's latest estimate is that there were 114,000 16 and 17-year-olds in employment and not in education or training in England at the end of 1999.

WALES

A3XX Airliner

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary concerning a regional selective assistance grant for the A3XX airliner, with reference to the likely date of the First Secretary's decision; and if he will make a statement. [129500]

Mr. Paul Murphy: I meet the First Secretary on a regular basis, and our discussions have included the A3XX project. I understand that BAE have submitted a new RSA application with a new case for a grant for £25 million and that the National Assembly is awaiting more detailed information from the company in support of the case before a decision can be made.

New Deal

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales aged 25 years and over have left the New Deal for jobs lasting less than 13 weeks but

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have been included in the number leaving for sustained employment as a result of not having returned to jobseeker's allowance. [131035]

Mr. Paul Murphy: The definition of a sustained job is one from which the employee does not return to Jobseeker's Allowance within 13 weeks. Information is not available on whether those employees retain the same job.

Latest figures, to the end of April 2000, show that 2,382 people had gained sustained employment from the 25+ New Deal programme.

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales have joined the New Deal since it was established. [131037]

Mr. Paul Murphy: To April 2000, 29,330 young people joined the 18-24 New Deal programme. 13,440 joined the 25+ New Deal programme.

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people have left their New Deal scheme in Wales to be placed on (a) Incapacity Benefit, (b) Income Support, (c) Jobseeker's Allowance and (d) other benefit. [131053]

Mr. Paul Murphy: To the end of April 2000, 4,590 people left the 25+ New Deal and continued to claim Jobseeker's Allowance. An additional 1,190 transferred to other benefits including Incapacity Benefit and Income Support. No breakdown of this figure is available.

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many New Deal participants in Wales have found sustained unsubsidised jobs of 13 weeks or more before having had a New Deal interview. [131041]

Mr. Paul Murphy: To April 2000, 1,060 participants left the 18-24 programme and 225 left the 25+ programme for sustained unsubsidised jobs before participating in a New Deal interview.

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the average cost of the New Deal in Wales is per participant. [131048]

Mr. Paul Murphy: Approximately £1,577.

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of New Deal participants in Wales have seen their wages rise on leaving the scheme. [131040]

Mr. Paul Murphy: No central information is held on the wage levels of those leaving New Deal.

Police Time

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the average amount of time spent by a police officer on the beat was between (a) May 1997 and May 1998, (b) May 1998 and May 1999 and (c) May 1999 and May 2000. [130983]

Mr. Paul Murphy: The deployment of police officers is a matter for individual Chief Constables.

Information about the percentage of officer time spent in public has been published by the Audit Commission in the 1997-98 and 1998-99 editions of "Local Authority Performance Indicators--Police and Fire Services".

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Home Office Allocation

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money Wales was allocated from the Home Office budget between (a) May 1997 and May 1998, (b) May 1998 and May 1999 and (c) May 1999 and May 2000. [130984]

Mr. Paul Murphy: The allocation of the Home Office budget is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Towel Rails

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the cost was of each towel rail installed in the last 12 months in the premises used by the Lord Chancellor privately or officially in the Palace of Westminster; how many towel rails were installed; and what the labour cost was for the installation of each towel rail. [130805]

Mr. Lock: The Parliamentary Works Directorate is responsible for carrying out repairs in the Palace of Westminster. Two defective heating radiators in bathrooms in the Lord Chancellor's residence have been replaced by them in the last 12 months. Each radiator cost £536.66 and was subject to a 5 per cent. handling charge, the total labour charge was £174.20 and the VAT was £227.71, giving a total of £1,528.90 for the two radiators. The entire cost went to the House of Lords current works 2000-01 budget.

TREASURY

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to (a) establish environmental guidelines for the Export Credits Guarantee Department and (b) support the introduction of such guidelines at the G8 summit in Okinawa. [130830]

Mr. Caborn: I have been asked to reply

ECGD has enhanced its procedures to assess the environmental impact of projects for which its support is requested. In the context of the current review of its mission and status, ECGD is also looking carefully at what more should be done to ensure its support for projects is consistent with the Government's sustainable development objectives, including possible further improvements to its environmental screening and assessment process.

At the forthcoming G8 summit in Okinawa, the UK will support moves to reaffirm the mandate from the Cologne summit, at which it was agreed to work within the OECD towards common environmental guidelines for export credit agencies. At their meeting in June, OECD Ministers welcomed the good progress made in the OECD Export Credit Group on strengthening common approaches on the environment and requested a report on progress at the next meeting.

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