---

Red Routes

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how

9 Nov 2000 : Column: 355W

many instances of illegal parking on Red Routes in London have been recorded, and how much was spent on policing them, in each year since their inception. [135911]

Mr. Charles Clarke: I have been asked to reply.

I understand that the Metropolitan police have issued the following number of Fixed Penalty Notices for illegal parking on Red Routes in London:

1992--26,136

1993--22,130

1994--22,166

1995--23,362

1996--37,303

1997--50,235

1998--98,289

1999--108,659

2000--48,197 (January-March).

For the financial years 1999-2000 and 2000-01, the Metropolitan police have budgeted about £19 million for Red Route enforcement. Budget information for the previous years is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Mr. Leslie: To ask the President of the Council what proposals she has to amend the Privy Council Office Departmental Expenditure Limit and running costs limit for 2000-01. [137634]

Mrs. Beckett: Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate for Class XVII, Vote 5, the Privy Council Office Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) for 2000-01 will be increased by £373,000 from £2,578,000 to £2,951,000 and the running costs limit will be increased by £373,000 from £2,618,000 to £2,991,000.

The increase in the DEL is to fund the new Business Co-ordination Unit (BCU) (£320,000) which I announced on 11 May 2000, Official Report, column 433W, and to take up money granted from the Civil Service Modernisation Fund (£53,000).

The increase will be a charge on a DEL reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

CABINET OFFICE

Electronic Communications Act

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what use has been made of the powers in section 8 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000. [138177]

Mr. Ian McCartney: The Electronic Communications Act 2000 contains in section 8 a power to amend legislation by statutory instrument, to authorise or facilitate electronic communication or storage. The first order laid before Parliament under this section is the Companies Act 1985 (Electronic Communications) Order

9 Nov 2000 : Column: 356W

2000 amending company law, of which a draft was laid before the House on 23 October under the affirmative resolution procedure.

The second order to be laid before Parliament is planned to be an order by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and the Regions, to allow electronic communication between the Department of the Environment; Transport and the Regions (DETR) and local authorities of Housing Revenue Account subsidy determinations and decisions.

In her memorandum submitted to Parliament during the passage of the Electronic Communications Bill in January 2000, my hon. Friend the Minister for Small Business and E-Commerce said:

the Government envisage that the first Order would be subject to an affirmative resolution, but that Orders under clause 8 would normally be subject to a negative resolution. After the first Order therefore the affirmative resolution procedure would be used only exceptionally, with any Orders that raised major issues of principle.

As no major issues of principle are raised by the DETR order, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and the Regions proposes to make it subject to the negative resolution procedure. This will enable it to come into force in time for the annual determination of Housing Revenue Account Subsidy. In this case it is likely to be made, and could come into force, before the company law order.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Mr. Rammell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans she has to change the 2000-01 Departmental Expenditure Limit or running cost limit for the Cabinet Office. [137363]

Marjorie Mowlam: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates:

The Departmental Expenditure Limit for Cabinet Office (Class XVII, Vote 1 and Vote 3) will be increased by £51,988,000 from £194,960,000 to £246,948,000 and the gross running costs limit will be increased by £18,192,000 from £95,562,000 to £113,754,000. Also the net running costs limit will be decreased by £3,000,000 from £2,827,000 to -£173,000.

This is mainly to take account of the following changes:

(a) A transfer payment from Inland Revenue (Class XVI, Vote 5) (£15,000,000) towards development of the Government Gateway part of the Corporate IT Strategy for Government; and a payment to the Department of Social Security: administration (Class XII, Vote 3) (£5,000) in respect of Inter-Ministerial Group on Older People.
(b) An investment in the Modernising Government agenda and Cabinet Office Action Plan (£2,788,000) to be funded from the Invest to Modernise Fund; an investment is the infrastructure for e-government, including the Knowledge Network, as part of the Corporate IT Strategy to be funded from the Capital Modernisation Fund (£21,000,000).
(c) The Cabinet Office has taken up end-year flexibility (£13,205,000) from its entitlement (£24,388,000) as set out in the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper Cm 4812 published on 18 July 2000. This is to fund ongoing activities within the Cabinet Office including establishing the e-Envoy and funding slippage in programmes from the previous year.

9 Nov 2000 : Column: 357W

The increase will be offset by transfers or charged to the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

Internet Access

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what percentage of the United Kingdom population has internet access at home; what plans she has to extend home internet access; and how she intends to achieve such goals. [135816]

Mr. Ian McCartney: Seven million UK homes, 28 per cent., are now connected to the internet with almost one million new homes going on line in the last quarter.

We will continue to follow telecommunications competition policies that have helped the UK become the cheapest country in Europe for unmetered off-peak internet access, and among the cheapest for metered off-peak access. The rapid growth of digital TV in the UK-- 21 per cent. of UK households currently subscribe--will also increase home internet access.

In addition, the Department for Education and Employment is piloting ways of providing low-cost recycled computers to unemployed people and those with low incomes.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Learning and Skills Council

Mr. Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will issue his strategic guidance to the new Learning and Skills Council. [138053]

Mr. Blunkett: I have today sent my remit letter to Bryan Sanderson, the chairman of the Learning and Skills Council, setting out my strategic vision and the key priorities for the first three years of the LSCs operation. Copies of the remit letter have been placed in the Library.

Area Cost Adjustment

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the formula for Area Cost Adjustment for Kent schools for 2001-02 will be based on 1998 figures. [137378]

Ms Estelle Morris: Ministers are currently considering a decision on this issue and will make an announcement in due course.

Teacher Vacancies

Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by LEA in descending order the percentage of (a) teaching posts currently vacant and (b) children attending schools in the LEA entitled to free school meals. [137371]

Ms Estelle Morris: The information requested is contained in tables, copies of which have been placed in the House of Commons Library.

The number of regular teachers in maintained schools increased by 6,900 between January 1998 and January 2000.

9 Nov 2000 : Column: 358W

A DfEE survey of maintained secondary schools in England in the first week of September 2000 indicated that there were about 1,000 secondary teacher vacancies; the equivalent figure at January 2000 was 1,200.

General information on schools has recently been published in a statistical volume 'Statistics of Education--Schools in England 2000', a copy of which is available from the Library, or alternatively can be accessed on the Department's statistical website www.dfee.gov.uk/statistics.

Civil Servants (Relocation)

Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 16 May 2000, Official Report, column 100W, on the relocation of civil servants, when the contract with Cendant Relocation (UK) Ltd. was last renewed; where the contract was advertised; and what the length and value of the contract is. [137170]

Mr. Wills: The contract with Cendant Relocation (UK) Ltd. was last renewed on 23 March 2000. The contract was put out to competitive tender on the basis of nine national and locally sourced companies. The contract is for a period of three years. The contract value is dependent upon the number of departmental staff who use the service offered by Cendant.

---