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Internet (Price Transparency)

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what studies his Department has undertaken on the competition effects of increased price transparency due to use of the internet; and if he will make a statement. [137331]

Dr. Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 2 November 2000, Official Report, column 584W.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Drug Abuse

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list those projects his Department supports highlighting the dangers of drug abuse to children and young people. [137340]

Jacqui Smith: DfEE guidance Circular number 4/95 sets out the statutory position on drug education in schools and was supplemented by the guidance "Protecting Young People" (1998) which gives detailed advice to identify what works in drug education and how best to take that forward effectively. To further support schools in the dissemination of effective drug education DfEE in partnership with the Department of Health commissioned the Standing Conference On Drug Abuse (SCODA) to product further guidance for schools, the three "R's", "the right approach", "the right response" and "the right choice". DfEE has also made funding available in partnership with the charity DrugScope to identify, develop , promote and disseminate good practice in drug and alcohol education and prevention programmes for young people, parents and professionals in schools and in informal settings. DfEE will continue to fund the dissemination of guidance and support materials.

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Spending on drug education will rise from £7.5 million this year to £17.5 million in 2003-04 (a 133 per cent. increase). This funding is available to all LEAs through the Standards Fund. It will help teachers deliver a drug education programme tailor-made to the needs of all young people which equips them with the knowledge to recognise the dangers of drug misuse and make informed choices. It will also fund drug advisers to work directly with schools, training costs of the Connexions personal advisers for 13-19-year-olds and ensure that key partners are engaged in developing drug education programmes relevant to the needs of the local community.

We have now established a solid base for drug education in schools. A recent Ofsted survey (July 2000) showed 93 per cent. of secondary and 75 per cent. primary schools now had their own anti-drug policies.

Disaffected Pupils

Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is his assessment of the current trend in (a) permanent exclusions and (b) fixed term exclusions. [138266]

Jacqui Smith: The rate of permanent exclusions is falling. In 1998-99, the latest year for which data are available, there were 10,400 permanent exclusions compared to 12,300 in 1997-98--a 15 per cent. reduction. We are on course to achieve the national target of 8,400 by 2002.

Data on fixed period exclusions are not collected centrally, but Ofsted estimated in its report "Exclusions from secondary schools" (1995-96) that there are around 100,000 a year. Some of these may be repeat exclusions of the same child.

Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many pupils are officially classified as Education Otherwise. [138267]

Jacqui Smith: In the January 2000 Annual Schools' Census, nearly 24,000 students were reported as receiving education otherwise than at school, including those at Pupil Referral Units. We do not collect centrally the number of pupils educated at home by their parents.

Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what discussions his Department has had with excluded young people about the causes of their disaffection. [138292]

Jacqui Smith: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him to his supplementary question on 26 October 2000, Official Report, columns 368-69 and to my answer of 9 November 2000, Official Report, columns 358-59W.

Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he has taken to ensure teachers are able to deal effectively with poor behaviour. [138293]

Jacqui Smith: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 26 October 2000, Official Report, column 368, and that given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for School Standards on 26 October 2000, Official Report, column 293W.

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As a result of representations from headteachers, we recently issued new guidance for exclusion appeal panels which indicates that the headteacher's decision to exclude should not be overridden in a range of circumstances including where there is violence or the threat of violence.

Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the impact of poor behaviour on (a) the achievement of individual schools and (b) the morale of teachers. [138294]

Jacqui Smith: On (a) I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 12 April 2000, Official Report, column 184W.

On (b) we are aware that low morale can sometimes result if teachers feel unable to deal adequately with poor behaviour. That is why we are providing record levels of funding to help schools better manage poor behaviour and why we have made clear that where necessary headteachers can permanently exclude the most disruptive or violent pupils.

Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to ensure greater recognition of the achievement of schools and teachers who deal most effectively with disaffected pupils. [138295]

Jacqui Smith: Disaffection is often manifested by irregular attendance or prolonged truancy. As part of our wider drive to cut truancy levels, the 50 schools which achieve the most in cutting truancy levels in challenging circumstances will have the chance to win a "Truancy Buster" award of up to £10,000 to help them act as Excellence Centres. The first awards will be made early in the new year.

Beacon status is another way in which we recognise the achievement of schools, and tackling disaffection is one area in which Beacon schools are working to help spread effective practices to other schools.

Special Needs

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what decision he has reached on whether statements of special needs will (a) specify or (b) otherwise set out assistance from a local authority in the proposed code and regulations on special needs. [138324]

Jacqui Smith: We are considering the broad range of representations received to these and other issues relating to the draft revised code and proposed amendments to the regulations. We will decide shortly on the appropriate final wording in the Code of Practice to underpin our determination to achieve both clarity and specificity, as has always been our intention.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

ERDP

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what projections his Department has made for the number of successful claimants per year for each component scheme of the ERDP. [136498]

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Mr. Nick Brown [holding answer 6 November 2000]: We will publish shortly and post on the MAFF website the indicative impact indicators and targets for the ERDP (Table 2). These focus on what the ERDP might deliver, eg the number of training days provided, not the number of claimants.

Bovine TB

Mr. Gill: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what potential sources of infection he has eliminated in respect of the recent outbreak of bovine TB in South Shropshire. [137552]

Ms Quin: The recent outbreak of bovine TB in cattle in South Shropshire is still under veterinary investigation.

Mr. Gill: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he will take to test badgers for evidence of TB in areas where bovine TB has recently emerged. [137561]

Ms Quin: There is no reliable test for bovine TB in live badgers. All badger carcases from the Government's badger culling trial are tested for bovine TB at post mortem. Additionally, a sample of badger carcases found on roads or on farms will be tested for bovine TB in a new survey in seven counties of England, of which Shropshire is one.

Mr. Gill: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent assessment he has made of the effect of badger protection upon the health of the UK cattle herd. [137554]

Ms Quin: The Krebs report concluded that the sum of evidence strongly supports the view that in Britain badgers are a significant source of TB infection in cattle. However, it went on to say that it is not possible to quantify what contribution badgers make to cattle infection. The Government accepted the report's recommendation that MAFF should set up a field trial to quantify the impact of culling badgers on TB in cattle. The trial is in progress and results are expected no later than 2004.

Mr. Gill: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what his policy and practice is regarding post mortems on badgers killed on public highways. [137559]

Ms Quin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 6 November 2000, Official Report, column 48W.

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