| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Correspondence
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will reply to the letter sent to him on 12 November 2000 by Mrs. V. Cooper, of Cox Green, Maidenhead, Berkshire. [147549]
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: The letter refers to the felling of trees on the A404M. This matter is being investigated and a full reply will be sent within the next week.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Wireless Transmission Anniversary
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to mark the 100th anniversary of the first successful wireless transmission across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. [147257]
Ms Hewitt: This will be a significant anniversary and we are considering how best we might be able to contribute to this important milestone in the use of radio.
Euro
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on planned information campaigns on the euro for business. [147464]
Ms Hewitt: I refer the hon. Member to HM Treasury's "Fourth Report on Euro Preparations", copies of which have been deposited in the Library of the House.
ECGD
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library copies of the reports which have been produced by the Export Credits Guarantee Department since 1 January 2000 to report its progress towards achieving the key performance targets set out in the Service Delivery Agreement. [146658]
Mr. Caborn: The Service Delivery Agreement for ECGD is effective from 1 April 2001. The Service Delivery Agreement was published on ECGD's website "www.ecgd.gov.uk" on the 3 November 2000. Progress against targets will be published and made available to the House in the Expenditure Plans Report.
26 Jan 2001 : Column: 745W
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library copies of the minutes and agendas of the meetings of the Audit Committee of the Export Credits Guarantee Department since 1 January 2000. [146651]
Mr. Caborn: It is not intended that the minutes and agendas of the meetings of the Export Credits Guarantee Department's Audit Committee should be published. The information requested would be classed as
- information whose disclosure would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion, under Part II exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. The minutes of the meetings of the Export Guarantees Advisory Council, whose role and membership were reformed as a result of the recent review of ECGD's Mission and Status, will, however, be placed on ECGD's website www.ecgd.gov.uk.
Mr. Caborn: The minutes of meetings of the Export Guarantees Advisory Council (EGAC), whose role and membership were reformed as a result of the recent Review of ECGD's Mission and Status, will be placed on ECGD's website www.ecgd.gov.uk. The first such minute relating to the meeting on 12 December 2000 will be placed on the website shortly. Prior to the reform of the Council, records of meetings and details of the items discussed were not published as the EGAC considered issues, which involved commercial confidentiality.
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place details of the Export Credits Guarantee Department cover made available to Mivan Ltd. and Kier International to construct low cost housing and provide water services to villages in Romania in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [147062]
Mr. Caborn: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Eastwood (Mr. Murphy) on 6 April 2000, Official Report, column 533W.
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the dates of the meetings of the Export Guarantees Advisory Council of the Export Credits Guarantee Department since 1 January 2000. [146659]
Mr. Caborn: Meetings of the Export Guarantees Advisory Council since 1 January 2000 were held on the following dates:
- 2000
- 19 January
- 16 February
- 22 March
- 19 April
- 17 May
- 21 June
- 18 July
- August--no meeting
26 Jan 2001 : Column: 746W
- 20 September
- 18 October
- 15 November
- 12 December.
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Export Credits Guarantee Department first produced its publication "ECGD News". [146656]
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the outside directors who have been appointed to the Management Board of the Export Credits Guarantee Department since 25 July 2000; what the functions are of outside directors on the Board; what the financial interests are of each of these outside directors; by what means members of the public can ascertain the financial interests of these outside directors; and if he will list the committees within the Export Credits Guarantee Department on which each of these outside directors sit. [146652]
Mr. Caborn: The process of identifying and selecting suitable outside directors for ECGD's Management Board is still under way and no appointments have yet been made.
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent version of the Project Underwriting Handbook produced by the ECGD. [146657]
Mr. Caborn: ECGD's Project Underwriting Handbook contains detailed guidance for its officials on the terms and conditions on which they are authorised to negotiate with exporters, their banks and overseas buyers and borrowers and subsequently underwrite support for export contracts while at the same time best safeguarding the interests of the taxpayer. Disclosure of such detailed guidance could prejudice the conduct of commercial negotiations and the competitive position of ECGD and hence is exempt from disclosure under exemption 7 to the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. Accordingly I do not intend to place the handbook in the Library of the House.
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library (a) copies of the minutes and agendas of the meetings of the Management Board of the Export Credits Guarantee Department and (b) a list of the papers submitted to such meetings since 1 January 2000. [146650]
Mr. Caborn: The Government do not intend to publish the agenda or minutes of meetings of the Export Credits Guarantee Department's Management Board or a list of the papers discussed. The information requested would be classed as
- information whose disclosure would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion, under Part II exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
26 Jan 2001 : Column: 747W
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Computers for Schools
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if supply teachers covering key stage 3 maths classes will qualify to receive the £500 subsidy for the purchase of computer equipment. [147554]
Mr. Wills: Supply teachers covering Key Stage 3 mathematics classes will qualify to receive the subsidy providing they meet all other eligibility criteria for the scheme, and that they are contracted to teach at least one mathematics Key Stage 3 lesson per week for at least one term.
New Deal (Basildon)
Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the schools in the Basildon parliamentary constituency which have received funding under the New Deal for Schools since May 1997, showing the amount of funding in each case. [147392]
26 Jan 2001 : Column: 748W
Jacqui Smith: The following table shows the schools in the Basildon constituency which have benefited from investment through the New Deal for Schools programme, which commenced in 1997-98. These allocations formed part of the £25.232 million investment made so far in schools in Essex local education authority, and of the £2.835 million investment made so far in schools in Thurrock local education authority, under the New Deal for Schools programme. The New Deal for Schools was introduced as a new additional programme targeted specifically at addressing the backlog of urgent repairs in school buildings that had built up after 18 years of under funding under the previous administration. It has been in addition to other capital funds made available to both Essex and Thurrock local education authorities.
Nationally, investment in school buildings has tripled from £683 million a year in 1996-97 to over £2 billion in 2000-01. It will be £3.2 billion in 2003-04, including grant, credit approvals and Private Finance Initiative credits. There will be central Government investment of £7.8 billion in school buildings in total from 2001-02 to 2003-04.
26 Jan 2001 : Column: 747W
| Year/School | Project details | Grant awarded (£) |
|---|---|---|
| 1997-98 | ||
| Included within LEA wide package: | ||
| Woodlands school | Improvement of science block | (8)1,170,000 |
| Nicholas school (now James Hornsby High school) | Refurbishment | |
| 1998-99 | ||
| Seven school package LEA wide | Replacement of ageing boilers | (8)384,800 |
| Eight school package LEA wide | Replacement of ageing boilers | (8)379,750 |
| Orsett CE (VA) Primary school | Playground reconstruction | 50,800 |
| 1999-2000 | ||
| Five school package LEA wide | Energy management scheme | (8)2,947,000 |
| Bulphan CE (VC) Primary school | Replacement of boiler plant | 56,500 |
| 2000-01 | ||
| Included within a 29 school package: | ||
| St. Anne Line Catholic Infant and Junior schools (VA) | Boiler replacements | (8)1,610,355 |
| Included within a six school package: | ||
| James Hornsby High school | Remedying structural defects | (8)353,535 |
| Included within a three school package: | ||
| Lincewood Infant school | Asbestos removal | (8)141,578 |
| Lincewood Junior school | ||
| Included within a four school package: | ||
| Swan Mead Junior school | Sewage pumping station plant renewal | (8)37,650 |
| Vange Primary school | Extension to replace substandard accommodation | 768,163 |
| Included within a six school package: | ||
| De La Salle School RC (VA) | Resurface/reconstruct paving | (8)230,888 |
| Gable Hall Secondary school | Replacement of boilers and plant | 54,294 |
| Hassenbrook Secondary school | Replacement of boiler, plant, main and sports hall | 276,936 |
| Abbots Hall Junior school | Replacement of boiler and plant | 45,254 |
| Giffards Junior school | Rewiring | 70,368 |
| St. Clere's Secondary school | Roof insulation | 17,852 |
| Abbots Hall Infant school | Rewiring | 72,939 |
| Orsett CE (VA) Primary school | Resurface car park and roadway | 12,224 |
| Stanford-le-Hope Infant school | Tarmac pedestrian paths | 20,383 |
| Giffards Junior school | Doors and windows | 24,801 |
| Stanford-le-Hope Infant school | Boiler house refurbishment | 22,654 |
| Arthur Bugler Junior school | Refelt Durox roof | 72,804 |
(8) Allocations made to package projects to Essex local education authority, which will be able to advise the value of projects at schools in the Basildon constituency which benefited from these allocations.
26 Jan 2001 : Column: 747W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |