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Royal Liverpool Children's Inquiry

Mr. Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the Royal Liverpool Children's Inquiry. [148395]

Mr. Wicks [holding answer 1 February 2001]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment endorses the statement made by the Secretary of State for Health on 30 January about the Royal Liverpool Children's Inquiry. In particular, he adds his sympathy to the parents who are affected by the dreadful events described in the report.

University medical schools will co-operate fully with the NHS Trusts in cataloguing collections of tissue, and will help the NHS Trusts implement the recommendations of the Commission which has been established to oversee the return of tissues and organs in the collections.

The Council of the University of Liverpool has been asked to take prompt and effective disciplinary action against their employees, where this is warranted. In addition, Ministers have asked Sir Brian Follett, Vice- Chancellor of the University of Warwick, to carry out a review of the adequacy of appraisal and disciplinary procedures for senior staff working in both university medical schools and the NHS.

Out-of-authority Education

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will publish, for each year from 1996-97 to 1999-2000 and for each local education authority, the number of (a) primary and (b) secondary age children who were educated in a local authority area other than the one where they normally reside. [148622]

Ms Estelle Morris: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Secondary Schools (Bristol)

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many year six children attending Bristol local education authority primary or junior schools

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failed to gain places in Bristol local education authority secondary schools in each year from 1997-98 to 1999-2000. [148623]

Ms Estelle Morris: The Department does not hold this information. It is for local education authorities to ensure that sufficient school places exist for the children in their area. Each authority is required to prepare and publish an annual School Organisation Plan which includes information about the capacity of its schools, the projected pupil numbers, and any conclusions about the need to add or remove places over a five-year period. The Department publishes annually figures showing the overall number of surplus places based on returns from LEAs. In each of the three years referred to the total capacity of the twenty-two local education authority secondary schools in Bristol exceeded the number of pupils on roll by more than 2,000.

Professional Footballers (EU Passports)

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the number of non-EU nationals who are refused a work permit to play professional football in the UK but who subsequently obtain an EU passport for a country other than the UK. [148674]

Ms Hodge: The Department has made no estimate of the numbers of non-EU nationals who have been refused a work permit to play professional football in the UK, but who subsequently obtain an EU passport for a country other than the UK. The question raised falls outside of the responsibility of this Department.

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the number of professional footballers playing for UK clubs who hold passports of EU countries other than the UK but for whom a country outside the EU is their country of origin. [148675]

Ms Hodge: The Department has made no assessment of the number of professional footballers playing for UK clubs who hold passports of EU countries other than the UK, but for whom a country outside the EU is their country of origin. The question raised falls outside of the responsibility of this Department.

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the number of professional footballers contracted to UK clubs who hold an EU passport for a country other than the UK and hold joint nationality with a non-EU country. [148676]

Ms Hodge: The Department has made no estimate of the number of professional footballers contracted to UK clubs who hold an EU passport for a country other than the UK, and hold joint nationality with a non-EU country. The question raised falls outside of the responsibility of this Department.

Professional Headship Qualification

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to make the NPQH mandatory for new headteachers of primary, secondary and special schools. [148682]

Ms Estelle Morris: We remain committed to requiring all first-time headteachers to hold a professional headship qualification as a benchmark of quality. Provision for that

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is on the Statute Book. The first recruitment to the new strengthened and streamlined NPQH in autumn 2000 attracted a record number of candidates. The new programme is now rolling out to candidates. We will consult on the necessary Regulations to bring the mandatory requirement into force in due course.

Funding Allocation

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if, following his letter of 29 January to local authority leaders, he will publish the methodology by which his allocation of the additional money was distributed between local authorities. [148684]

Ms Estelle Morris: I refer to the answer given to the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) on 7 February 2001, Official Report, column 578W.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Traffic Wardens

13. Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will suspend further transfers of traffic wardens from police authorities to local councils pending an investigation into the effect on police operations where such transfers have taken place. [147099]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: No. This is a matter between the police force concerned and its local authority.

Anti-social Behaviour Orders

16. Mr. Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been served in south Yorkshire, by local authority area. [147103]

Mr. Boateng: Three anti-social behaviour orders were issued in the south Yorkshire area between 1 April 1999 (the date on which the relevant provisions of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force), and 30 September 2000 (the latest date for which figures are currently available). We are not able to break this figure down by local authority area.

35. Mr. Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his assessment is of the effectiveness of the use being made by the police and local authorities of anti-social behaviour orders. [147124]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The purpose of the anti-social behaviour order is to provide local communities with better protection against loutish and anti-social behaviour. So far, at least 150 orders have been taken out in a variety of cases and with considerable success.

As Minister of State, my right hon. Friend announced that there would be a review of the operation and effectiveness of this provision within two years, depending on priorities and experience in several areas--Official Report, Standing Committee B, 5 May 1998. We have just embarked on that review, and will publish the results later this year.

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Police (Early Retirement)

17. Mr. Paul Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has taken to reduce the proportion of police officers who retire early. [147104]

Mrs. Roche: The Government recognise the need for more efficient management of early retirements caused by ill-health. We have been working with forces for some time to improve management of the process and, nationally, good progress has been made in this area. Whereas in 1993-94, 53 per cent. of all police retirements in England and Wales were on the grounds of ill-health, this had declined to 31 per cent by 1999-2000.

We are currently considering what incentives could be offered so that more of those officers who currently retire on completion of 30 years' service--but before reaching compulsory retirement age--continue to serve.

Crime (Devon and Cornwall)

18. Mr. Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the level of crime in Devon and Cornwall. [147106]

Mr. Straw: In the 12 months to September 2000, recorded crime in Devon and Cornwall fell by five per cent. compared with the previous 12 months. Burglary was down by six per cent. and vehicle crime was down by two per cent. Violent crime also fell one per cent. Recorded crime in this force area has fallen by 16.5 per cent. since the 12 months to March 1997.

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