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Efficiency Measures
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures the Treasury has developed of improvements in efficiency in delivering the Treasury's outputs; and if he will make a statement on progress in achieving these measures. [3812]
Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to him on 24 January 2000, Official Report, column 117W.
Industrial and Provident Societies
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those industrial and provident societies which have deregistered for each of the last five years along with the reasons given for their deregistration. [3726]
Ruth Kelly: The table provides details of industrial and provident societies which have deregistered each year since 1997 including the reason for their deregistration.
(1) Deregistrations up to June 2001
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European Single Currency
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer further to his answer of 3 July 2001, Official Report, column 126W, if he will list those present at each meeting of the cross-party advisory group on preparations for the euro since January 2000; if he will provide a summary of discussions held at such meetings; if he will publish a list of the current membership of the advisory group; and if he will make a statement. [3703]
Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer to which he referred.
Equitable Life
Richard Ottaway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Croydon, South of 3 July 2001, Official Report, column 126W, on the Financial Services Authority inquiry, when he estimates the report will be completed. [4407]
Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Dumfries (Mr. Brown) on 13 July 2001, Official Report, column 663W.
National Asset Register
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to publish an updated National Asset Register; and if he will make a statement. [4627]
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Clergy Stipends and Pensions
39. Sir Sydney Chapman: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what contribution the Church Commissioners made to clergy stipends and pensions in the last financial year. [2461]
Mr. Bell: In the year ended 31 December 2000 the Commissioners contributed £22.4 million to the stipends of parish clergy, distributed mostly to the neediest dioceses, plus bishops and cathedral clergy stipends of £6.7 million.
The Commissioners paid £90.6 million for clergy pensions and a further £11.7 million to help offset the cost of contributions payable under the new pensions scheme funded by dioceses.
Redundant Churches
40. Mr. Paterson: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners,
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if he will make a statement on the powers of the Church Commissioners to set conditions on those who purchase redundant churches. [2462]
Mr. Bell: Section 62 of the Pastoral Measures provides that the Commissioners may include in the conveyance of a redundant church such covenants as they think necessary to secure the suitable use of the building.
These covenants are enforceable as if the Commissioners were owners of adjacent land and cannot be set aside by the Lands Tribunal.
Property Portfolio
41. Miss McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, when the Commissioners last reviewed their property portfolio; and if he will make a statement. [2463]
Mr. Bell: The Church Commissioners' property portfolios are each subject to annual professional external and independent valuations. Those property holdings cover three main investment portfolios: commercial, agricultural and minerals, and residential.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Belize
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if the two public investment companies have (a) requested and (b) been sent copies of the report arising from the study commissioned from KPMG by her Department into regulation of offshore financial services in Belize. [3835]
Hilary Benn: Neither company has requested nor been sent copies of the report.
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what dates KPMG visited Belize while conducting the study commissioned by her Department into the regulation of offshore financial services in Belize. [3821]
Hilary Benn: 18 July to 1 August 2000.
Mozambique
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to support the teaching of English in Mozambique. [3573]
Hilary Benn: DFID currently supports the advancement of English language teaching in three key areas:
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- 1. The development of English language teacher training through distance learning. This programme, which is currently run by the British Council but which will transfer to a Mozambican institution next month, is aimed at secondary school teachers and has cost £3 million over a five-year period.
- 2. The establishment of a new Directorate within the Ministry of Education, the main goal of which will be to facilitate the expansion of distance learning in key areas (such as, inter alia, continuing education and training in the Civil Service, including the English language).
- 3. The formation of a pilot secondary school distance learning programme for students unable to access conventional secondary schools, which began this year in Nampula Province, with three core subjects, one of which is English.
EDUCATION AND SKILLS
School Exclusions
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills to what extent, and according to what time scale, school budgets are reduced following the exclusion of pupils from schools. [3644]
Mr. Timms: We have significantly increased the standards fund grant available to schools and local education authorities to tackle poor behaviour and provide education to excluded pupils, from £17 million in 1996–97 to £131 million in 2000–01 and again to £174 million this year—a 10-fold increase. Before April 2000, most of this money was held centrally by local authorities to support authority-wide initiatives to tackle poor behaviour and provide education to excluded pupils. For the first time in April 2000 the majority of this funding was devolved directly to schools so that they could decide how best to tackle poor behaviour. Schools have, therefore, benefited by an additional £100 million in 2000–01 and £126 million this year. Where a child has to be permanently excluded some of the money previously held by local authorities, which is now in schools, reverts back to the local authority. The exact amount of between £3,000 and £6,000 is agreed locally. This money can be used by the authority to provide education outside school or to support a reintegration package at a new school. By September 2002, all permanently excluded pupils must be offered full-time education and not the 2–3 hours per week all too typical in the past.
Schools delegated budget shares are also reduced following permanent exclusion under the principles introduced by the last Government. I have placed in the Library a copy of "Supplement to Circular 11/99" which explains this in more detail.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school decisions to exclude pupils were reversed by local education authorities in the last year for which figures are available. [3642]
Mr. Timms: Appeals against permanent exclusions from maintained schools are heard by independent appeal panels established by local education authorities. Figures published on 4 May show that in the school year 1999–2000, 948 appeals were lodged by parents. Of these, 863 were determined, 546 were rejected and 317 were allowed.
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Provisional information on exclusions was published in the statistical first release "Permanent Exclusions from Schools and Exclusion Appeals, England 1999/00" on 4 May 2001, copies of which are available from the Library, or alternatively can be accessed from the Department for Education and Skills statistical website www.dfes.gsi.gov.uk/statistics. Final exclusion figures will be published in a statistical first release on 19 July 2001.
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