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Expenditure Per Pupil

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if data showing the expenditure per pupil in individual schools (a) are and (b) could practicably be made available centrally to her Department. [18265]

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Mr. Timms: Data are submitted, on an annual basis by Local Education Authorities, to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in the form of financial statements under section 52 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

Teacher Vacancies

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teacher vacancies there are at each (a) primary and (b) secondary school in the Tatton constituency. [18443]

Mr. Timms: The information is not collected centrally.

In the Cheshire local authority area in January 2001 there were 12 full-time teacher vacancies in nursery and primary schools, or 0.5 per cent. of teachers in post. In secondary schools there were 11 full-time teacher vacancies, or 0.4 per cent. of teachers in post.

Individual Learning Accounts

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations she has received from (a) Pitman Training and (b) the Association of Computer Trainers on solutions to the problems concerning individual learning accounts. [18296]

John Healey: We have received papers from Pitman Training and from Internet Exchange acting on behalf of the Association of Computer Trainers. Officials have already met Internet Exchange and plan to meet Pitman Training shortly. The papers and meeting were extremely helpful and the issues raised will be taken into account as we continue to develop future plans which build on the successful elements of the ILA programme.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Stop Now Orders

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what (a) training and (b) additional resources have been given to bodies, other than trading standards departments, towards the (i) legal and (ii) administrative requirements of the Stop Now Order Regulations; and if she will make a statement; [16578]

(2) pursuant to her answer of 9 November 2001, Official Report, column 442W, on Stop Now Orders, how much money has been transferred to cover the additional costs associated with the implementation of the Stop Now Order Regulations; from which bodies the money has been transferred; which bodies are receiving this money; and if she will make a statement; [16576]

(3) pursuant to her answer of 9 November 2001, Official Report, column 442W, on Stop Now Orders, how many trading standards departments have received training in the legal and administrative requirements of the Regulations; whether more seminars are planned; and if she will make a statement. [16577]

Miss Melanie Johnson: As I said in my answer of 9 November 2001, Official Report, column 442W, DTI has agreed with the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, a transfer of resources to local authorities in England to cover the additional costs

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associated with the enforcement by county councils, metropolitan districts, unitary authorities and London boroughs of the Stop Now Orders Regulations. Subject to Parliamentary approval, additional provision is being made to the general grant in 2002–03 and beyond.

The National Assembly for Wales has agreed with DTI a transfer of resources to local authorities in Wales to cover the additional costs associated with the enforcement of the Regulations by county councils and unitary authorities. Additional provision for this new provision will be added to the general revenue settlement in 2002–03 and beyond. It will be distributed through the Consumer Protection Standard Spending Assessment. The Assembly's provisional settlement was announced on 15 November and the final settlement will be announced on 8 January 2002 and debated on 24 January.

DTI has also agreed with the Scottish Executive that they will receive formula consequentials for this transfer. These will be included within Scottish local authorities' revenue grant allocations.

Figures provided by the Trading Standards Institute indicate that over 90 per cent. of trading standards departments (182) attended the six seminars that the Institute organised for the DTI on the legal and administrative requirements of the Stop Now Orders Regulations. We are considering with the Office of Fair Trading, LACOTS and TSI what further training or other support might help. The OFT organised a conference on 16 November to educate other regulators. We do not foresee any transfer of resources to these regulators.

Airlines (Competition)

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what research her Department has undertaken to evaluate the effect the proposed alliance between British Airways and American Airlines would have on competition in the north Atlantic market place; and if she will publish the conclusions of such research; [17282]

(2) what her policy is on the proposed alliance between British Airways and American Airlines. [17281]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Analysis of the effects of the proposed alliance on competition is a matter for the Director General of Fair Trading, who, as the UK's independent competition authority, has the final decision making powers in such cases.

Publication of such analysis is also a matter for the Director General.

Responsibility for deciding on the competition issues raised by the proposed alliance also lies with the Director General of Fair Trading.

Electricity Generation

Dr. Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on current station lifetime plans, what her Department's projections are for the percentage contribution nuclear power will make to electricity generation in (a) 2005, (b) 2010, (c) 2015 and (d) 2020. [17369]

Mr. Wilson: The DTI published, in Energy Paper 68 (EP68), energy demand projections for the period 2000 to 2020 in November 2000. Figures in Annex D of EP68

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show the projected amounts of electricity generation for a range of generating plant. Generation from nuclear plants is projected to be 86TWh in 2005, 66TWh in 2010, 40TWh in 2015 and 27TWh in 2020. These levels of nuclear generation represent approximately 24 per cent., 17 per cent., 10 per cent. and 7 per cent. of the total projected generation by the major power producers respectively.

Plant lifetimes are a matter for the operators but the projections were based on lifetime assumptions believed to be in broad agreement with those of the nuclear generators at the time of publication. There have been some recent indications from the industry that nuclear output in 2010 may be a little lower than previously projected. Small reductions in output would not endanger the UK's ability to meet its Kyoto targets.

Energy Paper 68 is available in the Libraries of the House.

CFCs (EC Regulation)

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what assistance is being offered by her Department to retailers to allow them to continue to take back used fridges and freezers as part of their home delivery service, once the EC Regulation 2037/2000 has been implemented; [17897]

(2) what representations her Department has received from (a) retailers, (b) local authorities and (c) environmental groups regarding EC Regulation 2037/2000; [17899]

(3) what guidance she has given on the safe disposal of goods containing CFCs as required by EC Regulation 2037/2000; [17898]

(4) what measures her Department is taking to ensure that the UK conforms to EC Regulation 2037/2000. [17896]

Mr. Wilson: EC Regulation 2037/2000 on substances which deplete the ozone layer is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Officials in my Department have been working closely with officials in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to encourage retailers either to continue their take-back service or, in the case of retailers that have withdrawn their service, to consider ways in which it might be restarted. Proposals are being developed by DEFRA in consultation with retailers, local authorities and other stakeholders that might help to facilitate this.

The Department has received a number of representations from retailers, local authorities and environmental groups concerning EC Regulation 2037/2000, and has taken steps to keep in regular contact with both retailers and local authorities, in particular through stakeholder meetings held by officials in DEFRA.

Officials in DEFRA have written to all local authorities and other interested parties informing them of the new requirements. Draft guidance on standards for facilities to extract ozone depleting substances from foam in refrigeration equipment and on standards for storage of

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waste refrigeration equipment has already been circulated to stakeholders for consultation and final versions will be issued shortly.

Officials in the Department have been working closely with officials in DEFRA to help make stakeholders aware of the new requirements.

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