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Basic Credit Approvals (Hampshire)

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what basic credit approvals her Department granted between 1997 and 2001 for Hampshire. [22215]

John Healey [holding answer 11 December 2001]: The figures show basic credit approvals for Hampshire local education authority from 1997–98 to 2001–02.

	£ million
1997–98	10.1
1998–99	8.9
1999–2000	11.2
2000–01	10.8
2001–02	10.6
Total	51.6

Means Testing

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the educational purposes for which a financial means test is required. [22795]

Margaret Hodge: We apply a variety of means tests when providing funding for students in order to target funds sensibly while increasing participation and achievement in education. Examples where means tests are used include higher education loans and grants, educational maintenance allowances, and financial support for students in further education.

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Special Educational Needs

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils there are with SEN statements at each of the secondary schools in Cheshire. [18442]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information requested is shown in the following table.

Maintained secondary schools: Pupils with a statement of special educational needs (SEN)—Cheshire local education authority

School name	Number of pupils with statements
Kingsway High School	28
Blacon High School	37
Queen's Park High School	45
Neston High School	69
Frodsham School (a Science and Technology College)	18
Tytherington High School	20
Ryles Park High School	91
Alsager School	5
Sandbach High School and Sixth Form College	9
Rudheath High School	78
Middlewich High School	19
Woodford Lodge High School	41
The Verdin High School	23
Coppenhall High School	76
Weaverham High School	17
The County High School Leftwich	16
Tarporley Community High School	13
The Ruskin School	7
Victoria Community Technology School	28
Malbank School and Sixth Form Centre	9
Shavington High School	27
Christleton High School	13
Upton-by-Chester High School	13
Stanney High School	87
Bishop Heber High School	39
Sutton High School	24
Knutsford High School	59
Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School	13
The Whitby High School	21
Poynton High School	26
Brine Leas High School	16
Helsby High School	11
Hartford High School	23
Kings Grove School	8
Wilmslow High School	24
Congleton High School	7
Eaton Bank School	11
The Catholic High School, Chester	31
St. Nicholas Catholic High School	16
Ellesmere Port Catholic High School	11
St. Thomas More Catholic High School	3
The Bishop's Blue Coat Church of England High School	22
All Hallows Catholic High School	16
Fallibroome High School	19
Henbury High School	26

Source:

DfES 2001 Secondary School Performance Tables. Website address: www.dfes.gov.uk/performancetables

Vice-Chancellors

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will review the process by which universities appoint their vice-chancellors and make a statement on best practice. [19457]

Margaret Hodge: Vice-chancellors are appointed by the governing body of their individual university and my right hon. Friend has no plans to alter current arrangements. We do, however, keep such matters under review and support the efforts of Universities UK, the Standing Conference of Principals (SCOP) and the Higher

13 Dec 2001 : Column: 962W

Education Funding Council for England to enhance strategic leadership and management in higher education institutions and look to them to disseminate best practice.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid Britain is providing to the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and what assessment she has made of the obstacles to delivering aid to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with particular reference to British support for Ugandan and Ethiopian forces. [22311]

Clare Short: The UK gave over £3.3 in humanitarian assistance to the DRC last financial year. We expect this figure to be more than doubled in the current year. In addition, the UK has contributed more than £4.3 million in 2001 through the EU. There have been few recent ceasefire violations and humanitarian access has improved considerably, though difficulties remain in certain areas of the country. The UK provides no military support for either the Ugandan or Ethiopian forces and Ethiopia has no forces in the DRC. Assistance is being provided on security sector reform in Uganda.

British Geological Survey Report (Bangladesh)

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what were the (a) terms of reference, (b) scope and (c) conclusions of the British geological survey technical report WD/92/43R prepared for the ODA and dated 1992, the short-term BGS pilot project to assess the hydrochemical character of the main aquifer units of central and north-eastern Bangladesh and the possible toxicity of groundwater to fish and humans; and if she will make a statement. [21430]

Clare Short: The report referred to in this question is the subject of a potential legal case on behalf of sufferers from arsenicosis in Bangladesh by a UK legal firm against British Geological Survey.

My Department has responded in writing to requests for relevant information from the parties to this case in accordance with legal advice.

While legal action is pending, I regret I am unable to provide a statement for fear of prejudicing the outcome of the legal action as according to section 4 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Afghanistan

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what has been the daily average of food aid being transported into Afghanistan in each of the last six weeks; and what is her estimate of the rate of transport needed to ensure sufficient food stocks for the winter. [21685]

Clare Short: The table shows the daily average of food aid that has been transported into Afghanistan by week for the past six weeks. Graphs recording daily and weekly delivery of food into Afghanistan since 19 September are available in the Library.

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metric tonnes

Week ending	Daily average over the week
31 October	1,279
7 November	2,384
14 November	1,962
21 November	1,246
28 November	2,287
6 December	2,985

The World Food programme aims to deliver 100,000 tonnes of food aid in the month of December to meet on-going needs and build up necessary winter stockpiles. It is prioritising deliveries to areas where access may become more difficult over the winter.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many tonnes of humanitarian aid have been deployed in Afghanistan since 11 September; what impact the military advances in Afghanistan have had on humanitarian missions; if the military campaign has opened up supply routes into Afghanistan; what steps she is taking to ensure that the public is informed of humanitarian advances in Afghanistan; and if she will make a statement. [22355]

Clare Short: Over 115,000 metric tonnes of food aid were dispatched to Afghanistan from 11 September to 9 December (the latest date for which information is currently available from the World Food Programme (WFP), the lead UN agency for food aid).

Initial hopes of improved humanitarian access following the change in the political balance have been tempered by concerns over security. Although much of the internal delivery and distribution system is holding up, continued uncertainty over security in the north, around Mazar-e-Sharif, and the south-eastern province of Kandahar means that agencies are unable to reach many of the most vulnerable people.

Improved security is key to enhancing the ability of humanitarian agencies to deliver assistance to those in need. We, and the rest of the international community, will continue to urge the authorities in Afghanistan to assist with the relief effort, and to help stabilise the environment in which the humanitarian community are trying to operate.

Bilateral Debts

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the value of all bilateral debts owed to the UK by developing countries; and if she will make a statement. [17949]

Clare Short: The total figure for ECGD-covered debt owed by developing countries is £8.0 billion. Of this, £1.9 billion is owed by countries eligible for relief under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.

Bilateral aid debts are limited to those countries which have not qualified for relief under the Commonwealth Debt Initiative. Excluding debts, which are being written off as they fall due, the outstanding balances at the end of March 2001 were £170 million.

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