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University Lecturers

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to increase the salaries of university lecturers. [60129]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 11 June 2002]: The Government play no part in setting the levels of pay in the higher education sector. These are subject to regulations between employers, their staff and their representative trade union bodies.

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Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action she has taken to encourage more people to enter into a career as a university lecturer. [60130]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 11 June 2002]: Our spending plans include #50 million in 2001–02, rising to #110 in 2002–03 and #170 million in 2003–04 to underpin the human resource strategies which each university and higher education college has submitted to the Higher Education Funding Council for England, and which include measures to address issues of recruitment and retention, especially in shortage subjects. Added to that, we gave a commitment to introduce a scheme of XGolden Hellos" for new staff in shortage subjects. We expect to announce our plans in the autumn.

Oxbridge Admissions Policy

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance (a) she and (b) the Higher Education Funding Council have issued to Oxford and Cambridge universities on admission policy with regard to the (i) social class origins and (ii) schools attended by undergraduate students; and if she will make a statement. [60131]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 11 June 2002]: Neither my right hon. Friend nor the Funding Council have issued guidance specifically to Oxford or Cambridge universities on these matters. However, my right hon. Friend's letter to the Funding Council (29 November 2001) made it clear that all universities, particularly those significantly below their benchmarks for participation by under-represented groups, need to contribute to widening access to higher education.

Maintained Schools

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the number of maintained schools with no ethnic minority pupils. [60510]

Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 10 June 2002]: At January 2002 provisional information shows that there were 5,220 maintained schools in England with no recorded ethnic minority pupils.

Training Expenditure

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the estimated level of expenditure on training in the private sector was in each of the last 10 years. [60775]

Margaret Hodge: The total expenditure on training by employers in England was estimated at approximately #23 billion for 2000. This figure is based on the Learning and Training at Work 2000 survey. It includes indirect costs—the largest component is the wage costs of the trainees while in training. Comparable figures for earlier years and a breakdown into public and private sector expenditure are not available.

Local Education Authorities

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the requirements

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(a) removed from and (b) placed on local education authorities in the last year for which information is available. [60837]

Mr. Miliband: The Department does not collect this information centrally, and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.

Teachers (Registration Fee)

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of (a) the number and (b) the percentage of teachers whose General Teaching Council registration fee has been collected by compulsory deduction by their employer. [60881]

Mr. Miliband: The Secretary of State has made no such estimate. The collection of the registration fee is a matter for the General Teaching Council and I have asked the Chief Executive of the Council to write to the hon. Gentleman with information on the present position with regard to compulsory deductions. A copy of her response will be placed in the Library.

Departmental Grants

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which organisations which were in receipt of a grant from her in 1997–98 no longer are; what the annual saving is; which organisations which were not in receipt of a grant in 1997–98 now are; and what the annual cost is. [61395]

Estelle Morris: The information cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost.

XWelcome Back Bonus Scheme"

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the availability of the Welcome Back Bonus Scheme, with specific reference to the deadline and the eligibility for claiming it. [61937]

Mr. Miliband: The conditions for payments under the Welcome Back Bonus Scheme were established by the Education (School Teachers' Pay and Conditions) (No. 6) Order 2001, which was laid before Parliament on 27 September last year.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Illegal Drugs

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking permanently to refuse entry to the United Kingdom to individuals apprehended for attempting to bring illegal drugs into the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [56532]

Beverley Hughes [holding answer 21 May 2002]: There are provisions within the Immigration Rules that allow for the refusal of leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom (UK) of a person who is not a British citizen and who has been convicted of a serious crime, or whose presence here is undesirable. There is also scope for a court to recommend deportation at the end of their

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sentence of a person when they are convicted in the UK. Any person who is deported from the UK following a conviction for importing illegal drugs would not normally be allowed to return here for a minimum of 10 years.

Ms Christiana Olufunmolayo Olaifa

Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will make a decision on the case of Ms Christiana Olufunmolayo Olaifa (ref. 01010047), referred to his Department's Referred Cases Unit from Lagos on 19 September 2001. [58070]

Beverley Hughes: The Referred Cases Unit in Lunar House did not receive the referral from Lagos dated 19 September 2001. A copy will be requested shortly and upon receipt a decision will be made as a matter of priority. I wrote to my hon. Friend on 12 June 2002 setting out the background to the case.

Dangerous Driving

Mr. Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the penalties for causing death by dangerous driving; and if he will make a statement. [59592]

Mr. Hilary Benn: The Government receive correspondence from members of the public, MPs and the judiciary regarding the penalty for causing death by dangerous driving as well as the sentences imposed in individual cases. A good proportion of the representations are in favour of an increase in the penalty.

The offence of causing death by dangerous driving was included within the ongoing review of road traffic penalties. We have received comprehensive and detailed responses to the proposals in the review's consultation paper, including comments on the proposals for the offence of causing death by dangerous driving, from many representative groups and organisations. We also received a large number of communications, either by letter or e-mail from members of the public. In addition, Ministers meet with representative groups such as RoadPeace and the Motorists Forum from time to time to discuss road traffic issues.

We are in the final stages of completing the Government's response to the consultation exercise.

Youth Justice

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of restorative justice programmes in cutting re-offending by young offenders in each of the police authorities in the UK since 1997. [58889]

Mr. Hilary Benn: Recent Home Office research has included XAn Exploratory Evaluation of Restorative Justice Schemes" by David Miers et al (2001). More recently (May 2002), the Joseph Rowntree Foundation published XAn Evaluation of the Implementation and Effectiveness of an Initiative in Restorative Cautioning" in the Thames Valley Police area. And the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales has funded an evaluation

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of 46 restorative justice projects, the results of which are not yet available. We are not aware of any research which is broken down by police authority.

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of promoting an increase in the number of solicitors specialising in youth justice cases as a means of decreasing levels of crime and re-offending. [58857]

Mr. Hilary Benn: We have considered with the Law Society strategies to promote a high quality service for youth justice cases. We are keen to see extension of the existing specialisation of solicitors in some areas, but this is more difficult to achieve outside large metropolitan areas. For many practices it would be uneconomic and impractical to focus simply on youth work and most undertake a mix of adult and youth work.

We do consider it important that defence lawyers should be sufficiently well trained and competent to act for all their clients, including youths. Training in youth work is therefore being given greater emphasis. I particularly commend the recent Law Society guide to the youth court, produced with the help of the Youth Justice Board.

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the Chief of Youth Justice Board to discuss issues relating to youth justice. [58849]

Mr. Hilary Benn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Blunkett) last met the Chair of the Youth Justice Board to discuss issues related to youth justice on Wednesday 29 May 2002.

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes organised by (a) the Youth Justice Board and (b) in conjunction with the Youth Justice Board. [58850]

Mr. Hilary Benn: The Home Office sponsored Youth Justice Board is responsible for the development of effective practice and intervention programmes across the youth justice system. Evaluation reports on a range of these programmes are currently being prepared. They will be used to provide effective practice guidance to youth justice practitioners.

The Home Office is also preparing an assessment of the effectiveness of the youth justice reforms in reducing juvenile offender reconviction rates. Results are due to be published later this year.

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what benefit to the residents of Leyton and Wanstead the actions and policies of the Chairman of the Government's Youth Justice Board has been; and if he will make a statement. [60323]

Mr. Hilary Benn: Leyton and Wanstead is covered by two Youth Offending Teams (Yots)—Waltham Forest and Redbridge. Both teams have benefited significantly from the Home Office sponsored Youth Justice Board (YJB) in a number of ways.

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The two Yots are receiving grant funding in 2002–03 from the YJB for general youth justice services, referral orders and substance misuse work. Waltham Forest is receiving grants totalling #229,048 and Redbridge grants totalling #184,066.

The funding for substance misuse work will ensure that both Yots have access to a named drugs worker. Every young person who comes into contact with either Yot will be assessed with regard to substance misuse. The named drugs worker will provide intervention and referral to specialist agencies and services.

The YJB also provided funding of approximately #250,000 between 1999 and 2002 to AMENDS, a restorative justice project covering Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Enfield and Haringey. The project is receiving further funding from the Board of #80,000 between 2001 and 2004.

Redbridge Yot is receiving funding totalling #74,000 to operate a bail supervision and support scheme funded up to March 2004. The Yot is also receiving approximately #278,000 between 2001 and 2004 to operate a minority ethnic mentoring project.

Neither area currently is covered by the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP). However, the YJB has been provided with additional funding of #4.5 million in response to the Street Crime Initiative to ensure all Yots in the 10 Street Crime Areas are covered. All the Outer London Yots, including Waltham Forest and Redbridge will be covered by these additional schemes. It is expected that they will have access to an ISSP scheme by Autumn 2002.

Both Waltham Forest and Redbridge Yots are operating Splash Activity Schemes in Loxford and Chingford Hall during 2002. The schemes are aimed at providing young people in disadvantaged neighbourhoods across England and Wales with positive leisure activities during the 2000 February and Whitsun half terms and Easter and Summer school holidays. Each scheme has received a grant of #18,000 from the YJB to operate throughout these holiday periods.

Waltham Forest Yot has also been approached to run five Splash Extra Schemes during Summer 2002. Splash Extra is being funded by the New Opportunities Fund and managed by the YJB. The initiative differs from regular Splash as it targets 9 to 17 year olds. Schemes are based in street crime hot spots identified by the Street Crime Action Team. Each scheme will receive funding of #25,000. Waltham Forest Yot is due to submit their application to the YJB shortly.

There is also a Positive Futures project operating on the Beaumont and Oliver Close estates in Leyton which commenced in January 2002. Positive Futures is managed by YJB and aims to use sport to reduce anti-social behaviour, offending and drug misuse amongst 10 to 16 year olds from disadvantaged estates and neighbourhoods. The project is receiving funding of #117,000 per annum for two years.

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