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Public Service Agreements

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of the public service agreements of her Department set out in the document Public Services for the Future 1998 have been met; and if she will make a statement. [68716]

Stephen Twigg [holding answer 10 July 2002]: Information relating to the Department's Public Service Agreement targets can be found in the Department for Education and Skills Departmental Report 2002.

Comprehensive Spending Review

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many staff have contributed to her Department's input to the Spending Review. [68681]

Estelle Morris: The spending review involves a comprehensive assessment of the department's performance, priorities and resource requirements and a range of staff have made and will make contributions.

Software

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her policy is towards using open source software; and what percentage is used in her Department. [69323]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Currently there is very little use of Open Source Software in the Department.

Our future use of Open Source Software will follow the Government policy which is expected to be published in summer 2002.

The draft policy document is available for viewing at http://www.govtalk.gov.uk/rfc/rfc document.asp? docnum=429.

Mr. Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance her Department has issued to primary schools, secondary schools, colleges, universities and education authorities relating to the purchasing of

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computer software; and how much she estimates was spent by these bodies on computer software over the last five years. [70004]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department does not currently provide direct guidance to schools, colleges, universities and education authorities about which software products to purchase. There are however a number of sources of advice, such as the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta), to help institutions make purchasing decisions.

Guidance supporting the National Grid for Learning Standards Fund Grant for ICT encourages schools to spend at least 15 per cent of this grant on the procurement and development of educational and operational software.

The Department does not routinely collect data on total spend on software however the 2001 ICT in Schools Survey did report that in 1999–2000 schools in England spent an average of £800 per primary school and £5,230 per secondary on Software and Online Content.

Pressure-treated Wood

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health regarding the safety of CCA pressure-treated wood. [69627]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department has discussed the safety of CCA pressure-treated wood with officials from the Department of Health. We have also discussed the issue with DTI who represent the views of the Construction Industry; and with HSE who carried out a risk assessment of CCA products used to treat wood, under the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986.

In the UK wood preservatives are covered by the Control of Pesticide Regulations, and the Health and Safety Executive lead on such non-agricultural pesticides. CCA is approved for the pre-treatment of timber by pressure impregnation at industrial sites. This follows the

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advice to Ministers from the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP) that such products do not present any risk to human health or the environment.

Recently the EU Scientific Committee on Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the Environment advised that there was a small risk to children from the use of CCA treated wood in playground equipment. Applying the precautionary principle, the Commission have subsequently drawn up proposals under the Marketing and Use Directive, which would prevent the use of CCA treated wood, with some exceptions such as for railway sleepers and electricity and telephone poles. This would prevent its use in playground equipment.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations her Department has received regarding the number of playgrounds using CCA pressure-treated wood. [69626]

Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 17 July 2002]: The Department has not received any representations regarding the number of playgrounds using CCA pressure-treated wood. However Copper Chrome Arsenic (CCA) pressure-treated wood preservative is the most common wood preservative for softwoods which are often used externally and have been used extensively in playgrounds. There are alternative materials which can be used in place of CCA treated wood in playground equipment.

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HEALTH

Social Services

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) the average fee paid per person per week in each social services authority in England on purchasing places in the private and voluntary sector by social services, (b) the percentage increase in each social services authority in England, (c) the retail price index change and (d) the average wage level change was in each year since 1993–94. [69715]

Jacqui Smith: Information on the average fee paid per person per week on purchasing places in the private and voluntary sector by local authority social services is not available centrally.

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was allocated to each London borough through (a) personal social services standard spending assessment and (b) special grants in 2001–02. [69964]

Jacqui Smith: The tables show how much was allocated to each London Borough through (a) personal social services standard spending assessment and (b) special grants in 2001–02.

In addition, the City of London was allocated £1,280,000 from the drugs and alcohol specific grant and was responsible for pan-London services for all London Boroughs.

2001–02 AllocationsStandard Spending AssessmentMental Health GrantTraining Support ProgrammeChildren's Services GrantPromoting Independence Grant
£000s£000s£000s£000s£000s
Inner London
City of London2,34929158370
Camden68,0671,2182013,3721,859
Greenwich63,8241,0673153,0321,762
Hackney77,1711,5011984,5261,914
Hammersmith & Fulham51,5771,0562642,8781,331
Islington67,9541,0392294,0111,700
Kensington & Chelsea49,2908911952,3901,324
Lambeth92,3741,5632856,0342,160
Lewisham75,8671,5512444,2161,971
Southwark87,5101,6443455,0952,116
Tower Hamlets75,3311,3372733,9561,875
Wandsworth74,7461,2163123,3702,117
Westminster71,6921,0883553,2161,979
Outer London
Barking & Dagenham44,1486221511,6401,315
Barnet63,6928852832,0672,060
Bexley38,2515991951,2031,246
Brent61,7471,0682283,4481,612
Bromley49,6957061841,4771,687
Croydon61,6311,0302382,7801,764
Ealing68,0861,1312513,2311,886
Enfield56,8398631892,0971,757
Haringey61,13810712473,7231,534
Harrow39,3005972741,1621,298
Havering38,5145842101,0131,328
Hillingdon44,0547832961,6161,409
Hounslow45,7837252101,9531,333
Kingston upon Thames23,387515214767772
Merton35,0528682011,3001,064
Newham68,7971,5612573,9511,717
Redbridge45,5146381801,4341,472
Richmond upon Thames30,7794822008041,061
Sutton31,1744661769831,015
Waltham Forest56,9009183052,5611,623

2001–02 AllocationsCarers' GrantDeferred Payments GrantImproving Information Management GrantYoung People's Substance Misuse Planning GrantAids Support grantBuilding Care Capacity Grant
£000s£000s£000s£000s£000s£000s
Inner London
City of London1711722817
Camden519281751803422
Greenwich481511748144430
Hackney572161766442421
Hammersmith & Fulham395249242592289
Islington509161759512390
Kensington & Chelsea393261737592265
Lambeth7143717881,000460
Lewisham576541763400464
Southwark665261780640475
Tower Hamlets563131764400421
Wandsworth579571752534481
Westminster554321751547422
Outer London
Barking & Dagenham31539172960480
Barnet4961121732240680
Bexley29482172041315
Brent468651748329359
Bromley4071261724124827
Croydon4931011744329403
Ealing522781748310424
Enfield432941734179743
Haringey467391752518409
Harrow29779171896324
Havering30292171725555
Hillingdon342815723121566
Hounslow35253173025312
Kingston upon Thames190531711121179
Merton275601721156248
Newham505379659451398
Redbridge343921723147369
Richmond upon Thames25359171392411
Sutton24963171760289
Waltham Forest422571740285560

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Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what vacancies there were for social workers and social care staff in London social services; what the average age was of social workers and social care staff employed by the London boroughs; and how many people took early retirement from social work and social care employment by the London boroughs in (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001. [69963]

Jacqui Smith: This information is not available centrally.


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