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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 Allocations | Standard Spending Assessment | Mental Health Grant | Training Support Programme | Children's Services Grant | Promoting Independence Grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £000s | £000s | £000s | £000s | £000s | |
| Inner London | |||||
| City of London | 2,349 | 29 | 15 | 83 | 70 |
| Camden | 68,067 | 1,218 | 201 | 3,372 | 1,859 |
| Greenwich | 63,824 | 1,067 | 315 | 3,032 | 1,762 |
| Hackney | 77,171 | 1,501 | 198 | 4,526 | 1,914 |
| Hammersmith & Fulham | 51,577 | 1,056 | 264 | 2,878 | 1,331 |
| Islington | 67,954 | 1,039 | 229 | 4,011 | 1,700 |
| Kensington & Chelsea | 49,290 | 891 | 195 | 2,390 | 1,324 |
| Lambeth | 92,374 | 1,563 | 285 | 6,034 | 2,160 |
| Lewisham | 75,867 | 1,551 | 244 | 4,216 | 1,971 |
| Southwark | 87,510 | 1,644 | 345 | 5,095 | 2,116 |
| Tower Hamlets | 75,331 | 1,337 | 273 | 3,956 | 1,875 |
| Wandsworth | 74,746 | 1,216 | 312 | 3,370 | 2,117 |
| Westminster | 71,692 | 1,088 | 355 | 3,216 | 1,979 |
| Outer London | |||||
| Barking & Dagenham | 44,148 | 622 | 151 | 1,640 | 1,315 |
| Barnet | 63,692 | 885 | 283 | 2,067 | 2,060 |
| Bexley | 38,251 | 599 | 195 | 1,203 | 1,246 |
| Brent | 61,747 | 1,068 | 228 | 3,448 | 1,612 |
| Bromley | 49,695 | 706 | 184 | 1,477 | 1,687 |
| Croydon | 61,631 | 1,030 | 238 | 2,780 | 1,764 |
| Ealing | 68,086 | 1,131 | 251 | 3,231 | 1,886 |
| Enfield | 56,839 | 863 | 189 | 2,097 | 1,757 |
| Haringey | 61,138 | 1071 | 247 | 3,723 | 1,534 |
| Harrow | 39,300 | 597 | 274 | 1,162 | 1,298 |
| Havering | 38,514 | 584 | 210 | 1,013 | 1,328 |
| Hillingdon | 44,054 | 783 | 296 | 1,616 | 1,409 |
| Hounslow | 45,783 | 725 | 210 | 1,953 | 1,333 |
| Kingston upon Thames | 23,387 | 515 | 214 | 767 | 772 |
| Merton | 35,052 | 868 | 201 | 1,300 | 1,064 |
| Newham | 68,797 | 1,561 | 257 | 3,951 | 1,717 |
| Redbridge | 45,514 | 638 | 180 | 1,434 | 1,472 |
| Richmond upon Thames | 30,779 | 482 | 200 | 804 | 1,061 |
| Sutton | 31,174 | 466 | 176 | 983 | 1,015 |
| Waltham Forest | 56,900 | 918 | 305 | 2,561 | 1,623 |
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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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