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Parliamentary Answers

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) for how long she retains documents referred to in parliamentary answers on his Department's website; [72265]

(2) whether it is her policy to ensure that documents referred to in parliamentary answers are available via her Department's website. [72294]

Estelle Morris: My Department aims to be as helpful as possible in responding to hon. Members' Questions. Where it is helpful to refer hon. Members to other documents as part of the substantive reply, this may be done by making hard copies of documents available in the Libraries of the House, or by reference to material available on the Department's website.

Minimum requirements for the type of document which should be published on Government websites are set out in guidance issued by the Office of the E-envoy, "Guidelines for UK Government Websites" (Illustrated Handbook for web management teams section 2.2 "What content should be on your website?" and section 2.3 "Cross-government requirements". In addition to setting out guidelines on documents for inclusion, the guidance also explicitly requires Departments to ensure that the content of the site as a whole is up to date and current, and where it is necessary to update content of individual documents, to show the latest date of amendment clearly on the document concerned. Section 1.2.7 deals with the issue of Records management and the OeE currently has a consultation paper on Archiving websites. The purpose of this draft annex to the illustrated handbook is to provide government website managers with a framework towards

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developing within their website management policy suitable procedures and systems to assist in the management, appraisal and preservation of electronic records. A copy of this draft is available online at http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/webguidelines.htm

A copy of the Guidelines for UK government websites is available at http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/ webguidelines.htm

Broadband Internet Access

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of schools have broadband Internet access in (a) Tamworth, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England. [71567]

Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 22 July 2002]: The information is not available in the form requested.

In April 2001, 97 per cent. of maintained primary, secondary and special schools in England were connected to the internet. An estimated 4 per cent. of these had access through a broadband connection.

Information for England is derived from a sample of schools, which is designed for National figures.

Information for England 2001 was published in Statistical Bulletin 09–01 "Survey of Information and Communications Technology in Schools 2001", which is available on my Department's web-site www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics and from the Library. Information for England 2002 will be published in a Statistical First Release later this year.

Education SSA

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which local education authorities are in the lowest decile measured by their percentage change in education SSA since 1997; and what the change was in each case. [71815]

Mr. Miliband: The following table shows the fifteen authorities which have had the lowest percentage increase in education SSA between 1997–98 and 2002–03. The table does not include the new unitary authorities which have been created since 1997.

Local Education Authority	Percentage increase since 1997–98
	%
City of London	19.41
Middlesbrough	22.63
Isles of Scilly	24.28
Leicester	24.58
Sunderland	25.66
Liverpool	25.66
Knowsley	25.86
Wandsworth	25.88
Redcar and Cleveland	26.25
Newcastle upon Tyne	27.12
Gateshead	27.47
City of Kingston-upon-Hull	27.54
Salford	27.84
Manchester	28.05
Bradford	28.2

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Tameside College

Andrew Bennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the inquiry into the management of Tameside College has been completed; whether all those who complained were interviewed by the inquiry team; and how many claims for unfair dismissal by the college (a) are outstanding and (b) have been settled. [72186]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has received a formal complaint alleging breaches of corporate governance at Tameside College. An investigation into these allegations has been completed. The complainant was interviewed as part of the investigation. The report of the investigation is now being considered and decisions based on its findings will be made in the near future. The College has received one claim of unfair dismissal during the period relevant to the inquiry. This claim is outstanding but does not relate to any matter pertinent to the inquiry.

Strategic Training For Apparel And Textiles

Programme

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action she is taking to secure the continuation of the strategic training for apparel and textiles programme after June. [72206]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The programme is currently due to end in September. I have recently written to Patricia Hewitt suggesting that officials from my Department meet colleagues from DTI, the Learning and Skills Council, the Sector Skills Development Agency and others with an interest in the programme to discuss how we might work together to continue to support training in this important sector.

Computers

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her Answer of 8th March, references 39110 and 39111, what the total cost was of the Computers Within Reach pilot scheme; how much funding remains; what evaluation has been made of the success of the scheme; and how this will inform future policy on the computers within reach concept. [43326]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Pursuant to the reply given by John Healey on 19 March 2002, Official Report, column 256W, the expenditure of £5.5 million on the Computers Within Reach Scheme referred to the 2001–02 financial year only. The total expenditure on the scheme over the last two financial years was £7.1 million.

PRIME MINISTER

Bushmeat

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Prime Minister if he intends to raise the issue of the unsustainable bushmeat trade at the world summit on sustainable development. [69914]

The Prime Minister: The conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and the illegal international trade in forest products will be raised at WSSD. The issue of unsustainable trade in bushmeat could be raised in this context.

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Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Prime Minister if his working group on forestry in preparations for the world summit on sustainable development has examined mechanisms for tackling the unsustainable trade in bushmeat. [70309]

The Prime Minister: As part of the preparation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development the working group on forestry has been considering mechanisms for tackling the unsustainable use of natural resources, including wildlife, and has produced the paper "World Summit—Framework for Forestry Initiative".

The conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and the illegal international trade in forest products will be raised at WSSD. The issue of the unsustainable trade in bushmeat could be raised in this context.

12 Downing Street

Mr. Collins: To ask the Prime Minister what costs have been incurred in refurbishing 12 Downing Street since June 2001; and if he will make a statement. [64874]

The Prime Minister: For the financial year 2001–02 the Cabinet Office Resource Account is still undergoing final adjustments and awaiting audit. This will cover expenditure for Numbers 10,11 and 12 Downing Street. I will write to the hon. Member with details once the account is finalised, and I will place a copy in the Library.

No. 10 Downing Street

Mr. Laws: To ask the Prime Minister what the total cost of refurbishment and repairs to No. 10 Downing street was in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [66881]

The Prime Minister: Maintaining, refurbishing and work associated with security across Number 10 Downing Street is part of a continuing programme of work. Number 10 Downing Street now as in the past is maintained to standards appropriate to its status as a Grade 1 listed building, in consultation with English Heritage and other experts as appropriate. The building also fulfils an important representational role.

Expenditure is recorded by financial years. Since 2 May 1997, the recorded expenditure by the Cabinet Office for projects covering Numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street is:

	£
1997–98	188,000
1998–99	348,000
1999–2000	662,000
2000–01	453,000

The expenditure is mainly attributable to security measures required, maintenance, converting rooms into office accommodation and the refurbishment and continuing upkeep of the State Rooms. Only a small proportion relates to work on the Prime Minister's personal accommodation.

Expenditure prior to 1997–98 is recorded in respect of the Numbers 10–12 Downing Street complex as a whole. On this basis, recorded expenditure is as follows:

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	£
1995–96	504,700
1996–97	1,486,775

For the financial year 2001–02 the Cabinet Office Resource Account is still undergoing final adjustments and awaiting audit. This will cover expenditure for 10, 11 and 12 Downing Street. I will write to the hon. Member with details once the account is finalised, and I will place a copy in the Library.

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