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CABINET OFFICE

Art Loans

David Davis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, to how many Ministers paintings are loaned from (a) the National Gallery of England, (b) the National Gallery of Scotland (c) the National Portrait Gallery. (d) the Royal Academy and (e) the National Maritime Museum. [78644]

Mr. Alexander: Decisions on works of art in Ministerial Private Offices are made between Ministers and the Government Art Collection based in the Department of Culture Media and Sport which holds a central list.

None of the works of art hanging in my office and that of my right honourable and noble Friend the Minister for Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster are on loan from any of the institutions listed.

Honours

Andrew George: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what categories of gallantry honour are awarded by the United Kingdom. [79547]

The Prime Minister: I am replying to this question as it relates to matters for which I am responsible.

In addition to the various categories of gallantry honour available to the Services and the Armed Forces, there are four levels of award for civilian gallantry:

Level 1	The George Cross(2)
	This award is granted only for actions of gallantry of the greatest heroism or for the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger. It may be granted posthumously but is restricted to British subjects.
Level 2	The George Medal
	This award is granted for gallantry of an extremely high order. It may be granted posthumously and is not restricted to British subjects.
Level 3	The Queen's Gallantry Medal
	This award is granted for gallantry of a high order. It may be granted posthumously and is not restricted to British subjects.
Level 4	The Queen's Commendation for Bravery and The Queen's Commendation for Bravery in the Air
	These awards are granted for gallantry not up to the foregoing standard but entailing risk to life and meriting national recognition. Both awards may be granted posthumously and are not restricted to British subjects.

Note:

⁽²⁾ The Victoria Cross is the first level military award for gallantry, and the standard set for the GC should reflect a similar degree of heroism. (The military Conspicuous Gallantry Cross is the military equivalent to the GM; the DSC, Military Cross and DFC to the QGM; and Mention-in-despatches to the Queen's Commendation.)

Andrew George: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many gallantry honours have been awarded and how many of those awarded posthumously, in each of the past 10 years for which records are available. [79548]

The Prime Minister: I am replying to this question as it relates to matters for which I am responsible.

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Figures for gallantry awards during the years 1992–2002 are as follows:

	George Cross	George Medal(3)	Queen's Gallantry Medal(3)	Queen's Commendation for Bravery(3)
1992	Nil	2	2	36
1993	Nil	2(1)	13(1)	41
1994	Nil	1(1)	7(1)	58
1995	Nil	2(1)	14(1)	57(2)
1996	Nil	2(2)	17(2)	56(1)
1997	Nil	2(1)	9(3)	20(1)
1998	Nil	1	6(2)	18
1999	Nil	Nil	Nil	7
2000	Nil	2(2)	1	22
2001	Nil	1	1(1)	11
2002	Nil	Nil	1	4(1)
	Nil	15(8)	71(11)	330(5)

Note:

⁽³⁾Figures in brackets indicate the number of these awards that were made posthumously.

Andrew George: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many posthumous gallantry honours have been awarded to (a) non-UK citizens, (b) UK citizens for acts of gallantry outside the UK and (c) non-UK citizens who had previously been citizens of the UK in the last 10 years. [79546]

The Prime Minister: I am replying to this question as it relates to matters for which I am responsible.

Statistical records do not indicate the nationality of the recipients of honours, nor are they kept in a form which indicate the country in which the acts of gallantry took place.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Childcare

Ms Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, when the Inter Departmental Childcare Review will publish its findings. [79785]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The report from the Inter Departmental Childcare Review led by my noble friend Baroness Ashton, the Under Secretary of State with responsibility for sure start, early years and childcare, is being published today. The key conclusions of the report build on the announcement by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Spending Review statement on 15 July. The increased spending for childcare will lead to: the creation of at least 250,000 new childcare places by 2005–06, on top of the earlier target of new places for 1.6 million children by 2004; the establishment of new children's centres to provide childcare, family support and health services in one centre, reflecting the early lessons of Sure Start, to benefit up to 650,000 children in disadvantaged areas by 2006.

In addition the integration of responsibility for childcare, early years education and Sure Start within a new interdepartmental unit will ensure new services will be co-ordinated to best meet the needs of children, families and communities.

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Copies of the report have been placed in the Vote Office, Printed Paper Office and the Libraries

Ms Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when the Inter Departmental Childcare Review will publish its findings. [79785]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The report from the Inter Departmental Childcare Review led by my noble friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare is being published today. The key conclusions of the report build on the announcement by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Spending Review statement on 15 July. The increased spending for childcare will lead to:

the creation of at least 250,000 new childcare places by 2005–06, on top of the earlier target of new places for 1.6 million children by 2004;

the establishment of new children's centres to provide childcare, family support and health services in one centre, reflecting the early lessons of Sure Start, to benefit up to 650,000 children in disadvantaged areas by 2006.

In addition the integration of responsibility for childcare, early years education and Sure Start within a new interdepartmental unit will ensure new services will be co-ordinated to best meet the needs of children, families and communities.

Copies of the report have been placed in the Vote Office, Printed Paper Office and the Libraries

Mrs. Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he will publish the report on the review of childcare by the Performance and Innovation Unit. [78594]

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures are in place to assist students in full-time education to fund child care. [78792]

Margaret Hodge: Specific childcare funding of #36 million is available through the Learner Support Funds (LSF) to all post 16 Further Education Institutions (FEIs). Students in colleges can access funding of up to #4000 for each child for each year of study. Students in school and college 6th forms have access to the same level of funding through a pilot scheme which is aimed at lone parents. FEIs also have the further flexibility to use their general LSF to top up childcare funding and to meet other additional costs, such as transport to childminders.

A childcare grant was introduced in September 2001 to help full-time higher education student parents with childcare costs. The childcare grant covers the whole year, paying 85 per cent. of actual childcare costs for

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40 weeks during term times and short vacations and 70 per cent. of actual costs for 12 weeks during the student's long vacation. In the academic year 2002–03, a student parent with one child may receive a childcare grant of up to #5,724 (with two or more children up to #8,480). This may be supplemented by other dependants grants and discretionary support.

Option 5

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many letters were received in support of Option 5 from (a) constituents and (b) schools in the F40 authorities. [79440]

Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.

The Government have received around 55,000 letters responding to the Formula Grant Review. The majority, around 53,000, are part of the campaign run by the F40 group of authorities, who have asked for a further option to be developed for education funding. However, we do not record the details of the senders of campaign letters as a matter of course. For this reason, and since very many of those 53,000 letters are multiple copies of the same letter sent by the same people to different Ministers, it is not possible to provide a more detailed analysis except at disproportionate cost.

We are currently taking decisions on the new system to replace SSAs. As we do so we are carefully considering the full range of evidence, pressures and points that have been put to us.

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