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School Funding

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria will be used to allocate the new fund to assist schools applying for specialist status which have encountered difficulties in raising funds. [87195]

Mr. Miliband: My Department has not yet finalised the criteria for the allocation of the Partnership Fund. The criteria will be based around evidence that the school has made a real effort to raise sponsorship and that, although they have not been able to get the required level of private sector funding, the school has created other valuable links with businesses.

The full criteria for the allocation of the funds will be set out in due course.

School Transport

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will issue new guidelines to local education authorities on school transport contracts on overcrowding and use of seatbelts. [87402]

Mr. Charles Clarke: As my hon. Friend is aware, from 1 November 2001, seat-belts had to be fitted on all new minibuses, coaches and buses (apart from those specifically designed for urban use with standing passengers). There are no regulations governing the use of seat belts in buses. However, my Department's current guidance does refer to RoSPA's 1991 code of practice on school transport safety, and says that

XLEAs should encourage contractors, drivers, parents, pupils and schools to observe the code, and especially its recommendation that seatbelts should be worn where fitted."

The Department has not issued guidelines to local education authorities on overcrowding. The regulations that govern seating and standing on all buses are the Public Service Vehicles (Carrying Capacity) Regulations 1984, the Public Service Vehicles (Conditions of Fitness, Equipment, Use and Certification) Regulations 1981, as amended, and the Public Service Vehicles (Conduct of Drivers, Inspectors, Conductors and Passengers) Regulations 1990. Enforcement of regulations relating to carrying capacity and safety of buses rests with the Police and the Vehicle Inspectorate. I am not aware of any prosecutions for overcrowding on services involving school transport.

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We have no immediate plans to issue further guidance to LEAs on school transport at this stage.

Visually Impaired Children

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures are in place to ensure that visually impaired children have access to adequate primary and secondary education; and what proposals he has to assist visually impaired children at school. [87362]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Responsibility for making suitable provision for children with special educational needs, including those with visual impairment, rests in the first instance with schools and local education authorities (LEAs). The nature and extent of provision is decided locally in the light of the circumstances and individual needs of each child. In making provision, schools and LEAs must have regard to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, which provides practical guidance to schools and LEAs on their responsibilities and promotes consistency of approach.

Since September 2002, LEAs and schools have had a duty to ensure that disabled pupils are not treated less favourably, without justification, than non-disabled pupils; and to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled pupils are not put at a substantial disadvantage to their non-disabled pupils. In England and Wales there is also a duty on LEAs and schools to plan strategically and make progress in increasing physical accessibility to schools' premises and to the curriculum. The DfES has issued guidance on the new duty, Accessible Schools: Planning to increase access to schools for disabled pupils.

Substantial funding has been provided, and continues to be provided under the Schools Access initiative to improve access for disabled children—#70 million in 2002–03, increasing to #100 million for each of the next three years, 2003–06.

In addition, in 2002–03 a total of #91 million was made available to LEAs and schools to support the needs of pupils with SEN and disabilities and vulnerable children from the DfES Standards Fund. The same level of funding will be available in 2003–04. The fund can be used for training, including training leading to mandatory qualification for teachers of pupils with visual impairment.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Accreditation

Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department is doing to support the Government's policy on accreditation. [88092]

Mr. Denham: Under Sections 40 and 43 of the Police Reform Act 2002, it is now open to chief officers in all 43 police forces in England and Wales, and the British transport police, to set up a community safety accreditation scheme in their area. Individuals able to meet agreed high standards could then be accredited

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with certain low level police powers to enable them to tackle anti-social behaviour and environmental problems in the local communities where they work.

The setting up of such a scheme is entirely a matter for the chief officer concerned but a number are taking the necessary steps towards setting up a scheme in their area. In order to help them, and other interested parties, we shall shortly be putting some general accreditation guidance on the police reform website showing interested parties the kind of standards which will be necessary for accreditation.

We shall continue to show support for accreditation schemes by offering advice and guidance, as required. Towards the end of next year we plan to issue a code of practice based on the good practice that has developed.

Air Weapons

Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce a licensing scheme for the purchase of air weapons. [87283]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: We are considering a range of options for dealing with the problem of air weapon misuse. I hope shortly to be in a position to put forward proposals.

Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will raise the age limit for the use of air weapons to 18 years. [87285]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: We are considering a range of options for dealing with the problem of air weapon misuse including possible changes to existing age limits. I hope shortly to be in a position to put forward proposals.

Children's Rights

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the report on the UK by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. [86141]

Mr. Denham: We are currently considering the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. The Committee's recommendations are extremely wide-ranging, and relate to many aspects of Government policy. Lead Departments across Whitehall, together with the devolved Administrations, are considering how to take the Committee's comments into account in future work, and we will consider the Committee's recommendations carefully in developing our overarching strategy for children and young people.

Community Support Officers

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent each local authority has used powers under Section 33 of the Police Act 1966 to help fund new community support officers; and how many such officers are employed. [86915]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 12 December 2002]: There was no Police Act for England and Wales in 1966. Over #19 million was made available for the recruitment of more than 1,000 Community Support Officers (CSOs) in England and Wales during this financial year.

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Twenty seven police forces and authorities made bids for a share of this fund and we were able to offer some funding to all of them.

We continue to work with police forces and authorities to develop their implementation plans and are encouraging them to discuss with potential funding partners, such as local authorities, how further CSOs might be funded in the future.

At present there are 215 CSOs patrolling the streets of Westminster, Newham and Tower Hamlets. Lancashire Constabulary introduced 20 CSOs to their force area on 16 December.

Correspondence

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 31 October from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. S. Pickup. [87657]

Mr. Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 18 December 2002.

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 4 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. Nazia Butt. [87659]

Beverley Hughes: I wrote to my right hon. Friend, on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, on 12 December 2002.

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 4 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Kahim Salam Mahmud. [87660]

Beverley Hughes: I wrote to my right hon. Friend, on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, on 12 December 2002,

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 24 October from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Nisar Ahmed. [87661]

Beverley Hughes: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 17 December 2002.

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