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9 Apr 2003 : Column 285W—continued

Market Testing

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the estimated level of saving is to the Department from the use of market testing in 2002–03. [107764]

Peter Hain: No market testing was conducted in this year. Some support services are already provided to the Wales Office by the private sector and thus subject to regular competitive tendering; the Department is not responsible for any significant programme expenditure.

Ministerial Transport

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the cost of (a) ministerial cars and drivers and (b) taxis for his Department was in 2002. [101544]

Peter Hain: The information is as follows:

(a) This will be addressed in a letter from Mr. Nick Matheson, Chief Executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency, to the hon. Member.

(b) £4,000. This figure excludes any amounts spent on taxis, black cabs and licensed hackney carriages outside of departmental contracts and reclaimed by officials as travel and subsistence expenditure. That information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

National Insurance

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the cost will be to public funds in 2003–04 of the rise in national insurance contributions on the salary bill of his Department. [107899]

Peter Hain: It is estimated that the changes to employers' national insurance contributions announced in the Budget will increase pay costs on average by 0.7 per cent. next year.

9 Apr 2003 : Column 286W

Property Portfolio

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the estimated value is of the property portfolio held by his Department. [108369]

Peter Hain: My Department's property portfolio has an estimated value of £1.7 million.

Secondments

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many individuals have been seconded to his Department from (a) the private sector, (b) NGOs and (c) other, in each case listing (i) from which organisation and (ii) dates of secondments, in each year since 1999–2000. [108087]

Peter Hain: Since its creation in July 1999, my Department has recruited no civil servants itself but has been entirely staffed by people on loan or secondment from other organisations. These have been predominantly from the National Assembly for Wales but some staff have come from other Government departments and there has been one secondment from a local authority.

Staff Numbers

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff were employed by his Department in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [106970]

Peter Hain: The Department's Resource Accounts (HC 318) show the average number of whole-time equivalent persons employed (including senior management, Ministers, and special advisers) to have been 42 during 2001–02. The Department's Resource Accounts will be published later this year, from which a comparative figure for 2002–03 will be available.

Sunset Clauses

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the sunset clauses included in legislation from his Department since 1997. [106936]

Peter Hain: Since 1997 no legislation from my Department has included clauses providing for its expiry after a defined period.

Terrorism

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what meetings he has had regarding preparation for a possible terrorist strike in Wales. [107956]

Peter Hain: The prevention of terrorism is primarily a matter for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.

The Wales Office attends both ministerial and official level meetings of the civil contingencies committee which co-ordinates the response to major disruptions to ordinary life.

Travel Costs

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the cost was of travel by train by staff in his Department in 2002. [106341]

9 Apr 2003 : Column 287W

Peter Hain: In the financial year 2002–03 to date some £101,000 has been spent on rail travel. The hon. Member will appreciate that my staff are based in both Cardiff and London.

Wales Office (Civil Servants)

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many civil servants are employed by the Wales Office at (a) senior civil service level and (b) middle management level; and what the job description is for each of these posts. [105766]

Peter Hain: Details of the Wales Office organisation and objectives are given annually in its departmental reports, the most recent of which is Cm 5431 published in June 2002.

This shows (page 23) that one senior civil servant was in post at 31 March 2002 along with 26 people in the Executive Officer/Higher Executive Officer/Senior Executive Officer/Grade 7 grades. These posts are predominantly concerned with policy-related work, in particular the briefing of Wales Office Ministers.

9 Apr 2003 : Column 288W

CABINET OFFICE

Equal Pay

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2003, Official Report, column 142W, which civil service Departments and agencies have completed pay reviews to close equal pay gaps for 2002–03. [108186]

Mr. Alexander: As at the 8 April, 25 Departments and agencies reported completion of their equal pay reviews. Of these organisations, the following six have submitted final action plans to the Cabinet Office:

Organisation

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Veterinary Laboratories Agency

Government Actuary's Department

Northern Ireland Court Service

Oftel

Insolvency Service

9 Apr 2003 : Column 289W

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Children's Centres

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will estimate the impact of extending the Government's children's centres to cover 30 per cent. of the most disadvantaged wards in England by 2006. [105311]

Maria Eagle: The Government's long-term aim is that all young children living in the 20 per cent. most disadvantaged wards have access to children's centre services. These centres will promote the physical, intellectual and social development of young children; they will also help to reduce child poverty by enabling parents, including lone parents, to maximise their chances to work, and to build stronger, safer communities. By March 2006 we plan to reach at least 650,000 pre-school children—and to create nearly 43,000 extra child care places for them. We recognise that pockets of extreme disadvantage exist outside of these wards, and the Sure Start Unit will consider proposals from local authorities to locate children's centres in such areas.

In the long-term, providing access to children's centre services will reach approximately one million children under five in the 20 per cent. most disadvantaged wards. Extending this provision to cover the 30 per cent. most disadvantaged wards would reach approximately 340,000 additional children. We recognise that all young children would benefit from children's centre services, and the Sure Start Unit is promoting the wider adoption of this integrated approach. However the £435 million available to meet our targets by 2006 is focused on areas where need is greatest.

Emergency Grant Criteria

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the eligibility criteria were for the £28 million emergency grant to 36 local authorities announced in the week of the 24 March. [108387]

Mr. Miliband: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my written statement of 26 March 2003, Official Report, column 15WS.

Class Sizes

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on average class sizes in secondary schools in Buckinghamshire LEA in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [107780]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: Provisional data for 2003 are not yet available. Therefore, information for the two most recent years is shown in the table.

9 Apr 2003 : Column 290W

Maintained secondary schools⁽¹⁸⁾ in Buckinghamshire LEA: Average size of one teacher classes⁽¹⁹⁾

Position in January each year	Average class size
2001	21.6
2002	22.1

⁽¹⁸⁾ Includes middle schools as deemed.

⁽¹⁹⁾ Classes as taught during the one selected period in each school on the day of the census in January.

Source:

Annual Schools Census

Departmental Catering Services

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost was of (a) the in-house canteen and (b) other catering services provided by the Department in 2002. [104253]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: My Department's cost for (a) in-house canteen and (b) other catering services for the year 2002 is as follows:

	£
In-house
2001–02	99,794
Other catering services
2001–02	220,913

Note:

The cost for In-house catering includes contract costs only

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