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Secondments

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many civil servants have been seconded from his Department to (a) the private sector, (b) NGOs and (c) other, broken down by (i) grade of civil servants seconded, (ii) location and (iii) dates of secondments, in each year since 1997–98. [108082]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

Special Educational Needs

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on his policy towards the inclusion in mainstream schools of children with Down's syndrome. [110328]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: There is a clear Government commitment to the inclusion of children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream education. The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 was a major milestone in promoting inclusion for children with disabilities or SEN, including those pupils with Down's syndrome.

There is a general duty to educate children with special educational needs in mainstream schools unless this is against their parent's wishes or incompatible with the efficient education of other children and there are no reasonable steps that can be taken by the LEA or the school to prevent that incompatibility. However, for some children a mainstream placement may not be right, or not right just yet and therefore provision in special schools will continue to play a vital role.

Education Law does not distinguish between different types of SEN. Children with Down's syndrome will vary as widely in their development and progress as typically developing children and each will have their own talents and aptitudes. The degree of an individual child's SEN will be the determining factor of the type of provision required to meet their needs.

Staff Union Duties

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many staff in his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies receive paid leave to undertake union duties; how many days they are allocated; and what has been the cost to public funds in 2002. [106734]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: During 2002, 18 staff received a total of 495 days leave to undertake union duties at a total cost to public funds of £44,000.

These figures represent the maximum leave allowance which may be granted in each year of 25 days or 40 days for members of Trade Union National Executive Committees and Councils for individuals engaged in trade union business in DfES.

There are no members of National Executive Committees or Councils in NDPBs for which DfES is responsible.

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LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Child Contact

Margaret Moran: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what progress has been made in implementing the commitments given to both Houses on the issue of child contact during the Adoption and Children Bill proceedings. [110672]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Adoption and Children Bill received Royal Assent on 7 November 2002. The Adoption and Children Act was published on 9 December 2002 with explanatory notes following in early January 2003.

My Department with colleagues from the Department of Health are considering plans for the implementation of the main provisions of the Act. However, some elements are considered priority commitments such as the definition of 'harm' in relation to domestic violence: we have begun consultation on amendments to the Family Proceedings Rules 1991 (Domestic Violence).

EU Committees

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list (a) the

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names, titles and grades of the officials who sit on the EU committee on the development and consolidation of democracy and the rule of law and on the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms, (b) the number of times, and the dates, on which it has met since January 2002, (c) the agenda items it has considered since January 2002, (d) the decisions it has made since January 2002 and (e) the means used to communicate the decisions to the House. [110309]

Mr. Rammell: I have been asked to reply.

The EU Committee on Human Rights and Democracy meets four times a year and is composed of representatives of member states. Delegates from the 10 EU accession states have been invited to attend as observers from the next meeting in June. Officials from the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office represent the UK Government on the Committee. The main task of the Committee is to allocate EU budget resources to human rights and democracy projects in third countries and subsequently to evaluate the activities funded. In 2002, a total of 96,493,818 euros (£62,254,076) was allocated for projects worldwide. Funding covered three main areas, as follows:

Number of projects	Amount
66 projects (as a result of calls for proposals)	47,264,594 euros	Four areas: support for the abolition of the death penalty, fighting impunity and promoting international justice combating racism and discrimination against ethnic minorities and the prevention of torture and rehabilitation of torture victims
51 projects (joint programmes with partners such as international organisations or national authorities)	41,379,224 euros	Projects funded included election observation and assistance, support for International Penal Tribunals and establishment of the International Criminal Court and the development and consolidation of democracy and the rule of law.
15 projects (with local NGOs and civil society groups)	7,850,000 euros	Democratisation activities 15 targeted countries to deepen support for local civil society initiatives.

As the Human Rights and Democracy Committee is a management committee and no legislative decisions are taken, final funding decisions are not communicated to the House. However information about all the activities of the Committee and the operation of the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights is on the Europe Aid website. (http//europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/ddh/ddh en.htm)

Legal Aid

Mr. Garnier: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimates the Lord Chancellor's Department has made of departmental expenditure on legal aid in asylum and immigration cases for (a) 2000–01, (b) 2001–02 and (c) 2002–03; and what the originally budgeted expenditure was for those years. [110161]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Expenditure on legal help in asylum matters was £76.4 million in 2000–01; £124 million in 2001–02; and is estimated to be £168 million in 2002–03. This excludes expenditure on judicial reviews.

There has not historically been a separate budget for immigration and asylum matters. The Lord Chancellor directs what may be spent on legal help as a whole. However, it was anticipated prior to the beginning of each financial year that £65.7 million would be spent in 2000–01; £84.3 million in 2001–02; and £160 million in 2002–03.

Actual expenditure exceeded anticipated expenditure, particularly in 2001–02 because of changes introduced to speed up the process of dealing with applications.

Mr. Garnier: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimates the Lord Chancellor's Department has made for departmental expenditure on all legal aid in the magistrates courts for (a) 2000–01, (b) 2001–02 and (c) 2002–03; and what the originally budgeted expenditure was for those years. [110162]

Ms Rosie Winterton: There is no separate budget for legal aid in the magistrates courts as it forms part of the overall legal aid budget. However in 2000–01, legal aid in the magistrates courts was expected to be £259 million. Actual expenditure was £232.9 million.

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Since 2001–02, legal aid in the magistrates courts has become part of the General Criminal Contract which also includes advice and assistance and the duty solicitor schemes. Under the Contract it is not possible to separately identify expenditure in the magistrates courts.

In 2001–02 Expenditure under the General Criminal Contract was expected to be £461 million. Actual expenditure was £508.3 million. In 2002–03 it was expected to be £460.2 million. Actual expenditure is provisionally estimated to be £526.6 million*.

* This figure may be subject to adjustments.

Mr. Garnier: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the budgeted departmental expenditure is on (a) legal aid in asylum and immigration cases for 2003–04 and (b) all legal aid in the magistrates courts for 2003–04. [110163]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Budgeted expenditure for asylum and immigration cases for 2003–04 is yet to be agreed by Ministers. All expenditure for asylum and immigration cases (including legal aid), will now for the first time fall under a single asylum fund, to be agreed between my Department, the Home Office and the Treasury.

There is no separate budget for legal aid in the magistrates courts as it forms part of the overall legal aid budget. However, magistrates courts legal aid expenditure falls within that for the General Criminal Contract, which covers all levels of service up to and including representation in the magistrates courts. Currently we expect to spend around £525 million in 2003–04.

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