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Tax Credits

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have had payments delayed due to the delays experienced by applicants using the Tax Credit helpline; and if he will make a statement. [115911]

Dawn Primarolo: No reliable estimate can be made, as it is not possible to link the individuals who have attempted to call the helplines with claims subsequently received or payments made.

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether efforts to resolve the problems with the processing of claims for children's and working tax credits have had consequential implications for the handling of, and response times in respect of other inquiries to the Inland Revenue. [113754]

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue is a very large organisation that is structured so as to respond flexibly to the demands of different work areas.

Mrs. Dean: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he has taken to advise those with disabilities of the greater benefits available to them through the working tax credit than through the disabled persons tax credit, with regard to the changes in the capital rules. [113859]

Dawn Primarolo: All recipients of disabled person's tax credit (DPTC) were sent claim forms and guidance on the new tax credits. Messages about the changes have been targeted at recipients of DPTC and potential claimants of the relevant element of working tax credit as part of the mainstream tax credits publicity campaign. This has included the use of direct mail, advertising and the placing of editorial material in relevant publications, including those in alternative formats of video and audio (such as Open Eye) and on websites which may be seen by this group. The tax credits introductory leaflet is available in large print, and can be obtained in Braille or audio on request. Information has been provided to over 6,000 intermediaries including those who might represent disabled groups.

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many applications have been (a) received, (b) processed and (c) completed for the (i) working tax credit and (ii) child tax credit, or equivalents, in each of the last three years from people resident in (A) Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency, (B) each Government office region and (C) in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [115544]

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John Healey: There is a single claim form for child tax credit and working tax credit. Over 4 million claims have been received and around 3.6 million families are already in payment. No breakdown of these figures is available below the national level. Statistics on awards of these tax credits will be published from August.

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additional staff resources he has made available to deal with resolving outstanding tax credit queries. [115808]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement I made to the House on 28 April 2003, Official Report, column 53, when I explained that the Inland Revenue had moved an additional 700 staff onto handling callers to the tax credit helpline. In addition to the helpline, extra staff have been deployed on processing claims and getting awards into payment and dealing with personal callers at Inland Revenue Enquiry Centres.

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the effects on its social justice agenda of delays in making tax credit assessments. [115809]

Dawn Primarolo: None. All claims for tax credits received by 25 April are in payment other than where more information is needed from the claimant, or further checks are required. Claims received after that date are being processed as quickly as possible. Around 3.6 million tax credit awards are already in payment.

Mrs. Humble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals have benefited from (a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit in the Blackpool North and Fleetwood constituency. [116453]

John Healey: Statistics on awards of these tax credits will be published from August 2003.

Vacant Government Buildings

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 16 May 2003, Official Report, column 494W, on vacant Government buildings, if he will list the vacant Government-owned buildings as held by the Office of Government Commerce. [115702]

Mr. Boateng: Detailed information on recorded vacant space in holdings owned by UK Departments in England, Scotland and Wales has been placed in the Library. This excludes accommodation that is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Health Education

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the availability of (a) human expertise and (b) modern IT techniques and equipment for the effective imparting of health education to schools; what plans he has to increase availability; and if he will make a statement. [115470]

Mr. Miliband: Education about health is included in the curriculum through the framework of Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE). Headteachers

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and governors make decisions about the programmes and resources to use to deliver PSHE including the best use of modern ICT systems. There are a range of health professionals, school nurses for example, who support teachers.

To improve expertise we are rolling out a professional development programme which recognises effective teaching of PSHE. Over 700 teachers will participate in the programme this year. A similar programme for school nurses is being piloted. We have also established a PSHE website for teachers which provides information about a wide range of resources, many of them IT based. Websites such as 'Wiredforhealth' provide health information for teaching across all four key stages.

"Excellence in Schools"

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on his Department's strategy for promoting research and development in schools of the future, as set out in the "Excellence in Schools" White Paper. [116114]

Mr. Miliband: In 1998 we commissioned a review of educational research and in 1999 published our response to the recommendations. These included the setting up of a National Educational Research Forum to develop a research strategy, developing systematic reviews of research evidence and commissioning dedicated research centres. All these have been done and are reflected in the very positive conclusions of the review of educational research and development in England published by OECD in September 2002.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what innovative approaches to pupil grouping, as set out in the "Excellence in Schools" White Paper, have been developed since 1997. [116115]

Mr. Miliband: It is for schools to develop and determine for themselves, the best form of pupil grouping to meet the needs of all their pupils. In 1999, research published by the Department on Innovative Pupil Grouping Practices provided case studies of flexible forms of pupil grouping that had achieved positive outcomes in secondary schools.

A-Levels

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the future of A-levels; and what assessment he has made of the implications of the A-level results of 2002. [116069]

Mr. Miliband: We remain committed to the principles underlying the reformed A-levels, which are valuable awards. Following the reports by Mike Tomlinson on A-levels last year, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the awarding bodies have put in place the measures he recommended to ensure consistent grading standards. The Government's policy document, "14–19: organisation and excellence", announced in January that a group led by Mike Tomlinson will advise next year on the future direction of qualifications for 14 to 19-year-olds.

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Advertising

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total expenditure on advertising by the Department was in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03; and what the level of planned expenditure is for (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2004–05. [114425]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: The expenditure on advertising by the Department for the period 2001–02 was £20.5 million and £11.3 million for the period 2002–03 (subject to final audit).

Planned expenditure for 2003–04 is estimated at £16.6 million. Plans for advertising in 2004–05 have not yet been developed, therefore estimated expenditure is not available.

Mr. Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the cost to state schools of advertising for staff. [115192]

Mr. Miliband: Such costs are not collected centrally. Recent figures from this year's 618g survey show that teacher vacancies in maintained schools were 3,400 on the survey date in January, down by 1,140 from last year, giving a vacancy rate of 0.9 per cent. compared to 1.2 per cent. in 2002. These figures reflect sustained Government investment and progress in the recruitment of teachers, which rose by 4,300, and support staff, up 8,300 in the same period, which should lead to efficiencies in advertising generally.

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