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3 Jul 2003 : Column 432W—continued

Hallmarks

Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations she has received on (a) the future of the Scottish hallmark and (b) its importance to Scottish industry; and if she will make a statement. [114326]

Mr. Darling: I am aware of the representations being made by the Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh about the future of Scotland's Assay Office and my hon. Friend's recent adjournment debate on this subject. The importance of a distinct Scottish Hallmark is indisputable, and my predecessor wrote to the Minister for Competition, Consumers and Markets to express her own concerns on this matter. I have also received a letter from a Member of Parliament on this subject.

International Flights

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) when he last discussed the promotion of Scottish direct international flights with the Department for Transport; [121144]

(2) what his policy is towards promotion of direct international flights from Scotland's airports. [121155]

Mr. Darling: I recognise the importance of developing new direct flight connections into Scotland and have discussed this with the Scottish Executive.

Responsibility for furthering economic development lies with the Scottish Executive, which has recently established a Route Development Fund to support introduction of new routes.

Job Dispersal

Mr. Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if she will list the public sector jobs which have been dispersed to Scotland in each of the last five years, broken down by Department or agency and from whence they came; [117318]

(2) if she will list the central Government Departments and agencies with which she is in contact to pursue the possibility of job dispersal to Scotland from elsewhere in the United Kingdom. [117319]

Mr. Darling: There is no central register of the location of Government jobs. However, several Government Departments have a significant presence in Scotland, notably the Department for Work and Pensions who currently have 15,076 employees in Scotland, the Ministry of Defence (7,115), the Inland Revenue (8,500), the Department for International Development (515), and the Department for Trade and Industry (254).

In his 2003 Budget statement, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that, as part of the preparations for the next Comprehensive Spending Review, he had asked Sir Michael Lyons to lead a study into the scope for relocating public service staff from London and the South East to other parts of the UK. The study is still at an early stage in collecting and evaluating information from Government Departments on their operations.

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Scotland Office Address

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his London office address is. [121477]

Mr. Darling: Dover House, Whitehall, SW1A 2AU.

Sewel Motions

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list Sewel motions passed by the Scottish Parliament since May 1999 that apply to his Department's responsibilities and legislation he has sponsored. [120671]

Mr. Darling: 42 Sewel motions have been passed by the Scottish Parliament since May 1999. The following full list outlines those Bills that have been the subject of more than one Sewel motion.

Table of Sewel motions

Number	Bill	Sewel motion approved
1	Food Standards	23 June 1999
2	Financial Services and Markets	23 June 1999
3	Electronic Communications	23 June 1999
4	Limited Liability Partnerships	23 June 1999
5	Sea Fishing Grants (Charges)	8 December 1999
6	Representation of the People	13 January 2000
7	Sexual Offences (Amendment)	19 January 2000
8	Political Parties, Elections and Referendums (1)	9 March 2000
9	Regulation of Investigatory Powers	6 April 2000
10	Learning and Skills	18 May 2000
11	Race Relations (Amendment)	25 May 2000
12	Insolvency	1 June 2000
13	Care Standards	22 June 2000
14	Political Parties, Elections and Referendums (2)	6 July 2000
15	Government Resources and Accounts	6 July 2000
16	Criminal Justice and Courts Service	5 October 2000
17	Health and Social Care Modernisation	17 January 2001
18	Tobacco Advertising and Promotion	17 January 2001
19	International Criminal Court	18 January 2001
20	Outworking	31 January 2001
21	Criminal Justice and Police	7 February 2001
22	International Development	8 March 2001
23	Culture and Recreation	8 March 2001
24	Armed Forces	29 March 2001
25	Adoption and Children (1)	4 April 2001
26	Adoption and Children (2)	24 October 2001
27	Proceeds of Crime	24 October 2001
28	Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security	15 November 2001
29	NHS Reform and Health Care Profession	22 November 2001
30	Adoption and Children (3)	30 January 2002
31	Police Reform	30 January 2002
32	Enterprise	17 April 2002
33	Private Hire Vehicles (Carriage of Guide Dogs etc.)	19 June 2002
34	Police Reform (2)	27 June 2002
35	Extradition	21 November 2002
36	Waste and Emissions Trading	28 November 2002
37	Criminal Justice	5 December 2002
38	Crime (International Cooperation)	5 December 2002
39	Local Government	6 February 2003
40	Sexual Offences	20 March 2003
41	Railways and Transport Safety	20 March 2003
42	Fireworks	26 June 2003

Sunset Clauses

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to include a sunset clause in all new legislation unless a specific case can be made to exclude a sunset clause. [120821]

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Mr. Darling: The revised RIA guidance, "Better Policy Making: A Guide to Regulatory Impact Assessment", was published on 28 January. It advises policy officials to consider time limiting or sunsetting at an early stage of policy development and gives specific examples of where sunsetting may be appropriate.

The Scotland Office supports the better regulation agenda and the use of sunsetting where appropriate.

Trade Links

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the role of (a) the Secretary of State and (b) the Scottish Executive in developing trade links for Scottish business. [121145]

Mr. Darling: Trade Partners UK is the lead Government organisation for helping companies based in the UK (including those in Scotland) achieve their export potential. Responsibility for the development of trade links for Scottish business lies with Scottish Development International, which is jointly operated by the Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he plans to take to extend educational opportunities for sufferers of autistic spectrum disorders. [122222]

Mr. Charles Clarke: My Department is doing a number of things to extend the educational opportunities for sufferers of autistic spectrum disorders. We are developing a Special Educational Needs Action Programme for publication in the autumn with the aim of helping all children with special educational needs to realise their potential. Among other initiatives it will promote effective approaches to teaching and learning for children with different types of need including autism.

Work on improving opportunities for those with autistic spectrum disorders under the Action Programme will build on the principles set out in the guidance on making provision for children with the disorders which my Department published with the Department of Health last year.

The Action Programme will also address obstacles that may be preventing young people with special educational needs continuing their education beyond 16. The Learning and Skills Council when carrying out its functions must have regard to the needs of people with learning difficulties, including those with autism, in part by enabling the provision of appropriate facilities for their education and training.

Child Care Standards

Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what arrangements are in place for monitoring standards in childcare centres. [123285]

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Margaret Hodge: All childcare facilities that provide day care for children under eight exceeding two hours a day on premises which are not domestic premises are registered and inspected by Ofsted against the requirements of the national standards. The national standards for under eights day care and childminding represent a minimum quality baseline below which no provider may fall.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he will make an announcement on the new Education Maintenance Allowance scheme. [122038]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: We announced last July that we plan to make the Education Maintenance Allowance scheme available throughout England from September 2004 to those students who complete their compulsory education in the 2003/04 Academic Year. We will be making further details about the national scheme available soon.

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