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9 Jul 2003 : Column 794W—continued
Private Office Costs
Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the running costs have been of Ministers' private offices in her Department in each year since 1997. [123098]
Ms Hewitt: The running costs of Ministers' private offices in each year since 1997 is as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 3.8 |
| 1998–99 | 4.2 |
| 1999–2000 | 3.4 |
| 2000–01 | 3.6 |
| 2001–02 | 4.08 |
Complete data not yet available for 2002–03.
Regional Assistance Schemes
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to assess the effectiveness of regional assistance schemes such as Regional Selective Assistance and Enterprise Grants; and if she will make a statement. [122223]
Jacqui Smith: The Department routinely commissions a programme of independent evaluations of the impact of its business support programmes, including Regional Selective Assistance and the Enterprise Grant Scheme.
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The Enterprise Grant Scheme was created in 2000 and has not therefore existed long enough to result in meaningful independent evaluation. Recently funded Regional Selective Assistance projects were evaluated in 2000, and the results of the evaluation are available on www.dti.gov.uk/support/rsajf2512001.htm.
Regional Selective Assistance and the Enterprise Grant Scheme are being considered in the context of the Department's reassessment of the business support it provides. In future the effectiveness of these and all business support programmes will be monitored on an ongoing basis using a balanced scorecard approach.
Regional Science Councils
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the work of the North West Science Council; and what steps she is taking to ensure that the research taking place within the region's universities contributes to the Regional Development Agency's economic strategy. [124119]
Jacqui Smith: The North West Science Council brings together business, academic and science partners to promote the north-west as a world-class region for science, attracting investment and talent and driving innovation. Its members have the expertise, authority and respect needed to implement the North West Science Strategy, a central feature of which is the need to maximise the exploitation of the knowledge base of the region. The North West Development Agency is represented on the council, and works closely with it and with the region's HEIs to deliver the Regional Economic Strategy.
Service Industry Audit Threshold
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to raise the audit threshold for services from £1 million turnover. [123341]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 3 July 2003]: The Government will shortly be publishing a consultation document on proposals to increase the threshold for mandatory company audit from its current level of £1 million turnover.
Structural Funding
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the five key targets for the first Merseyside Objective 1 Programme from 1994 to 1999 were. [124378]
Jacqui Smith: The five key targets for the 1994–99 objective programme were to:
- 1. Job creation—to create 25,000 jobs in Merseyside.
2. Business assistance—to assist 113,260 businesses in Merseyside.
3. Commercial/industrial floor space built or improved—to see 635,100 square meters of floor space built or improved.
4. People accessing further education or training—wanted to open up further education or training to 72,700 people.
5. People accessing jobs through training schemes—wanted to see 44,800 people access jobs through training.
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Jacqui Smith: The number of jobs created under the 1994–99 Objective 1 Programme was 34,474 against a target 25,000.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in how many cases business assistance was provided by the first Merseyside Objective 1 Programme between 1994 and 1999. [124380]
Jacqui Smith: The number of businesses assisted under 1994–99 Objective 1 Programme was 179,173 against a target of 113,260.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people accessed further education or training during the currency of the first Merseyside Objective 1 Programme. [124381]
Jacqui Smith: During the currency of the 1994–99 Objective 1 Programme, 70,353 people accessed further education or training against a target of 72,700.
Supersonic Aviation
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is on supersonic aviation. [123544]
Jacqui Smith: Airlines will determine what level of demand there may be for supersonic travel. British Airways has taken the view that their existing fleet of Concorde need to be retired after almost 30 years of service. For the longer term, if sufficient demand is forecast for supersonic travel, I am sure airlines will work closely with aircraft manufacturers to understand the particular environmental, technical and cost challenges of developing and operating a new generation of supersonic passenger aircraft.
EDUCATION AND SKILLS
Child Care
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether he will make the initiative announced on 11 June on improving access to affordable and quality child care available to parents in Chesham and Amersham; and if he will make a statement. [123921]
Margaret Hodge: We announced a number of initiatives on 17 June all of which will benefit parents in the Chesham and Amersham Constituency.
- Funding for the "Childminder buddying scheme" will be available from April 2004.
Childcare Partnership Managers are now available in each Jobcentre Plus District.
Quality First is available for childminders who wish to develop their child care capabilities.
Care to Learn is available for all teenage parents who wish to take part in publicly funded education or training.
The Foundation Stage Information Packs will be available from EYDCPs after 18 July.
New Sure Start Guide to Choosing Childcare is available from Daycare Trust on 0207 840 3350.
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Deficit Budgets
Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the schools in (a) North Lincolnshire and (b) North East Lincolnshire which are running a deficit budget; and how much each deficit is. [124163]
Mr. Miliband: The latest outturn statement published by North Lincolnshire local education authority shows that seven schools ended the financial year 2001–02 with a deficit balance. These were:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Priory Lane Infant School | 621 |
| St. Bernadette's Catholic Primary School | 9,457 |
| St. Mary's Catholic Primary School | 9,124 |
| Brumby School | 18,756 |
| Frederick Gough School | 54,910 |
| Huntcliff School | 7,787 |
| Baysgarth School | 3,571 |
The latest outturn statement published by North East Lincolnshire local education authority shows that four schools ended the financial year 2001–02 with a deficit balance. These were:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| St. Joseph's RC Primary | 6,005 |
| Welholme Infants' School | 35,105 |
| Healing Comprehensive School | 5,841 |
| Lindsey School and Community Arts College | 81,554 |
Figures for the year ending 31 March 2003 are due to be published by LEAs by 9 October 2003.
Further and Higher Education
Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people resident in (a) West Derbyshire and (b) Derbyshire are (i) further and (ii) higher education students. [124012]
Alan Johnson: The question asks about West Derbyshire and Derbyshire. Further Education figures are available for the parliamentary constituency of West Derbyshire and for the two local education authorities (LEAs), City of Derby and Derbyshire, in the county of Derbyshire. Higher education figures are only available by LEA and not by parliamentary constituency.
In 2000–01, 5,000 people living in the West Derbyshire constituency and 73,000 people living in Derbyshire attended courses at Further Education (FE) sector colleges. In 2001–02, 24,000 people resident in Derbyshire were Higher Education Students.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the funding arrangements for higher education. [124482]
Alan Johnson: The funding arrangements for higher education in England were set out in the White Paper, "The future of higher education" (Cm 5735) and in the grant letter to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), both of which were published on 22 January 2003.
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