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Entitlement Cards

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions his Department has had with the Home Office about the (a) possible introduction of an entitlement card scheme, (b) the use

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to which such a card would be put on the matters for which he is responsible and (c) the costs and funding of the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [126219]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 16 July 2003]: My Department has been engaged with the Home Office consultation on the possible introduction of an entitlement card scheme. The current proposals for an entitlement card do not include any functions which relate directly to Department for Education and Skills business, so costs and funding have not been discussed in detail.

Environmental Impact

Mr. Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many of the Department's policies have been screened for their environmental impact since June 2001; how many environmental appraisals have been conducted, and on what policy issues; and what information has been published about these screenings and appraisals. [124720]

Margaret Hodge: The Department for Education and Skills produces a Regulatory Impact Assessment where a proposed policy is likely to have an impact on business, charities and the voluntary sector. The Regulatory Impact Assessment includes an environmental impact appraisal where this is deemed appropriate. Since June 2001, none of the Department's Regulatory Impact Assessments have included an environmental assessment.

The Department also has additional procedures in place to ensure environmental appraisal of policy. Examples of policy issues that have included appraisal of environmental impacts are: guidance to schools in England on energy and water; obtaining accreditation for environmental management of one of our headquarters sites to 'an international standard'; and, in the curriculum, the Growing Schools initiative.

We have not published information on these appraisals.

EU Committees

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the names, titles and grades of the officials who sit on the EU Tempus Committee, the number of times and the dates on which it has met since January 2002, the agenda items it has considered since January 2002, the decisions it has made since January 2002 and the means used to communicate these decisions to the House. [110494]

Margaret Hodge: The Tempus Committee membership consists of delegates drawn from the 15 European member states. Usually, two officials from the Department for Education and Skills attend the Committee.

The Tempus Committee has met twice since January 2002, on 21 June 2002 and 21 February 2003.

The role of the Tempus Committee is to oversee powers delegated to the European Commission by the Council of Ministers to implement the Tempus Programme. Such Committees are known as Cosmetology Committees. The Committee's business is largely concerned with the technical details of the

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programme operation, such as content of the Tempus Guide for Applicants. In common with other Cosmetology Committees, the Tempus Committee's decisions are not routinely deposited for scrutiny under established scrutiny procedures, unless they are politically significant.

Together with member states, the Commission has been conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of Cosmetology Committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to

"simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission".

The Working Group on the Friends of Cosmetology is meeting later this month to discuss proposals for interim reform.

As an obligation under this Decision, the Commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of the Committees. The second report was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 10 January 2003 ref 5060/03, COM(03)733.

As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every Cosmetology Committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.

EU Directives

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the EU directives implemented by the Department since 8 June 2001. [126590]

Alan Johnson: Since 8 June 2001, the Department for Education and Skills has implemented the Directives listed as follows:

Directive 2001/19/EC of 14 May 2001 amends Council Directives 89/48/EEC and 92/51/EEC on the general system for the recognition of professional qualifications and Council Directives 77/452/EEC, 77/453/EEC, 78/686/EEC, 78/687/EEC, 78/1026/EEC, 78/1027/EEC, 80/154/EEC, 80/155/EEC, 85/384/EEC, 85/432/EEC, 85/433/EEC and 93/16/EEC concerning the professions of nurse responsible for general care, dental practitioner, veterinary surgeon, midwife, architect, pharmacist and doctor.

Council Directive 89/48 EEC, as extended by the Agreement of the EEA signed at Oporto on 2 May 1992 and as adjusted by the protocol signed at Brussels on 17 March 1993, and as amended by the Agreement between the EC and its member states and the Swiss Confederation on the free movement of persons signed at Luxembourg on 21 June 1999, has been implemented in relation to teacher training and induction. Directive 89/48 EEC was inadvertently omitted from the reply of 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 112W, about European Union Directives.

European Constitution

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with (a) colleagues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and (b) counterparts in the European Union about the legislative competencies covered by the draft European constitution. [124776]

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Alan Johnson: As part of the normal Whitehall process, I and my officials have had regular correspondence with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to discuss all aspects of the Convention, including legislative competences. We have also had regular contact with member and accession states to discuss issues arising in the Convention. In line with exemptions 1 and 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, it is not the normal practice of Governments to disclose details about internal discussions, or information whose disclosure would harm the conduct of international relations or affairs.

Fieldwork

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what recent representations he has received from the Field Studies Council about the inclusion of fieldwork in the GCSE and A-level curricula; and what response he has made; [125266]

(2) what provision is made for field work within the curricula for (a) science GCSE and (b) biology A-level; and whether in each case that provision is optional. [125267]

Margaret Hodge: A number of letters have been received from members of the Field Studies Council in recent months, in particular following the publication of their joint report with the British Ecological Society 'Teaching biology outside the classroom: is it heading for extinction?' last November,.

Correspondents have been reassured that there is no question of fieldwork being dropped from the curriculum and that its use as a method of teaching both GCSE science and A-level biology will continue to be encouraged by the Department. The choice of how best to deliver the curriculum, however, remains with each school.

The Department's "Growing Schools" initiative continues to work with schools to develop and to disseminate best practice in the use of the outdoor classroom in many curriculum subjects, and in science and geography in particular. Tony Thomas, Chief Executive of the FSC, has recently agreed to join the Growing Schools advisory group.

Free Nursery Places

Mr. Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many free nursery places have been provided in Leicestershire for (a) 4-year-olds and (b) 3-year-olds in each year since 1999–2000. [125232]

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Margaret Hodge: The available information is shown in the table.

Number of free early education places⁽²³⁾ that are fully funded taken up by three and four year olds— Leicestershire local education authority area 2000–02Position in January each year

	Number of
	3-year-olds	4-year-olds
2000	90	6,900
2001	770	6,600
2002	3,340	6,700

⁽²³⁾ A free early education places is defined as a part-time place at a maintained nursery school or primary school or a part-time equivalent place, i.e. five sessions (half days) a week, at a provider other than a maintained nursery or primary school.

We have made the commitment that by April 2004, six months ahead of our original target, all 3-year-olds whose parents want one, will have access to a free, part-time early education place.

The latest figures on early years provision in England were published by my Department in the Statistical First Release 15/2003 "Provision For Children Under Five Years Of Age In England—January 2003 (Provisional)", copies of which are available from the Library and my Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics.

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