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6 Oct 2003 : Column 1149W—continued
Teenage Pregnancy
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what evaluation he has made of the effectiveness of the Teenage Pregnancy Unit working with local teenage pregnancy units; and if he will make a statement. [120769]
Margaret Hodge: The Teenage Pregnancy Unit was established in 1999 with a cross Whitehall remit to manage implementation of the Strategy. The first independent evaluation report of the Strategy, published in 2002, commended the joint working between the Teenage Pregnancy Unit, Regional Teenage Pregnancy Co-ordinators based in Government Offices and Local Teenage Pregnancy Co-ordinators who lead the implementation of strategies in each top tier local authority. The second annual report of the national evaluation will be published shortly.
The report acknowledged the success of these arrangements as a major factor in wielding influence at local level. The effectiveness of joint working was also recognised in the first annual report of the Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy, published in 2001. The importance of joint working was reinforced in the second annual report of the Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy, published in July 2003.
There are very encouraging signs that the Government's overall teenage pregnancy strategy is working. Data for 2001 published in February by the Office for National Statistics shows that conceptions among under 18-year-olds in England fell by 3 per cent. and represents a total reduction of 10 per cent. since 1998. For under 16s, the rate is 4 per cent. lower than in 2000 and represents a 10 per cent. reduction since 1998.
University Medical Schools (Funding)
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 18 July 2003, Official Report, column 749W, which university medical schools are in receipt of funding from the improving retention pot as a result of admitting full-time students under 21 with an A-level points score of less than 3 C's to study medicine; how many such students each medical school has admitted; and how much such funding each school has attracted. [131004]
Alan Johnson: The Higher Education Funding Council for England, in making funding allocations to institutions to improve retention, does not allocate funds to particular individuals, departments or schools. How they are distributed internally is entirely at the
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discretion of institutions. Information on how much funding is passed on to individual medical schools is not available.
University Research
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will report progress in preparing a single measure of research excellence on the basis of collaboration between university departments and external partners. [129992]
Ms Hewitt: I have been asked to reply.
The Government are working with other partners to develop appropriate metrics for the science base and knowledge transfer.
This work will be informed by the conclusions of the review of the Research Assessment Exercise which is due to report during the next few months.
Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proposals the Government have to increase funding for departmental research in UK universities. [127294]
Alan Johnson: The Government have announced the most generous research settlement for many years, with overall expenditure on science and research increasing by £1.25 billion a year by 2005–06 compared to 2002–03—around 30 per cent. in real terms. In our grant letter to the Higher Education Funding Council for England this year, we announced increased quality-related funding for research in higher education institutions of £80 million in 2003–04, £107 million in 2004–05 and £246 million in 2005–06.
Visual Impairment
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will assess the level of accessibility for visually impaired people in (a) UK Online Centres and (b) Online Centres in Wales. [129946]
Mr. Charles Clarke [holding answer 16 September 2003]: The Department allocated £199 million of Capital Modernisation Funding (CMF) to fund around 2,800 UK online centres specifically to provide ICT access to the disadvantaged. One main target group centres were set up to reach people with disabilities. Centres are expected to demonstrate that they comply with current requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act and other legal requirements around Equal Opportunities. This element is scrutinised as part of the contract monitoring process.
One way that my Department is looking to improve accessibility for the disabled and visually impaired in UK online centres is a package of 811 Assistive Technology kits. These kits have been made available to help some centres meet the immediate, basic, access requirements of a wide range of disabled people. For example, for visually-impaired users the package includes a large keyboard with big keys as well as magnification and screen reading software.
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The Department also has contracts in place with key organisations such as AbilityNet, Direct Support and Becta to ensure that there is adequate support and guidance for UK online centres and centre staff on a wide range of issues including people disabilities.
I am afraid I am unable to advise you on Online Centres in Wales as the DfES are only responsible for centres in England. May I suggest you speak to National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff CF99 1NA, Tel: 029 20 825111.
DEFENCE
Iraq
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the incident in the Mansur district of Baghdad on 27 July, with particular reference to the number of Iraqi civilians killed by US forces during that incident. [129643]
Mr. Hoon: UK Armed Forces were not involved in the incident in question. We do not possess sufficient information to comment on incidents involving Coalition partners' Armed Forces.
Mr. Page: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of coalition forces were killed in Iraq from the end of the conflict to 1 September. [128944]
Mr. Ingram: Between the end of the conflict and 1 September, 16 United Kingdom armed forces personnel and one member of the Defence Fire Service (DFS) had died. Eleven, all from the armed forces, were killed in action or subsequently died of wounds received and six, including the member of the DFS, died in non-battle accidents or from natural causes.
We do not hold data on the numbers of fatalities suffered by other members of the coalition.
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions the Government has had with allies on the use of NATO peacekeepers in Iraq. [130778]
Mr. Ingram: The possibility of NATO involvement in stabilisation operations in Iraq has been the subject of discussion within NATO and, bilaterally, between allies. Following the NATO ministerial meeting in June 2003, a communiqué was released that read:
- "The North Atlantic Council will review NATO's contribution to the stabilisation efforts on a regular basis."
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 8 September 2003, Official Report, columns 2–3WS, on Iraq, what funds have been set aside to cover the costs of the additional British troops to be sent to Iraq. [131106]
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Mr. Hoon: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has set aside £3 billion to a special reserve for the cost of military operations in Iraq. The Ministry of Defence drew down £1 billion of this reserve at Spring Supplementary Estimates 2002–03.
It is too early to estimate the costs likely to arise in 2003–04. Once these are known, additional funding, if required, will be sought by MOD in the normal way through Supplementary Estimates.
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether all sites in Iraq where cluster munitions were deployed by the coalition have been identified. [129602]
Mr. Ingram: Those areas where it is known Coalition Forces dropped explosive ordnance including cluster bombs, have been noted and work is currently underway to inspect and mark these areas in order to confirm the presence of unexploded ordnance. This work is being carried out by United Kingdom and Coalition Armed Forces and Non-Governmental Organisations. In areas outside the UK Area of Operation, it is for the Coalition Partners concerned to comment on their progress.
Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the degree of success achieved in integrating tri-service United Kingdom personnel into the United States Army V Corps Headquarters staff at Headquarters, Combined Joint Task Force, in Baghdad. [130333]
Mr. Ingram: Following its involvement in the recent successful combat operations in Iraq, Headquarters V (US) Corps assumed the role of Headquarters Combined Task Force 7 (HQ CTF 7).
The Headquarters commands a multinational organisation of some 30 nations. It ensures that the Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF7) provides the military support required by the Administrator and the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). CJTF7 is commanded by an American three star officer. He has two deputies, one of whom is a UK two star officer (who also acts as the senior British military representative in Iraq). UK military staffs have been embedded in the HQ since May and now fill some 30 posts. We judge that the integration of tri-service United Kingdom personnel in the Headquarters, has gone very well.
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) five most used weapons and (b) five most expensive weapons used in the Iraq conflict were; what the unit value of each of these weapons was; how many of each of these weapons were used; and if he will make a statement. [113262]
Mr. Ingram: The five most common weapons deployed by UK forces during Operation TELIC were:
LAW 94 Light Anti-armour Weapon.
Calculating the unit costs of weapons used during the Coalition's military action will take some time since they will include the costs of weapons consumed in excess of peacetime levels and the cost of repairing and replacing
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weapons and ordnance that was destroyed or damaged. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as the work is complete.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many leaflets have been distributed by UK forces in Iraq giving information about the dangers of unexploded ordnance since the conflict began. [131142]
Mr. Ingram: Providing a safe, secure and risk free environment for the Iraqi people is a key aspect of restoration activity for the Coalition. The United Kingdom has made a significant effort to educate the local population in its area of operations about the dangers of mines and unexploded ordnance. To date, over 4,000 leaflets containing information about the dangers of unexploded ordnance have been distributed in theatre by UK troops. Those troops involved in explosive ordnance disposal continue to distribute leaflets.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 1 September 2003, Official Report, column 901W, on warehouse looting in Basra, whether UK forces will increase their patrols as a result. [129999]
Mr. Ingram: United Kingdom forces currently have 12 personnel from 1st Battalion The Kings Regiment based at the warehouse in Basra. Their role is primarily administrative but also to support and oversee the local Iraqi security guards who are directly responsible for the security of the warehouse.
The physical security of the warehouse has been improved, with perimeter fences being secured and better lighting installed, and the guards have successfully apprehended a number of would be looters. UK forces continue to conduct routine patrols in the area of the warehouse. Commanders on the ground—who are best placed to judge—do not currently judge that there is a need to increase the frequency of these patrols.
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