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Teachers (Essex)

Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many full-time secondary school teachers were employed by Essex county council on 1 September. [132638]

Mr. Miliband: The information is not available in the precise form requested. The official survey of teacher numbers and vacancies (Form 618g) is conducted annually on the third Thursday in January. At January 2003, 4,960 teachers were employed full-time in maintained secondary schools in the Essex local education authority area.

Teaching Assistants (Leicestershire)

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what the pay rates are for teaching assistants in Leicestershire; [132483]

(2) what training opportunities exist for teaching assistants in Leicestershire; [132484]

(3) what assessment he has made of the job content for a teaching assistant in Leicestershire. [132485]

Mr. Miliband: Pay, contractual arrangements and job descriptions are matters for local determination: the Government believe that this is the best way of ensuring a flexible system that can respond to local needs and circumstances. Many local authorities, including Leicestershire, have reviewed support staff pay and undertaken job evaluations in the light of the agreement—commonly known as the Single Status Agreement—made in 1997 by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services. I understand that that National Joint Council is in the process of issuing guidance about the grading of school support staff.

The Standards Fund for 2003–04 contains a grant of £37.45 million for the training and development of support staff and Leicestershire's share of this is £424,542. Responsibility for deciding how to devolve the funding to schools rests with LEAs. The grant can be used for those participating in induction training programme for teaching assistants, developed by my

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Department, as well as for the professional development of more experienced teaching assistants including course fees for training leading to National Vocational Qualifications. Schools have always been able to use their own budgets to fund teaching assistant training and to 'buy in' or pay for any training available locally.

The National Agreement on raising standards and tackling workload signed on 15 January 2003 by the Government, local authority employers and school work force unions will improve training and career progression opportunities for support staff and makes clear that we expect their pay to reflect their level of training, skills and responsibilities. Following the Agreement, the Teacher Training Agency has published standards for Higher Level Teaching Assistants and training and assessment for these standards will be rolled out from April 2004.

Tuition Fees

Mr. Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of university tuition fees will be paid to the university in advance. [132689]

Alan Johnson: We do not expect that any tuition fees will be paid to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in advance of the academic year for which they are charged. From 2006, students will decide whether they will defer payment until after they graduate, or whether to pay their tuition fees up front. Where a student chooses to defer payment, the Government will pay the tuition fee to the HEI during the academic year for which it is charged. The details of the arrangements for the timing of the payment or payments during the academic year have yet to be finalised.

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) maximum and (b) minimum ranges of residual parental income are at which students may be (i) wholly and (ii) partly exempt from tuition fees in 2003–04. [132752]

Alan Johnson: For most higher education students, the maximum fee contribution for which they will be liable in 2003/04 is £1,125. Students will be wholly exempt from a contribution to their fees if their parents' residual income is less than £20,970. They will be liable for a partial contribution to their fees if their parents' residual income is between £20,790 and £31,230.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Alstom

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the Government's role in the threatened closure of the Alstom works in Birmingham. [131969]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 14 October 2003]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has met the President of Alstom UK, constituency MPs and trade unions to discuss Alstom's restructuring plans and their impact on the company's

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operations in the UK . The Government also have a role through its regional agencies in providing the best available help for the individuals who may be affected.

Arms Sales

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been spent by her Department in each year since 1997–98 on promoting British military equipment and arms sales to foreign customers. [131110]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) of the Ministry of Defence takes lead responsibility for promoting British military equipment and arms sales to foreign customers. The Department of Trade and Industry does provide some support to defence companies wishing to export where this is likely to produce economic benefit for the UK and complies with export control regulations imposed by the UK. However, it is not possible to separately identify the Department's overall spend on this activity in each year since 1997–98.

British Trade International, through the Defence Manufacturers Association (DMA), support the presence of UK companies at overseas Exhibitions and Seminars using the Support for Exhibitions and Seminars scheme (SESA) and its predecessor the Trade Fair Support scheme. The amount of grant provided to companies through DMA is as follows:

	Grant (£)
1997–98	67,850
1998–99	707,015
1999–2000	167,832
2000–01	268,592
2001–02	164,089
2002–03	311,934

Note:

The annual variation in amounts reflects the variation in the number and type of major export events occurring each year.

Asbestos

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been spent by her Department and its agencies on (a) asbestos surveys and (b) the management and removal of asbestos since 1 January 2001; and what budget is available to (i) commission asbestos surveys and (ii) manage and remove asbestos from buildings in (A) 2003 and (B) 2004. [130917]

Ms Hewitt: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) spend on asbestos surveys and on the management and removal of asbestos since 1 January 2001 has been small and the costs for this work are included in the normal operational costs associated with the DTI estate. For 2003 and 2004, there is no specific budget as provision for asbestos surveys and the removal of asbestos from buildings. For those agencies where the Department holds budgetary information, the position is similar.

Letter from Alison Brimelow to Dr. Vincent Cable:

I am replying to your Parliamentary Question 3978 tabled on 16 September 2003, about how much has been spent by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry's Department and its agencies on (a) asbestos surveys and (b) the management and

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removal of asbestos since 1st January 2001; and what budget is available to (i) commission asbestos surveys and (ii) manage and remove asbestos from buildings in (A) 2003 and (B) 2004.

Of the three properties we administer, only one has any asbestos, and we had a survey done this year costing £1350. As a result we are aware that some remedial work needs to be done. There is no budget provision made for this yet as we are negotiating with the Landlord on the best way to proceed.

With regard to the other buildings in our portfolio, Concept House was built in 1989/91 and does not contain any asbestos. Harmsworth House was completely refurbished before our occupation and also does not contain any asbestos.

Letter from Claire Clancy to Dr. Vincent Cable:

I am responding to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on behalf of Companies House, which is an Executive Agency of the DTI.

Since 1 January 2001 Companies House has spent £11,500 on asbestos surveys, and £90,724 on the removal of asbestos. No more money has been budgeted to commission surveys as they are now complete. Removal of asbestos in the years 2003 and 2004 will not exceed £50,000 and can be accommodated in the existing budget.

BAC Strikemaster

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to the letter dated 9 July from the hon. Member for North Norfolk concerning issues relating to the export of BAC Strikemaster jet aircraft. [132869]

Nigel Griffiths: I replied to the hon. Member's letter dated 19 June on 27 June. My Department has no record of having received a further letter from the hon. Member about Strikemaster aircraft.

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