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TUPE Regulations

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the

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implementation of TUPE regulations with respect to (a) final salary pension schemes and (b) other pension rights. [132864]

Mr. Sutcliffe: An announcement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions was made on 11 June 2003 to the effect that a degree of protection will in future be provided for occupational pension rights on transfer. My right hon. Friend intends to take forward these proposals through primary legislation when parliamentary time allows. I do not propose therefore to implement them through the forthcoming revision of TUPE regulations, on which I expect to consult publicly around the turn of the year.

Working Time Directive

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what studies her Department has made comparing the regulations to implement the working time directive in the United Kingdom with those in other EU member states, with particular reference to France; what plans she has to (a) improve the clarity and (b) reduce the length of the United Kingdom regulations; and if she will make a statement. [132852]

Mr. Sutcliffe: My officials are in regular contact with their counterparts from other member states, and share ideas for the implementation of the working time directive. They have followed developments in France with particular interest. However, direct comparison of the legislation is difficult because of the legal codes on which they are based.

I am fully committed to the Better Regulation principles of clarity in regulation. The Commission are currently reviewing elements of the working time directive and we will need to look at the UK regulations again in the light of that work. In consultation with the stakeholders we will look to see if there is scope to simplify and reduce the length of the regulations, but would need to balance any reduction in length against the corresponding potential reduction in clarity.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Teacher Salaries

Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he made of (a) teacher salaries in each local authority and (b) teacher salary costs as a percentage of overall education spending share, for each local authority when setting the Revenue Support Grant for 2003–04. [131685]

Mr. Miliband: The Department does not collect information on the distribution of teaching salaries by local education authority.

The calculation of Revenue Support Grant takes account of differing wage pressures across England and Wales through the area cost adjustment using data from the New Earnings Survey (NES). This contains information on the occupation and workplace of participants. Teaching professionals1 is one of the minor occupational classifications into which all NES participants are placed. The occupation of each

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individual in the NES at the minor level makes up 81 of the variables we examine in calculating the area cost adjustment. Full details of the ACA calculation are available on the ODPM website at http://www. local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/0304/acatechs.pdf

Academies

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his policy is in respect of applications by individuals and organisations to establish and maintain academies solely intended for gifted and talented pupils. [131227]

Mr. Miliband: Academies are a key element of the Government's drive to raise standards and increase the diversity of education provision in disadvantaged and challenging areas. All academy proposals that have been approved to date have been for all ability schools. Any future proposal to establish an academy solely intended for gifted and talented pupils would be treated on its merits, subject to the Government's commitment that there may be no increase in (a) grammar schools, and (b) selection at 11 (depending on best definition of policy).

Euro

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much has been spent in each year by his Department in preparing for United Kingdom entry to the euro; how much his Department plans to spend on preparations for United Kingdom entry to the euro for each year from the current financial year up to and including 2005–06; and what estimates he has made of the total costs to his Department of changeover to the European Single Currency. [131603]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the written reply to the same question given by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary on 14 October 2003, Official Report, column 142W.

Further Education

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many further education colleges have had their three-year development plans returned by their local learning and skills council with (a) an upward financial revision, (b) a downward financial revision and (c) no change; and if he will make a statement. [132856]

Alan Johnson: Discussions between local learning and skills councils and further education colleges and other providers about three-year development plans are on-going. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) expect this process to be completed by the end of October. I have therefore asked the chief executive of the LSC to write to the hon. Member as soon as the planning dialogue is complete, providing the information requested and to place a copy of his reply in the House Library.

The introduction of three-year development plans allows colleges and other providers to plan on a more secure and predictable basis. Colleges and providers will set out their plans for improving the customer focus of their provision; raising standards of teaching and learning; and improving the capability of the workforce.

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Resources will be allocated by the LSC based on a provider's success in meeting its targets. This provides clear incentives for colleges to improve their performance.

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what specific funding his Department has provided to the Learning and Skills Council for further education colleges to meet targets set in relation to (a) the attainment of Level 3 qualifications and (b) meeting employers' needs; and if he will make a statement. [132857]

Alan Johnson: It is for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to determine for itself the right level of investment in the programmes and initiatives that it delivers. The Department does not provide specific funding to the LSC for further education colleges to meet targets set in relation to (a) the attainment of Level 3 qualifications, or (b) meeting employers' needs. The Department expects the LSC to use the funds allocated to it for learning participation and capital to allocate funds to colleges to help them meet these and other targets. Assumed learning participation funding for further education allocated to the Learning and Skills Council is £4,278 million in 2003–04; £4,625 million in 2004–05; and £4,987 million in 2005–06. Capital funding allocated by the Department to the LSC will rise by over 60 per cent. in real terms to over £400 million by 2005–06, compared with 2002–03. This will help providers to develop new, and enhance existing, vocational provision that is focused on meeting the skills needs of employers.

GCSEs

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 1 September 2003, Official Report, column 733W, and to his answer of 11 September 2003, Official Report, column 409W, when he will place the data requested in the Library. [132284]

Mr. Miliband: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Learning and Skills Council

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed budget for the next three years of the Learning and Skills Council, on (a) the number of people employed and (b) the level of service provided in (i) England and (ii) Portsmouth; and if he will make a statement. [129791]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The budget for the Learning and Skills Council in 2003–04 is £8.1 billion, rising to £9.2 billion in 2005–06. This substantial increase will allow the LSC to improve the range and quality of learning opportunities available to young people and adults in all parts of England. Within the LSC's budget I have allocated £218 million in each year for the LSC's administration costs and I have asked the LSC to find administrative economies so that it can manage with a flat cash administrative budget. The LSC is also undertaking a reshaping exercise which will build on its strengths, resulting in fewer staff but an enhanced

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capacity to improve services and deliver against targets. This is a matter for the LSC and Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with more information about the reshaping exercise and place a copy of his reply in the Library.

Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his letter to the hon. Member for Wycombe of 21 July when he plans to lay a draft order in relation to complaints of maladministration against local learning and skills councils. [133599]

Alan Johnson: The Learning and Skills Council will be brought within the jurisdiction of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (The Ombudsman) shortly. Officials in my Department have been in contact with the relevant officials in the Cabinet Office to ensure that this happens as quickly as possible. I will write to the hon. Member when this happens.

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