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6 Jul 2004 : Column 649W—continued
Teaching Staff Costs
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will take steps to ensure that schools with an above average number of high rated staff are able to recover the associated cost in full from the local education authority or his Department. [181981]
Mr. Miliband: Good, experienced teachers have been able to cross the performance threshold since September 2000 and the cost of this is fully funded by central Government. Such teachers may also make further progress along the upper pay scale, should their performance merit it. We have always been clear we would not fund such progression fully, but provide substantial grants towards the costs, totalling some £229 million in 2004–05. In addition, a grant totalling £48 million is available to support performance pay awards made to leadership group teachers.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will take steps to ensure that costs incurred by schools in implementing staffing structures and management points are repaid to schools. [181982]
Mr. Miliband: It is for schools to manage their own budgets as they see fit. In taking decisions on changes to staffing structures and the award of management allowances, schools need to take full account of the potential impact on their budget. Total funding per pupil has increased by an estimated 1 average £880 in real terms between 1997–98 and 2004–05. The current 2.5 year teachers' pay award provides a stable context for schools to manage such changes.
1 Includes provisional estimates of grants and allocations still to be confirmed. Total funding per pupil aged 3–19 includes Education Formula Spending (EPS) and all relevant grants in the DfES departmental Expenditure Limits. For comparability, figures exclude the pensions transfer to the Learning and Skills Council and EFS in 2003–04 and 2004–05. Real terms at 2002–03 prices.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Biological Materials (US Exports)
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2004, Official Report, column 796W, on Biological Materials (US Exports), what he has made of the 1994 US Senate Riegle Report. [181491]
Mr. MacShane:
The Government are aware of Senator Donald Riegle's 1994 report. Our responses to
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previous questions on the supply of biological materials to Iraq from the United States have been based upon our reading of the report.
Programme Finance
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the (a) cash provision and (b) cash outturn was for the (i) Programme Sub-Saharan Africa, (ii) Programme Rest of the World, (iii) Peacekeeping Sub-Saharan Africa and (iv) Peacekeeping Rest of the World requests for resources two subheads in financial years (A) 2001–02, (B) 2002–03 and (C) 2003–04. [181775]
Mr. Rammell: The information is as follows:
(i) The cash provision to, and expenditure for, the Programme element of the Sub-Saharan Africa Conflict Prevention Pool for financial years 2001 to 2004 was:
| Financial year | Funds allocated | Spend |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 50 | 43 |
| 2002–03 | 50 | 45 |
| 2003–04 | 50 | (13)+40 |
(ii) The cash provision to, and expenditure for, the Programme element of the Rest of the World Conflict Prevention Pool for financial years 2002 to 2004 was:
| Financial year | Funds allocated | Spend |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 60 | 50 |
| 2002–03 | 68 | 66 |
| 2003–04 | 74 | (13)85 |
(iii) The cash provision to, and the expenditure for. the Peacekeeping element of the Sub-Saharan Africa Conflict Prevention Pool for financial years 2001 to 2004 was:
| Financial year | Funds allocated | Spend |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 52 | 76 |
| 2002–03 | 99 | 62 |
| 2003–04 | 87 | (13)92 |
(iv) The cash provision to, and expenditure for, the Peacekeeping element of the Rest of the World Conflict Prevention Pool for financial years 2001 to 2004 was:
| Financial year | Funds allocated | Spend |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 448 | 382 |
| 2002–03 | 406 | 324 |
| 2003–04 | 250 | (13)198 |
(13) Current forecast: accounts to be finalised in summer 2004.
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Colombia
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to President Uribe of Colombia regarding the status of human rights work at the San Jose De Apartado peace community. [181979]
Mr. Rammell: I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Dr. Tonge) on 28 June 2004, Official Report, column 126W. During my visit to Colombia in late June, I specifically raised with Vice-President Santos the need to support and respect the work of non-governmental organisations like Peace Brigades International who have been working with local partners in support of the San Jose De Apartado peace community. We have always maintained that the work of such organisations is highly important and should be encouraged by the Colombian Government. Civil society has a valuable role to play in helping the Colombian Government address the immense problems the country faces.
Cyprus
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will urge the authorities in the south of Cyprus to permit British citizens holding EU passports to cross to and from the north without hindrance, regardless of the port or airport through which they entered the island. [182402]
European Constitution
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the additional policy areas and decisions to be taken by majority voting under the agreed European Constitution. [181690]
Mr. MacShane: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis) on 5 July 2004 (UIN 180436).
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list each of the areas of decision-making in which the United Kingdom lost its power of veto when the previous Government signed up to (a) the Single European Act 1986 and (b) the Maastricht Treaty. [180795]
Mr. MacShane:
Under the Single European Act, five Articles were moved from a unanimous voting base to Qualified Majority Voting (QMV): altering or suspending autonomous duties in the common commercial Tariff, free movement of workers, freedom of third country nationals established in the Community to provide services, co-ordination of exchange policies to liberalise movement of capital and extension of the Treaty Title on Transport to sea and air transport. Seven new Articles were introduced at QMV: three
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relating to the internal market and four on: health and safety of workers, the implementing decision relating to the European Regional Development Fund, the adoption of specific Research and Development programmes within the unanimously agreed multi-annual framework programme and the power to adopt certain measures if these had been unanimously agreed in the Council.
Under the Maastricht Treaty, two areas were moved from a unanimous voting base to QMV (Transport Safety and Environmental Measures). 28 new Treaty provisions were introduced at QMV: movement of capital to and from third countries, safeguard measures, movement of capital and payments to implement sanctions, visas, broad economic guidelines, bail-out fund in the event of a natural disaster; definition for applying prohibition on assuming financial liability, excessive deficit procedure, harmonising coins, ECSB Statutes, Exchange Rate Agreements, Economic and Financial Committee, Consultation of Economic and Monetary Institute, mutual assistance in the event of balance of payment difficulties, protective measures, moving to State II of EMU, EMU Stage III derogations, education, public health, consumer protection, TENs guidelines, development co-operation, regulation and conditions for the performance of the Ombudsman's tasks, Allowances of ESC members. Measures to implement sanctions, decisions implementing CFSP joint actions if use of QMV had been unanimously agreed at the Council, decisions implementing JHA joint actions if use of QMV had been agreed unanimously in the Council and Application of specified EC Treaty provisions on some aspects of JHA.
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