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School Music

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the Government's strategy for music in schools. [187894]

Mr. Miliband: Music is a statutory entitlement for all pupils up to the age of 14, and can be taken as an option at Key Stage 4. The music curriculum provides an opportunity for all children to sing and play musical instrument; as well as to listen to, compose and perform music from a range of different cultures and times.

The Department has also made a commitment, over time, to offer every primary school child the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. For the exceptionally talented, additional opportunities exist through the Music and Dance Scheme, junior conservatoires and the National Youth Music Organisations.

Our priorities for the future of music education are set out in the Music Manifesto, which was launched on 6 July 2004. They are to:

provide every young person with first access to a range of music experiences;

provide more opportunities for young people to deepen and broaden their musical interests and skills;

identify and nurture our most talented young musicians;

develop a world class workforce in music education; and

improve the support structures for young people's music making.

You can find out more about how the Department will deliver these key objectives by visiting our pledge on the Music Manifesto website at: www.musicmanifesto.co.uk

School Sports Facilities

James Purnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to open up schools sports facilities to the wider community out-of-hours. [187904]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: We want all schools to be extended schools, making wider use of their facilities, including sports facilities. Our recently published Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners includes our vision for extended schools at both primary and secondary level which focuses on schools making wider use of their facilities and providing a core offer of services, including widespread community use of specialist facilities such as sports halls.

The Government have made funding available to support local co-ordination and management of extended services in schools, and to create up to 240 full service extended school models, with at least one in each LEA area, by 2006. These schools will provide a prescribed core range of extended services and facilities, including sports and arts facilities.

School Sports Partnerships

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) schools and (b) school pupils are not participating in a school sports partnership. [187910]

 
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Mr. Stephen Twigg: The information requested is not held in the format requested. From September 2004, there are 313 School Sport Partnerships incorporating 50 per cent. of schools in England, this will increase to at least 75 per cent. of schools by 2005. All schools and pupils will be within a School Sport Partnership by 2006.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Beijing +10

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his plans are for his Department's involvement in the Beijing Platform for Action; known as Beijing +10. [187533]

Mr. Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend the Minister for Women gave on 7 September 2004, Official Report, column 937W.

Butler Report

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to paragraph 512 of the Butler Report, HC 898, on what date the Secret Intelligence Service became aware that the validity of the intelligence report on which the 45 minute claim was based had come into question; on what date Government ministers were informed of this; and how many links there were in the reporting chain for the 45 minute claim intelligence report. [187394]

Mr. Straw: Government Ministers were informed at the beginning of June about concerns that had arisen in mid-May regarding the validity of the intelligence reporting on which the 45-minute claim was based. Paragraph 399 of the Butler Report explains why it is not possible to set out in full the analysis of main SIS sources whose reporting underpinned JIC assessments, and this applies to details such as the number of links in the reporting chain for specific reports.

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to paragraph 442 of the Butler Report, HC 898, for what reasons there was an urgent requirement for intelligence. [187395]

Mr. Straw: The urgent need for intelligence was a result of the international community's lack of reliable information as to Iraqi activities in the absence of UN inspectors between December 1998 and November 2002 caused by Iraq's continuing failure to meet its obligations under UN Security Council Resolutions. As the Butler Report itself states, obtaining intelligence on Iraq had been a long-standing high priority throughout the years of Saddam Hussein's regime.

Chinese Students (Visas)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Chinese students were refused (a) short stay summer visas and (b) higher education visas in 2004–05. [187951]

Mr. Mullin: Applicants for short courses of study in the UK apply in the visitor category and it is not possible to separate them out from other visit visa applications without incurring disproportionate costs.
 
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Students applying for courses in higher education are not recorded separately from other student applications and again to do so would incur disproportionate costs.

However, I am able to provide the following figures, which relate to all student entry clearance applications submitted in China so far this financial year (1 April to 8 September):

Applications	Number	Percentage
Received	21,776	—
Issued	14,624	67
Refused	6,790	31

These figures do not add up exactly as applications may be received at the end of the period under review but issued or refused in the next.

Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter to him dated 2 August from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Arshad Mahmood Rashad. [188003]

Mr. Mullin: My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Rammell) sent an interim reply on 6 September while details of the application were being verified. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary sent a substantive reply on 9 September.

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 29 July on behalf of a constituent reference 316919/04. [188010]

Mr. Mullin: I replied to my hon. Friend's letter on 9 September.

Council of Ministers

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will provide a written ministerial statement outlining the key points on the agenda for each of the Council of Ministers' meetings at which his Department is represented in advance of each meeting; [188186]

(2) if he will provide a written ministerial statement outlining for each meeting of the Council of Ministers at which his Department is represented as soon as it is practicable following that meeting (a) the key items of discussion, (b) the positions of the Government on those items, (c) the key positions taken by other member states that Ministers consider should be noted by Members and (d) any preliminary discussion on the timing and the agenda of the following meeting. [188188]

Mr. Straw: This is a useful suggestion and HMG will consider it further in line with its policy of keeping Parliament better informed on EU business.
 
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