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Renaissance in the Regions

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to support the Renaissance in the Regions programme in Yorkshire. [190450]

Estelle Morris: The 2004 Spending Review White Paper sets out the intention of the Department to extend Renaissance in the Regions to all nine regional hubs. We face a number of difficult choices and competing priorities in allocating funding from the spending review but will do all we can to take the Renaissance initiative forward.

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding from the Renaissance in the Regions programme (a) has been allocated and (b) will be allocated to Yorkshire. [190451]

Estelle Morris: The total allocations to the Yorkshire Regional Museum Hub under Spending Review 2002 are as follows:

	£
2003–04	210,000
2004–05	676,000
2005–06	1,180,000

Allocations following the 2004 Spending Review will be made as soon as possible.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

False Alarm Emergency Calls

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) genuine and (b) malicious false alarm fire emergency calls were received in Buckinghamshire in each year since 2001. [191054]

 
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Mr. Raynsford: The number of fire false alarm calls attended by the Buckinghamshire fire and rescue service is as follows:

	(a) Genuine		(b) Malicious
	Good Intent	Due to Apparatus
2001	1,611	2,435	459
2002	1,637	2,304	418
2003 (Provisional)	1,193	2,417	357

Note:
2002 and 2003 figures include estimates for fire false alarms not recorded during periods of industrial action.

Fire-related Deaths (Buckinghamshire)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many fire-related deaths in dwellings in Buckinghamshire there were in each year since 2001. [191053]

Mr. Raynsford: The number of deaths reported in dwelling fires attended by Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service are as follows:

	Number
2001	3
2002	6
2003	(1)5

⁽¹⁾ Provisional figure.

High Hedges

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress he has made on reduction of the neighbour nuisance caused by high hedges; and if he will make a statement. [191145]

Phil Hope: The public consultation on implementing Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, which gives local authorities the powers to deal with complaints about high hedges closed on 30 June. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is now finalising Regulations and guidance and expects the system to be fully operational around the end of 2004.

Parks

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if his Department will establish a programme to improve local parklands. [191455]

Phil Hope: The Government have already established programmes for improving local parks and green spaces. These are set out in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's reports "Living Places—Cleaner, Safer, Greener" (ODPM 2002), and "Sustainable communities: building for the future" (ODPM 2003). The initiatives they contain are currently being implemented through the cross-government "Cleaner, Safer, Greener Communities" programme.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Education Finance

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding streams are available to local education authority schools (a) directly from
 
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government and (b) through local education authorities, which are not available to city technology colleges and city academies. [190909]

Mr. Miliband: Schools maintained by local education authorities and city technology colleges and city academies are funded on similar terms on a like for like basis. However, the Standards Fund is used as a funding stream for schools maintained by local education authorities but not for schools of these types. However, the overall capital and revenue funding for city technology colleges and academies takes account of what comparable LEA schools would receive (including their Standards Fund allocations).

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of the UK's national income has been spent on education in each year since 1997 for which figures are available. [190665]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The percentage of the UK's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) spent on education since 1997 is as follows:

	Percentage
1997–98	4.5
1998–99	4.5
1999–2000	4.4
2000–01	4.6
2001–02	5.0
2002–03	5.1
2003–04	5.3
2004–05	5.4
2005–06	5.5
2006–07	5.5
2007–08	5.6

Note:
The figures for 2003–04 are based on estimated outturn and those for 2004–05 onwards are based on expenditure plans announced in the 2004 Budget Report.

Endometriosis

Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will take steps to ensure that information about endometriosis is routinely included in personal, social and health education in secondary schools. [190462]

Mr. Stephen Twigg [holding answer 13 October 2004]: In Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) lessons pupils are taught about sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, how to seek professional advice on health related issues confidently, and ways of finding sources of help and information. However, we have no plans to include endometriosis routinely in PSHE lessons in secondary schools, although the condition might be raised in class discussions.

In statutory Science lessons, at Key Stage 3 (ages 11–14) pupils are taught about the human reproductive system and the menstrual cycle. At Key Stage 4 (ages 14–16) pupils learn about ways in which hormonal control occurs, including the effects of sex hormones. This would include conditions such as endometriosis which can affect fertility and the reproductive system in general.
 
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Information and Communication Technology

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what the amount is (a) in total and (b) per pupil spent on information and communication technology in maintained schools since 2001–02, broken down by local education authority in England; [189847]

(2) what the amount is (a) in total and (b) per pupil spent on information and communication technology in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in England since 2001–02. [189848]

Mr. Miliband: The information requested is not available centrally. Figures for England, derived from a sample of schools, are shown in the table. Figures at sub-national level are not available as the sample was not large enough to provide reliable estimates.

The latest information on total ICT expenditure and expenditure per pupil in maintained schools was published in Statistical Bulletin 'Survey of Information and Communications Technology in Schools 2003', which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway.

For 2003–04, provisional estimates on ICT expenditure per school were published in a Statistical First Release (27/2004) on 29 July, a copy of which is also available on the Department's website. For the purposes of completeness, these figures are also shown in the table.
Expenditure on information and communications technology in maintained primary, secondary and special schools, England—as at 31 March (financial year end)

	2001	2002	12003	2004
Primary
Total expenditure (£ million)	186	231	201	n/a
Average expenditure per pupil (£) 2	42	59	56	n/a
Average expenditure per school (£)	10,300	12,900	11,300	14,800
Secondary
Total expenditure (£ million)	210	260	223	n/a
Average expenditure per pupil (£) 2	66	81	69	n/a
Average expenditure per school (£)	60,300	75,300	65,100	88,600
Special
Total expenditure (£ million)	15	17	15	n/a
Average expenditure per pupil (£) 2	166	333	259	n/a
Average expenditure per school (£)	13,300	15,100	13,600	18,900

n/a = Data is not currently available.
⁽²⁾ The average expenditure for schools in 2003 may not be comparable to other figures in the time series due to a change in the guidance notes for the survey.
⁽³⁾ Headcount of pupils.

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