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EDUCATION AND SKILLS
Further Education
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research her Department has commissioned into the differences of performance levels between further education colleges in the North and in the South noted in the Ofsted reports, Why colleges succeed, and Why colleges fail, published in November 2004; and if she will make a statement. [218483]
Dr. Howells: My Department has not commissioned any further research into the differing performance levels of further education colleges in the North and those in the South beyond the analysis provided in the recent Ofsted reports. The Government's strategy is designed to raise standards across the sector and to address poor performance wherever it is found. The strategy includes leadership and workforce development, improved approaches to learning and teaching, and recruitment of lecturers in shortage areas. These were areas pointed out by Ofsted in their report.
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research her Department has commissioned into the relationship between the quality of individual schools and further education colleges and the level of diversity in local education provision for 16 to 19-year-olds; and if she will make a statement. [218484]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department for Education and Skills has not commissioned any research specifically on this issue. The Department uses Ofsted inspection reports for individual colleges and schools, and we also look at data from 14–19 Area Inspections when we review policy. The Department also collects statistical data relating to levels of attainment and participation and value added at 16–19 in individual areas.
Ofsted
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills by what processes Ofsted interprets and utilises performance data for the purposes of inspection judgments; and if she will make a statement. [218485]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: That is a matter for Ofsted. HM inspector, David Bell, will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of his letter in the Library.
Sixth Forms
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she plans to issue further guidance on the relationship between the provisions in the five-year strategy on new school sixth forms and the Strategic Area Review process; and if she will make a statement. [218486]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
We set out in our five-year strategy our plans to allow more schools to engage in post-16 provision. The LSC will consult on guidance for competitions for new 16–19 provision and on the new joint 16–19 capital budget. This will be twinned with
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Departmental guidance on how these policies fit in with the aims for 14–19, and the StAR process. We will be consulting on all three sets of guidance shortly.
Teachers (Leicester)
Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many full-time equivalent teachers there were in (a) secondary schools and (b) primary schools in Leicester local education authority in 2004. [220782]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: In January 2004 there were 1,340 full-time equivalent regular teachers in maintained primary schools and a further 1,200 teachers in maintained secondary schools in Leicester local education authority.
ADVOCATE-GENERAL
King's Own Scottish Borderers
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Advocate-General if she will make a statement on the writ served on her by the Edinburgh branch of the King's Own Scottish Borderers concerning the amalgamation of the regiment. [219806]
The Advocate-General: This action was formally directed against me in accordance with section 1 of the Crown Suits (Scotland) Act 1857. As section 2 of that Act makes clear, responsibility for defending the action lies with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence. I am advised that the action is being defended on behalf of the Secretary of State for Defence.
SCOTLAND
Cancer
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what policies his Department has in place for supporting employees with cancer. [218671]
Mrs. McGuire: Scotland Office staff are on loan from either the Scottish Executive or the Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Office adheres to the policies of each Department regarding ill health matters.
The Office is fully committed to employing, supporting and retaining all disabled staff, including those with cancer. This includes making any reasonable adjustments necessary in the workplace, such as the opportunity to return on a part-time medical basis for up to three months and to work a flexible pattern, either permanently or for a shorter period.
Following a return to work, the Office has discretion to authorise up to a further 60 days sick absence at full pay for future absences where entitlement to sick pay
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has been exhausted. Staff may also apply for a career break to allow them a longer period away from the office.
Staff may, if they wish, receive assistance and guidance from the Occupational Health Service or Counselling and Welfare Services in each Department. In addition, staff on loan from the Executive may use its Employee Assistance Programme which is staffed by qualified counsellors.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many removal notices for failed asylum seekers have been issued in each year since 1997. [220288]
Mr. Browne: Information on the number of removal notices issued to failed asylum seekers is not available.
Information on the number of principal asylum applicants against whom enforcement action was initiated in each year for which data are available is shown in the table.
| Principal asylum applicants | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 13,760 |
| 1998 | 14,730 |
| 1999 | — |
| 2000 | 43,465 |
| 2001 | 67,150 |
| 2002 | 46,200 |
| 2003(8) | — |
| 2004(9) | — |
(6) Figures rounded to the nearest 5.
(7) Illegal entrants detected and persons issued with a notice of intention to deport, recommended for deportation by a court or proceeded against under Section 10.
(8) Data were not of sufficient quality for publication in 2003, however it is estimated that 18,130 principal asylum applicants had enforcement action initiated against them in this year. Due to poor data quality this is not an official statistic.
(9) Data for 2004 are not yet available. These will be published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin Control of Immigration Statistics: United Kingdom, 2004" in summer 2005.
Statistics on the number of asylum applicants removed from the UK are available from the Home Office website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers have been removed in each year since 1997. [220289]
Mr. Browne: Information on the number of failed asylum seekers who have been removed from the UK in each year since 1997 is shown in the following table.
(10) Includes enforced removals, persons departing 'voluntarily' following enforcement action being initiated against them, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration.
(11) Figures may include a small number of dependents leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes.
(12) Provisional figures.
(13) Data on dependants removed not available before April 2001.
Note:
Figures rounded to the nearest 5, and may not sum due to rounding.
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Statistics on the number of asylum applicants removed from the UK are available from the Home Office website at wAAA/.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken since March 2004 to increase the rate of removal of failed asylum seekers. [220290]
Mr. Browne: The Government has introduced a series of initiatives since March 2004 to increase the rate of removals of failed asylum seekers. These include: signing new, improved memoranda of understanding with other countries, strengthened legislation, greater use of reporting centres to maintain contact with asylum seekers at all stages of the asylum process, faster processing of asylum claims, increased detention space, and increasing the number of voluntary returns. We will continue to review our strategy and pursue new initiatives in order to improve the removal process, our aim being to accomplish a monthly rate of removals that exceeds the number of unfounded applications.
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