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"Securing the Future"

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what methods she plans to use to publicise the new UK sustainable development strategy, "Securing the Future", with particular reference to schools, colleges and universities. [221174]

Mr. Morley: The Department has developed a forward-looking communications strategy to publicise the strategy to ensure it reaches key audiences. For some stakeholders, more tailored strategic guidance and
 
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advice, drawing on "Securing the future", will be produced and publicised. As reflected in the Strategy, schools, colleges and universities are already developing awareness of sustainable development issues in light of DfES' Sustainable Development Action Plan, and resources to help educators consider these issues will be examined in light of the new strategy.

State Veterinary Service

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the capacity of the State Veterinary Service to meet statutory requirements on (a) farm inspections, (b) abattoir inspections, (c) bovine TB controls and (d) other departmental veterinary responsibilities. [221465]

Mr. Bradshaw: The role of the State Veterinary Service is to implement and enforce specific national and EU legislation and regulations relating to animal welfare, the control and eradication of animal diseases and the facilitation of international trade, as agreed with Defra and the devolved Administrations. Implementation and enforcement activities include investigation, inspection and surveillance, licensing, certification and registration. It has specific responsibilities and functions in the case of any outbreak of exotic or other animal disease, which are set out in detailed departmental contingency plans. Abattoir inspections fall within the Food Standards Agency remit.

Reviews of the SVS' resources and work demands are conducted regularly and there are regular performance reports and reviews (reviews are normally quarterly). The outcome of external inspections, EU missions for example, are also monitored.

The Programme preparing for the launch of the SVS as an Executive Agency has included a recent audit of the SVS' Corporate Governance, Finance and Risk Management Systems.

Wildlife Crimes

Mr. Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many criminal prosecutions for crimes against wildlife in England and Wales were completed in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004. [221950]

Mr. Morley: Many different pieces of legislation create offences protecting wildlife. Prosecutions are brought both publicly and privately but comprehensive information about them is not held centrally.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Further Education (Bromley)

Mr. Forth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) whether it is her policy fully to fund courses for adults at level 3 in further education in Bromley in 2005–06; [221634]

(2) whether it is her policy to increase fees for courses above level 2 for adults in further education in Bromley in 2005–06. [221636]

 
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Dr. Howells: It is our policy to ensure that those groups of people benefiting from fully funded further education provision will continue to do so. There will be no change in the fee concessions arrangements that help unemployed people, those on income-based benefits, and retired people and working families on low incomes, to access further education. We will continue to make substantial levels of public funding available to all, which covers the largest part of the cost of courses, but we also expect adult learners who can afford to do so to make a contribution to the costs of their learning. Those people already qualified at level 2, or not in one of our priority groups, will on average pay a higher fee contribution in 2005–06 unless they qualify for fee concessions.

Mr. Forth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average funding per student in (a) further education colleges and (b) sixth forms in schools in the London borough of Bromley is in 2004–05; and if she will make a statement. [221635]

Dr. Howells: The Department allocates funds for education and training in the post-16 learning and skills sector to the Learning and Skills Council. The Department does not collect or hold information at the level requested. Mark Haysom, the Learning and Skills Council's chief executive will write to the right hon. Member with details of the average funding per student in (a) further education colleges and (b) sixth forms in schools in the London borough of Bromley for 2004–05. A copy of his letter will be placed in the House Library.

School Funding (Lancashire)

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding per pupil was allocated for (a) primary and (b) secondary school education in Lancashire in each year since 1997. [221989]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) on 21 February 2005, Official Report, column 273W.

CABINET OFFICE

Departmental Costs

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the costs of cleaning the Department were in each year since 1997. [213779]

Mr. Miliband: Figures on costs of cleaning the Department are not fully available for each year prior to 2002 for the Cabinet Office's central London estate.

It is not possible to identify separately cleaning costs at the Centre for Management and Policy Studies College residential and non-residential training sites, Emergency Planning College residential training site and Government News Network, as cleaning services are either provided as part of a wider facilities management contract or paid for as part of rent paid for leased property.
 
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Cleaning costs for the remainder of the Department are shown in the following table:

	£
2002–03	1,043,561
2003–04	1,237,898

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much has been spent on postage by the Department in each year since 1997. [215031]

Mr. Miliband: Spending on postage by the Cabinet Office in each year since 1997 is shown in the table.

	£000
1997–98	770
1998–99	596
1999–2000	492
2000–01	667
2001–02	490
2002–03	840
2003–04	961

In general, all mail sent to UK addresses is sent 'Second Class' unless marked 'First Class' or 'Special Delivery'.

The increase in expenditure since 2001–02 is due to the Cabinet Office's widening span of responsibilities in recent years and Machinery of Government changes.

Government Websites

Mr. Allan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what action he is taking to prevent UK Government websites from being compromised by (a) denial of service and (b) phishing. [222188]

Mr. Miliband: The UK Government have a continuous programme of work that identifies vulnerabilities and prevents damage to the critical national infrastructure, public sector networks and other interdependent information systems.

Government policy advises all departments on the appropriate measures required to prevent UK Government websites from being compromised.

Phishing is a form of social engineering that has become very common over the past 18 months. Criminals use this technique to deceive people into disclosing their credit card numbers, bank account details or other valuable information.

At present, we have not seen large-scale phishing attacks against UK Government websites. However, we continue to be concerned about these criminal activities, and are therefore working to raise public awareness of the threat. Government have recently launched the IT safe website (www.itsafe.gov.uk) aimed at providing plain English advice and warnings to the general public.

The UK Government are also working with law enforcement and industry on Project Endurance to increase awareness and promote information and advice to online users to give them the confidence to use the internet safely and securely.
 
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