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Tesco (VAT Avoidance)

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take action against Tesco for selling CDs and DVDs on the internet in relation to VAT avoidance. [9406]

Dawn Primarolo: The Government do not intend to prevent businesses from using the internet to market sales of CDs and DVDs. However, we are aware that
 
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some businesses are restructuring their operations in order to achieve VAT-free sales of certain goods to UK consumers. The Government are keeping this issue under close review.

VAT (Condoms)

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the annual cost of exempting VAT on condoms; and if he will make a statement. [9252]

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs does not collect data on VAT from individual goods and services. The Government keeps all taxes under review and any assessments and subsequent changes are announced as part of the normal Budget process.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Arson Attacks

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many arson attacks there were on schools in (a) Southend, (b) Essex and (c) each London borough in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [9935]

Jacqui Smith: Because the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has overall policy lead for fire safety and arson reduction across Government Departments, it is ODPM rather than this Department that compiles statistics on fires in schools.

The latest data we have on school fires from ODPM cover the years 2000 to 2004. They are not able to provide figures for sub-fire brigade areas, such as Southend or the London boroughs. These are figures for Essex and Greater London.
Deliberate fires in schools by year

Area	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
England	752	852	664	753	664
Essex	16	15	5	22	13
Greater London	59	90	22	54	49

Figures for 2004 are provisional, and those for 2002 and 2003 exclude incidents not recorded during periods of industrial action.

Behaviour Improvement Programme

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the local education authorities that have received funds under the Behaviour Improvement Programme; and how much each has received to enable them to tackle pupil behaviour in each year since 1997. [7703]

Jacqui Smith: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what targets have been set for the Behaviour Improvement Programme. [7704]

 
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Jacqui Smith: The Behaviour Improvement Programme is intended to be tailored to local circumstances. Schools and measures are identified locally, and partnerships are monitored against the key objectives of improved behaviour, improved attendance, reduced unauthorised absence and reduced exclusions. Specific performance targets are agreed locally between the Excellence in Cities partnership and schools and are set for both individual terms and academic years, covering attendance, unauthorised absence and exclusions.

Bullying

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what requirement there is for schools to make their anti-bullying policy available to (a) parents and (b) prospective parents. [9994]

Jacqui Smith: Under section S61 of the School Standards Framework Act 1998, all schools are required to publicise the school's anti-bullying policy in written form to the parents of those pupils registered at the school, as well as all members of the school community.

In addition the law requires that the policy is brought to the attention of pupils, parents, those employed by the school and those who provide their services to the school at least once a year. Our guidance also states that not only should the information be available to parents, but that they should be actively involved in its preparation and review.

At present there is no legal requirement to make the policy available to the parents of prospective pupils, but guidance states that all new pupils are provided with the policy.

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance she has issued to schools on appropriate sanctions to deal with bullying. [9995]

Jacqui Smith: The Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence" packs issued by the Department contain clear guidance on appropriate sanctions to deal with bullying.

Where pupils do not respond to preventive strategies, we recommend that schools have a clear and sufficient range of sanctions in place to tackle the issue, and that these sanctions are publicised to the whole school community.

Suggested sanctions include, removal from the group/class, withdrawal from break and lunchtime privileges, completion of extra written work, carrying out a useful task in the school, detention, withholding participation in school trips and events not essential to the curriculum, and fixed period exclusion.

Where serious real or threatened violence is involved, the head teacher can permanently exclude the pupil. To further enforce this appeal panels and governing bodies have been advised that they should not normally seek to overrule such a decision on appeal.
 
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In addition we advise that punishments that are humiliating or degrading should not be used, and that sanctions should be applied fairly and consistently to all pupils.

For further information, please visit http://www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying/ and view the Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence" pack.

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to her answer of 21 June 2005, Official Report, column 990W, on bullying, if she will place in the Library a copy of the work commissioned by the Youth Crime Programme Board on the onset of offending and the impact of her Department's policies. [9997]

Jacqui Smith: The work undertaken by officials on the Youth Crime Programme Board was policy advice within Government, which would not be appropriate to place in the Library. This work drew on published research—in particular Support from the Start," a review commissioned by my Department of the evidence on preventing youth offending, which is available in the Library.

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to her Answer of 21 June 2005, Official Report, column 993W, on bullying, if she will place in the Library a copy of the effective practice digest that accompanies the anti-bullying Charter for Action. [9998]

Jacqui Smith: The information requested has now been placed in the House Libraries.

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the Anti-Bullying Alliance is accountable to the Department for its use of its Government grant. [10004]

Jacqui Smith: Expenditure by the ABA is subject to formal and informal monitoring to confirm that the grant awarded has been spent in accordance with the project plan agreed by the ABA and the Department.

The grant is payable under Regulation 15 of the Education (Grant) Regulations 1990 and is subject to Regulations 18(2) of those regulations.

We will be looking for auditors' confirmation that the grant has been claimed and used in compliance with the terms and conditions as set out in the grant allocation in year end accounts.

In addition, officials hold regular meetings with the ABA to monitor activity and review progress.

Drug Awareness and Prevention (Southend)

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers who specialise in drug awareness and prevention are employed in schools in Southend West constituency. [9932]

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make extra provision
 
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available for 16 to 19-year-olds claiming the education maintenance allowance who live in London to reflect the higher cost of living. [9504]

Maria Eagle: We do not currently have any plans to make extra payments to young people claiming EMA who live in London. EMA is intended as a contribution towards the cost of staying on in further education rather than as part of family support.

Evidence from EMA pilots would not support the case for more generous arrangements in London. We piloted a less generous version of the scheme in London, using an income threshold of £20,000 rather than the standard £30,000 piloted elsewhere and now adopted nationally. This was done with the agreement of the London LEAs, in order to allow us to fund EMA across a larger area of inner London. The evidence indicated that this variant of EMA also increased participation among eligible young people.

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