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13 Feb 2006 : Column 1573W—continued
Specialist and Academy Schools Trust
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) allowances, (b) expenses and (c) other moneys from public funds have been paid to Lord Levy in connection with his role as president of the Specialist and Academy Schools Trust. [45972]
Jacqui Smith: Lord Levy does not receive any public funds in connection with his role as president of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust. His appointment is a matter for the trust and he receives no remuneration for this.
Statutory Instruments
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the statutory instruments introduced by her Department since 6 May 2005. [46252]
Maria Eagle: As of 3 February 2006, my Department has produced 106 statutory instruments since 6 May 2005. Of these, 81 were general and 25 were local. Four of the general statutory instruments were Orders in Council. These related to appointments to the Office for Standards in Education (England) (Ofsted). A list of general statutory instruments by the DfES from 6 May 2005 to 2 February 2006 has been placed in the Libraries.
Teachers
David T.C. Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers of (a) Australian, (b) New Zealand, (c) South African, (d) Malawian, (e) Ghanaian, (f) Namibian, (g) Kenyan and (h) Nigerian origin have been dismissed
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from teaching posts in the past five years because of criminal activity in (i) their country of origin and (ii) the United Kingdom. [45537]
Ruth Kelly: My Department does not collect this information.
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps are being taken by her Department to ensure that teachers of (a) Australian, (b) New Zealand, (c) South African, (d) Malawian, (e) Ghanaian, (f) Namibian, (g) Kenyan and (h) Nigerian origin do not have criminal histories in (i) their country of origin and (ii) the United Kingdom which would make them unfit to teach under departmental guidelines. [45538]
Ruth Kelly: Overseas teachers are subject to the same vetting procedures as UK teachers. However, where staff are recruited from countries outside the UK, the CRB or List 99 check may not be appropriate, particularly when they are newly arrived. We currently advise employers to take extra care in other checks on overseas candidates and to seek information as to any criminal history from the authorities in their country of origin wherever possible. The CRB has an information service which can help with this.
It is important that any checks we have in place are as effective as we can make them, and we are reviewing the current process for vetting overseas teachers.
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers of (a) Australian, (b) New Zealand, (c) South African, (d) Malawian, (e) Ghanaian, (f) Namibian, (g) Kenyan and (h) Nigerian nationality have had their applications for teaching posts in the United Kingdom rejected because of previous criminal convictions in each of the past five years. [45539]
Ruth Kelly: The Department does not collect this information.
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers of (a) Australian, (b) New Zealand, (c) South African, (d) Malawian, (e) Ghanaian, (f) Namibian, (g) Kenyan and (h) Nigerian nationality who are working in schools in the UK have a criminal record in (i) their country of origin and (ii) the UK. [45545]
Ruth Kelly: My Department does not collect this information.
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many (a) teachers and (b) full-time equivalent teaching posts there were in schools in West Lancashire constituency in each year since 1997; [45005]
(2) how many (a) classroom assistants and (b) full-time equivalent classroom assistant posts there were in schools in West Lancashire constituency in each year since 1997. [45004]
Jacqui Smith:
The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teachers and teaching assistants employed in schools in West Lancashire constituency in each January since 1997.
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The full-time equivalent number of teachers and teaching assistant posts in schools in West Lancashire constituency is not collected centrally.
(21) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
Note:
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Annual School Census.
Truancy
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on measures to reduce truancy in schools; what objectives have been set since 1997; and when she expects these will be met on current trends. [39883]
Jacqui Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the replies given on 9 November 2005, Official Report, column 623W, to the Members for Romford and Buckingham and on 7 December 2005, Official Report, column 1344W, to the Member for Chorley. The Department expects schools to take steps to improve attendance and requires all schools to agree targets for improving attendance with their local authority.
My Department has had two public service agreement (PSA) targets to reduce unauthorised absence. They were in:
Neither of these targets was met. We are now focused on improving attendance levels through tackling all forms of absence because attendance correlates to pupils' attainment levels and subsequent life chances, while continuing to prioritise truants within this approach. The PSA target agreed in 2004 is, therefore, to reduce the 2002/03 level of absence (i.e. both authorised and unauthorised combined) of 6.83 per cent. by 8 per cent. by 2008. Since 2002/03 there has been a reduction in absences of 5.7 per cent. which is over two-thirds of the way towards the PSA target.
Young Sex Offenders
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information she collects on the number of pupils who have (a) convictions and (b) cautions for sex offences who are in schools; of how many such pupils she is aware; and what advice she gives to schools on the (i) inclusion and (ii) management of such pupils. [45489]
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Ruth Kelly: The Department does not collect this information. Guidance on working with children and young people who abuse others is included in 'Working Together to Safeguard Children', the core inter-agency guidance on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
DEFENCE
Afghanistan
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military assistance his Department (a) is providing and (b) plans to provide to the Afghan Government to tackle the problem of heroin production. [49446]
Mr. Ingram: Counter-narcotics (CN) operations are the responsibility of the Government of Afghanistan. United Kingdom forces deployed under the international security assistance force (ISAF) in Afghanistan contribute to the broader CN effort by helping to provide the secure environment in which the rule of law can be applied, reconstruction can take place and legal rural livelihoods can be developed.
Under NATO's operational plan for the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, UK forces under ISAF can also provide, within means and capabilities, training and operational support to Afghan CN forces. They do not have a direct role in targeted interdiction operations or in eradication of opium poppy in the fields.
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many troops each country which has participated in the operation in Afghanistan has provided for active service in each year since the start of the war. [49447]
Mr. Ingram: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what resources are being allocated by the Department to protect (a) engineers and (b) teachers from attacks by the Taliban in Afghanistan. [49449]
Mr. Ingram: British troops in Afghanistan are deployed primarily under the NATO-led international security assistance force (ISAF), which helps the Government of Afghanistan to maintain security and to extend its authority across all of the country. In doing so, ISAF helps create a secure environment in which the rule of law can be applied, reconstruction and development can take place, and teachers and others can carry out their work.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the threat posed by the use of improvised explosive devices in Helmand Province to UK armed services personnel. [50623]
Mr. Ingram:
We continuously assess all threats to UK armed forces personnel wherever they are deployed. It is true that the operating environment in the South of Afghanistan is less benign than in the ISAF's current area of operation, and improvised explosive devices do pose a threat. The safety of our troops is paramount and our troops will deploy with appropriate force protection, tactics and procedures.
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Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what agreement between the UK and the Afghan Government has governed the arrest and detention of prisoners captured in Afghanistan since the UK led the first international security assistance force (ISAF) deployment to Kabul in 2001; and what agreement between the UK and the Government of Afghanistan will govern the arrest and detention of prisoners captured during ISAF operations in the Helmand province. [44263]
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements have been agreed between the British and Afghanistan Governments in relation to the arrest and detention of suspects captured by international security assistance forces personnel. [45799]
Mr. Ingram: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence stated on 7 February 2005, Official Report, column 1078W, troops deployed under international security assistance forces (ISAF) are able to arrest and detain by virtue of the authorisations permitting use of all necessary measures to fulfil its mandate contained in, most recently, UNSCR 1623 (2005), and by agreement with the Government of Afghanistan. ISAF policy is that individuals should be transferred to the Afghan authorities at the first opportunity and within 96 hours or released.
There is currently no separate agreement specifically on detention between the United Kingdom and the Government of Afghanistan, and we will continue to act under the above agreements.
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