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Teachers' Loans

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2006, Official Report, column 600W, on teachers' loans, whether any public funds disbursed under the Teachers' Loans Scheme have been assessed as irretrievable; and if she will make a statement. [59868]

Jacqui Smith: The Repayment of Teachers' Loans (RTL) scheme repays the student loans of eligible teachers of priority subjects who have been accepted onto the scheme. Under the scheme, the Government reduce the loan balance annually, writing off the student loans of eligible teachers over a period of up to 10 years.

There are safeguards in the RTL process which mean that there should be no cases where public funds could be assessed as irretrievable and to date, none have been. The balance on the student loan is reduced once the teacher has confirmed their eligibility to remain on the scheme for the preceding year. This is part of an annual review process. If a teacher fails to confirm their eligibility or to return the annual review form, no further loan reductions are made under the RTL scheme. This should mean that teachers do not benefit from RTL in advance of entitlement as loans are not paid off without confirmation of entitlement. If a teacher notifies a change in circumstances which affects their entitlement, the SLC adjusts the repayment account to reflect the date of the change.

Thames Gateway Strategy

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress the Government have made towards meeting the commitment given in Creating Sustainable Communities: Delivering the Thames Gateway (a) to raise the number of people qualified up to NVQ Level 3 and (b) to increase the number of work-based training opportunities. [54700]

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
 
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"Creating sustainable communities: Delivering the Thames Gateway", published in March 2005, set out progress to date and outlined the Government's plans for the future development of the Thames Gateway.

Later this year, we will publish a Strategic Framework for the Gateway, which will cover latest progress and form the basis of a delivery plan for the future.

As an early indicator of progress, however, recently published data from the Learning Skills Council show Level 3 attainment by young people in the Thames Gateway. The data shows that the number of 19-year-olds achieving a Level 3 qualification increased from 13,608 in 2004 to 15,143 in 2005. This equates to a 3 per cent. increase, and contributes to the overall raising of qualification levels of the Thames Gateway population.

On the point of work-based training opportunities, according to the Learning and Skills Council's Thames Gateway Directorate, the substantial increase in learner achievements of apprenticeships and the associated costs has meant that the number of starts on apprenticeships in the Thames Gateway have decreased from 2004/05 to 2005/06. This concurs with the national picture. The increase in achievements is very good news as we committed ourselves to improving the quality of work-based learning in Creating Sustainable Communities: Delivering the Thames Gateway. The success rates on apprenticeships in the Thames Gateway have risen from 43 per cent. in 2003/04 to 47.4 per cent. in 2004/05.

As referenced in Creating Sustainable Communities: Delivering the Thames Gateway, for example, the ODPM has also contributed £4 million to the expansion of Prospects College in Southend, also part-funded by the LSC. Prospects College delivers work-based learning in engineering and construction. The expansion will increase the capacity of the college and the number of learner places.
 
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Further work-based learning places have also been created through the 14–19 sector pilots running in parts of the Thames Gateway. Through this programme, support has also been given in order to build capacity for increased delivery of work-based learning. The pilots establish stepping-stone vocational pathways all the way from Key Stage 4 to higher education in the key local sectors.

The Government have also been supporting employers and employees in the Thames Gateway with work-related training through Profit from Learning, the local Treasury-funded Employer Training Pilot. To date, 50,280 employees in 6,730 companies have benefited from the programme across the three LSC areas covering the Thames Gateway.

Truants

Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions she has had with the Home Department on the deployment of police community support officers to apprehend truants. [60650]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 22 March]: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has discussed with my right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, the proposal in the Police and Justice Bill to enable chief officers, where appropriate, to allow community support officers to remove truants from public places. Section 16 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 allows local authorities to designate areas from which truants may be removed.

Currently the power to remove truants can only be exercised by police officers. We believe that the proposal to extend this to community support officers will make it easier for local authorities and the police to mount truancy sweeps. It is also an important item in this Government's respect action.

Trust Schools

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many trust schools she expects to be established in the West Midlands over the next four years. [60139]

Jacqui Smith: There are no targets for the number of trust schools to be established within the next four years. This policy is about schools making decisions that are right for them and their children in order to raise standards. It will be for individual schools to decide if they want to acquire a trust, what form that trust should take, and how the trust will help to improve outcomes for pupils.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

1911 Census

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the evidential basis was for the statement by the head of information policy and legislation unit, national archives, that the early publication of extracts from the 1911 census records under the provisions of the
 
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Freedom of Information Act 2000 may place a significant administrative burden on the national archives. [61098]

Ms Harman: The head of the information policy and legislation unit at the national archives has not made any statement to this effect.

Business Appointment Reviews

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs from which (a) companies and (b) Government departments those interviewed by Sir Patrick Brown in the course of the Department's review of the business appointment reviews came. [60510]

Mr. Jim Murphy: I have been asked to reply.

Sir Patrick Brown was commissioned by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to undertake an independent review of the business appointment rules. In his report, which was published on 20 December, Sir Patrick made clear that as part of the review process he spoke to a range of individuals from organisations in the public and private sectors. These discussions took place on a confidential basis.

Community Legal Aid and Advice Centres

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs over what period the capital costs of community legal aid and advice centres (CLACs) will be recovered; and what assessment she has made of the effects of the recovery period on the overall costs of CLACs. [60187]

Ms Harman: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) expects Community Legal Advice Centres to be run by existing suppliers in most cases thus minimising capital costs. Over the three-year period of each contract the LSC expects the centres to have comparable cost to the arrangements they replace.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the timetable is for (a) developing defined outcome and output measures for community legal aid and advice centres and (b) consultation on the measures; and if she will make a statement. [60188]

Ms Harman: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is currently consulting with its Local Authority Partners on the development of appropriate outcome and output measures for the first Community Legal Advice Centres and Networks. These will be in place by the launch of the first centres in 2006–07. The LSC will periodically evaluate and consult with its local authority partners on the measures that have been put in place once the first centres are operational.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much has been spent in connection with the branding of community legal aid and advice centres and networks. [60189]

Ms Harman: Nothing has been spent on the branding of Community Legal Advice Centres and Networks other than the cost of the time used by officials in the
 
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Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Legal Services Commission, in the course of their normal duties.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether she plans to terminate existing social welfare law contracts with (a) private and (b) other providers as community legal and advice centres are rolled out; and if she will make a statement. [60207]

Ms Harman: The Legal Services Commission may terminate social welfare law contracts where it judges that Community Legal Advice Centres, once established, are providing the necessary services to meet local need. An open tender process will enable suppliers to bid to run the centre or to become part of a network in each area where centres or networks are set up.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans the Government has to consult on the final model of the community legal and advice centre network; and if she will make a statement. [60239]

Ms Harman: The first Community Legal Advice Centres and Networks will be monitored continuously from their launch in 2006–07. The LSC will monitor the impact and performance of each centre with local authority partners and consult with them on the way forward. An evaluation of the first centres will be published during 2008–09.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps are being taken to prevent conflicts of interest between community legal and advice centres and (a) local government and (b) other sector bodies; and if she will make a statement. [60357]

Ms Harman: The Legal Services Commission will continue to ensure that its contracts and any arrangements made with local authorities guarantee the independence of advice in accordance to its statutory duties.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether she plans to take steps to encourage private and other providers to remain in the Community Legal Service. [60278]

Ms Harman: In line with A Fairer Deal for Legal Aid" and Lord Carter's Review of Legal Aid Procurement, the Legal Services Commission will take the necessary steps to develop a sustainable structure for contracting suppliers to deliver services as part of the Community Legal Service (CLS). During 2005–06, the number of new cases started under the CLS has increased considerably (by around 20 per cent.). Community Legal Advice Centres and Networks will seek to deliver services tailored to need and spanning a number of categories of law. As measures in the new CLS Strategy, announced on the 23 March, are implemented, it is envisaged that opportunities for high quality suppliers will continue to exist.

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