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NIPPA (Funding)

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding each health trust in Northern Ireland is providing for NIPPA early years pre-school groups in 2005–06. [62103]

Mr. Woodward: The following table sets out the amount of funding provided by each health and social services trust in 2005–06 to the NIPPA early years pre-school groups:

Trust	Amount provided (£)
Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust	5,280
Causeway HSS Trust	9,692
Craigavon and Banbridge Community HSS Trust	31,745
Down Lisburn HSS Trust	56,670
Foyle Community HSS Trust	40,035
Homefirst Community HSS Trust	61,348
Newry and Mourne HSS Trust	28,035
North and West Belfast Community HSS Trust	108,816
South and East Belfast Community HSS Trust	130,000
Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust	23,388
Ulster Hospitals and Community HSS Trust	23,555

 
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Post-Primary Curriculum

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will commission the National Foundation for Educational Research to evaluate the papers produced by Dr. Hugh Morrison on alternative post-primary admissions and curriculum arrangements for Northern Ireland. [62062]

Angela E. Smith: There are no plans to commission any evaluation by the National Foundation for Educational Research. Dr. Morrison's papers are being considered by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment and I expect to receive advice from the Council shortly.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the contract awarded to the National Foundation for Educational Research to evaluate the proposed new post-primary curriculum and assessment arrangements for Northern Ireland was subject to competitive tender. [62063]

Angela E. Smith: No contract has been awarded to evaluate the proposed new post-primary curriculum and assessment arrangements for Northern Ireland. The National Foundation for Educational Research was awarded the contract to evaluate the implementation plans for the proposed curriculum and assessment arrangements, covering all Key Stages. This contract was subject to competitive tender.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of whether (a) the draft Education (Northern Ireland) Order and (b) the proposed new post-primary curriculum satisfied the guidelines set out in A Practical Guide to Policy Making in Northern Ireland published by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister; and if he will make a statement. [62064]

Angela E. Smith: The Department of Education has regard to the Practical Guide to Policy Making and I am satisfied that all the necessary and appropriate steps have been taken in relation to the preparation of the proposal for a draft Education (NI) Order 2006 and the revised curriculum for the primary and post- primary phases.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he took to consult parents on the proposed post-primary curriculum for Northern Ireland. [62065]

Angela E. Smith: CCEA undertook extensive consultation on its key stage 3 proposals in autumn 2003. The consultation took a wide variety of forms, including focus group meetings and briefings with key stakeholders, including parents. The consultation was widely publicised in the media and consultation materials were made available in a wide range of formats to facilitate responses. The consultation was independently evaluated by the Consultation Institute and was described as 'excellent'.

In addition, the Department consulted key stakeholders, including parents, on the draft Education Order, which includes provision for the revised post-primary curriculum. The consultation was widely
 
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publicised and responses were invited online or in writing. Officials are analysing the responses and I will publish my response in due course.

University Education

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students normally resident in Northern Ireland are estimated to have gone to full-time university education in Great Britain in each of the last 10 years. [62102]

Angela E. Smith: The information is in the following table.
NI domiciled full-time first year enrolments at English, Scottish and Welsh Higher Education institutions 1995–96 to 2004–05

Academic year	Undergraduate	Postgraduate	Total
1995–96	4,001	759	4,760
1996–97	4,101	802	4,903
1997–98	4,256	877	5,133
1998–99	4,092	792	4,884
1999–2000	3,719	810	4,529
2000–01	3,500	853	4,353
2001–02	3,461	866	4,327
2002–03	3,677	960	4,637
2003–04	3,752	1,050	4,802
2004–05	3,915	995	4,910

Source:
Higher Education Statistics Agency

Waiting Lists

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are awaiting an initial out-patient assessment with a consultant following a referral by their general practitioner in Northern Ireland. [62092]

Mr. Woodward: At 31 December 2005, there were 180,238 patients waiting for an initial out-patient assessment with a consultant. Of which, 146,952 (81.5 per cent.) had been referred by their general practitioner (this figure does not include GP referrals to Homefirst and Foyle health and social services trusts).

WALES

Capita Group

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much business his Department has placed with (a) Capita Group plc and (b) its subsidiaries in each of the last five years; what the total value is of outstanding contracts placed with Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries by his Department; for which current tenders issued by his Department (i) Capita Group plc and (ii) its subsidiaries have been invited to bid; and whether (A) Capita Group plc and (B) its subsidiaries have seconded staff (1) temporarily and (2) on a longer-term basis to his Department. [61060]

Mr. Hain: The Wales Office has no contracts with Capita or its subsidiaries.
 
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James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many tenders (a) Capita plc and (b) its subsidiaries has submitted to his Department in each of the last three years; and how many tenders were successful. [61457]

Mr. Hain: The Wales Office has received no tenders from Capita or its subsidiaries.

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many contracts his Department holds with (a) Capita plc and (b) its subsidiaries which have a potential duration of five years or more; [61458]

(2) what the value of contracts held by his Department with (a) Capita plc and (b) its subsidiaries was in the last three financial years. [61456]

Mr. Hain: The Wales Office has no contracts with Capita or its subsidiaries.

Child Support Agency

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about the performance of the Child Support Agency in Wales. [59645]

Mr. Hain: I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues about the performance of their relative Departments in Wales.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Alan Johnson), announced on 9 February a redesign of child support that would consider the fundamental policy and delivery arrangements. Sir David Henshaw, who is carrying out the redesign, is scheduled to report to the Secretary of State by the summer recess. The Government will then respond to Sir David's findings.

This redesign is in addition to the Child Support Agency's operational improvement plan. This sets out how the Agency will radically overhaul its operations to provide a significantly improved level of client service and achieve an overall improvement in the amount of money collected for children in Wales and other parts of the UK.

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