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5 Jun 2006 : Column 76W—continued
Jim Knight:
Private finance initiative contracts are made between local authorities and the private sector partner, following a due procurement procedure which includes consideration of design and value for money. Design details are decided locally, and the local authority has responsibility for ensuring that the private sector partner delivers to the output specified in the contract. The private sector partner has of course the responsibility for fully maintaining and repairing the building throughout the length of the contract.
Contracts include mechanisms for financial penalty where the private sector partner does not deliver to contract.
We work closely with the Commissioners for Architecture and the Built Environment and other bodies with design interests. We have recently published Design Quality Indicators for school buildings, after consultation with relevant bodies. We strongly encourage all local authorities to use these resources.
Recycling
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) grants are available for and (b) assistance is offered by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies to schools and colleges for the promotion of education about recycling. [73860]
Jim Knight: On 15 May the Department launched a consultation for a framework of action for schools to become models of sustainable development in their communities. One of the key areas covered is developing sustainable policies on purchasing and waste by increasing recycling and conservation. The consultation will run until 1 September. By 2020, our aim is for all schools to be models of resource efficiency, recycling, repairing and reusing as much as possible.
Our sustainable schools website being launched on 9 June will include a section on grants available to promote sustainable development projects in schools. The site identifies approaches to the challenge of sustainability, award schemes, learning resources, training opportunities, research and local support.
School Meals
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the benefits of using omega 3 and 6 fish oil supplements in school meals. [73659]
Jim Knight: The Food Standards Agency comments as follows:
“The Food Standards Agency is currently conducting a systematic review of research looking at the effect of nutrition and diet on performance and behaviour of children in schools. This includes investigating studies that have used omega 3 and 6 fish oil supplements in schools.
Government is committed to ensure that children are provided with the food and nutrients they require during the school day and as such has recently published minimum standards for school food.”
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what support he provides to councils who wish to introduce initiatives to improve the health benefits of school meals. [73660]
Jim Knight:
The School Food Trust will work with local authorities, and others, to understand and where possible overcome the barriers to transforming school food, and to develop a strategy to increase the demand for healthier food in schools. The School Food Trust will produce guidance for local authorities and schools. This will supplement the ‘Food in Schools Toolkit’
which includes materials and guidance on, for example, tuck shops, before/after school clubs, water provision and the dining room environment.
published guidance on procuring healthy school meals and other school food;
established a School Food Reference Group, which consists mainly of local authority officials from across the country who are involved in school meals, to help identify issues and problems and share good practice;
compiled and made available a number of case studies to give examples of how particular schools and local authorities have implemented healthy eating initiatives;
put in place a Level 1 Vocationally Related Qualification which aims to give school cooks and caterers the basic knowledge and skills to deliver a healthier meals service. We are also developing qualifications at Levels 2 and 3 in cooking skills which will be available from September 2006 and form part of the Training and Development Agency’s Support Worker in Schools qualification.
Schools (Pre-1970 Construction)
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which schools in (a) Southend on Sea, (b) Essex, (c) Hertfordshire and (d) the Metropolitan Police area of London were built before 1970; and when. [71961]
Jim Knight: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.
Student Loans
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total value is of payments made by people repaying student loans but not allocated to student loan accounts in each year since 2002; what the total amount outstanding is; and if he will make a statement. [71098]
Bill Rammell: Student loans are collected by employers alongside income tax and national insurance contributions and passed to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. At the end of each financial year, HMRC reconciles the loan repayments and passes the information to the Student Loans Company which updates borrowers’ accounts. In a small number of cases, HMRC needs to check the returns made by employers, and this can lead to delay in sending statements to borrowers.
There are no outstanding reconciliations relating to 2002-03 or earlier years; some 1,500 accounts (0.4 per cent. of the total) have still to be reconciled from 2003-04 with a value of about £400,000. HMRC expects to have reconciled nearly all of the 2004-05 returns by the end of June 2006.
The total amount of student loans outstanding at the end of financial year 2004-05 under the income contingent repayment scheme was £14,147 million. This includes loans not yet due for repayment: borrowers are not required to repay until they are earning £15,000 or more per annum(1).
(1 )This figure also includes hardship loans and loans made to part-time students but does not include amounts lent under the old mortgage style loans system.
Constitutional Affairs
Coroners
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list coroners in England; what the date of appointment of each was; and how many inquests each has performed. [65228]
Ms Harman: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Court Orders (Repossessions)
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many court orders have been issued for the repossession of homes in Coventry, South in each of the last five years. [70330]
Ms Harman: Although figures for Coventry, South constituency are not available, the following table shows the number of mortgage possession orders made at Coventry county court in the last five years. This is the only such court in the Coventry area.
The civil procedure rules provide that all claims for the repossession of land must be commenced in the district in which the land is situated. However, Coventry county court covers areas other than Coventry, South and therefore not all possession actions entered in that court necessarily relate to the Coventry, South area.
These figures do not indicate how many houses have been repossessed through the courts, since not all the orders will have resulted in the issue and execution of warrants of possession.
| Number of mortgage( 1) possession orders made at Coventry county court, 2001-05 | |
| Possession orders made( 2) | |
| (1) Local authority and private (2 )The court, following a judicial hearing, may grant an order for possession immediately. This entitles the claimant to apply for a warrant to have the defendant evicted. However, even where a warrant for possession is issued, the parties can still negotiate a compromise to prevent eviction. | |
Departmental Staff
David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what incentives her Department offers to encourage staff to share vehicles when travelling to work. [73008]
Vera Baird:
Vehicle sharing is one of a number of green transport initiatives the DCA promotes, often within a site specific travel plan. The DCA researches and disseminates publications to its staff such as "Making car sharing and car clubs work" and "Making Smarter Choices Work" and encourages the promotion
of travel planning and inclusion of car sharing and car club schemes. Other measures supporting sustainable travel include secure cycle parking and showers and events to promote walking and cycling etc. Interest free loans for bicycles are also available to staff to encourage more sustainable travel.
DCA is also a member of a Civil Service Travel Group, which comprises all major Government Departments. Its key aim is to improve travel sustainability across the entire civil service by developing and delivering on action plans for each Department.
Divorce
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many divorces there have been in Coventry, South in each ethnic group in each year since 2000. [71752]
Ms Harman: The divorce information requested is not collected centrally by constituency area. In addition, the ethnicity of the parties is not collected at all. Therefore it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Elections
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps the Government took to tackle electoral fraud in the local elections. [70080]
Bridget Prentice: The Government take the issue of electoral fraud seriously, and prior to the elections worked with administrators, the Electoral Commission, the police, and the political parties on improving both the legislation and practical awareness and responsiveness to the issue on the ground.
Regulations were passed prior to the May 2006 local elections which contained measures to tackle fraud, including:
A requirement for Electoral administrators to write to everyone who has applied for a postal vote acknowledging receipt of their application and confirming the outcome—thus alerting people to false applications for postal votes on their behalf.
Giving administrators more time to check postal vote applications—people now have to apply for a postal vote 11 working days before the close of poll, (rather than six days as previously).
In addition, the Electoral Commission and the Association of Chief Police Officers produced practical guidance for police forces on the prevention and detection of electoral fraud, and the Commission produced a Code of Conduct on the handling of postal vote applications and ballots, which the major political parties signed up to.
Freedom of Information Requests
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 have been referred to the Access to Information Central Clearing House since 1 January 2005, broken down by Department; and what percentage of requests received by each Department this represents. [71949]
Ms Harman: This information is contained in the ‘First Annual Report on the operation of the Freedom of Information Act in Central Government in 2005’ which was published on 22 May and can be found at www.foi.gov.uk.
Ministerial Travel (Accommodation)
David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discounts are available in relation to hotel accommodation used by (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in her Department. [69027]
Vera Baird: My Department has access to a contract for hotel booking services in connection with official travel undertaken by the Department's staff. Figures available for the year ending December 2005 show a saving to my Department of 38 per cent. compared with the full room rates. My Department also benefits from a rebate of 3 per cent. of the annual expenditure on the contract.
All bookings made by the Department for Special Advisors share the same discounts.
Post-mortems
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what factors decide who should carry out a post-mortem. [65537]
Ms Harman: Any decision will rest with the coroner, who may be expected to take into account the availability and experience of pathologists, as well as the views of others. Rule 6 of the Coroners Rules 1984 sets out the criteria.
Private Members' Bills
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list those Private Members' Bills in respect of which her Department adopted a policy of neutrality in each session since 2001-02; and if she will make a statement. [72109]
Vera Baird: My Department adopted a neutral stance on the Human Rights Act 1998 (Making of Remedial Orders) Amendment Bill from the 2003-04 session. The Bill completed all stages in the House of Lords but was dropped before second reading in the House of Commons.
Private Sector Fund Recipients
Chris Huhne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list the 10 non-public sector entities that have received the largest total sum of payments from her Department in each of the last five years. [71806]
Vera Baird: The 10 non-public sector entities that have received the largest total sum of payments from my Department in the financial year 2005-06 were as follows:
Electronic Data Systems Ltd
Fujitsu Services
Liberata UK Ltd
Accenture UK Ltd
National Westminster Bank Ltd — (as Government Procurement Card provider)
Gartside Ltd
Land Securities Properties Ltd
Kelly Services (UK) Ltd
Initial Security Ltd
The Techologies Group
This analysis excludes payments made by the Department's executive non-departmental public bodies, for example, the Legal Services Commission.
Information for 2001-05 would require the commissioning of a special report which could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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