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5 Jun 2006 : Column 242W—continued
HP Ltd.
Cable & Wireless Communication
PA Consulting Group
Capital Business Services Ltd.
Syntegra
GSL UK Ltd.
Chessington Computer Services
Computacenter (UK) Ltd.
Microsoft Ltd.
Ecovert FM
HP Ltd.
Balfour Beatty Refurbishment
Cable & Wireless Communication
Atos Origin IT Services UK Ltd.
Capital Business Services Ltd.
BT Plc
Computacenter (UK) Ltd.
Ecovert FM
HP Ltd.
IT Net
Capital Business Services Ltd.
Electronic Data Systems Ltd.
BT Plc
Microsoft Ltd.
City of Westminster
Atos Origin IT Services UK Ltd.
Ecovert FM
Computacenter (UK) Ltd.
HP Ltd.
Electronic Data Systems Ltd.
BT Plc
Capital Business Services Ltd.
Cable & Wireless Communication
City of Westminster
Atos Origin IT Services UK Ltd.
Parity Training Ltd.
Ecovert FM
Hewlett Packard Ltd.
Electronic Data Systems Ltd.
Computacenter (UK) Ltd.
Xansa
Turner & Townsend Project Management
Capital Business Services Ltd.
Atos Origin IT Services UK Ltd.
City of Westminster
Cable & Wireless Communication
Sickness Absence
David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many Cabinet Office staff have had (a) five or more, (b) four, (c) three and (d) two periods of sick leave of less than five days in each of the last three years. [73042]
Mr. McFadden: The information requested is shown in the table.
| 5 or more absences lasting less than 5 days | 4 absences lasting less than 5 days | 3 absences lasting less than 5 days | 2 absences lasting less than 5 days | |
Cabinet Office is committed to managing sick absence effectively by making sure that managers proactively manage sickness absence and that they have the tools and training to do so.
Voluntary Sector
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether her responsibility for volunteering and voluntary organisations extends to the churches and other faith organisations. [73970]
Edward Miliband: My responsibilities for volunteering and voluntary sector organisations extend to all types of organisations in the Third Sector, including those associated with churches and other faith-based organisations. However, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government leads on general engagement with faith communities.
Deputy Prime Minister
Advisers/Officials
Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) special advisers and (b) full-time equivalent officials will be working for him; and what their tasks will be. [73884]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Members for Reading, East (Mr. Wilson) and for South Swindon (Anne Snelgrove) in the House on 17 May 2006, Official Report, columns 979-980.
As a Cabinet Minister, and in accordance with the terms of the Ministerial Code, I have two special advisers to assist me in the discharge of my official duties.
Black/Asian Employees
Keith Vaz: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) black and Asian and (b) other people are employed in his press office. [74350]
The Deputy Prime Minister: Staffing arrangements to support me in my new role are still being finalised.
As an interim measure, I am being supported by press officers from the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Information on staff ethnicity is, in any case, collected only on a voluntary basis.
Dorneywood
Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) if he will list the guests he has entertained at Dorneywood since 1 January 2005. [73886]
(2) whom he last entertained officially at Dorneywood; and on what date. [73888]
The Deputy Prime Minister: This information is not collected centrally.
Ministerial Offices
Mr. Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) of 22 May 2006, Official Report, column 1385W, on ministerial office/staff, in which Government building his private office is based while administrative support arrangements are being finalised. [75285]
The Deputy Prime Minister: My private office is based in an office at 26 Whitehall, as it has been since September 2002.
Ministerial Responsibilities
Mr. Harper: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what official duties he carried out in 2006 in furtherance of his role to promote the interest of the North across Government; and whether he has retained this responsibility within Government since 4 May. [70026]
The Deputy Prime Minister: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister set out details of my new role and responsibilities in his answer of 17 May 2006, Official Report, column 985W. It is a wide-ranging brief, focusing on improving the effectiveness of policy development across Government and carrying out international duties on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. As part of this cross-cutting brief, I shall continue to champion the interests of the North in all aspects of the Government's work.
So far this year, I have visited a number of towns and cities in the North of England, to see for myself the progress that has been made since 1997 in regenerating our cities and making them places where people want to live and work. I am also very proud of the advances being made in growing the North's economy, improving its local environments and providing affordable and decent housing, for example through initiatives such as Housing Market Renewal Pathfinders and the Northern Way, which have demonstrated how the public, private and voluntary sectors can work together towards a common vision for creating sustainable communities. For instance, I continue to follow with interest the pilot projects being
taken forward by the Northern Way, with funds from the £100 million Northern Way Growth Fund, to demonstrate how things can be done differently in the North to improve people's lives and how the £1.2 billion Housing Market Renewal Fund continues to turn around neighbourhoods which people were previously leaving, but where house prices have now doubled.
The Government and our partners have achieved a lot, but we are aware of the need to deliver even more, and to ensure we narrow the economic gap between north and south. We need to work across Government Departments to maximise the benefits of our policies. My new role will enable me to ensure that Cabinet Committees work even more effectively to deliver more integrated solutions across the full range of Government programmes and spending.
Ministerial Standards
Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what role he has in overseeing the efficient development of Government policy on ensuring ministerial standards within Government are maintained and improved. [73887]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 17 May 2006, Official Report, column 985W, which sets out the responsibilities the Prime Minister has asked me to fulfil.
Official Engagements
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what domestic official engagements he will carry out in his new role. [69876]
The Deputy Prime Minister: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister set out the new responsibilities that he has asked me to undertake in his answer of 17 May 2006, Official Report, column 985W. I shall carry out domestic engagements as appropriate to best enable me to fulfil this new role.
Education and Skills
Academies (West Midlands)
Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many academies there are in the West Midlands region; and how many are planned. [73916]
Jim Knight:
There is one Academy open currently in the West Midlands: Walsall Academy in Walsall. There are two Academies currently being built: Grace Academy in Solihull and Sandwell Academy in Sandwell, both due to open in September this year. There are five Academies in the feasibility stage of development in Herefordshire, Sandwell, Coventry, Staffordshire and Solihull. Discussions are currently
taking place for a further nine potential Academy projects in Birmingham and Dudley.
Adult Education
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effects of his skills strategy on adult education in Liverpool. [74598]
Phil Hope: The Government's skills strategy is aimed at supporting low skilled adults to acquire basic skills and progress to level 2 and above, and ensuring employers have the skills they need to compete effectively. The strategy is vital to our continued economic success, and is supported by a funding strategy which gives clear priority to these areas.
Funding for colleges and other providers in Liverpool will be confirmed shortly, and will reflect these priorities for the funding of adult learning, as well as safeguarding funding for Personal and Community Development Learning. The Learning and Skills Council will continue to work closely with local colleges and other providers to review local provision, and to ensure that there continues to be a wide range of choice for learners in all areas.
Alcohol/Drugs
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps are being taken to educate young people on the adverse effects of (a) alcohol and (b) drugs. [74532]
Jim Knight: All maintained schools must provide drug education, including information about alcohol, as part of the National Curriculum. We recommend that schools deliver drug and alcohol education through the non-statutory framework for Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE).
Since 2003, we have supported over 5,000 teachers in the PSHE certificate for teachers which supports standards in the teaching of drug and alcohol education. Over 2,000 teachers will be supported in 2006-07. We have also issued comprehensive guidance to schools on drugs including alcohol to help schools deliver more effective drug and alcohol education.
Together with the Home Office and the Department for Health, DfES is supporting the FRANK campaign which provides information, support and advice for young people on drugs and alcohol.
Asiatic Languages
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 17 May 2006, Official Report, columns 967-8W, on Asiatic languages, how many students have been awarded (a) GCSE and (b) A-level examination grades A to C in (i) Chinese, (ii) Arabic and (iii) Japanese since 1994. [74497]
Jim Knight: The information requested can be found as follows:
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