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Temporary Mobile Classrooms
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each London borough are using temporary mobile classrooms. [80514]
Jim Knight: Data supplied to the Department by local education authorities in recent months show the following numbers of primary and secondary schools in each London borough using temporary mobile classrooms:
| London borough | Primary | Secondary |
Central
Government capital support for investment in schools has increased from
under £700 million in 1996-97 to £5.8 billion this year
and will rise further to over £6.3 billion by 2007-08. Progress
is being made year-by-year in improving the quality of the school
building stock. The bulk of schools capital is now allocated by formula
to authorities and schools so that they can address their local
priorities, including the replacement of decayed temporary
accommodation,
on which we have set a high priority. Given the high levels of funding,
authorities have the opportunity to replace temporary classrooms where
they are considered to be
unsuitable.
Modern, high quality mobile or demountable classrooms provide a good environment for teaching and learning where there is short-term need. They might, for instance, be needed to cope with a short-term increase in pupil numbers, or where extensive remodelling or rebuilding of permanent accommodation means providing temporary accommodation on the school site, rather than transporting children elsewhere.
Unauthorised Absence
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of half days were missed due to unauthorised absence from maintained mainstream schools in (a) Bury St. Edmunds constituency, (b) Suffolk and (c) England in each year since 1997. [79388]
Jim Knight [holding answer 21 June 2006]: The percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absence in maintained mainstream schools in (a) Bury St. Edmunds constituency, (b) Suffolk and (c) England in each year since 1997/98 is shown as follows.
| Percentage of half days missed in maintained primary schools( 1) due to unauthorised absence( 2, 3) | |||
| Bury St. Edmunds constituency | Suffolk local authority | England | |
| Percentage of half days missed in maintained secondary schools( 1) due to unauthorised absence( 2,3) | |||
| Bury St. Edmunds constituency | Suffolk local authority | England | |
| (1)
Includes middle schools as
deemed. (2) Due to local government reorganisation, regional figures are not available prior to 1998. (3) Local authority figures are only available to 1 decimal place prior to 2000. Constituency level figures are only provided to 1 decimal place. Note: Unauthorised absence is absence without leave from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established and truancy. | |||
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of schoolchildren took unauthorised absence from school in (a) Torbay and (b) England in 2005-06. [79554]
Jim Knight: Figures for unauthorised absence from schools in 2005/06 are not yet available. The percentage of pupils who missed at least one session due to unauthorised absence in primary and secondary schools in (a) Torbay local authority and (b) England in 2004/05 are shown as follows.
Home Department
Animal Testing
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to which procedures animals may be subject over the course of a two-year carcinogenicity study; and what the severity is of each procedure. [80442]
Joan
Ryan: Under project license authorities issued under the
Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, a two year carcinogenicity
study would involve a series of regulated procedures forming a single
protocol. The regulated procedures in the series would entail the
administration of the test substance by one of a number of routes, for
example, orally, by injection, through inhalation, or applied to the
skin. Each route would be expected to produce only mild, momentary
discomfort. Occasional blood samples may also be taken in some cases.
The licence authorities require that
animals will be humanely killed before any tumours produced during the
observation period cause serious adverse effects. Overall the protocol
would be expected to be of mild or moderate
severity.
The International Conference on Harmonisationof Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) publish International guidelines for the conduct of carcinogenicity studies for pharmaceuticals and chemicals, respectively, to which studies conducted in the United Kingdom are expected comply.
Cash Delivery Crime
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures (a) have been introduced since 1997 and (b) are planned to combat violent crime against cash delivery personnel in (i) rural and (ii) urban areas. [80398]
Mr. Coaker: Since 1997 the security industry and the police have introduced a number of measures to combat cash-in-transit (CIT) attacks. This includes disseminating good practice, increased use of technology to protect CIT deliveries and close working between the industry and the police to share intelligence relating to cash-in-transit robberies.
Earlier this year Hazel Blears met with representatives of the GMB Union, Group Four Security and the BSIA to identify the next steps to address the problem issue of cash-in-transit robberies.
Officials have continued to meet with the representatives as recently as the 22 June, and are developing a programme to address a number of issues around CIT attacks. This includes engaging other Government departments on how to implement environmental crime reduction measures, developing good practice guidance in conjunction with ACPO, and examining delivery procedures that expose CIT personnel to the risk of attack. This work will include sending out a strong deterrent message to perpetrators of such crimes.
This is in addition to the continued work to tackle violent crime involving guns and other weapons.
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