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Tuition Fees
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to the Government in the year of introduction of raising tuition fees by (a) £1,000 and (b) £100 where the payment of tuition fees is deferred until graduation. [81111]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 29 June 2006]: Estimates of the costs to Government of tuition fee loans for full-time undergraduates in England are based on the assumption that 9 per cent. of students are charged a fee of £2,000 and 91 per cent. of students are charged a fee of £3,000 ie the average fee for new students will be £2,910. For an average fee of £3,010.The additional costs in the 2006/07 academic year would be around £5 million,(1) and for an average fee of £3,910, the additional costs for the same academic year would be £70 million or more. In each case, we have used our existing assumptions: that a tuition fee loan is available to meet the full cost of tuition fees, that the total cost of providing tuition fee loans over their lifetime is 33 per cent. of their face value, and that 80 per cent. of eligible students take them up. These estimates are approximate as significant changes in the fee level would be likely to have an effect on assumptions.
The maximum fee cannot be raised by more than inflation until 2 January 2010
and only then with the approval of both Houses of Parliament.
(1) Cost estimates rounded to the nearest £5 million.
Vocational Training
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans the Government have to improve vocational training for young people in Houghton and Washington East. [82283]
Phil Hope: The new specialised Diplomas will provide an exciting, aspirational and stretching programme of learning for young people of all abilities and backgrounds, including the most able, who enjoy learning in a practical environment. A new statutory entitlement to study for a Diploma will be in place for all 14 to 19-year-olds from September 2013.
Apprenticeships are the main programme for young employed people seeking vocational qualifications at Level 2 and Level 3. Other opportunities are also being developed, including a pilot programme that started in April this year aimed at encouraging 16-18 year olds in jobs without training to gain a Level 2 qualification, whether academic or vocational. For those over 19 and without either basic skills or a first Level 2 qualification we have put in place the Train to Gain service to deliver high quality flexible qualifications in the workplace.
In
addition, the Department has introduced a presumption that sixth form
proposals from high performing specialist schools wishing to take up a
vocational specialism will be approved. Such proposals will be
supported by capital investment from a new 16-19 capital fund,
administered by the Learning and Skills Council. The aim of the
initiative is to engage
successful schools in the delivery of high quality vocational learning
in line with the 14-19 Implementation Plan. This will be complemented
by a new Further Education presumption arrangement announced in the
recent FE White Paper that will prioritise 16-19 capital investment in
high performing colleges wishing to expand to deliver the new
specialised Diplomas.
The local Learning and Skills Council can provide details of any local initiatives that are available in the Houghton and Washington, East area.
Weapons in Schools
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) expulsions and (b) temporary exclusions from schools there have been for the possession of (i) knives and (ii) firearms in each year since 1996. [86436]
Jim Knight: The requested information is not available.
Only two years of data relating to the reason for exclusion are currently available. The first year for which information on the reason for exclusion is available relates to the 2003/04 academic year. Exclusions data for 2004/05 academic year were published in June 2006.
Tables showing the number of permanent and fixed period exclusions by the reason for exclusion in 2003/04 and 2004/05 have been placed in the Library. There is not a specific category relating to possession of knives or firearms.
Youth Clubs
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the merits of child personal security in youth clubs where people over 18 years may attend a youth club as a user of such clubs; and if he will make a statement. [86495]
Mr. Dhanda: In considering the standards of provision, the Department would expect local authorities to take account of the Statutory Guidance on the Duty to Safeguard and Promote the Welfare of Children under section 11 of the Children Act 2004. This guidance sets out local authority responsibility for making arrangements to ensure their normal functions are discharged having regard to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in their area. This includes all types of local authority services, including those provided by district councils.
Local authorities can also use DfES guidance issued to the education service on safer recruitment as a basis for developing procedures on checks for staff and volunteers. They should have clear policies and practices for the protection of children and young people in place and understood.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agricultural Support
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total budget was in 2005-06 for agricultural support in England; and what the administrative costs were of distributing it. [86864]
Ian Pearson: The total budget for agricultural support in England in 2005-06 was £2,045,088,000. This was administered by the Rural Payments Agency, whose administrative costs were budgeted at £228.96 million for 2005-06.
Air Conditioning
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department (a) has evaluated and (b) plans into the contribution to future climate change emissions made by air conditioning in domestic homes. [84070]
Ian Pearson: DEFRA's Market Transformation Programme (MTP) has undertaken some limited research to estimate the contribution of air-conditioning in domestic homes to future carbon emissions. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given him on 13 July 2006, Official Report, column 1979W.
The Department for Communities and Local Government has undertaken some research on the market penetration of domestic air conditioning, based on data from the USA, as part of its work to develop proposals for amending Part L of the Building Regulations, which it consulted on in July 2004.
Many “domestic” air-conditioners sold through trade supply routes are actually used in non-domestic buildings, and many sales are not captured by market survey statistics. This means there is uncertainty about their environmental impact. Although a growth in sales of domestic air-conditioners seems likely, their impact is small compared to that of air-conditioning in non-domestic buildings.
At present, the MTP does not plan any further research specifically on air-conditioning in domestic homes, and it is not aware of any current or planned research being undertaken by other programmes or organisations on the contribution to climate change.
Air Quality
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the air quality in Brent; and if he will make a statement. [87723]
Mr.
Bradshaw: Local authorities have a duty, under Part IV of
the Environment Act 1995, to review and assess the current, and likely
future, air quality in their areas. Where local authorities consider
that one or more of the nationally prescribed air quality objectives
for each of the seven pollutants is unlikely to be met by the relevant
deadline, they must declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA),
covering the area where the problem is expected. These local
authorities must then take action, along with other agencies and
organisations, to work towards meeting the air quality objectives. The
Mayor has responsibility for ensuring the Local Air Quality Management
regime is undertaken appropriately by London
boroughs.
Following the first round of reviews and assessments, the London borough of Brent declared an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) in respect of nitrogen dioxide and particulates (PM10) in April 2001. In fulfilment of its obligations, Brent carried out a further assessment of the existing, and likely future, air quality within the existing AQMA in the borough, and submitted a report to my Department in September 2003. The report concluded that the AQMA, as declared, was still justified. Brent has an action plan in place for their AQMA.
The second round of reviews and assessments started in 2003. London boroughs had to submit their Updating and Screening Assessments (USA) by December 2003, and were expected to submit either a detailed assessment (where further investigation was required) or a progress report by December 2004. The London borough of Brent submitted their USA to my Department in October 2004. They concluded that further investigation (detailed assessment) was needed in respect of the likely exceedences of benzene, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and PM10 objectives. The detailed assessment was submitted to my Department in April 2006 and the Mayor of London in March 2006. The report concluded that additional AQMAs are required for nitrogen dioxide and PM10.
The third round of review and assessments has now started and local authorities were asked to submit a new USA by the end of April 2006. Brent's USA has been received and my officials are currently assessing the report. The Mayor of London has also received a copy of Brent's USA.
Area-based Initiatives
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) budget and (b) expenditure was for administration on each area-based initiative for which his Department and its predecessors have been responsible in each year since 1997. [87525]
Ian Pearson: The Department does not maintain a separate record of expenditure for administrating geographically targeted Government interventions, it is included in the overall administration costs. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Bovine TB
Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the definition of sound science is by which he will determine the Government's response to its consultations on methods to control bovine tuberculosis. [87112]
Mr. Bradshaw: I will base any decision on badger culling on a sound scientific and practical foundation. By “sound science” I mean the evidence from the available science base and the outcomes from the on-going TB research programme.
British Waterways
Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when his Department will sign the long-term contract with British Waterways recommended in the quinquennial review in 2004. [87404]
Barry Gardiner: The 2004 Policy Review of British Waterways made a number of recommendations associated with increasing clarity of purpose, measurement of performance and long-term funding arrangements.
We are currently discussing with British Waterways, how these might be achieved in practice. The aims are to establish a more robust funding and performance framework to maintain waterways at a sustainable level, give clarity on expectation on income and efficiencies and certainty of funding over the medium term. The intention is for this framework to be in place for the next Comprehensive Spending Review period.
CAP/Agricultural Tariffs
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had on (a) agricultural tariffs and (b) the common agricultural policy with (i) the US Department of Agriculture and (ii) EU Commissioner Boel in relation to the Doha world trade talks. [86768]
Ian Pearson: My DEFRA ministerial colleagues and I, continue to meet regularly with Commissioner Fischer Boel and the European Commission’s directorate-general for Agriculture and Rural Development to discuss a range of issues including reform of the common agricultural policy and the current World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations which include agricultural tariffs.
We also have contact with representatives from the US Administration and other third countries to discuss issues including agricultural policy and the current Doha talks, and will continue to do so in the future. The European Commission has responsibility for trade negotiations, which take place within a mandate set by EU member states, and has regular contact with WTO delegations.
Carbon Emissions
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he plans to take to ensure that the UK Government will reduce the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent. by 2010. [87474]
Ian Pearson: The new UK climate change programme, published in March 2006, details policies and measures to cut UK emissions of carbondioxide and other/greenhouse gases. The UK’s climate change programme 2006 is available on the Defra website at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/ukccp/pdf/ukccp06-all.pdf
On
current projections we are expected to achieve a 16.2 per cent.
reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2010, however the climate
change programme is not the
final word and further contributions are likely be made by the Energy
Review, the Department for Communities and Local Government Review of
buildings and other Government initiatives over the coming
years.
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total carbon emissions of the UK were in 2005-06; and what assessment he has made of the relative performance of the UK on carbon emissions compared with other major industrial nations. [87572]
Ian Pearson: Estimates of UK greenhouse gas emissions for 2005 are not yet available. Summary statistics for 2005 will be published in January 2007 and a full national inventory report for the UN framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC) will be published in April 2007.
Provisional data for 2005 suggest that UK emissions of carbon dioxide were some 153 million tonnes of carbon, and that total greenhouse gas emissions were about 178.9 million tonnes of carbon equivalent. These were respectively about 5.3 per cent. and about 14.6 per cent. below the Kyoto protocol base year level. Provisional estimates are uncertain, but mostly within 1 percentage point of the final figure. In 2004, the most recent year which finalised data are available, UK carbon dioxide and total greenhouse gas emissions were estimated to have been 5.6 per cent. and 14.6 per cent. respectively below Kyoto base year levels.
Of the major mature market economies, only Germany, which has undergone significant economic restructuring since reunification, has reduced its emissions by a greater amount than the UK. The US which has ratified the UNFCCC but not the Kyoto protocol, is estimated to have increased its greenhouse emissions by 16 per cent. between 1990 and 2004.
Climate Change
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the implications of climate change for rural areas; and what plans his Department has to help areas to respond to these implications. [88528]
Ian Pearson: DEFRA has recently received the final report of a study commissioned under the Cross-Regional Research Programme on climate change and its impacts on the Countryside and Rural Economy. The project also considered possible adaptation strategies that could be implemented to lessen the effects of unavoidable climate change. The report outlined the factors contributing to the vulnerability of rural areas, identified the key climate impacts likely to occur, and discussed potential adaptation strategies that could be implemented.
Rural
areas will face the same challenges as the UK as a whole: higher
average temperatures, more frequent and higher extreme temperatures,
especially in the South East, together with warmer wetter winters and
longer dry summers, and higher risk of extreme storm and drought
events. Farmers and other land managers are in the front line of a
changing climate and, as
identified in the Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy Forward Look,
tackling climate change and its impacts are a key part of DEFRA policy
on agriculture. Research suggests that though climate change impacts do
not appear to threaten the viability of the agriculture industry as a
whole in the UK, due to the adaptability of UK systems, individual
agricultural businesses and land managers will need to be aware of the
need to adapt.
In order to help raise awareness of the problems and develop suitable adaptation strategies, the Rural Climate Change Forum has been established to provide a high level forum for dialogue with the Government, and authoritative advice and leadership to rural stakeholders. Last year under the UK presidency of the EU, we hosted the first ever Joint Informal Council on Environment and Agriculture on the topic of agriculture and climate change.
We have recently awarded funding under the Climate Challenge Fund to the National Farmers’ Union and Forum for the Future, to communicate climate change issues to land managers. We will be working with the National Farmers’ Union, the Country Land and Business Association and the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) to host a seminar on adaptation for agricultural support industries in September this year. We are already working with rural stakeholders and UKCIP on identifying and publicising adaptation strategies and encouraging land managers to see dealing with climate change as part of risk management in their business. UKCIP and regional partners have established rural climate change partnerships to identify local action needed.
The Climate Change Programme 2006 and work on the UK Adaptation Policy Framework lay out a clear framework for action, and signalled a step change in the recognition given to land managers in addressing climate change. The Government will continue to fund research to support this work on impacts and adaptation, particularly through the UK Climate Impacts Programme which is conducting ongoing work to provide scenarios to show how our climate might change and co-ordinating research on dealing with our future climate. We are also considering the scope for establishing an innovation centre for climate change and agriculture to lead and foster research partnerships with relevant UK farming and food interests, and in particular drawing on the experience and systems from regions in climate conditions the UK may face in the future.
Common Agricultural Policy
Mr. Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of (a) the difference between UK and world prices for agricultural food products as a proxy for the cost to the UK consumer of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and (b) the notional UK contribution to CAP expenditure, broken down by (i) commodity and (ii) European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund spending sector. [83335]
Barry
Gardiner: We can estimate the UK consumer cost of the CAP
by comparing the difference between UK and world prices for
agricultural products and
applying that difference to the volume of UK consumption. Our latest
provisional estimate, for 2004, shows a cost of the CAP to UK consumers
of around £4
billion.
The UK contributes to the total EU budget and not to its individual components; however, we can calculate a notional UK contribution to the CAP. We estimate that, in 2004, this notional cost to UK taxpayers of expenditure through the CAP budget was around £3.7 billion (after a notional “agricultural” abatement).
We do not have estimates of the notional UK contribution to spending on individual agricultural commodity sectors. However, the following table provides a breakdown of CAP the level and share of expenditure by commodity and CAP Pillar.
| CAP expenditure by commodity and pillar, 2004 | ||
| € million | Share (Percentage) | |
| Source: European Commission, (2005) 34th Financial Report on The
Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee
Fund. | ||
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