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28 Nov 2006 : Column 508W—continued
against a prison receptions profile of:
| Number | |
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many prisoners are receiving education or training; and if he will make a statement. [105839]
Phil Hope: In August 2006, 20,920 prisoners were engaged in learning and skills activity in English public prisons and service level agreement (SLA) prisons, funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) as part of the Offenders’ Learning and Skills Service (OLASS).
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many prisoners received education or training in each year since 2002; and what proportion of such education and training was provided by a further education college. [105840]
Phil Hope: The information requested has not been collected centrally prior to the introduction of the new offender learning and skills delivery arrangements across England from 31 July 2006. In the month of August 2006, 20,920 prisoners were engaged in learning and skills activity in English public prisons and service level agreement (SLA) prisons, funded by the Learning and Skills Council as part of the Offenders’ Learning and Skills Service (OLASS).
Of the 21 lead providers appointed to deliver learning to prisoners, 14 are further education colleges, representing 67 per cent. of the provider base.
Prison Literacy
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the literacy rate is in prisons in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [103757]
Phil Hope: The information requested is not collected centrally. The most recent Home Office data (‘Prison Statistics for England and Wales 2002’) showed that 37 per cent. of prisoners had literacy levels below level 1.
Private Finance Initiatives
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total capital value is of each private finance initiative scheme overseen by his Department which has reached financial close; over what period repayments will take place; and what the total cost of repayment will be. [103604]
Jim Knight:
The information requested concerning the total capital value of private finance initiative projects that have reached financial closure and the length of their contracts has been placed in the House Library. The information has been estimated by the
Department on the basis of returns from the local authorities concerned, some of which are incomplete.
The Department does not hold accurate records of the total cost of repayments made by individual local authorities.
Runaway Children
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities provide appropriate levels of support for runaway children; [102525]
(2) if he will assess the merits of introducing centrally controlled provision for runaway children; [102526]
(3) what support is given to runaway children who are considered as having priority need. [102527]
Mr. Dhanda: This Government are committed to improving outcomes for all children, especially the most vulnerable, for example those children and young people who run away.
We need to prevent young people from going missing in the first place, and ensure their safe return and safety when they do run away. Most runaways return within 24 hours, but they need effective mediation and resolution for their problems. When a child is missing for longer, it is even more important we have clear support mechanisms, procedures and responsibilities to enable them to be found and returned, safely and speedily, and their problems addressed.
Our fundamental programme of reform to improve outcomes for children everywhere—“Every Child Matters”—is designed to ensure vulnerable young people receive local services that identify them quickly, give responsive support tailored to their needs, and ensure their safety. It covers early intervention and prevention; integration of education, social care and health services available to at-risk youngsters; information sharing to prevent young people slipping through the net; early assessment of young people's needs, including those relating to broader family issues; joined up support for children and families, through a lead professional.
This means that children at risk of running away can receive practical local help for all the problems they face, not just the immediate presenting crisis. Local children's services are best placed to identify and engage with at-risk groups more quickly and effectively, where prevention and speed of response is vital. Unfortunately, not all runaways are reported as missing, but when the needs of such vulnerable young people become known to, and are assessed as a priority by, children's social care departments, they have a duty to assess and address those needs.
Nationally, we are working across Departments, with the police, and with other key voluntary bodies. We are working with Barnardo's to summarise and disseminate lessons learned from the six community-based refuge pilot projects we funded recently. We are also working with The Children's Society to find and disseminate good practice across local authorities. We are planning new quality standards for information advice and guidance for young people; greater focus on early intervention and prevention for the whole family;
and we are working with the London councils to consider their next steps towards a pan-London strategy for runaways.
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what estimate he has made of the proportion of runaway children who are given a full independent interview by police before being returned to their parents; [102700]
(2) what financial support is provided to local authorities to ensure that runaway children are given a full independent interview by police before being returned to their parents. [102701]
Mr. Dhanda: It has always been policing good practice to interview runaway and missing persons on return to establish why they went missing, where they went, were they victims or perpetrators of crime, and whether they came to any other form of harm. This is formalised in the 2005 Association of Chief Police Officers' document “Guidance on the Management, Recording and Investigation of Missing Persons”.
The National Centre of Police Excellence estimate around 90 per cent. of children are spoken to as part of this return-home process. No separate ring-fenced money is provided by local authorities for the police to conduct these interviews outside of normal budget provisions.
Special Needs
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children with epilepsy who are educated in mainstream (a) primary and (b) secondary schools have been (i) suspended and (ii) expelled. [101252]
Mr. Dhanda: The requested information is not collected centrally.
Transformation Fund
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) when he proposes to evaluate the effectiveness of the Transformation Fund; and whether he plans to extend the initiative beyond 2008; [104271]
(2) what proportion of child carers in receipt of support from the Transformation Fund are enrolled on training for (a) level 3, (b) level 4, (c) level 5 and (d) level 6 qualifications; [104272]
(3) how many (a) private, (b) voluntary and (c) independent day nurseries have accessed the Transformation Fund to help with the costs of staff training since its inception. [104273]
Beverley Hughes: The evaluation of the effectiveness of the Transformation Fund is due to commence in December 2006 and will cover the period until March 2009.
Indicative plans submitted by local authorities for using the Transformation Fund between 2006 and 2008 show that over 26,000 child-carers intend to study for Level 3 qualifications, over 8,500 intend to study for Level 4 qualifications and over 7,000 intend to study for Level 5 qualifications.
These plans also show that over 4,000 settings across the private, voluntary and independent sectors are expected to take up the Quality Premium element of the Fund and therefore employ a graduate who will work towards the new Early Years Professional Status, which is assessed at level 6. The plans do not, however, provide a breakdown of take up of the Quality Premium between the sectors; and, although the plans show the number of staff expected to undertake Level 3, Level 4 and Level 5 qualifications, they do not identify the number of settings involved in accessing this funding.
Local authorities are next due to submit a report on the take-up of the Transformation Fund in spring 2007. This will provide further details about how the funding is being used and the number of settings that are benefiting.
Funding in 2008-09 and beyond is subject to the outcome of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review, which is currently under way.
Transport
Air Accidents Investigation Branch
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the work of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB); and what the budget of the AAIB is for 2006-07. [103334]
Gillian Merron: The United Kingdom’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is an independent part of the Department for Transport and is responsible for the investigation of civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents within the UK. It also assists in the investigation of military accidents on request and civil aircraft accidents overseas where there is a UK interest. The Chief Inspector of Air Accidents reports directly to the Secretary of State for Transport on safety matters.
Authority for the AAIB to investigate accidents originates from the Civil Aviation Act: The Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations 1996.
The fundamental purpose of investigating accidents and incidents is to determine the circumstances and causes of the accident with a view to the preservation of life and the avoidance of accidents in the future, it is not to apportion blame or liability.
The total annual budget for the AAIB for 2006-07 is £8,108,000.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many individuals worked at the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), expressed as (a) headcount and (b) whole-time-equivalent, in each of the last five years; and whether any armed forces personnel, including from the armed forces of countries other than the UK worked for the AAIB, in each of the last five years. [103339]
Gillian Merron: The headcount for the AAIB for the years 2001-2006 is as follows:
| Headcount | Whole time equivalent | |
No armed forces personnel from the UK or overseas were employed by the AAIB in the last five years.
Aviation
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many security breaches have been recorded on flights coming into the UK under the host state responsibility principle in each year since 1996. [103514]
Gillian Merron: Under the host state responsibility principle, states are charged with ensuring that appropriate aviation security measures are in place for flights leaving their territory, not for those entering. The Department therefore sets and enforces compliance with aviation security measures at UK airports. Its work to promote effective aviation security overseas does however help reinforce the security of flights originating in other states, including flights to the UK itself.
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider deferring publication of the progress report on the Future of Air Transport White Paper to take account of the forthcoming European Commission proposal on aviation and emissions trading. [102345]
Gillian Merron: We are expecting the European Commission legislative proposal on aviation and emissions trading by the end of the year, although timing is uncertain. The Government are committed to publishing a report on progress in implementing the “Future of Air Transport” White Paper’s policies and proposals by the end of 2006.
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much carbon dioxide was attributable to UK international and domestic aviation operations in (a) 2003, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005. [102347]
Gillian Merron: Carbon dioxide emissions from UK aviation are reported in ‘Transport Statistics Great Britain 2006’, table 3.8. at the following link:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_transstats/documents/downloadable/dft_transstats_613483.pdf
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely timetable for implementation of an effective emissions trading scheme for aviation. [102348]
Gillian Merron:
The Commission aims to bring forward a legislative proposal by the end of 2006 and
we will continue to press for its inclusion from 2008 or as soon as practicable. We are continuing to work with our European partners to ensure progress.
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates he has made of carbon dioxide emissions from UK international and domestic aviation operations in (a) 2008, (b) 2010 and (c) 2013. [102349]
Gillian Merron: Forecast carbon dioxide emissions from UK aviation are reported in “Aviation and Global Warming”, paragraph 3.56,
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_aviation/documents/page/_dft_aviation_031850.pdf.
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what progress he has made on the commitment in paragraph 3.42 of the Future of Air Transport White Paper to continue to explore and discuss other options for tackling aviation's impact on climate change; what the outcome has been of those steps; and what steps he plans to take to implement his findings; [102506]
(2) what steps he is planning to take to exercise the right reserved in paragraph 3.42 of the Future of Air Transport White Paper to act alone or bilaterally with like-minded partners in establishing mechanisms to tackle carbon dioxide emissions from aviation. [102660]
Gillian Merron: The Government are committed to publishing a report on progress in implementing the Future of Air Transport White Paper's policies and proposals, including on environmental issues, by the end of 2006.
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to tackle the non-carbon dioxide effects of aviation on the global climate. [101773]
Gillian Merron: The Government are well aware that aviation has an impact over and above that of CO2 alone because of the other emissions released and their specific effects at altitude. We are supporting research to develop scientific understanding in this area, and have made clear that we expect aviation to contribute to our goal of climate stabilisation, and to meet its external costs.
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential impact of an aviation tax on low-income families. [100911]
John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
Decisions on taxation are taken as part of the Budget process, and take into account all relevant social, environmental and economic factors.
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