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19 Feb 2007 : Column 261W—continued
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. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many unauthorised absences from schools in (a) Chorley and (b) Lancashire there were in each year since 1997. [117196]
Jim Knight: The percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absence in Chorley parliamentary constituency and Lancashire local authority in each year since 1997 are shown as follows.
| Percentage of half days missed in maintained primary schools( 1) due to unauthorised absence( 2,3) | |||
| Chorley | Lancashire | England | |
| Percentage of half days missed in maintained secondary schools( 1) due to unauthorised absence( 2,3) | |||
| Chorley | Lancashire | England | |
| (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Due to local government reorganisation, regional figures are not available prior to 1998. (3) Figures for Chorley are available to one decimal place. Figures for Lancashire local authority are available to one decimal place prior to 2001/02 and two decimal places from 2001/02 onwards. | |||
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.
Vocational Training
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps are being taken to involve further education colleges in providing vocational skills to secondary school pupils. [118954]
Phil Hope:
The Increased Flexibility programme has created approximately 290 partnerships of further education (FE) colleges, schools and other agents that provide enhanced vocational and work-related learning opportunities for local 14 to 16-years-olds. FE colleges also play a key role in the delivery of the Young Apprenticeship programme, enabling 14 to 16-year-olds to pursue industry-specific vocational programmes and qualifications outside school. FE
colleges will be delivering diplomas, most often as part of consortiums involving schools and employers, from September 2008. Colleges have been recognised as key stakeholders and are represented as members of the Diploma Development Partnerships.
Wireless Networking
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what consultations he has undertaken on the use of wireless networking in west Lancashire schools; and if he will make a statement. [112220]
Jim Knight: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) on 23 January 2007, Official Report, columns 1665-66W.
Youth Opportunity Cards: Sunderland
Mrs. Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps are being taken towards implementing youth opportunity cards in Sunderland; and when their launch is expected. [118536]
Beverley Hughes: Sunderland is one of 10 local authorities who have volunteered and been accepted for piloting the youth opportunity card. The pilot authorities are making an invaluable contribution to the detailed design of the delivery arrangements for the card. In particular they have each seconded a member of staff to work part-time with the youth opportunity card team in my Department. A project of this nature is complex as well as ambitious and it is important that we get it right. There are important aspects to the project that we are still working through. I expect to be in a position shortly to make an announcement.
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 19 February 2007
Prime Minister
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Prime Minister what his tipping point target is for deportation of failed asylum seekers; and when the target was announced. [118869]
The Prime Minister: The tipping point target, which I announced in September 2004, is to remove more failed asylum seekers each month than the number of new anticipated unfounded applications that month.
The most recent published statistics show that the Home Office met the target in the first nine months of 2006, removing around 700 more failed asylum seekers than the number making unfounded claims.
Departments: Termination of Employment
Mr. Heald: To ask the Prime Minister whether his Office undertakes employee exit interviews. [119799]
The Prime Minister: For these purposes, my Office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 13 February [119967].
Honours
Harry Cohen: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list those who have been stripped of an honour previously bestowed upon them; and what the reason was in each case. [120852]
The Prime Minister: The names of people who have forfeited their honour are published in the London Gazette, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
Correspondence
Peter Bottomley: To ask the Prime Minister when he will respond to the letter of 3 February 2007 to him from Meeting for Sufferings, on the proposed replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons system. [120661]
The Prime Minister: As far as I am aware, my Office has not received the letter.
Members: Surveillance
Mr. Heald: To ask the Prime Minister (1) whether the Wilson Doctrine applies to postal interception by the security services; [119317]
(2) whether the Wilson Doctrine applies to surveillance by foreign states or foreign security services, which operate with the permission and knowledge of the UK Government. [119318]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 February 2007, Official Report, column 464W, and my written ministerial statement of 30 March 2006, Official Report, column 95WS.
Minimum Wage: India
Mr. Gale: To ask the Prime Minister whether he discussed the application and enforcement of minimum wage legislation in India during his meeting with Shilpa Shetty at the House of Commons on 7 February. [121243]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the press briefing given by my official spokesman on 7 February 2007. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website (http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page10931.asp) and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Ministerial Policy Advisers: Public Appointments
Mr. Heald: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions he has terminated the employment of special advisers by withdrawing consent to their appointment. [119500]
The Prime Minister: Since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the names and overall cost of special advisers and the number in each payband. I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 24 July 2006, Official Report, columns 86-91WS. Information on the number of special advisers before 2003 was provided at regular intervals. This information is available in the Libraries of the House.
Information on special advisers for 2006-07 will be published in the normal way once it has been completed.
Deputy Prime Minister
Ministerial Responsibilities
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which area of his responsibilities takes up most of his time in any working week. [112228]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 May 2006, Official Report, column 1665W.
International Development
Afghanistan: Overseas Aid
Mr. Lancaster:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 8 February 2007, Official Report, column 1070W, on
Afghanistan: overseas aid, when the last audited statements were presented to his Department by the Ministry of Finance; and whether they are publicly available. [121635]
Hilary Benn: The last audit of the ARTF account was carried out on 30 June 2006 by the international accounting firm, Deloitte. The review was conducted in accordance with the standards of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. DFID received the last audited statement in January 2007. In the interest of their relationship with the Government of Afghanistan, the World Bank has asked that the accounts not be shared with the public. However, the conclusion of the audit was that
“the bank maintained effective internal control over financial reporting of trust fund activities”.
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 8 February 2007, Official Report, column 1070W, on “Afghanistan: overseas aid”, how the £50 million unearmarked support to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund has been spent by that fund, broken down by main items of expenditure. [121636]
Hilary Benn: DFID's unearmarked £50 million support, along with the resources of other contributing donors, are managed by the World Bank in a pooled trust fund which reimburses Government for any expenditures that meet certain eligibility criteria. This puts the government of Afghanistan in the lead, in setting and implementing its development priorities. As these resources are pooled, specific expenditures cannot, by definition, be ascribed to any one donor.
The ARTF is split into two windows, the recurrent window (which meets the essential recurrent costs of the Government) and the investment window (which provides financing for development activities under Government National Priority Programmes). This year $280 million of donor contributions were allocated to the recurrent window. Of these resources, 69 per cent. of expenditures were spent on salaries (predominantly for teachers), 6 per cent. on pensions and the remaining 25 per cent. on operations and maintenance costs (e.g. fuel and electricity for Ministries). Split by Ministry, the largest share (39 per cent.) went to the Ministry of Education. The Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Public Health, Labour and Social Affairs, Higher Education and Martyrs and Disabled all received approximately 5 per cent. each with other Ministries also receiving smaller sums.
The remaining $120 million, including DFID's earmarked £5 million for each of the National Solidarity Programme (NSP) and Microfinance Investment Service Facility Afghanistan (MISFA), was allocated to the following 11 national priority programmes through the investment window:
Technical Assistance Feasibility Studies
National Emergency Employment Program
Microfinance Program
Telecom and Microwave Link
Kabul Power Supply
National Solidarity Program
Civil Service Capacity Building
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