| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
18 July 2007 : Column 409W—continued
Palestinians: Politics and Government
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is (a) taking and (b) plans to take to strengthen the emergency Government of Mahmoud Abbas; and if he will make a statement. [149943]
Dr. Howells: EU Foreign Ministers agreed at the 18 June General Affairs and External Relations Council to urgent practical and financial assistance including: direct financial support to the new Palestinian Government; support to the Palestinian civilian police; the resumption of the EU border assistance mission at the Rafah (Gaza-Egypt) crossing; and intensive efforts to build the institutions of a future Palestinian state.
On 19 June, my right. hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for International Development announced a £1 million contribution to the International Committee of the Red Cross' work in Gaza and the West Bank. We continue to support the temporary international mechanism, which plays a valuable role in providing assistance to the Palestinian people. We are also working with the new emergency Government to help bring stability and security to the occupied Palestinian territories.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority to amend the Fatah constitution to remove articles that call for eradication of Israel; what response was received; and if he will make a statement. [149944]
Dr. Howells: The Fatah constitution does call for the “eradication of Zionist economic, political, military and cultural existence”. But Fatah, as a member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), is a signatory to the Oslo Peace Accords, which clearly state that “the PLO recognises the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security”.
The letter of mutual recognition from Yasser Arafat, representing the PLO at the time, to Yitzhak Rabin, the then Israeli Prime Minister, in September 1993 clearly states
“the PLO affirms that those articles of the Palestinian Covenant which deny Israel’s right to exist, and the provisions of the Covenant which are inconsistent with the commitments of this letter are now inoperative and no longer valid. Consequently, the PLO undertakes to submit to the Palestinian National Council for formal approval the necessary changes in regard to the Palestinian Covenant.”
We have therefore not made any representations to Palestinian President Abbas on this issue.
Western Sahara: Referendums
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the UN Secretary General on the possibility of a referendum on the future of the western Sahara; and if he will make a statement. [150507]
Dr. Howells: My right. hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed the question of western Sahara with the UN Secretary-General, but UK officials in New York are in regular contact with their UN counterparts. We will continue, through my meetings and those of officials, to discuss this issue with all interested parties.
The UK regards the status of western Sahara as undetermined, pending UN efforts to find a solution. To this end, the UK fully supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his personal envoy to the western Sahara, Peter van Walsum, to assist the parties to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self determination of the people of western Sahara.
The UN Security Council adopted UN Security Council Resolution 1754 on 30 April, which extended the mandate of the UN mission for the referendum in western Sahara. There are no plans for a referendum to be held in the near future. However, the resolution also called for both sides to enter into negotiations without preconditions. The UK welcomes the first round of these talks between the parties, hosted by the UN in Manhasset, New York, on 18-19 June, and the agreement by all parties to take part in a further round in August.
Children, Schools and Families
Antisocial Behaviour: Torbay
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what initiatives to tackle antisocial behaviour the Government have funded in Torbay since 1997. [148092]
Kevin Brennan: In 2005-06, Torbay council received £216,044 revenue and £46,305 capital Safer Stronger Communities Fund grant from the Home Office. This included £25,000 for a local antisocial behaviour co-ordinator, to prioritise and drive forward action on local issues.
Since 2006-07, Torbay council has received centrally pooled Safer Stronger Communities (SSC) funding from Communities and Local Government. The pooled grant available was £216,044 revenue and £46,305 capital in 2006-07; and £321,848 revenue and £182,475 capital in 2007-08. Although there is no requirement to use this funding for specific antisocial behaviour initiatives, Torbay has agreed through its local area agreement to deliver a range of outcomes using this funding including a reduction in public perceptions of antisocial behaviour.
In 2006-07, Torbay received £14,000 from the Respect Task Force for targeted action against antisocial behaviour, £2,000 for a merchandise procurement and publicity campaign, £5,000 towards project work to scope a single non-emergency number and £7,000 towards a clean up campaign.
As one of the 77 target areas working closely with the Respect Task Force, Torbay has been allocated additional funding in 2007-08 of up to £50,000 for a parenting practitioner to work with parents whose children are involved in or at risk of engaging in antisocial behaviour.
Children: Databases
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) when he expects the ContactPoint project to commence operation; [150348]
(2) how many people are expected to be able to access ContactPoint; [150349]
(3) what response he has had from local authorities about their preparedness to commence operation of ContactPoint; [150350]
(4) how much has been spent on ContactPoint; and how much has been budgeted for completion of the project; [150351]
(5) what estimate has been made of the annual running costs of ContactPoint once it has been initiated. [150352]
Kevin Brennan: In relation to question 150348, ContactPoint will be available to all local authorities in England by the end of 2008. By that time the system will have also been made available to our National Partners—Barnardo’s, NSPCC, NCH, the Children's Society, KIDS, Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre and the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service—who will work with us in implementing the system and who will grant access and manage users in their organisations when it is operational. ContactPoint will be deployed initially in April 2008 to 17 Early Adopter authorities and Barnardo’s, the Early Adopter National Partner.
In relation to question 150349, we estimate that there will be some 330,000 ContactPoint users working in education, health, social care, youth justice and the voluntary sector.
In relation to question 150350, we are working closely with all local authorities and National Partners to ensure their readiness for deployment in 2008. They provide regular reports on their progress to the Department, through an online tool—the local authority readiness assessment (LARA) system. Departmental officials also provide significant support to each authority and National Partner, in particular through a team of 11 regional coordinators who offer one to one support and bi-monthly networking and update opportunities. Local authorities and National Partners have also been provided with a range of tools and other support and guidance materials. Progress towards readiness to receive access to ContactPoint is on track.
In relation to question 150351, we spent £28.4 million in 2006-07 and a further £11.2 million in the first three months of 2007-08. The total costs for implementing the system are estimated at £224 million. This includes the costs of adapting systems that will supply the data to ContactPoint and adapting the day-to-day systems used by practitioners they can access ContactPoint from their own systems. It also includes the costs to ensure security, data accuracy and staff training.
In relation to question 150352, running costs thereafter are estimated to be £41 million per year. Most of this will go directly to local authorities to fund staff to ensure the ongoing security, accuracy and audit of ContactPoint.
Children: Day Care
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what consultations his Department has undertaken with different community groups on the provision of child care. [149926]
Beverley Hughes: We consulted widely in the summer and autumn last year on draft statutory guidance to local authorities undertaking child care sufficiency assessments; and between February and May this year on draft statutory guidance to local authorities on securing sufficient child care. Both documents benefited from revisions made in the light of comments from a range of groups, including local authorities themselves, representative organisations and child care providers. Our guidance emphasises the importance of local authorities—whose job it is to facilitate and support child care in their areas—establishing the needs of their different community groups and working to meet them.
Departments: Marketing
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost was of establishing his Department; and how much was accounted for by (a) relocation expenses and (b) re-branding expenses on (i) signs, (ii) stationery and (iii) departmental publications. [147810]
Ed Balls: There were no costs for relocation or re-branding. Costs for producing branded material in relation to the creation of DCSF were as follows:
| £ | |
Departments: Policy
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he plans to publish the goals and direction for his Department for the next 10 years including his Children’s Plan; and if he will make a statement. [149868]
Ed Balls: As I set out in my statement to the House on 10 July 2007, we are launching a nationwide consultation to draw up a children’s plan for our country. I plan to be able to report the results of that consultation and set out the emerging children’s plan in the autumn setting out the goals and directions for the Department for the next 10 years.
Pupil Exclusions
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what data were collected by his Department on reasons for exclusions in maintained primary and secondary schools in 2005-06; [148889]
(2) if he will make a statement on the changes to the collection of data on the reasons for exclusion in maintained primary and special schools. [148890]
Kevin Brennan: In the academic year 2005/06 data on the reason for exclusion were collected from maintained secondary schools only.
Prior to 2005/06 data on the reason for exclusion were collected as part of the Termly Exclusions Survey for maintained primary, secondary, special schools and pupil referral units. However there has been a staggered move to collect exclusions data through the School Census, streamlining data collection and reducing both the number of data collections and the administrative burden on schools.
Secondary schools returned exclusion data via the School Census for the first time in May 2006. Primary and special schools returned fixed period and permanent exclusion data through the census for the first time in May 2007. No data on fixed period or reason for exclusion were collected from primary or special schools for 2005/06. The data collected in May 2007 relate to exclusions occurring in the previous autumn term, therefore data will be available for the 2006/07 academic year.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) temporary and (b) permanent exclusions there were of (i) 12-year-olds, (ii) 13-year-olds and (iii) 14-year-olds in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available; what proportion those figures represented of the age cohort in each case; and if he will make a statement. [149147]
Kevin Brennan: The available information on fixed term and permanent exclusions is contained in the following tables.
These tables were published as part of the recent Statistical First Release on exclusions which can be found at:
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |