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12 Dec 2007 : Column 712W—continued
Slaughterhouses: Religious Practice
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring forward proposals to regulate the halal slaughter industry in order to assist the identification of such produce throughout the wholesale process. [171938]
Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
The Government recognise that some purchasers may wish to have access to this information. However, they have no plans to bring in legislation in this area. There is, of course, nothing to prevent food businesses from providing this information throughout the supply chain on a voluntary basis.
Telephone Services
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible provide a customer contact service; and which of these are 0800 or 0845 numbers. [173205]
Jonathan Shaw: All of DEFRA’s executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies provide public contact points for enquiries. Details are available on their websites.
In addition, the following DEFRA sponsored bodies offer a substantive customer contact service:
Thames and Severn Canal
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for how long the scheme proposing the restoration of the Thames and Severn canal has been in place. [172705]
Jonathan Shaw: The Cotswold Canals Trust was established in 1972 with the vision of restoring these canals to navigation. The regenerative benefits of the proposed restoration was recognised by the local community and local authorities by the early 1990s. The Cotswold Canals Partnership—made up of 17 stakeholders—was formed in 2001 and is leading the restoration of the canal.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to publish the MWH report into the Thames and Severn canal. [172706]
Jonathan Shaw: The Montgomery Watson Hydrological study into the feasibility of water supply to the restored canals is well advanced, and is currently being reviewed by British Waterways in consultation with the Environment Agency. I understand that it will be published once the study is fully complete.
Whales
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has made to countries who permit whaling. [172413]
Jonathan Shaw: The UK Government have consistently voiced their strong opposition to countries engaged in lethal 'scientific' and commercial whaling programmes.
Last year the UK took part in two demarches presented to the Japanese Government regarding their 'scientific' whaling operations: in January 2006 over the JARPA II whaling programme, and a similar protest in December 2006.
In April 2006, the British Charge d'Affaires in Oslo delivered a demarche to the Norwegian Government, on behalf of the UK and 11 other countries, urging it to stop its commercial whaling programme.
In November 2006, the UK led a diplomatic demarche of 25 countries, together with the European Commission, in condemning the Icelandic Government’s decision to resume commercial whaling.
Whales: Research
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proposals he has made in international institutions to prevent the killing of humpback whales for scientific research. [173385]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 11 December 2007]: At the annual meetings of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the UK regularly co-sponsors resolutions calling on those countries which undertake lethal whaling operations for the ostensible purpose of scientific research to desist from these activities. We also participate in high-level diplomatic protests to the Japanese Government on this issue. In more general discussion on the future of the IWC, we have argued that the international convention for the regulation of whaling should be amended to close the loophole that renders such operations legal. Were such an amendment formally proposed, it would only take effect if all parties to the convention ratified it. This seems an unlikely outcome.
Children, Schools and Families
Academies: Fire Extinguishers
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many academies there are; and how many of these have been fitted with fire sprinkler systems. [171229]
Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 13 November 2007, Official Report, column 150W, and to the reply given on 13 November 2007, Official Report, column 154W.
Academies: General Certificate of Secondary Education
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were entered for each subject at GCSE and equivalent qualifications in 2007 by each academy school; how many achieved each grade in each academy; and if he will make a statement. [172749]
Jim Knight: 2007 GCSE and equivalent results for each school—including those for academies—are not available until their publication in the secondary school achievement and attainment tables in January 2008. However, the Department does not produce reports showing individual subject level results for each individual school—including academies. Such a report could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
Academies: Pupil Exclusions
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many permanent exclusions there were from each academy in each year since 2002-03; how many there were in those schools in the year before academy status was granted; and if he will make a statement. [172084]
Kevin Brennan: The number of permanent exclusions from each academy in each year since 2002-03 to 2005-06 is provided in the table. Exclusions data relating to the 2006-07 school year are expected to be available in June 2008.
Information on the number of exclusions from the predecessor schools of each academy could be provided only at disproportionate costs.
Exclusions in academies are high relative to national averages. However, academies are placing great emphasis on getting the basics right and improving behaviour in particular. Academies often inherit a large number of disengaged pupils and need to establish good behaviour in order to raise attainment. As the new ethos and behaviour policy are enforced in an academy's early days, the number of exclusions may rise, but it typically drops down as behaviour improves. This phenomenon is not unique to academies—the same effect is often observed when a new head teacher transforms a struggling maintained school.
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