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7 Mar 2008 : Column 2892W—continued
Spain: Gibraltar
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the average waiting time at the border for those travelling from (a) Spain into Gibraltar and (b) Gibraltar into Spain in the last 12 months. [191818]
Mr. Jim Murphy [holding answer 5 March 2008]: The September 2006 Cordoba agreements set out new arrangements for the border designed to improve pedestrian and traffic flows between Gibraltar and Spain. These arrangements, which saw the introduction of red and green customs channels in both directions, came into force in December 2006 and have considerably improved border fluidity. Data gathered by the Gibraltar authorities for traffic travelling from Gibraltar to Spain shows a marked improvement when figures are compared to similar periods before December 2006. Queues with measurable delays only build up in peak traffic periods, usually at the end of the working day and Saturdays. The Gibraltar authorities do not gather data on delay times entering Gibraltar from Spain.
Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2007, Official Report, column 1306W, on Sudan: peacekeeping operations, what assessment has been made of which groups in Darfur continue to obstruct the political process; and if he will make a statement. [192077]
Meg Munn [holding answer 6 March 2008]: There has been no further recent progress in the Darfur political process owing to various factors including fragmentation among rebel groups. The African Union (AU) and the UN assess that there are now five main rebel groups in Darfur. They are currently talking to all of these groups both in and outside of Darfur to encourage them to unify further and agree on common platforms for negotiations with the Government of Sudan. The UN/AU will be hosting a meeting of international partners in Geneva on 18 March to set out the current status of the peace process and how to move it forward including in relation to the level of rebel engagement. The UK is discussing that issue with the UN and other partners in the run-up to that meeting.
My right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for International Development, in a joint statement of 27 February expressed concern about recent violence by all sides in West Darfur, and called for continued international attention including by the Security Council.
USA: Nuclear Weapons
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government’s policy is on the United States’ plan to site nuclear missile bases in the territory of EU member states; and if he will make a statement. [192486]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The UK knows of no US plans to site nuclear missile bases in the territory of EU member states. The UK does, however, welcome US plans to place missile defence assets in Poland and the Czech Republic. These plans are an important step towards providing missile defence coverage for Europe.
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Apprenticeships: Teesside
Ms Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department has taken to involve employers on the Tees to establish and deliver plans to increase the number of apprenticeships on (a) Teesside and (b) Stockton. [189336]
Bill Rammell: As part of National Apprenticeships Week in February 2008, the Learning and Skills Council worked with partners including employers and the Tees Valley work-based learning provider network to promote the broad range of apprenticeships available. This built on existing work with apprenticeship providers including in Stockton and the Tees Valley to improve quality and completion rates and to offer the apprenticeships employers and young people demand.
The Government report “World-class Apprenticeships: Unlocking Talent, Building Skills for All available at:
http://www.dius.gov.uk/publications/world_class_ apprenticeships.pdf
sets out plans to expand the number and range of apprenticeships throughout England. Plans to expand the number of employers delivering apprenticeships include developing more flexible and responsive apprenticeship frameworks, and incentives payments to targeted businesses.
Over the past decade, we have more than doubled the number of young people and adults starting apprenticeships in England. Over the period to 2020 we project that apprenticeship starts will increase to over 250,000 per year.
Ms Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps the Government plan to take to increase the number of apprenticeship in (a) Teesside and (b) Stockton. [189337]
Bill Rammell: The Tees Valley Learning and Skills Council will build on its existing work with partners including employers, sector skills councils and the Tees Valley work-based learning provider network to increase the number of apprenticeships on offer locally.
Government plan to expand the number and range of apprenticeships in England were set out in 'World-class Apprenticeships: Unlocking Talent, Building Skills for AH11 available at:
http://www.dius.gov.uk/publications/world_class_ apprenticeships.pdl
Over the past decade, we have more than doubled the number of young people and adults starting apprenticeships in England. Over the period to 2020 we project that apprenticeship starts will increase to over 250,000 per year.
Costs
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to date of the establishment of his Department. [180409]
Mr. Lammy: The costs of setting up the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills were met within existing departmental budgets.
Council of Ministers
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the A List items are of the next EU Council of Ministers meeting he will be attending. [180167]
Bill Rammell: The next meeting of the Education Council is scheduled for 22 May 2008 which I am due to attend for the UK. A items for the meeting will not be produced until shortly beforehand.
The next meeting of the Competitiveness Council is scheduled for 29-30 May. My hon. Friend the Minister for Science and Innovation (Ian Pearson) is likely to attend for the UK. A items for the meeting will not be produced until shortly beforehand.
Departmental ICT
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many websites his Department currently operates; how many it operated at 1 January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department’s websites. [162285]
Bill Rammell: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills currently operates three websites,
www.bnsc.gov.uk is operated on behalf of BNSC by Science and Technology Facilities Council, a delivery partner of BNSC.
Following the machinery of government changes the Department was created in June 2007 therefore DIUS did not operate a website in January 2005.
The estimated annual costs are
| £ | |
Departmental Recycling
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what (a) volume and (b) percentage of its waste his Department recycled in each of the last five years. [172507]
Bill Rammell: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created by machinery of Government changes at the end of June 2007 and therefore data on the Department's level of recycling has not yet been collected.
Departmental Sustainable Development
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether his Department has adopted the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme. [181325]
Bill Rammell: Since its creation in June 2007, estates and facilities management services have been provided to the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills as a shared service by the Department for Children Schools and Families and by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
DCSF headquarters has adopted and is operating the Carbon Trust's carbon management programme within its departmental environmental management system (SUMS) action plans. BERR are developing a programme with the Carbon Trust, including advice on renewables and carbon reduction options.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether his Department met the target in the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate to reverse the then upward trend in carbon emissions by April 2007. [181326]
Bill Rammell: The last published return on central Government progress on sustainable operations is contained within the Sustainable Development in Government Report for 2005/06. The 2006/07 report is due to be published in March 2008.
As the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was only formed in June 2007, we were not able to take part in this return.
The Department’s accommodation is located within buildings managed on our behalf by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, and as such, our sustainable operations performance will be returned within their reports.
Departmental Telephone Services
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which agencies under his Department’s responsibility use the (a) 0845 and (b) 0870 telephone codes for customer enquiries; how many 0845 and 0870 telephone codes each agency uses; and how much revenue was generated for each of these codes by each agency in each of the last five years. [183888]
Bill Rammell: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) was created by the Prime Minister on 28 June 2007.
A number of “08” telephones services are administered by the Department for public use.
From central records, the only information that can be provided on the Department’s use of 0870 and 0845 telephone numbers is listed as follows.
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