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12 May 2008 : Column 1403W—continued
“under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), the agency has a responsibility to verify any proliferation allegations in a non-nuclear weapon state party to the NPT and to report its findings to the IAEA Board of Governors and the Security Council, as required”.
We await the outcome of the IAEA's investigation.
The US evidence highlights the need for states to agree and implement an additional protocol if the IAEA is to be able to give adequate assurance that they have no undeclared nuclear activities.
Treaty of Lisbon
Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which areas of domestic legislative competence are unaffected by the EU Reform Treaty. [202203]
Mr. Jim Murphy: For the first time the Lisbon Treaty defines the Union’s competences, setting out where the EU can and cannot act. These competences are set out in Article 2(12) of the Treaty of Lisbon (Cm 7294 pages 52-55) presented to Parliament in December 2007. The Treaty explicitly states that competences not conferred on the EU remain with member states.
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with European counterparts on the scope of responsibility of the (a) posts and (b) institutions to be established by the Lisbon Treaty; and if he will make a statement. [204729]
Mr. Jim Murphy [holding answer 9 May 2008]: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has regular contact with all of our EU partners on a variety of issues.
The scope of responsibility of the posts and institutions provided for by the Lisbon treaty is set out in its provisions.
As set out in my letters of 22 April to the chairs of the Commons European Scrutiny Committee and Lords EU Select Committee, technical level discussions to prepare for implementation have begun. While it is only sensible to ensure that the EU is ready to implement the treaty—if all countries have ratified—we have made it clear to, and agreed with, our EU partners that no final decisions can be taken until ratification is confirmed.
United Nations: Finance
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had at the UN on strategic reserves for rapid response in emergency situations. [204364]
Mr. Thomas: I have been asked to reply.
The Department for International Development (DFID) is in regular discussions with all United Nations (UN) agencies delivering humanitarian assistance, such as the World Food Programme (WFP), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), on the locations and quantities of their emergency stockpiles. This is part of our wider efforts to build global capacity for humanitarian response. Most recently, DFID officials met with WFP officials to discuss their Humanitarian Response Depots, which are currently being set up in five locations around the world. Emergency food supplies from the WFP stockpile in Brindisi, Italy, have already been drawn on to assist those affected by the recent cyclone in Burma.
Zimbabwe: Arms Control
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to secure an international moratorium on arms sales to Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. [204088]
David Miliband: Following on from the UN Security Council discussion on 29 April, we are encouraging the Southern African Development Community countries to continue to prevent arms transfers to Zimbabwe and to further explore how the international community can support these efforts. We will continue to press for an international moratorium until democratic governance is restored to Zimbabwe.
Mr. Hague:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries have sold
arms to Zimbabwe in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [204087]
David Miliband: We do not maintain a record of other countries’ arms purchases or sales. The EU and US have an embargo on the sale of arms to Zimbabwe and we are supporting the call for a temporary moratorium on all arms sales until Zimbabwe has a democratic government in place.
Zimbabwe: United Nations
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals the UK has made for action to be taken by the UN on Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. [204090]
David Miliband: The deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe warrants the highest level of international engagement. In addition to various contacts I have had with UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, we have called on the UN to deploy a Human Rights monitoring mission to Zimbabwe, and strongly supported the inclusion of discussion of Zimbabwe at the UN Security Council meeting on 29 April. We will continue to press for active UN engagement, including the deployment of observers for any second round of the presidential election.
Children, Schools and Families
Assessments: Absenteeism
Mr. Laws:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of
trends in levels of absence from key stage 3 tests; how many pupils registered to take key stage 3 tests were absent from these tests in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by local authority; and if he will make a statement. [202812]
Kevin Brennan: The absence rate for key stage 3 (KS3) national curriculum tests is between 3 per cent. and 4 per cent. whereas the absence rate for key stage 2 (KS2) tests is around 1 per cent. The proportion of pupils absent or unable to access the KS3 tests in 2007, broken down by local authority, can be found on the Department's Achievement and Attainment Tables website at:
Bird and Bird
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what contracts were awarded by his Department to Bird and Bird Solicitors in each year since 2005; and what the (a) value and (b) duration of each such contract was. [201636]
Kevin Brennan: Since 2005, the Department has contracted with Bird and Bird using the Office of Government Commerce Buying Solutions open L-Cat Framework agreement for procuring external legal services. The Department does not hold a comprehensive central contracts record. However, the following table presents available information, including known payments for the contracts concerned. Further information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| Departmental initiative/activity supported | Contract period | Contract value/payments made to Bird and Bird |
Building Schools for the Future Programme: Essex
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what representations he has received on the effects of the Environment Agency’s requirements for flood risk assessments on development related to the Building Schools for the Future programme in (a) Canvey Island and (b) Essex. [204601]
Jim Knight: I am aware of the issues affecting Essex’s wave 4 Building Schools for the Future project—and, in particular, the schools on Canvey Island—through regular ministerial reports from officials and Partnerships for Schools (PfS). PfS and my officials have been working with the local authority to minimise the delays to the delivery of new and refurbished schools, and associated educational transformation, in south Essex. I am not aware of any specific representations to the Secretary of State.
Children and Adoption Act 2006
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he plans to implement the provisions relating to parenting in the Children and Adoption Act 2006. [204244]
Kevin Brennan: The provisions of part 1 of the Children and Adoption Act 2006 relating to Family Assistance Orders and risk assessments were implemented in October 2007. The time scale for implementing the remaining provisions in part 1 of the Act is subject to completion of a number of tasks, including preparing for the provision of ‘contact activities’, making necessary changes to the court rules, putting new administrative systems for court staff in place and staff training. The Ministry of Justice published a consultation paper on draft rules on 7 May. The Government will shortly be making a written ministerial statement (WMS), outlining the timetable for implementation of the remaining provisions in part 1 of the Act.
Children in Care
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in care were placed with a member of their extended family in each of the last 10 years. [203900]
Kevin Brennan: Information on the number of children in care who were placed with a member of their extended family in each of the last 10 years is not collected centrally by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). However, table A3, taken from the Statistical First Release (SFR 27/2007) entitled “Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2007”, shows the number of children looked after by English local authorities, who were placed with a foster carer, who was either a relative or friend at 31 March for each year from 2003 to 2007. The SFR is located at:
and table A3 can be found within the first set of Excel tables on the website.
Children: Abuse
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2008, Official Report, columns 2220-1W, on children: abuse, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department’s guidance on reporting alleged abuse to a local authority designated officer makes clear that this obligation is not specified in primary legislation. [204988]
Kevin Brennan: The guidance “Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education” sets out, in paragraphs 1.6 to 1.12, the relevant legislation pertaining to this subject. This guidance is relevant for the purposes of section 157 (and the regulations made under that section) and section 175 of the Education Act 2002. All schools, including independent schools, should use the guidance to ensure they have effective safeguarding systems in place, which include the notification of local authority designated officers.
Children: Day Care
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average age of (a) childcarers in maintained nurseries, (b) childcarers in private, voluntary and independent nurseries and (c) childminders was in each year since 1997. [204842]
Beverley Hughes: The Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey collects information about the age of staff working in full day care provision and the age of childminders. The 2006 figures on the percentage of full day care staff in each age group, by the ownership of the provision, are shown in Table 1. Data for previous years are not available.
| Table 1: Age of all paid staff in full day care providers, by ownership of provision, 2006 | |||||
| Percentage | |||||
| Private | Voluntary | Local authority | School/college | Other | |
| Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 per cent due to rounding, ‘don't know’ responses and refusals to answer the question. | |||||
Table 2 shows the percentage of childminders in each age group, for each year available.
| Table 2: Age of childminders | |||
| Percentage | |||
| 2003 | 2005 | 2006 | |
| Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 per cent due to rounding, ‘don't know’ responses and refusals to answer the question. | |||
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