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9 July 2008 : Column 1711W—continued
NHS: Procurement
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what comparative information about (a) commissioners and (b) providers will be published by the Care Quality Commission, as referred to by the Chief Executive of the NHS on page 4 of his Department’s document, Developing the NHS Performance Regime, published on 4th June 2008. [216908]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Health and Social Care Bill, introduced to Parliament on 9 November 2007, sets out the proposed functions of the Care Quality Commission. Should the Bill receive Royal Assent, the Department will work with the Care Quality Commission to determine what comparative information will be published.
Post-neonatal Mortality
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department plans to take to reduce the mortality rate of babies born prematurely. [217344]
Ann Keen: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Davies) on 13 June 2008, Official Report, columns 584-85W.
Xansa
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contracts his Department has signed with Xansa plc in the last five years. [215127]
Mr. Bradshaw: Historically, information on contracts let by the Department has not been held centrally. The information requested could be obtained only from direct contact with individual business units and would result in disproportionate costs.
From 1 July 2008 an integrated Business Management Service will create a central store for all new contracts.
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Adult Education
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills (1) how many publicly-funded adult education classes were provided in each year since 2001; [216947]
(2) how many adults participated in publicly-funded adult education classes in each year since 2001. [216948]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 7 July 2008]: Total Government investment in the post-16 further education system has increased by 52 per cent. in real terms from 1997 to 2007. Over the next three years, Government investment in adult learning will increase by 17 per cent. reaching £3.6 billion per year by 2010-11.
Our planned and continuing strategy is to realign funding from a high number of very short and low quality courses to qualifications such as Skills for Life, full level 2 and full level 3 that offer the greatest opportunity for adults to gain the skills for employability and further progression in learning. This includes a full range of first steps and progression programmes below level 2 progression programmes encouraging adults back into learning.
But we understand that as well as increasing skills, education is also about meeting the basic human desire for intellectual stimulation. That is why we have safeguarded £210 million each year through to 2010/11 to support informal adult learning. Through our recent consultation, we have led discussion on a new vision for informal adult learning for the 21st century.
The funding payable to a college or provider is based on the provision undertaken by individual learners, therefore information is collected at individual learner level. Information on the number of adult education courses offered by colleges/providers is not collected.
The following table sets out the total number of LSC-funded adult learners aged 19+ in England from 2003/04, the earliest year for which comparable data is available. The figures cover learners enrolled in further education, work-based learning, adult safeguarded learning (formerly adult and community learning) and Train to Gain provision.
| Number of LSC funded learners aged 19 or over, 2003/04 to 2006/07 | |
| Academic year | Number of LSC funded learners aged 19+ |
| Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: Learning and Skills Council individualised learner record. | |
Apprentices: Bexley
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much funding was allocated for the development and maintenance of apprenticeships in Bexley in each year since 2005. [216185]
Mr. Lammy: Information on Learning and Skills Council (LSC) funding allocated to London East LSC for apprenticeships is provided in the following table.
| Table: London East LSC apprenticeships funding allocation | |
| Apprenticeships funding allocation (£ million) | |
| Source: Learning and Skills Council | |
Although funding has reduced, apprenticeship starts are projected to rise above the 2006/07 volume of 2,150. Completion rates are also improving but at 52 per cent. need to improve significantly to match the national average.
Departmental Buildings
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills on which buildings occupied by his Department’s agencies and non-departmental public bodies the lease will be due for renewal in the next four years. [214680]
Mr. Lammy: The information requested on agencies and non-departmental bodies is not held centrally and to collate it could be done only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Conferences
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will list the conferences hosted by his Department in each of the last two years; and what the cost was of each conference. [211687]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created as a result of Machinery of Government changes on 28 June, 2007. Since that date the Department has hosted the conferences as shown in the following table.
Departmental Waste
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department has taken to reduce the volume of waste produced by it and sent to landfill in each of the last two years. [215892]
Mr. Lammy: Estates and related facilities management services are provided on behalf of this Department by the Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Department for Children Families and Schools, and answers supplied by those Departments will cover ours as well.
Food
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much was spent by his Department on (a) food and (b) food of British origin in each of the last five years. [214909]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was established under Machinery of Government changes in June 2007. The Department do not hold records at this level of detail, to answer the question would be at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills from which five countries of origin the greatest amount of food was procured by his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the (a) cost and (b) quantity procured was in each case. [214910]
Mr. Lammy: The Department does not hold records at this level of detail, to answer the question would be at disproportionate cost.
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