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23 Oct 2008 : Column 549W—continued
Departmental Official Visits
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much was spent on overnight accommodation by his Department’s civil servants in the last 12 months. [228773]
Mr. Simon: The information is not available in the form requested and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Dorneywood
James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 19 June 2008, Official Report, column 1187W, on Dorneywood: official hospitality, what use his Department has made of Dorneywood for official engagements in the last 12 months. [222108]
Mr. Simon: My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has the use of Dorneywood as an official residence. The Chancellor and the Trustees have made Dorneywood available to other Ministers to use for official engagements.
Since the creation of the Department in July 2007, DIUS has not made use of Dorneywood for official engagements.
Education Maintenance Allowance: Further Education
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Learning and Skills Council on delays in education maintenance allowance payments for students in further education colleges. [229016]
Mr. Simon: Ministers from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) hold regular meetings with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), which includes discussion of learner support and Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs). The latest meeting took place with the LSC on 21 October 2008.
The LSC is responsible for the delivery of EMA and is providing regular updates on performance. The position as it relates to delivery of EMA is set out in my right hon. Friend, the Minister for Schools and Learners' letter of 8 October to the chair of the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee.
Energy Technologies Institute
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how projects funded by the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) are selected; what independent assessment is undertaken of applications for funding; and what evaluation is undertaken of the value for money of ETI funding. [228484]
Mr. Simon: The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) commissions technology projects that have the capability, when subsequently deployed, to reduce CO2 emissions and provide reliable, affordable energy. The ETI engages in a wide consultation process to identify the key project areas where ETI funding would make a substantial impact. These project areas are then published on the ETI website, and potential project consortia are invited to respond. Detailed technical proposals are assessed by selection panels of specialists, independent of the proposal. The value for money of a project is decided on the basis of a number of factors including the CO2 impact and the provision of affordable and reliable energy, in addition to the benefit offered by the project to the wider industry.
Foundation Degrees
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which organisation regulates the quality of foundation degrees. [227428]
Mr. Lammy: Foundation degrees are validated and quality assured by universities and they undergo the same rigorous quality assurance procedures as other higher education qualifications. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) safeguards the standards of higher education qualifications by working with higher education institutions to define academic standards and quality.
Further Education: Learning Disability
Mr. Willetts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what criteria are used to determine whether further education college courses for people
with learning difficulties are eligible for public funding; and what contingency arrangements are in place to help people on these courses that have recently lost funding. [229005]
Mr. Simon: Learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are a priority group for the Learning and Skills Council.
Learning plans for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are individualised to support the learners’ need, maximise their chances of progression and to ensure positive outcomes from their programmes of study. This includes the promotion of employability and independent living skills where appropriate.
Where possible the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) expects programmes for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to include approved qualifications and ensure all learning is accredited.
In cases where low quality provision may have to be replaced, contingency arrangements will be handled by the local LSC office who negotiate alternative provision with local partners to minimise any disruption to the learner.
Higher Education: Admissions
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what Government grants are (a) available to and (b) planned to be introduced for universities for improving and widening social access to higher education. [227425]
Mr. Lammy: The Government make available some £350 million each year through the widening participation premium in the institutional funding distributed by the Higher Education Funding Council. In addition, by paying the up front costs of tuition fees and providing extra support for students from families on modest incomes, the Government have committed well over £1 billion a year to enable universities to improve and widen social access to higher education. But whatever the level of funding provided by the Government, institutions that draw from a narrow social base will ultimately lose out if they deny themselves access to talented students from all backgrounds. That is the fundamental case for both widening participation and fair access.
Physics: Higher Education
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills (1) how much the Government have spent on university physics departments since 1997; [227850]
(2) how much research funding the Government have provided to university physics departments in each financial year since 1998. [227852]
Mr. Lammy: Figures for quality related research funding for physics paid by the Higher Education Funding Council for England to HEFCE are shown in the following table:
| HEFCE researching funding | |
| £ million | |
Figures for physics teaching cannot be provided. HEFCE pays teaching grant as a block to institutions. It does not make separate payments to departments for teaching.
Research Council expenditure in university physics departments is as follows
| £ million | |
Comparable data prior to 2001 are not available.
Further information on Research Councils funding for physics is available at
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street: Official Hospitality
Mr. Hands: To ask the Prime Minister (1) what events have been held at 10 Downing Street since 1 August 2008; [228945]
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of invitations sent out for the last 10 events held at 10 Downing Street; [228947]
(3) by what process the themes for events held at 10 Downing Street are chosen; [228948]
(4) whether any hon. or right hon. Members other than Cabinet Ministers have been invited to host or co-host events in 10 Downing Street in the last year; [228949]
(5) what guidance has been issued on the apportionment of costs arising from events held at 10 Downing Street; [228950]
(6) on how many occasions events were held at 10 Downing Street at a cost to the public purse in 2007-08; and what the total cost was of such events; [228951]
(7) if he will place in the Library a copy of the attendance list for each of the last 10 events held at 10 Downing Street; [228946]
(8) from which budget the cost of drinks provided at events held at 10 Downing Street is met. [228952]
The Prime Minister: Information on official and charity receptions held at 10 Downing Street is published by means of an annual list as soon as it is ready at the end of the financial year.
These events consist of official dinners and events for foreign leaders and other dignitaries, receptions for business leaders, community and charity representatives and sportsmen and women. In the past few years, an increased programme of events at Downing street has been introduced in order to give access to as many people as possible, including children and regular receptions for a wide cross-section of the community.
Information for 2007-08 was published on 22 July 2008, Official Report, column 108-110WS.
Cabinet: Meetings
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 17 September 2008, Official Report, column 2229W, on the Cabinet: meetings, if he will notify the hon. Members for North Cornwall, Worthing West, South West Devon and Perth and North Perthshire in advance of the publication date of the costs associated with holding the Cabinet meeting in Birmingham. [229426]
The Prime Minister: Hon. Members will be informed in the usual way.
Departmental Alcoholic Drinks
Mr. Carswell: To ask the Prime Minister how much champagne was ordered by the Prime Minister’s Office for consumption at events at (a) 10 Downing Street and (b) Chequers in each of the last six months. [226474]
The Prime Minister: The information requested is not held.
Departmental Official Visits
David Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister how much was spent on overnight accommodation by civil servants in his Office in the last 12 months. [228779]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Secretary, Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend (Kevin Brennan) on 21 October 2008, Official Report, column 294W.
Departmental Pay
David Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister how many non-pensionable bonuses were awarded to members of staff in his Office in the last 12 months; and at what total cost. [226428]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Watson) on 22 October 2008, Official Report, column 453W.
Departmental Special Advisers
Peter Bottomley: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list (a) his special envoys and (b) their (i) professions, (ii) responsibilities as envoys and (iii) dates of starting and ending their roles. [224900]
Mr. Vara: To ask the Prime Minister to whom or which Department the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Energy Issues reports; what his terms of reference are; and from which Department he would draw expenses, should any be incurred. [226844]
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister (1) whether he plans to appoint a special representative for Cyprus; and if he will make a statement; [229046]
(2) whether he plans to appoint an envoy for forestry; and if he will make a statement. [229047]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the ministerial appointments press notice issued by my Office. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House and is also available on the No. 10 website at:
In addition, my right hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd), who has served since 2003 as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Human Rights in Iraq, continues to perform her very important role.
They are entitled to claim reasonable travel and subsistence expenses incurred as part of their work. These expenses are paid in accordance with existing departmental guidelines on allowances and subsistence.
Departmental Staff
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister (1) what the roles of (a) Wilf Stevenson and (b) Nicola Burdett are in his Office; and if he will make a statement on their remuneration; [229051]
(2) what the role is of Damian McBride in his Office; and if he will make a statement about his remuneration. [229058]
The Prime Minister: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers.
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