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5 Nov 2008 : Column 592W—continued
Specialised Diplomas
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance he has issued on the criteria for entering pupils for the foundation or higher diplomas. [232334]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The prime criterion for deciding whether a young person undertakes a diploma is whether it is the best option for him or her. Diplomas, along with apprenticeships and general qualifications, are an important part of ensuring the right choices are available to young people.
Schools and colleges are determined that every young person should be able to access the programme of learning that is best suited to their abilities and aspirations. Diplomas are an important part of ensuring the right choices are available to young people and while, as with other qualifications, the diploma will not be the right choice for everyone the decision over whether a young person takes a diploma will be driven by what the young person wants to do, and what is in the best interests of that young person.
Culture, Media and Sport
BBC: Internet
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received on proposals by the BBC to establish a local network of news video sites; and if he will make a statement. [232996]
Andy Burnham: I have received a number of direct representations on BBC’s plans for online local news provision. However, this is a matter for the BBC Trust. There is no provision for the Government to intervene in the BBC’s day-to-day operational or editorial matters.
Broadcasting: Sight Impaired
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received on increasing the target for audio-described programming (a) from 10 per cent. and (b) to 20 per cent. [233219]
Andy Burnham: I have received representations from the general public and the RNIB about increasing the current 10 per cent. target for audio-described programming to 20 per cent.
Ofcom have responsibility for assessing audio description usage on television programmes. I understand that they intend to investigate take-up and usage of audio description and to conduct an analysis of the social and financial implications of any possible increase in audio description as part of their 2009 Access Services Review.
Ofcom: Finance
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the budget is for Ofcom's regulatory activities in each of the next three financial years. [232698]
Andy Burnham: Ofcom is the independent regulator for the UK communications industry, and sets its budget on an annual basis, and publishes this on 31 March of every year. I am therefore unable to provide the budget figures requested for 2009-10 and 2010-11. Ofcom's budget for 2008-09 will be £133.7 million, 1.5 per cent. lower in real terms than its budget for 2007-08 and 17.5 per cent. lower in real terms than Ofcom's original full-year budget set in 2004-05.
A four year funding settlement was set with HM Treasury on 24 February 2007 and for 2009-10 and 2010-11—it is £142 million and £143 million respectively. Ofcom must operate within this settlement.
Swimming
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will hold discussions with the Swimming Teachers’ Association on its Go for Gold scheme; and if he will make a statement. [232354]
Andy Burnham: I currently have no plans to meet the Swimming Teachers' Association. However, my officials will meet the Association in December to discuss the free swimming offer, and will use that opportunity to discuss the Swimming Teachers' Association's work more widely.
Home Department
Antisocial Behaviour: Gwent
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dispersal orders have been issued in Islwyn constituency in the last 12 months. [231609]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Gwent police have informed the Home Office that one dispersal order was issued in Islwyn constituency in the last 12 months which ran from 11 October 2007 to 3 April 2008.
Asylum
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons luncheon vouchers are used to support asylum seekers on Section 4 support; and if she will make a statement. [230824]
Mr. Woolas: Failed asylum seekers who are eligible for support to avoid destitution under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 are provided with accommodation and vouchers for food and other basic essential items. The Act prohibits the provision of cash subsistence. Luncheon vouchers are just one of the forms of voucher provided.
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many legacy asylum cases she expects to have been determined by 31 December 2008. [231580]
Mr. Woolas: Lin Homer updates the Home Affairs Select Committee on the progress of concluding legacy cases every six months, with the next update due around the end of 2008. The Case Resolution Directorate has concluded over 100,000 cases and remains on track to complete this work by summer 2011. Every case is decided on its own merits.
Cannabis: Crime
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on the effectiveness of the system for recording of cannabis warnings on the Police National Computer. [232131]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 3 November 2008]: Following the announcement on 7 May of the Government's decision to reclassify cannabis to a class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, subject to parliamentary approval, at the request of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, the Association of Chief Police Officers set out its proposal for the policing of cannabis. The proposal identified the need to improve the recording of cannabis warnings, including the option of placing them on the police national computer. However, there is no current method for recording cannabis warnings on the PNC.
Community Support Officers: Ethnic Groups
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of police community support officers were from an ethnic minority background in each year since their inception, broken down by police force. [227462]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 21 October 2008]: The available data are given in the tables placed in the House Library.
The requested data are also published as part of the annual Police Service Strength England and Wales Statistical Bulletin. The 2008 bulletin can be found at:
and previous years' bulletins are available in the House of Commons Library. The annual Home Secretary's Race Employment Targets report may also be of interest in relation to the question asked:
Crimes of Violence
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of serious violent crime were reported in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) England and Wales in each year since 1997. [228716]
Mr. Alan Campbell:
A number of changes have been made to recorded crime in response to the two reviews of crime statistics. One such change is that the term
‘violent crime’ is no longer used in connection with the recorded crime statistics. Figures for ‘most serious violence against the person’ are therefore provided in the following tables.
Recorded crime statistics are not recorded at constituency level. The area of Jarrow comes within the South Tyneside crime and disorder reduction partnership (CDRP) and figures at CDRP level for most serious violence offences are only available from 2000-01.
| Table 1. Offences of most serious violence against the person recorded by the police—1997 | |
| Number of offences | |
| Offence | 1997 |
| Table 2. Offences of most serious violence against the person recorded by the police—1998-99 to 2001-02 | ||||
| Number of offences | ||||
| Offence | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 |
| Notes: 1. The coverage was extended and counting rules revised from 1998-99. Figures from that date are not directly comparable with those for 1997. 2. The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the national crime recording standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years. | ||||
| Table 3. Offences of most serious violence against the person recorded by the police—2002-03 to 2007-08 | ||||||
| Number of offences | ||||||
| Offence | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
| (1 )Includes British Transport police from 2002-03. Note: The data in this table take account of the introduction of the national crime recording standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years. | ||||||
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of violent crime have been reported in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) England and Wales in each year since 1997. [228717]
Mr. Alan Campbell: A number of changes have been made to recorded crime in response to the two reviews of crime statistics. One such change is that the term ‘violent crime’ is no longer used in connection with the recorded crime statistics. We now provide figures for violence against the person and these are given in the following tables.
Recorded crime statistics are not recorded at constituency level. The area of Jarrow comes within the South Tyneside crime and disorder reduction partnership (CDRP) and figures at CDRP level are only available from 1999-2000.
| Table 1. Offences of violence against the person recorded by the police—1997 | |
| Number of offences | |
| Offence | 1997 |
| Table 2. offences of violence against the person recorded by the police—1998-99 to 2001-02 | ||||
| Number of offences | ||||
| Offence | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 |
| Notes: 1. The coverage was extended and counting rules revised from 1998-99. Figures from that date are not directly comparable with those for 1997. 2. The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the national crime recording standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years. | ||||
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