| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
20 Mar 2009 : Column 1372W—continued
| ( ii) I nstant messaging and SMS services: | ||||
| Quarter | April-June 2008 | July-September 2008 | October-December 2008 | Total |
| 1 Service launched in July 2009 | ||||
| (iii) Telephone helplines | ||||
| Calls made to telephone helplines | April-June 2008 | July- September 2008 | October- December 2008 | Total |
Primary Education: Sanitation
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what plans he has to issue guidance to primary schools on the design of school toilets; [264434]
(2) what guidance his Department offers primary schools who wish to redesign and rebuild their school toilets and drinking water facilities. [264435]
Jim Knight: In answer to the first question, the Department offers guidance on the design of toilets in primary schools in the following publications:
The Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999, SI No. 2 1999, state the numbers of toilets that should be provided in schools.
Building Bulletin 99 Briefing Framework for Primary School Projects outlines key issues on toilet design.
Primary Ideas, Projects to Enhance Primary School Environments includes a number of ‘design principles' for toilet design.
Building Bulletin 102: Designing for Disabled Children and Children with Special Educational Needs includes guidance on accessible toilets for mainstream and special schools.
Standard Specifications, Layouts and Dimensions SSLD 3: Toilets in Schools sets out standards of performance for toilet facilities and shows how they might be delivered through design examples. The standards were developed for secondary schools and aspects of the guidance apply equally to primary schools.
In answer to the second question, the Department has no plans to issue further guidance on this subject.
The Department offers the following guidance on drinking water provision:
The Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999 (S11999 No 2), require that ‘A school shall have a wholesome supply of water for domestic purposes including a supply of drinking water' (Part iv, Regulation 22).
The joint DFES/Department of Health's publication National Healthy Schools Status—a Guide for Schools 2005, recommends easy access to free clear palatable drinking water (Section 2, part 2, Healthy eating).
The Department's Building Bulletin No 87: Guidelines for Environmental Design in Schools has a section on hot and cold water supplies.
Pupils: Diabetes
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what recent assessment his Department has made of the provision of healthcare for children with diabetes in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools; [243012]
(2) what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of provision of care for children with diabetes (a) in schools and (b) on school trips; [243014]
(3) what estimate he has made of the number of children of school age whose diabetic conditions (a) prevent and (b) reduce their attendance at school; [243015]
(4) what guidance his Department provides to schools on in school healthcare for children with diabetes; [243049]
(5) what recent discussions his Department has had with the Department of Health on healthcare for children with diabetes when in school; [243051]
(6) what estimate he has made of the number of children with diabetes who were unable to participate in school trips owing to a lack of healthcare provision during such trips in the last 12 months. [243053]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: It is for schools and local authorities to support children with medical conditions at schools. The Department has issued guidance to schools to help them support their pupils. Our guidance to schools, “Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Years Settings”, issued jointly with the Department of Health in 2005, specifically addresses what schools can do to support pupils with medical needs such as diabetes. It encourages schools and local authorities to develop policies on the management of pupil’s medicines and on supporting pupils with medical needs, taking account of local resources and their various responsibilities. We produced sister guidance in the same year, entitled “Including me: managing complex health needs in schools and early years settings”.
We are taking a number of steps to ensure that pupils with long term medical conditions have access to the help they need to enable them to attend school and participate in school activities.
In April 2007, the Department of Health published a report entitled “Making Every Young Person with Diabetes Matter”, and has convened a group to support the implementation of best practice as set out in the report. The Department for Children, Schools and Families is represented on that group, and also on the sub-group set up to look specifically at support in schools.
Since September 2007 schools have a duty to promote the well-being of all pupils, including those with long
term medical conditions. This duty defines well-being as the five outcomes of Every Child Matters, including being healthy and staying safe.
Most recently, the “Child Health Strategy, Better Health: Brighter Futures”, published on 12 February this year, announced that we will be revising the guidance to schools on managing medicines which will include clear statements of expectations of those involved in supporting pupils with medical conditions, such as schools and PCTs. Our intention is that this work will be done in consultation with expert organisations, such as Diabetes UK, and will be supported with an awareness raising campaign.
Teachers: Enfield
Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teaching staff from Enfield local education authority area have attended the National College of School Leadership. [263917]
Jim Knight: The National College for School Leadership began recording such data centrally in 2003. Since then 547 members of school staff from the Enfield local authority have engaged with the college. 122 of these did not provide information about the nature of their role within their school and although we cannot be certain that they have a teaching role, it is likely that most of them do.
International Development
Afghanistan: Roads
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the Government’s (a) current and (b) anticipated contribution to road building and maintenance in Afghanistan is by (i) cost and (ii) manpower in each of the next three years; and whether UK armed forces will be involved on this work. [263431]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: On 3 March, I announced a £50 million increase in funding to Afghanistan, including £32 million for infrastructure projects in Helmand.
The UK currently supports the construction and maintenance of roads through the infrastructure component of the Afghan Government’s Helmand Agricultural and Rural Development Programme (HARDP). The Department for International Development (DFID) contributes £30 million to support HARDP (2006-07 to 2008-09).
These programmes are delivered by the Afghan Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development in close co-ordination with the International Security Assistance Forces (which include UK forces) and Afghan military forces.
The design phase for DFID’s continued support to rural development in Helmand is under way, including an impact assessment of infrastructure projects completed under HARDP. Until this assessment is completed we cannot predict what shape future support to the infrastructure sector will take.
DFID has four staff involved with the infrastructure elements of HARDP programming.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Aid
Mr. Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effects of the security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on the delivery of humanitarian assistance in the DRC. [262739]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 11 March 2009]: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains in the grip of a severe and prolonged humanitarian crisis, with 1.2 million people displaced by conflict in the east of the country, millions remaining food insecure and vulnerable to disease and natural disasters. However, the overall security situation in eastern DRC has improved over recent months. The end of hostilities and the integration into the national army of the CNDP militia (predominantly Rwandan militia group) since January has reduced barriers to humanitarian access in large areas of North Kivu, in turn allowing aid to reach those most in need. The longer-term humanitarian impact of joint DRC and Rwandan army operations against another militia group, the FDLR (former Rwandan Hutu forces) remains uncertain and the humanitarian community remains prepared to deal with any consequences that arise.
In the north of DRC, in Province Orientale, an ongoing joint DRC/Ugandan military operation which started in December against the Ugandan Lords Resistance Army (LRA) rebels has provoked widespread reprisals against the population by the LRA. This has generated humanitarian and protection needs for the population. MONUC have increased their military presence in the area in order to mitigate the humanitarian impact.
Departmental Bank Services
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with which banks his Department has or has had contracts for the provision of financial advice, for the financial year 2008-09. [262756]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not held contracts for the provision of financial advice with any banks for the financial year 2008-09.
Departmental Conditions of Employment
Mr. Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's guidance on remuneration and terms of employment for locally-engaged staff; and if he will make a statement. [264102]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: A copy of the Department for International Development's (DFID's) local Pay Determination Guidance, together with a copy of the Minimum Employment Standards for locally engaged staff (known as Staff Appointed in Country), will be placed in the Library.
Both documents are currently under review following a recent agreement between DFID and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to bring the pay scales and other terms and conditions of service of our respective locally engaged staff into greater alignment.
Departmental Consultants
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on how many occasions people his Department had formerly directly employed were retained by the Department on a consultancy basis in the last financial year for which figures are available; and how much was paid to such people in that year. [263977]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not retain a central record of contracts awarded to former DFID employees on a consultancy basis. To provide this information would incur disproportionate cost. DFID has strict rules and guidance on the engagement of former DFID employees as consultants.
Departmental Databases
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what categories of information are included on his Department's inSight system; and if he will make a statement. [265185]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development's (DFID) intranet, known as InSight, contains a wide range of information for staff. Information is grouped under the following categories:
About DFID;
Policy and strategy;
Peoplesight (HR policies, processes and systems);
Learningsight (staff learning and development);
Rules and guidance;
Travel; Office facilities;
Information Resources.
Departmental ICT
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the (a) dates of employment, (b) salary, (c) other costs of employment, (d) job description and (e) work outputs were of the temporary tester for information systems in his Department which his Department funded through Allegis Group Ltd. under procurement reference 200708220. [263723]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) contracted Allegis to provide a temporary tester from the 13 to 30 November 2007.
DFID cannot comment on the salary costs as the temporary tester was not an employee. The value of the contract was £4,690, inclusive of management service fees. There were no other costs of employment payable under this contract.
The Terms of Reference for this engagement included drafting test scripts, conducting testing and report writing for a number of projects and desktop packages.
The temporary tester produced a range of outputs which included, test scripts, documentation of test results and test reports.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |