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In July I announced that I would make available £200 million of capital to support the neediest authorities to provide additional places by 2011, and invited applications. Since July there have been extensive discussions with individual authorities and with representative bodies
including the Local Government Association, London Councils, and the Association of Directors of Children's Services, on how best to allocate this funding.
As a result of these discussions we have revised the eligibility criteria and methodology for additional funding. Authorities that did not originally apply will have the opportunity to discuss with my Department whether they are eligible for funding under the revised criteria.
I have also decided to increase the funding we are allocating to primary capital places to £300 million. Thirty-four authorities who have applied will receive additional funding, the details of which are shown in the table. The funding announced today will create an estimated additional 15,000 new primary places. Successful local authorities will be expected to build the extra permanent places by September 2011 and money may be held back from future capital funding allocations where actual pupil numbers fall short of predictions.
I believe it is right to give additional funding, on top of record capital investment, to build extra classrooms and facilities in areas facing sudden increases in demand which could not reasonably have been forecast. Housing children in mobile or hired classrooms is only a temporary solution-so it is vital that local authorities facing the greatest pressure on their capital budgets address these issues urgently using the funding I am now making available and in the longer-term through the primary capital programme.
In the medium and longer terms, funding school places, and in particular responding to the increase in demand for primary school places, will be a priority from 2011, so that there is a good permanent place for every child where it is wanted. Partnerships for Schools, which since October has had responsibility for the delivery of schools capital programmes, is setting up a working group which will include representative bodies, to consider how best to allocate and target funding to ensure that this happens.
I am also today announcing the 11 local authorities which will be joining the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme for the first time. BSF is the most ambitious public building programme for decades, revamping the entire secondary school estate. The authorities joining today are Brent, Darlington, Devon, Havering, Kingston, Croydon, Norfolk, Plymouth, Sefton, Wakefield, and Warrington. Another two-Lancashire and Tameside-will be starting the next phases of their BSF schemes. Planning and building on these schemes will begin between January and March 2010. These additions bring the total number of local authorities in England that are active in BSF to 96.
The BSF projects announced today will join more than 1,000 individual rebuilding or renewal BSF projects already under way. Momentum has built quickly this year. One hundred and twenty-nine schools which have benefited from BSF investment are now open-more than double the number open in December 2008.
| Primary Capital Allocations | |
Culture, Media and Sport
Legal Deposit Libraries (Digital Archiving)
The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Margaret Hodge): The Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 (the "2003 Act") requires publishers to deliver a copy of every printed work published in the United Kingdom to the British Library and the other five legal deposit libraries upon their request. It also provides for regulations to be made which widen the scope of legal deposit to include non-print publications.
The Legal Deposit Advisory Panel ('LDAP') was established in September 2005 following a ministerial undertaking made during the Second Reading of the 2003 Act in the House of Lords. It is an advisory panel of people appointed by Ministers and others acting in an ex officio capacity, including representatives from the Legal Deposit Libraries, the publishing sector and independent members. Its primary purpose is to make recommendations on the extension of the legal deposit regime to non-print materials.
LDAP has worked at arm's length from Government and developed its own work programme concentrating on three areas of non-print material for the collection and preservation of:
a. UK Offline and Microforms Publications
b. UK Online Publications, free of charge and without access restrictions
c. Commercial and protected e-content (those publications requiring subscription, password, or some other compliance by users).
To date they have provided a recommendation on (a) and (b) above.
Lord Evans, during the Second Reading of the Legal Deposit Libraries in the House of Lords on 12 September 2003 made an undertaking that the initial set of regulations would be restricted to offline publications (a).
However, the Legal Deposit Advisory Panel has recommended a self-regulated voluntary system of deposit in respect of these materials, with active requesting by libraries. We have considered the detailed proposals provided and are content to accept their recommendation, and will therefore not be making regulations in that area for the present time, although we reserve the right to monitor their collection, and should the need arise we will regulate accordingly under the powers available to us in the 2003 Act.
We will shortly commence a full and detailed consultation on their recommendations for (b), with a view to producing regulations in that area. LDAP have started work on (c) and are due to report back to me on their progress in March 2010.
Defence
Defence Support Group (St. Athan)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Quentin Davies): I am announcing today that the Ministry of Defence is beginning formal consultation with the trades unions on a proposed programme of reductions at the Defence Support Group's (DSG) large aircraft business unit (LABU) at St. Athan, in South Wales designed to achieve closure of the facility by June 2013 at the latest.
The LABU provides maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services to the RAF's VC10 air refuelling and tanker aircraft under contract from BAE Systems. MRO work at the LABU will decline significantly after December 2010 when contract activity will reduce by 70 per cent. as the last major VC10 maintenance activity is completed. Minor maintenance of the VC10 will continue through to closure of the facility.
Despite the best efforts of MOD and DSG management there is insufficient new work to sustain current staff numbers and maintain the viability of the business over the medium to long-term. MOD believes it is therefore critical to DSG's continued effectiveness and efficiency as a trading fund to reduce the LABU's capacity and capability in a phased manner commensurate with the unit's declining workload. This is expected to involve an initial reduction of up to 200 personnel by December 2010 with the balance of around 139 staff leaving no later than June 2013. We have explored the possibilities for finding alternative uses for the capacity at St. Athan but none have materialised, and though we continue to remain open to viable alternative suggestions I believe it would be irresponsible, and not in the interests of the workforce, to delay decisions any further.
In parallel with its consultation with the trades unions, MOD will continue to work with other Government Departments and agencies to explore future job opportunities for DSG employees who would be affected
by the drawdown and closure of the facility. The option of retraining and transferring LABU personnel to other DSG sites would also be maximised where this meets business needs and individuals' preferences. DSG will also work closely with external training providers and agencies such as Careers Wales, JobCentre Plus and other advisory organisations to explore alternative training and job opportunities for any employees wanting to retrain for an alternative career.
In conclusion, I pay tribute to the outstanding service that DSG St. Athan personnel, both past and present, have provided and the pivotal role they have played in supporting the UK Armed Forces with the vital equipment needed on critical operations both at home and overseas.
Call-out Order
The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Bill Rammell): A call-out order has been made under section 56 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 to enable the call-out of members of the volunteer reserve forces to assist with flood relief operations in the United Kingdom. The order takes effect from 26 November 2009 and ceases to have effect on 25 November 2010. Currently, we envisage deploying up to 100 reservists for up to 14 days.
The individuals concerned will come from the 42 North-West Brigade staff, 4 Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, the local TA Infantry Battalion and members of the High Readiness Reserves (HRR) from 2 Signal Brigade. The HRR personnel will be called-out under powers (Section 32 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996) already delegated to the SJC (UK). It is planned that the reservists will be required for the entire duration; estimates suggest the operation will last up to eight days.
Energy and Climate Change
Extraordinary EU Environment Council
The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (Edward Miliband): I represented the UK at the Extraordinary Environment Council in Brussels on 23 November, where EU Environment Ministers undertook a final review of positions and strategies ahead of the climate change conference in Copenhagen in December.
The Council began with presentations from COP President Denmark and UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer on the path to Copenhagen. The Commission followed these with a presentation on the current status of the EU's emissions and other parties' offers. Norway was also invited to present its views on the role of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
Ministers continued discussions at a closed session. Guided by questions prepared by the Swedish presidency, Ministers discussed the EU's goals and priorities for the Copenhagen conference. At the request of the presidency, the UK presented its views on registries and measurement, reporting and verification.
While there were no formal conclusions, Ministers confirmed the EU's mandate for negotiation that was established at the Environment Council in October and then endorsed at the European Council. Ministers also reaffirmed the need to maintain EU ambition for the forthcoming conference, with many member states emphasising the importance of upholding the EU's conditional offer for a 30 per cent. emissions reduction to leverage sufficient offers from others.
Health
Innovation Pass Pilot Consultation
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Mr. Mike O'Brien): The Government published a public consultation on proposals for an Innovation Pass pilot on 27 November 2009. The Innovation Pass will make selected innovative medicines available on the national health service for a time limited period from a ring-fenced budget while further evidence on their benefits is gathered.
The Government announced the introduction of an Innovation Pass pilot in the "Office for Life Sciences Blueprint" published in July 2009. This brought together a coherent package of measures to maintain a competitive life sciences industry, an industry that is crucial to the United Kingdom from both a health and economic perspective. One of the key actions made a commitment for the Department to introduce an "Innovation Pass" with NICE.
The proposals for the Innovation Pass have been developed for medicines for small patient populations which have the potential to deliver improved patient outcomes but where data to demonstrate cost-effectiveness are so far limited. The pass will be a three-year initiative which will make selected innovative medicines available on the NHS in England for a time-limited period, prior to a NICE appraisal. The pass will be funded from a ring-fenced £25 million budget in 2010-11. Funding for future years will be determined in the context of the next spending review.
It is important to ensure that the creation of the Innovation Pass does not in any way undermine the vital role of NICE in providing authoritative advice to the NHS on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of health interventions. This is why medicines covered by the Innovation Pass will still go through a NICE appraisal after a maximum of three years. NICE will also play a key part in running the process for the pass.
The consultation seeks views on the Government proposals for the Innovation Pass pilot. The proposals will be revised in the light of the responses received and will also be reviewed over the first 12 months of the pilot.
The Pass has the potential to bring benefit to NHS patients in England providing earlier access to innovative medicines for patients with the greatest need. At the same time, the Pass will facilitate the collection of further information to support a subsequent NICE appraisal, which will mean in the longer-term the relevant NICE appraisals will be based on stronger evidence.
The consultation document has been placed in the Library and copies are available to hon. Members from the Vote Office.
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