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14 Dec 2009 : Column 708W—continued
Teachers: Training
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many agreements with initial teacher training providers (a) the Training and Development Agency for Schools and its predecessors and (b) his Department and its predecessors have discontinued on quality grounds since 1997. [304894]
Mr. Coaker: The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) is given the power by statute to accredit initial teacher training (ITT) providers, and in doing so it is required to have regard to the quality of providers' courses when allocating training places and funding.
The available information is provided in the table. Accreditation records are available from 1999/2000 onwards. Where accreditation has been withdrawn it has been on the grounds of non-compliance with criteria set out by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in the
Professional Standards for qualified teacher status and Requirements for ITT together with regard for the quality of provision offered.
| Number of ITT providers where accreditation has been withdrawn. Years: 1999/2000 to 2006/07. Coverage: England | |
| Number of ITT providers | |
In 17 other instances over this period, accreditation procedures were begun but not completed, either because the provider concerned improved sufficiently during the process or withdrew the provision voluntarily.
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether formal training in recognising and dealing with all forms of bullying is offered to all trainee teachers in each of the teacher training routes. [306007]
Mr. Coaker: All trainee teachers on initial teacher training routes to qualified teacher status must demonstrate that they have met the standards before they can be recommended for the award. These include standards relating to discipline and behaviour management, including bullying in all of its forms, and those relating to the safeguarding and well-being of children and young people. The standards, along with extensive guidance for trainers and trainees, are available at:
Written Questions: Government Responses
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he will respond to question 301338, tabled by the hon. Member for South-West Bedfordshire on 19 November 2009, on departmental working practices. [305880]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: The Department has responded to the hon. Member today.
Young Offenders
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many referral orders relating to children aged (a) 10 or 11, (b) 12 to 14 and (c) 15 to 17 years old have been (i) issued and (ii) breached in each year since 1997. [302444]
Dawn Primarolo: The information is as follows:
(i) The following table shows the number of referral orders that have been given to young people by courts.
The presented data are broken down by financial years and by the following age groups: (a) 10 and 11, (b) 12 to 14 and (c) 15 to 17 years old.
(ii) Referral orders are orders of the court and are not breached as other community orders. The YJB does not
hold the data on orders that have been revoked after being returned back to the court following non compliance with referral order contract. Referral orders were piloted in some areas between 1999/2000 and 2001/02 and became available in England and Wales in April 2002.
Complete data prior to financial year 2000/01 are not held by the Youth Justice Board.
| Referral orders | ||||
| 10-11 | 12-14 | 15-17 | Total | |
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which as with any large recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.
Leader of the House
Departmental Plants
Grant Shapps: To ask the Leader of the House how much her Office spent on (a) cut flowers and (b) pot plants in 2008-09. [306311]
Barbara Keeley: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons spent £1,862.76 on the provision of plants and flowers during the 2008-09 financial year.
A decision was taken some time ago to terminate the contract for plants and flowers. The contract has been terminated.
Prime Minister
Chequers
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Prime Minister which special advisers have been admitted to (a) the grounds and (b) the premises of Chequers on occasions when the Prime Minister (i) was and (ii) was not present in each year since 2006; what the dates of each such admission were; and on how many such occasions special advisers were admitted to Chequers and did not receive official hospitality. [306882]
The Prime Minister: I refer you to my answer of 2 December 2009, Official Report, column 760W. As has been the case under successive Administrations, Chequers can be used for meetings and hospitality.
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
Andrew Mackinlay:
To ask the Prime Minister (1) what discussions he had in the margins of the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting on Trinidad and Tobago with Prime Ministers of those Commonwealth countries where Her Majesty is Head of State on amending legislation in such countries relating to (a) the religious faith of the head of state,
(b) the primogeniture rule in the matter of succession, (c) abdication, (d) morganatic marriage in respect of the Royal Family and (e) regency legislation; and if he will make a statement; [304911]
(2) what matters relating to the Statute of Westminster 1931 he discussed with the Prime Minister of (a) Canada, (b) Australia and (c) New Zealand in the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Trinidad and Tobago in 2009; and if he will make a statement. [304912]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 25 November 2009, Official Report, column 532.
Foreign Relations: Spain
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with his Spanish counterpart on admitting Spain as a full member of the G20. [304771]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 December 2009, Official Report, column 347.
Members: Allowances
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister for what reasons legislation to implement the recommendations of the Committee on Standards in Public Life on hon. Members' expenses and allowances was not included in the Government's legislative programme announced in the Queen's Speech. [301056]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by my right hon. and learned Friend the Leader of the House on 10 December 2009, Official Report, column 33WS.
Parliamentary Private Secretaries
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Prime Minister with reference to his answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 18 June 2009, Official Report, column 454W, on parliamentary private secretaries, when he expects an up-to-date list of parliamentary private secretaries to be published. [305389]
The Prime Minister: Details of parliamentary private secretaries are available in Vacher's.
Home Department
Student Visas
5. Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the system for processing student visa applications. [306219]
John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the system for processing student visa applications. [306237]
Mr. Woolas:
We implemented Tier 4 of the points based system on 31 March 2009, replacing the previous arrangements for overseas students to come and study in the UK. This ensures that only those colleges and
schools who provide quality education and take responsibility for their students are licensed to bring in international students. We continuously monitor our systems and where improvements can be made we will make them. The Prime Minister recently announced a review of certain elements of Tier 4 and we are studying the recommendations.
Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
7. Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to appoint a Chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. [306221]
Alan Johnson: I met with the ACMD on 10 November and outlined the process for the appointment of a new chair. My officials are currently pursuing options for appointing the new Chair with the Office for the Commissioner of Public Appointments and with the ACMD. Following these discussions I will be able to confirm timings.
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the minutes of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs meeting in November 2008 are not available. [303651]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The minutes of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs meeting held on 25 November 2008 are published on the ACMD website, available at:
Animal Testing
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many procedures were approved under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in (a) 2007 and (b) 2008. [306231]
Meg Hillier: Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, projects are authorised containing protocols comprising one or more regulated procedures. No records are kept of the number of protocols or procedures authorised. However, in 2007 and 2008, there were 3,375 and 2,652 project licences in force at 31 December, respectively.
Violent Crime: Lincolnshire
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the incidence of violent crime in Lancashire over the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [306236]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Violence against the person offences in Lancashire fell by 7 per cent. between 2007-08 and 2008-09.
Anti-Semitism
Mr. Amess:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether legal provisions are in place to prevent (a) the preaching of hatred and (b) incitement to commit criminal acts against the Jewish
community in England and Wales; what plans he has to increase protection to the Jewish community; and if he will make a statement. [R] [306095]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Under the Public Order Act 1986, part III Incitement to Racial Hatred, it is an offence to commit an act that is threatening, abusive or insulting and which is intended or likely in all the circumstances to stir up racial hatred.
As part of its work to reduce the vulnerability of crowded places to terrorist attack, police counter-terrorist security advisers have identified higher risk crowded places and work is in hand with a range of partners that aims to reduce their vulnerabilities. Additionally, the National Counter Terrorism Security Office has recently published protective security guidance for all places of worship, including synagogues. Third sector organisations such as the Community Security Trust should contact their local authority and local police if they have any specific local concerns. We have also recently published a Cross-Government Hate Crime Action Plan to tackle all forms of hate crime, including anti-Semitism.
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