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25 Feb 2010 : Column 693W—continued
Information is not held on the proportion of expenditure spent on acoustic improvements in schools.
Schools: Salford
Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what capital funding was allocated to schools in Salford in (a) 1997 and (b) 2009; [317390]
(2) how many schools in Salford have been (a) rebuilt and (b) significantly refurbished since 1997. [317384]
Mr. Coaker: Capital funding allocated by the Department to schools in Salford amounted to: (a) £5.5 million in 1997-98; and (b) £18.9 million in 2009-10.
Since 1997, the 2007 and 2009 building survey returns received from Salford City Council, show there have been: (a) 17 schools (eight Primary and nine Secondary) rebuilt; and (b) 14 schools (13 Primary and one Secondary) significantly refurbished. A significant refurbishment is deemed to apply when over 50 per cent. of the school floor area has changed.
Schools: Vocational Guidance
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department provides to schools on options to be offered to (a) pupils by careers services offered in schools and (b) training of staff of such services. [318198]
Mr. Iain Wright [holding answer 24 February 2010]: In October 2009 we published 'Quality, Choice and Aspiration: A strategy for young people's information, advice and guidance', which sets out a range of resources and support for the school work force, including training and development, to improve the delivery of information, advice and guidance.
Alongside the strategy we published statutory guidance on impartial careers education, setting out how schools must deliver high quality impartial information about learning options that promotes the best interests of pupils. An accompanying resources pack supports schools in implementing the statutory guidance. The provision of careers advice in schools is based on a partnership between the school and the Connexions service and other specialist services commissioned by the local authority. We will shortly consult on draft Directions and statutory guidance for local authorities in the delivery of such services.
Social Services: Doncaster
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what reasons Mr. Mark Hodson gave his Department for leaving his post as Director of Children's Services in Doncaster in 2007. [312794]
Ms Diana R. Johnson [holding answer 25 January 2010]: Like all employees Mark Hodson was appointed by Doncaster council in accordance with its recruitment procedures. Similarly Mark Hodson's decision to step down from his post as Doncaster council's Director of Children's Services in 2007 was a matter between Mark Hodson and the council.
Vetting: Local Education Authorities
Mr. Stewart Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington) of 16 October 2009, Official Report, column 1106W, on schools: vetting, what guidance has been given to local authorities on whether (a) lead member councillors
and (b) other councillors required to register under the vetting and barring scheme will also be required to undergo Criminal Records Bureau checks. [309547]
Dawn Primarolo: No guidance has been issued to local authorities on whether lead members and other councillors who are required to register under the vetting and barring scheme will also be required to undergo Criminal Records Bureau checks. Individual councillors may currently undergo CRB checks because of particular functions they may exercise for the local authority for which they are a member, for example being a member of the local authority's fostering or adoption panel. The Government confirmed in their response to Sir Roger Singleton's report 'Drawing the Line' on the vetting and barring scheme, Official Report, 14 December 2009, column 50WS, that they intends to review their requirements for CRB disclosures.
Cabinet Office
10 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2010, Official Report, column 401W, on 10 Downing Street: repairs and maintenance, what the nature is of the works that have been undertaken as part of Project George to date. [318302]
Angela E. Smith: The Government are legally required to maintain the Downing Street complex to standards appropriate to its Grade I and II listed status in consultation with English Heritage. In addition to providing office accommodation the building also fulfils an important representational role. The last significant refurbishment works at the Downing street complex were undertaken between 1960 and 1963. As a result much of the infrastructure required renewal or upgrading. Essential improvements are being undertaken through ongoing annual maintenance works.
Cancer: Essex
Bob Spink: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cancer mortality rate was in (a) Essex and (b) Castle Point in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest period for which figures are available. [318103]
Angela E. Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated February 2010:
The Director General for the Office for National Statistics has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the cancer mortality rate was in (a) Essex and (b) Castle Point in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest period for which figures are available. I am replying in his absence. (318103)
The table attached provides the age-standardised mortality rate, where cancer was the underlying cause of death in (a) Essex county and (b) Castle Point local authority, in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2008 (the latest year available).
Figures for Essex county do not include deaths in Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock unitary authorities, which were part of the former County of Essex.
| Table 1. Age-standardised mortality rate per 100,000 population( 1,2) , where cancer was the underlying cause of death,( 3) Essex county and Castle Point local authority,( 4) 1997 and 2008( 5) | |||
| Area | Year | Rate | 95% Confidence Interval |
| (1) Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2) Confidence intervals are a measure of the statistical precision of an estimate and show the range of uncertainty around the estimated figure. Calculations based on small numbers of events are often subject to random fluctuations. As a general rule, if the confidence interval around one figure overlaps with the interval around another, we cannot say with certainty that there is more than a chance difference between the two figures. (3) Cause of death for cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 140-208 for 1997 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C00-C97 for 2008. (4) Based on boundaries as of 2009. (5) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. | |||
Census
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what timetable has been set for laying before Parliament and seeking approval for the Census Regulations relating to the 2011 Census; [318125]
(2) what the timetable is for the laying and ratification of the Census regulations for the 2011 Census; and whether they will be subject to positive, negative or hybrid resolution. [318244]
Angela E. Smith: I expect to lay the Census (England) Regulations 2010 before both Houses of Parliament within the next couple of weeks. In accordance with the Census Act 1920, the regulations will be subject to negative resolution.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the contracts let for services relating to the 2011 Census contain break clauses. [318127]
Angela E. Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2010:
As the Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking whether the contracts let for the services relating to the 2011 Census contain break clauses. (318127)
Every commercial contract agreed in respect of the 2011 Census programme contains break clauses. This is normal public procurement practice. As the majority of contracts are fixed price, ONS would incur financial penalties if these break clauses were invoked for reasons other than poor contractor performance.
This information was given in answer to a question from Nick Hurd MP, Official Report, 3 December, column 955W.
Charities: Hizb ut-Tahrir
Margaret Moran:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many investigations under the Charities Act 2006 the Charity Commission has conducted relating to breaches of articles on the grounds of (a) political
activity and (b) providing a platform to Hizb ut-Tahrir and associated groups; and how many (i) mosques and (ii) other charitable organisations have had their charitable status revoked following investigations of each type. [318531]
Angela E. Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission to reply.
Letter from Andrew Hind, dated 23 February 2010:
As the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, I have been asked to respond to your written Parliamentary Question (318531) on how many investigations under the Charities Act the Charity Commission has conducted relating to breaches of articles on the grounds of (a) political activity and (b) providing a platform to Hizb ut-Tahrir and associated groups; and how many (i) mosques and (ii) other charitable organisations have had their charitable status revoked following investigations of each type.
Your question refers to 'investigations'. It may be helpful to provide some background information on the way in which we carry out our investigatory compliance work, which has changed significantly over recent years. Prior to our strategic review in 2005, our practice was to carry out all investigations as formal statutory inquiries under section 8 of the Charities Act 1993. We now carry out a wider range of compliance work dealing with problems in charities. This includes assessment cases, monitoring, non-statutory investigations that we call regulatory compliance cases, as well as section 8 statutory inquiries. We now reserve statutory inquiries only for the most serious cases of regulatory concern. Last year, for example, we conducted 1,504 assessment cases and 211 monitoring cases, and completed 167 regulatory compliance cases and 21 statutory inquiries.
The statistical information we hold for the purposes of our investigations is not designed to identify the sort of data you are looking for. However, I have looked at our statistics for both non-statutory investigations and statutory inquiries for the last three complete financial years going back to 2006-07 and can provide the following information.
In relation to (a), we have carried out 29 investigations regarding political activity since 2006-07, out of a total of 736 investigations. These 29 investigations were to examine allegations or concerns about inappropriate political activity and campaigning by charities, or charities making political donations or giving support to a political party. I should point out that revocation of charitable status is not a legal remedy if a charity has broken political campaigning rules. Our role in these cases is to make good the breach (for example, to ensure inappropriate payment by a charity to a political party is repaid) and ensure steps are taken to prevent recurrence.
As you may know, charities can campaign and undertake political activity but cannot have political purposes. If we find that an organisation, although registered as a charity, does in fact have a political purpose, it cannot be a charity in law. In these cases, we would remove the organisation from the Register of Charities because it was never in fact a charity. Our records show that we have removed two charities from the Register on this basis: one in October 2001 and the other in July 2004. Regarding part (i) of your question, I can confirm that neither of these organisations were mosques.
In relation to (b), our statistical information does not allow us to readily identify on a historical basis cases regarding allegations that a charity may have provided a platform to Hizb ut-Tahrir. However, I can confirm that we have no current statutory or non-statutory investigations into such concerns.
I hope this is a helpful response to your question.
Civil Servants: Pay
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which of the jobs advertised on the (a) internal and (b) public versions of the Civil Service jobs website had salaries of £150,000 or over in the last six months. [318128] [Official Report, 8 April 2010, Vol. 508, c. 15MC.]
Angela E. Smith: Not all vacancies advertised on the civil service jobs site show salary details. Of those that were advertised in the last six months showing salary details, 43 roles fell within the £81,600 to £220,000 salary range.
The total figure of 43 was made up of 11 jobs advertised on the public part of the civil service jobs site and 32 on the internal part of the site.
Departmental Disabled Staff
Mr. Harper: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of staff in (a) her Department, (b) the Prime Minister's Office, (c) the Office of the Leader of the House and (d) the executive agencies for which her Department is responsible are disabled; and what the average salary in each (i) Office and (ii) agency is of (A) full-time disabled staff, (B) full-time non-disabled staff, (C) part-time disabled staff and (D) part-time non-disabled staff. [317902]
Angela E. Smith: The Prime Minister's Office and the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons are an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
The latest information for which figures are available on the number and proportion of staff that are disabled in Cabinet Office is contained in the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES) statistics published on the Office for National Statistics website and can be found at table '38' at this link:
This information is also shown in the following table:
| Number | |
The latest information from the Office of National Statistics, which is not published, on which figures are available on the median gross annual earnings of full-time and part-time disabled and non-disabled staff in Cabinet Office is detailed in the following table:
| Median earnings (£) | ||
| Disabled | Non-disabled | |
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