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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 15 November 2011
Scotland
Design Services
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what contracts his Department has awarded for design services since May 2010; and what information his Department holds on the location of such companies. [80177]
David Mundell: Since May 2010, the Scotland Office has not awarded any contracts for design services.
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on design in respect of (a) logos, (b) buildings, (c) advertising, (d) stationery and (e) campaigns in the last year for which figures are available. [80210]
David Mundell: During 2010-11, the Scotland Office incurred no expenditure on design in respect of logos, buildings, advertising, stationery or campaigns.
Judicial Review
Mr Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what applications for judicial review have been made against his Department (a) in the last Parliament and (b) since May 2010; whether each such application (i) succeeded, (ii) failed and (iii) remains pending; what legal costs were incurred by his Department for each such application; in each failed application whether he applied for costs against the applicant and whether they were (A) awarded and (B) paid; whether his Department (1) paid for and (2) offered to pay for the legal costs incurred by each such applicant; and what the total cost to the public purse was of payment of the legal costs for each such applicant. [80718]
David Mundell: In the last Parliament there were two applications:
(1) Derek Traynor and James Fisher raised petitions for judicial review against the Secretary of State for Scotland and Scottish Ministers in respect of the Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2007. The applications were unsuccessful at first instance in the Court of Session, the petitioners appealed, and the appeals remain pending at their request. The legal costs incurred by the Secretary of State for Scotland to date are £4.555.50.
(2) The Taxpayers Alliance applied for permission to bring judicial review against the Secretary of State for Scotland in respect of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Act 2008 (Games Association Right) Order 2009. The application was refused. The Scotland Office's legal costs were £7,080. The Scotland Office applied for costs against the applicant. Costs were awarded in part and they have been paid.
There have been no applications for judicial review against the Scotland Office since May 2010.
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Sovereignty
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received on the status of Scotland within the EU should Scotland become an independent state. [80112]
David Mundell: I have not received formal representations on the possible status of an independent Scotland within the EU.
Northern Ireland
Design Services
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what contracts his Department has awarded for design services since May 2010; and what information his Department holds on the location of such companies. [80178]
Mr Paterson: Since May 2010, my Department has not awarded any new contracts for design services.
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department has spent on design in respect of (a) logos, (b) buildings, (c) advertising, (d) stationery and (e) campaigns in the last year for which figures are available. [80209]
Mr Paterson: Comparable figures for my Department as it is now configured are not available before 12 April 2010 following the completion of devolution of policing and justice functions.
In June 2010, the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (EONI), which while operating independently of the Northern Ireland Office, is part of the Department for accounting purposes, spent £2,420 on the design of Electoral ID cards.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what assessment he has made of the level of entrepreneurism in the cultural sector; and what steps he is taking to ensure funding by his Department is linked to the creation of growth and jobs in that sector; [80213]
(2) what recent assessment he has made of the potential for growth in the arts and culture sector. [80214]
Mr Vaizey: This Department has not collated information on the level of entrepreneurism in the cultural sector.
In July this year, Arts Council England published ‘Supporting the growth in the arts economy’, available at:
http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/publication_archive/supporting-growth-arts-economy
This report identifies the opportunities to maximise the benefits for the creative economy through better targeted public investment in the arts sector.
Arts Council England is contributing to the arts sector skills needed for the creative industries, as set out in the Arts Council's Plan 2011-15.
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Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what steps he is taking to increase the number of purpose-built buildings and studios for the creative industries in each of the English regions; [80745]
(2) what assessment he has made of the availability of purpose-built workspaces for office and studio users in the creative industries in each region. [80790]
Mr Vaizey: We are aware of much good work being undertaken in the private sector on providing flexible incubation spaces for creative industries, for example, the network of Hub spaces in London or iShed in Bristol, to name just two. The Government have also undertaken work through Tech City to provide additional incubation workspaces for creative companies in London.
Arts Council England has provided grants for artists' spaces through their 2001 Arts Capital programme and the 2003 Grants for the arts—capital programmes. This has included ACME Studios to funding purpose-built artist studio space in Harrow, Tower Hamlets, Southwark and Brent:
http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/rfo/acme-studios/
http://www.acme.org.uk
http://www.wysingarts.org
It has also refurbished existing artist workspaces (e.g. Stroud Valleys Artspace, Stroud) and converted existing non-arts buildings into artist workspaces (e.g. High Bridge Studios and Gallery, Newcastle).
The £180 million large-scale capital programme launched by the Arts Council on 1 November 2011 prioritises the improved resilience and sustainability of existing arts infrastructure rather than funding for new, purpose-built buildings or artist studio spaces.
Arts Council England
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the potential effect on music education of reductions in the budget of Arts Council England. [79848]
Mr Vaizey [holding answer 10 November 2011]: Funding for music education is primarily the responsibility of the Department for Education. Arts organisations funded by Arts Council England, which play a role in supporting and enhancing the delivery of music education, will continue to deliver a first rate offer. Its new Bridge network, including Sage Gateshead and the Royal Opera House, will develop vital links between schools and arts organisations from April next year. Between them, the Bridge network organisations will receive £10 million per year.
This is being achieved through an increase in lottery funding of 43% over the next four years, and limiting the savings required from the Arts Council’s front-line grant to 15% over the same period.
Bids will shortly be invited for Arts Council England’s £45 million Touring Programme, which will be open to bids from a broad range of artforms, including organisations that could deliver music education projects across the country.
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Cultural Quarter
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he is taking steps to support the Cultural Quarter at (a) Birmingham, (b) Eastside, (c) Southampton, (d) Doncaster, (e) Leicester and (f) Colchester. [80787]
Mr Vaizey: I attended and spoke at the Birmingham Creative City Launch on 25 October 2011, bringing together people from local businesses, arts and the local enterprise partnership with the aim to increase the area's economic output by 30% (£8.25 billion) and create 100,000 private sector jobs by 2020.
This year Arts Council England has invested £97,704 regular funding in Birmingham City University and an additional £24,536 through grants for the arts to Eastside Projects Limited. On 31 March 2011 the National Portfolio decisions were announced by the Art Council England and consolidated the University and Eastside Projects Limited who will receive an award of £122,704.
Arts Council England has offered Southampton city council £349,302 and Doncaster metropolitan borough council £43,758 from 2012-2015 as part of their National Portfolio. It has also made a capital investment of £7.2 million to deliver an arts complex across the larger Grosvenor and Southampton city council development, and £2.1 million to deliver a new performance venue in Doncaster.
Leicester's Cultural Quarter hosts the Curve and Phoenix Square. The Curve will receive more than £5.7 million for 2012-15 from Arts Council England. From April 2012 Phoenix Square will receive more than £245,000 over a three year period to develop its programme of world-class digital art. In addition, Phoenix Square has received a national lottery grant for the arts award for £10,000 for a new media artist-in-residence project and resulting exhibition programme running between January and March 2012.
The partnership between Colchester borough council (£4.25 million), Essex county council (£6.5 million), the University of Essex (£1 million), the East of England Development Agency (£6.24 million) and Arts Council England (£9.25 million) has delivered a £28 million capital investment in Firstsite, an international art gallery supporting many creative businesses and artists who work in the locality and increasing visitor numbers. Arts Council England is working closely with Colchester borough council and other public and private sector partners to establish the next phase of the quarter through the proposed development of a creative business centre, which, it is hoped, will grow their creative business profile and contribute to the vibrancy of the local economy.
Culture: Education
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the level of access to cultural education providers in each region; and what assessment he has made of the effects of such provision on regional arts organisations. [80788]
Mr Vaizey:
Cultural education providers include a diverse range of organisations, including schools, further and higher education institutions, and the voluntary, community and private sectors. They encompass cultural
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forms as diverse as architecture and the built environment, archives, craft, dance, design, digital arts, drama and theatre, film, heritage, literature, museums, music, poetry and the visual arts. Regional arts organisations are part of this infrastructure.
This Department measures children’s and adult’s levels of engagement with cultural activities through the Taking Part survey. The latest adult and child findings can be found at:
www.culture.gov.uk/publications/8398.aspx
Judicial Review
Mr Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what applications for judicial review have been made against his Department (a) in the last Parliament and (b) since May 2010; whether each such application (i) succeeded, (ii) failed and (iii) remains pending; what legal costs were incurred by his Department for each such application; in each failed application whether he applied for costs against the applicant and whether they were (A) awarded and (B) paid; whether his Department (1) paid for and (2) offered to pay for the legal costs incurred by each such applicant; and what the total cost to the public purse was of payment of the legal costs for each such applicant. [80709]
John Penrose: The information requested for part (a) is not held centrally by this Department, and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
The Department does not record centrally the number of times it has been taken to court or the number of decisions taken by the Department that were subject to a judicial review and the outcome of each case.
However, I am able to confirm with regard to part (b), there have been three occasions since 6 May 2010 where an application of permission for judicial review has been sought where my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport or his predecessor, has been the defendant.
Of these, permission to apply for judicial review was granted on one occasion. In the High Court, judgment was decided 93% in the Department for Culture, Media and Sports' favour. There is an appeal pending in the Court of Appeal.
The second application was refused permission. The third application was withdrawn before the application was determined.
In addition to the above, the Secretary of State is an interested party in another application for permission to judicial review. The application has not yet been determined, and is next before the court on 14 December.
The Secretary of State was in addition party to a group of proceedings which have now been settled.
Finally, the Secretary of State has been added as a third party to a set of proceedings which are not technically classified as a judicial review but we are treating the case as if it were because a public law challenge has been brought. The case has been settled. The Department's expenditure on legal advice for the years 2006-07 to 2011-12 is set out in the table.
We are unable to provide the information in the manner requested because we do not separately record
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costs incurred for judicial reviews, and they are not readily identifiable from overall external legal costs expenditure.
| Financial year | Total (£) |
Michael Hintze
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to his answer of 9 November 2011, Official Report, columns 318-19W, on Adam Werritty, what the nature was of the meeting between the Minister with responsibility for culture, communications and creative industries and Michael Hintze on 21 July 2011; where the meeting took place; whether any civil servants were present; and who arranged for the meeting to take place. [81358]
Mr Vaizey: My meeting with Mr Michael Hintze on 21 July 2011 was a private meeting and no civil servants were present. The meeting took place in the Department and was arranged by my ministerial office and Michael Hintze’s office.
Michael Hintze is a philanthropist who gives generously to a range of arts bodies, including an exceptional gift of £2 million from the Hintze Family Charitable Foundation to the National Gallery, announced in January of this year.
Olympic Games 2012: Roads
Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what (1) steps his Department plans to take to support the tourist industry in central London during proposed road closures during the London 2012 Olympic games; [79730]
(2) estimate his Department has made of the cost to the tourist industry in central London of the proposed road closures to non-Olympic traffic during the London 2012 Olympic games. [79731]
Hugh Robertson: There are no plans for widespread road closures in central London for the 2012 games. Roads will be closed at certain times for planned road events, such as the Marathon, and a handful of roads will be closed to allow for the efficient and secure management of the sporting venues. Other than this, none of the roads on the Olympic route network (ORN) will be closed because, where games lanes are implemented, there will always be at least one other lane open to general traffic.
Hosting the games is a huge logistical challenge. London 2012 and Transport for London are running an extensive programme of engagement with London's boroughs, residents and businesses in the run-up to the games. In particular, they are working with the tourism industry to help it make sensible preparations to make the most of the games and help manage demand for transport.
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The Department is committed to ensuring that the tourism industry maximises the economic benefits provided by the games. VisitBritain will be investing around £127 million in a new international marketing programme and we have recently announced a new campaign, which will be launched next year by VisitEngland, to use the games to boost domestic tourism.
Sports: Clubs
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what funding his Department provides for independent sports clubs running programmes for children. [80372]
Hugh Robertson: The Department does not directly award funding to sports clubs. The day to day decision making on funding would fall to the lottery distributors. The financial support available to community sports clubs is primarily channelled through Sport England's Whole Sport Plans for the National Governing Bodies, county sports partnerships and local authorities.
Theatres: Voluntary Work
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many people in each region volunteered in (a) theatres, (b) museums, (c) art galleries and (d) national heritage sites in each year from 1997 to July 2010. [80811]
Mr Vaizey [holding answer 14 November 2011]: Data from the Taking Part survey show the following percentage of adults in England who engaged in volunteering in each year from 2005-06:
|
|
Percentage of adults |
| (1) No data available. | |
Of those who volunteered, the following percentage of adults volunteered in arts, museums/galleries and heritage:
| Percentage | |||
|
|
Arts | Museums/galleries | Heritage |
| (1) No data available. Source: Taking Part survey. | |||
This information is also available on this Department’s website and can be accessed using the following link:
http://www.dcms.gov.uk/publications/8462.aspx
Regional volunteering data for the sectors requested are not available.
Information prior to this is not collated centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
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Attorney-General
Data Protection
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Attorney-General what steps the Law Officers Departments are taking to prevent the online dissemination of information relating to ongoing court cases. [80646]
The Solicitor-General: The Law Officers Departments are not responsible for policing the content of the internet. Our Departments, for example the Crown Prosecution Service, will raise concerns with publishers of online material relating to ongoing court cases where a publication risks breaching reporting restrictions or amounting to contempt of court. This could also be done at the request of the court. Where a contempt is thought to have been committed the Department will raise that with the court so it may consider referring the matter to the Attorney-General or me for possible action.
House of Commons Commission
Parliament Week: Costs
Mr Knight: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the cost to the public purse was of running Parliament week in November 2011. [81066]
John Thurso: The cost of Parliament week 2011 is forecast to be £35,000. As a new national initiative, most of the Parliament week budget has been dedicated to set-up costs, including the costs associated with the design of a new website at:
www.parliamentweek.org
We anticipate this cost being significantly lower in future years. In addition, other teams across Parliament (such as parliamentary outreach and the education service) have run events and activities to coincide with Parliament week, all of which were met using existing budgets.
Data Security
Karl McCartney: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what measures are in place to help prevent the unauthorised monitoring of telephone conversations on the parliamentary estate. [80590]
John Thurso: Telephone systems are maintained and their software regularly updated. Voicemail is password protected. A range of other security measures protects users’ data, but we do not comment on specific security arrangements.
Karl McCartney: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what measures are in place to help prevent unauthorised monitoring of e-mails and data held on computers on the parliamentary estate. [80591]
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John Thurso: The e-mail system is maintained and regularly updated. A range of other security measures protects users’ data, but we do not comment on specific security arrangements.
Prime Minister
Members: Correspondence
John Mann: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to complete his inquiries and respond to the letters of 4 December and 8 December 2010 from the hon. Member for Bassetlaw. [80513]
The Prime Minister: A reply has been sent.
Ministerial Policy Advisers: Manpower
Mr Watts: To ask the Prime Minister how many unpaid special advisers and policy advisers work in each Government Department; and what the name is of each such adviser. [80411]
The Prime Minister: An updated list of special advisers is published quarterly. This is available on the Cabinet Office website:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases
Departmental organisation charts, along with details of senior staff, can be accessed on departmental websites.
Education
Academies: Standards
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what intervention mechanisms are available to him should (a) an academy and (b) a free school be found by the regulator to be offering a sub-standard level of education. [78383]
Mr Gibb: The intervention powers of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education in respect of academies and free schools are set out in each academy's or free school's Articles of Association and Funding Agreement.
For all academies and free schools which have opened on the Department’s standard terms since September 2010, the Articles ensure that the Secretary of State can appoint additional governors to take over control of poorly performing academies. These additional governors can be appointed where an academy has failed to comply with a warning notice which the Secretary of State issued on the grounds that
“the standards of performance of pupils at an Academy are unacceptably low”.
Additional governors can alternatively be appointed where an academy has dropped by two Ofsted grades in a five year period or where a school which is in special measures is judged by Ofsted to have made inadequate progress at its next inspection and the Secretary of State is not satisfied with the academy's proposed action plan.
The Funding Agreement also provides that the Secretary of State can terminate the Funding Agreement where the academy is in special measures, is judged by Ofsted to have made inadequate progress at the first monitoring report and the Secretary of State is dissatisfied with the academy's proposed Action Plan.
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Care to Learn Programme
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will guarantee that the budget for the Care to Learn programme will not be reduced over the next spending period regardless of the results of his Department's consultation on Care to Learn. [77984]
Mr Gibb: We expect the Care to Learn budget to rise across the spending review period, as we move towards the raising of the participation age to 17 in 2013 and to 18 in 2015.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will guarantee that the payments to people from the Care to Learn programme will not be reduced as a result of his Department's consultation on Care to Learn. [77985]
Mr Gibb: In consulting on the future of the Care to Learn programme we made clear that our preferred option was to avoid any changes to payment rates under the scheme. The consultation closed on 28 October 2011. All comments are being considered, and a summary report on the responses to the consultation will be published later in the year on the Department for Education consultation website.
Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people aged (a) 19 and (b) 20 years receive funding through the Care to Learn scheme by (i) constituency and (ii) local authority area. [78713]
Mr Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) which operates the Care to Learn allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Leicester West with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Peter Lauener dated 7 November 2011:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ78713 that asked:
“How many people aged (a) 19 and (b) 20 years receive funding through the Care to Learn scheme by (i) constituency and (ii) local authority area.”
The number of people aged 19 and 20 years who received funding through the Care to Learn scheme in the 2010/11 academic year was 1882 and 237 respectively. I have attached a breakdown of these figures by local authority area. These are take-up figures as at 31 August 2011.
This information is not available by constituency.
| National figures—All care to learn take-up for 2010/11 academic year—August 2011 | ||
| Age | ||
| Local authority area: | 19 years | 20 years |
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| (1 )Individuals unassigned to a local authority. | ||
Child Protection
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education by what date he expects the recommendations of Professor Munro's Review of Child Protection to be fully implemented. [80930]
Tim Loughton: Professor Munro's review of child protection was the very first review established in the Department for Education, on 10 June 2010, underlining the priority the Government place on getting child protection right. Professor Munro's recommendations emphasise the importance of system-wide reform. There are no quick fixes; nor is there a one off set of solutions to be imposed from the centre.
The Government's response to Professor Munro's review, published on 13 July 2011, signalled the start of a shift in mindset and an essential re-balancing in the relationship between central Government and local government, local agencies and frontline professionals. Our aim, working in partnership with the sector, is to create the conditions for sustained, long-term reform which enables and inspires professionals to do their best for vulnerable children and their families.
The Government's approach to the reform of the child protection system is driven by three key principles:
trusting skilled frontline professionals to use their professional judgment;
reducing bureaucracy and prescription to give professionals more time and space to work directly with children and families; and
above all, being child-centred.
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We want to build a child protection system where the focus is very firmly on the experience of the child or young person's journey from needing to receiving help.
The Government response set out indicative timescales for responding to Professor Munro's recommendations in the short to medium term in order to establish a clear framework for future progress. We made clear that local leaders would need to determine the pace of reform in their areas in order to deliver the system-wide change needed to deliver lasting improvements.
Professor Munro will undertake an interim assessment of progress in spring 2012.
Children’s Centres
Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children attended Sure Start centres in (a) Wallasey constituency, (b) the Wirral, (c) the north-west region, (d) England and (e) the UK in (i) 2011 and (ii) each of the last five years. [80796]
Sarah Teather [holding answer 14 November 2011]: The Department does not collect this information. Local authorities in England have a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient children's centres in their area to meet local need, so far as is reasonably practicable. It is for local authorities to commission children's centres and to monitor and evaluate the use and impact of their services. Responsibility for early education and child care in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland rests with the devolved Administrations.
Education Maintenance Allowance
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the title of each research paper, study and other source of evidence drawn on by his Department in reaching the decision to end the education maintenance allowance. [78389]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 3 November 2011]:When making the decision to end the education maintenance allowance (EMA), the Department for Education drew upon a range of internal and external resources.
The Department considered independent evaluation and research which had been commissioned by the previous Government. This includes a number of reports on the EMA pilot which were undertaken by a consortium led by the Centre for Research into Social Policy (CRSP) and involving the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and the National Centre for Social Research. The main reports referred to were:
Ashworth, K., Hardman, J., Hartfree, Y., Maguire, S., Middleton, S., Smith, D., Dearden, L., Emmerson, C, Frayne, C, Meghir, C. (2002), “Education Maintenance Allowance: The First Two Years: A Quantitative Evaluation”, Department for Education and Skills Research Report 352; and
Chowdry, H., Dearden, L. and Emmerson, C. (2007) “Education Maintenance Allowance: Evaluation with Administrative Data—The Impact of the EMA pilots on participation and attainment in post-compulsory education”, Institute for Fiscal Studies/Learning and Skills Council.
These reports, and other evaluation evidence, are available at:
http://ema.ypla.gov.uk/resources/research/evaluation-reports/
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The Department also considered research into barriers to participation (including financial barriers), which was undertaken by the National Foundation for Educational Research, working in partnership with Triangle and QA Research: (Spielhofer et al (2010) “Barriers to Participation in Education and Training; DFE RR009”. This is available at
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR009.pdf
Beyond these primary reports and sources of evidence, analysis underpinning the decision to end EMA drew on a wide range of published research, as follows:
Aitken, G.; P. Byram; G. Whalley and D. Moore. (2007). “Evaluation of the EMA National Roll-out”.
Allan, T.; M. Campbell and K. Latimer (2009). “Evaluation of the 2008-09 EMA Policy Changes”.
Allen, T.; B. Dobson; J. Hardman; S. Maguire; S. Middleton; J. Graham; K. Woodfield; M. Maguire. (2003). “Education Maintenance Allowance Pilots for Vulnerable Young People and Childcare Pilots: Implementation and Reported Impacts in the First Year”.
Ashworth, K; J. Hardman; W. Liu; S. Maguire; S. Middleton; L. Dearden; C. Emmerson; C. Frayne; A. Goodman; H. Ichimura and C. Meghir. (2001). “Education Maintenance Allowance: The First Year—A Quantitative Evaluation”.
Burgess, M. (2009). “Evaluation of the New Criteria for Provision Associated with the Education Maintenance Allowance”: Learning and Skills Council: York Consulting: March 2009.
Curs, B. R; L.D. Singell. and G.R. Waddell. (2007). “Money for Nothing? The Impact of Changes in the Pell Grant Program on Institutional Revenues and the Placement of Need Students”.
DCSF, (2009). “Youth Cohort Study and Longitudinal Study of Young People in England: the Activities and Experiences of 17 year olds: England 2008”.
Dearden, L; Emmerson, C; Frayne, C. and Meghir, C. (2008). Conditional Cash Transfers and School Dropout Rates. “The Journal of Human Resources”, 44 (4). Pp. 827-857.
DFE (2007). “Schools and Pupils in England, January 2006”.
Dobson, B. J. Hardman; S. Maguire; S. Middleton; T. Allen; J. Graham; E. Hill; K. Woodfield; M. Maguire. (2003). “Education Maintenance Allowance Pilots for Vulnerable Young People and Childcare Pilots: Implementation and Reported impacts in the First Two Years (2000-2001/2001-2002)”.
Feinstein, L. and R. Sabates. (2005). “Education and Youth Crime: Effects of Introducing the Education Maintenance Allowance Programme—Research Brief”.
Finn, D. and Branosky, N. (2004). “Financial support for 16 to 19 year olds: A review of the literature and evidence on the Australian Youth Allowance”.
Fletcher, M. (2009). “Perspective: should we end the Education Maintenance Allowance?”
Heaver, C; M. Maguire; S. Middleton; S. Maguire; R. Youngs; B. Dobson; J. Hardman. (2002). “Evaluation of Education Maintenance Allowance Pilots: Leeds and London first Year Evidence”.
Home Office (2004). “The Reducing Burglary Initiative: design, development and delivery: Home Office Research Study 287”.
Ianelli, C; J. Ozga; L, Croxford. and C. Howieson. (2002). “Education Maintenance Allowances (EMA): Evaluation of the Easy Ayrshire Pilot”.
Ipsos MORI and Experian (2008). “Evaluation of the Extension of the Education Maintenance Allowance to Entry-to-Employment and Programme Led Apprenticeships”.
Knight, T. and C. White. (2003). “The Reflections of Early Leavers and Second Year Participants on the Education Maintenance Allowance Scheme: A Qualitative Study”.
Legard, R.; K. Woodfield and C. White. (2001). “Staying away or staying on? A qualitative evaluation of the Education Maintenance Allowance—Research Brief”.
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LSC (2009). “Learner Support Programme: EMA Valid Provision Criteria 2009/10: September 2009”.
Maguire, S., Thompson, J., Hillage, J., Dewson, S., Miller, L., Johnson, C., Newton, B., Bates, P. and Page, R. (2009) “Activity Agreement Pilots Process Evaluation” DCSF-RR095
Maguire, S. (2008). Paying young people to learn—does it work? “Research in Post-Compulsory Education”, 13 (2). Pp. 205-215.
Maguire, M.; S. Maguire and J. Vincent. (2001). “Implementation of the Education Maintenance Allowance Pilots: the First Year”. Research Brief.
Maguire, S.; M. Maguire and C. Heaver. (2002). “Implementation of the Education Maintenance Allowance Pilots: the Second Year”.
Maguire, S. and M. Maguire. (2003). “Implementation of the Education Maintenance Allowance Pilots: the Third Year (2001/02)”.
Maguire, S. and M. Maguire. (2004). “Implementation of the Education Maintenance Allowance Pilots: the Fourth Year”.
Maguire, S. and J. Rennison. (2005). Two Years On: The Destinations of Young People who are Not in Education, Employment or Training at 16. “Journal of Youth Studies”, 8(2). Pp. 187-201.
Maguire, S. and S. Middleton. (2006). “Young People and the Labour Market: Evidence from the EMA Pilots Database”.
Maguire, S., Thompson, J. and Middleton, S. (2006). “Paying young people to stay on at school—does it work? Evidence from the evaluation of the piloting of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)”: SKOPE Research Paper No. 69, December 2006: University of Warwick.
Mercer, C. (2008). “Federal Pell Grant Program of the Higher Education Act: Background and Reauthorisation”.
Middleton, S.; S. Maguire; K. Ashworth; K. Legge; T. Allen; K. Perrin; E. Battistin; L Dearden; C. Emmerson; E. Fitzsimons and C. Meghir. (2003). “The Evaluation of Education Maintenance Allowance Pilots: Three Years Evidence—A Quantitative Evaluation”.
Middleton, S.; K. Perren; S. Maguire; J. Rennison; E. Battistin; C. Emmerson and E. Fitzsimons. (2005). “Evaluation of Education Maintenance Allowance Pilots: Young People Aged 16 to 19 Years—Final Report of the Quantitative Evaluation”.
Middleton, S.; J. Rennison; A. Cebulla; K. Perren and S. De-Beaman. (2005a). “Young People from Ethnic Minority Backgrounds: Evidence from the Education Maintenance Allowance Pilots Database”.
Mundel, D. and Rice, L. (2008). “The Impact of Increases in Pell Grant Awards on College-going among Lower Income Youth”.
Perren, K.; S. Middleton; C. Emmerson. (2003). Education Maintenance Allowance Transport Pilots—Quantitative Findings from Years 1 and 2 (2001-2002/2002-2003)”.
Perren, K. and S. Middleton. (2005). “Teenage Mothers and Young People with Special Needs: Evidence from the Education Maintenance Allowance Pilots Database”.
Rennison, J.; S. Maguire; S. Middleton and K. Ashworth. (2005). “Young People not in Education, Employment or Training: Evidence from the Education Maintenance Allowance Pilots Database—Research Brief”.
Slavin, R.E. (2009). “Can Financial Incentives Enhance Educational Outcomes? Evidence from International Experiments”. Institute for Effective Education, University of York and John Hopkins University.
Tanner, E., Purdon, S., D'Souza, J. and Finch, S. (2009) “Activity Agreement Pilots: Quantitative Evaluation” DCSF-RR096
Tanner, E., Purdon, S., Taylor, E., Finch, S., Maguire, M. (2010) “Activity Agreement Pilots—Follow up survey of 2007-2008 participants” DCSF-RR010 WEB
York Consulting (2007). “Young people's awareness and experience of Educational Maintenance Allowances (EMAs) and their impact on choices and pathways”.
York Consulting (2009). “Evaluation of the New Criteria for Provision Associated with the Education Maintenance Allowance”.
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Free Schools
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish the outcome of the consideration he gave under section 9 of the Academies Act 2010 to the impact of establishing the free schools that opened in September 2011. [71565]
Mr Gibb: Under section 9 of the Academies Act 2010 the Secretary of State for Education my right hon. Friend is under a duty to consider the impact of establishing a new school on maintained schools, academies and further education institutions in the area in which the additional school is (or is proposed to be) situated. This consideration includes free schools. Additionally any group whose proposal for a free school is progressed is required to consult locally on their proposals. When deciding whether or not to enter into a funding agreement the Secretary of State will take a range of views into account, alongside the impact assessment.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many free schools are expected to be open by (a) 2012 and (b) 2015; [74643]
(2) how many free schools are operational; and how many plan to open in the academic year 2011-12; [74644]
(3) how many pupils are attending free schools. [74645]
Mr Gibb: We estimate that over 3,000 pupils have enrolled during the first intake for the 24 free schools that opened in September 2011. This means that these schools are on course to reach their full capacity in the coming years. Further information about the number of children on roll at each school will be collected in the school census and published in due course. There are no plans to open further free schools in the current academic year, but the Department has completed the process of assessing the applications it has received to establish mainstream free schools in September 2012. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education made an oral statement to the House on 10 October 2011, Official Report, columns 62-64, to announce that a further 55 mainstream free schools have been approved to move to the next stage of development. These schools will join eight mainstream free schools already in the pipeline for opening in 2012. A further number of proposals for alternative provision and special free schools are under consideration.
There will be further application rounds for groups hoping to open free schools in 2013 and beyond. The number of successful proposals in the future will depend on the quality of the proposals and the level of demand from parents and other groups.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 24 November 2011, Official Report, column 81W, on free schools: West London, when he expects to publish the funding agreement for the West London free school. [79469]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 8 November 2011]: The funding agreement for the West London free school will be published in due course.
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Free Schools: West London
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether any payment of grant has been made to the West London free school. [79451]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 8 November 2011]: Since opening in September, the West London free school has been receiving monthly payments of General Annual Grant (GAG) which is based on providing funding per pupil equivalent to that received by other state-funded schools in the same local authority area. The school has also been paid grant funding to help meet some development costs such as employing a principal designate ahead of opening, purchasing books and equipment, and meeting the costs of employing senior staff while the school builds up from the single year group admitted this September.
Life Skills
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to take any steps to promote Drinkaware's In:tuition life skills programme. [79275]
Sarah Teather [holding answer 7 November 2011]:The work of the Alcohol Network of the Public Health Responsibility Deal launched on 15 March 2011 has, as one if its aims, support for the education of young people about the harms of alcohol misuse and the importance of delaying the onset of drinking. The Alcohol Network sub-group responsible for developing the pledge which addresses this issue is currently considering appropriate evidence-based programmes which look to be best placed to support this aim.
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to take any steps to promote Drinkaware's In:tuition life skills programme. [79276]
Sarah Teather [holding answer 7 November 2011]:It is not the role of government to promote particular programmes. However, the work of the Alcohol Network of the Public Health Responsibility Deal launched on 15 March 2011 has, as one if its aims, support for the education of young people about the harms of alcohol misuse and the importance of delaying the onset of drinking. The Alcohol Network sub-group responsible for developing the pledge which addresses this issue is currently considering appropriate evidence-based programmes which look to be best placed to support this aim.
Local Government Services
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) whether he plans to require local authorities to give consideration to the use of a space for other community services when considering closing such services; [80909]
(2) whether his revised statutory guidance on Sure Start children's centres will (a) retain the presumption against closure and (b) ensure local authorities demonstrate that outcomes for children will not be adversely affected before decisions on closure are taken. [80910]
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Sarah Teather [holding answer 14 November 2011]: The revised statutory guidance will not change the legislative framework within which Sure Start children's centres operate. Local authorities will continue to have a legal duty to ensure there are sufficient children's centres in their localities, and to demonstrate that outcomes for children will not be affected. Revised statutory guidance will be published for consultation later on in the year and hon. Members will be given the opportunity to respond to that consultation. Further, the Localism Bill includes new rights for local communities, including the Community Right to Buy. If listed assets come up for sale, communities will have extra time to prepare a bid to take them over, making it easier to keep assets in public use and part of local life. Important local amenities and buildings, such as old town halls, community halls or children's centres, can be nominated for listing by the local authority as assets of community value. Where a local authority sells, transfers or changes the use of capital assets funded by the Department, the Department is likely to ‘claw back’ that funding. However, the Department may defer clawback where an asset continues to be used for a purpose relevant to the original capital grant. These deferrals are assessed on a case by case basis.
Pupils: Disadvantaged
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reasons funding for the pupil premium has doubled for 2011-12. [79329]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 8 November 2011]:On 12 October 2011, the Government announced that the pupil premium for free school meal pupils, and looked-after children, will increase from £430 per pupil to £488 per pupil in 2011-12. The money has been released because fewer children than originally estimated have registered for free school meals this year. Total expenditure on the pupil premium will be £625 million in 2011-12, doubling to £1.25 billion in 2012-13. It will rise again each year until 2014-15 when it will be worth £2.5 billion. The Government are committed to this funding as evidence shows that children from low income families generally do not achieve as well as pupils from more advantaged backgrounds. Schools receive this additional funding on top of the existing school budget to support these children to reach their potential and help schools reduce educational inequalities.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether any of the funding allocated for the pupil premium was not taken up in 2010-11. [79453]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 8 November 2011]: The pupil premium was introduced in April 2011. For 2011-12, £625 million will be allocated to schools and the planned funding will, therefore, be fully taken up. Schools do not have to apply for this funding as it is allocated on a formula basis to eligible pupils using the following per pupil rates:
| Type of pupil | Pupil premium per pupil (£) |
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Schools: Admissions
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects to publish the revised School Admissions and School Admission Appeals Codes. [77668]
Mr Gibb: The White Paper, “The Importance of Teaching”, announced our intention to review the School Admissions Code and the Appeals Code, with a view to delivering a simpler, more streamlined admissions process. We consulted between 27 May and 19 August on these draft codes, and received over 1,300 responses, over half from parents.
We published both these codes on 2 November for local information and consultation purposes, alongside the departmental response to the consultation, and will shortly consult on the supporting draft regulations.
We intend to lay the draft codes and regulations before Parliament in December, in order that they are able to come into force in February 2012 in time for the allocation of school places for admission in September 2013.
Schools: Pupils
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to address changes in the number of (a) primary school students from 2010 and (b) secondary school students from 2016. [76562]
Mr Gibb: It is the responsibility of each local authority to manage the supply and changes in demand for primary and secondary school places in their area, and secure a place for every child of statutory school age who wants one. The Department will continue to provide capital funding and monitor the situation with all local authorities to ensure there are sufficient school places.
The Department collects information from each local authority on school capacity in maintained schools through an annual survey, which includes pupil forecast information (five years for primary places and seven years for secondary places). Forecasts are utilised in order to calculate the capital funding allocations to authorities to provide extra places for future growth in pupil numbers. The survey data at May 2010 are available this autumn and will inform future basic need funding allocations.
Schools: Repairs and Maintenance
Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate has he made of the proportion of (a) all maintained schools and (b) maintained schools built or refurbished since 2006 which are open plan schools. [77986]
Mr Gibb: Information regarding the proportion of maintained schools which are open plan is not collected centrally or held by the Department. Therefore we are unable to make any estimate of the proportion of maintained schools that are open plan.
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Schools: Vocational Guidance
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what consideration he has given to the recommendation contained in the Browne report on higher education funding published in October 2010 that every school should be required to make individualised careers advice available to its pupils, delivered by certified professionals. [79219]
Mr Gibb: To ensure students make well informed choices about their options at 18, they need access to careers advice that is independent and underpinned by objective information and data. We want university applicants to be able to easily understand what a course will cost, what it will contain and where it might lead.
Subject to the passage of the Education Bill, schools will be placed under a new duty to secure access to independent and impartial careers guidance for their pupils. The Department will publish statutory guidance to support the new duty. This will set a clear expectation that face-to-face careers guidance should be secured where it is the most suitable support, in particular for disadvantaged young people and those with special needs. The guidance will also contain a clear description of the national quality standard for careers guidance which will act as a marker of quality throughout the system and inform the decisions schools and colleges will make when commissioning independent support for young people.
Students: Transport
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department has assessed the 2011-12 local authority transport plans for 16 to 18 year olds; and what (a) affordable and (b) accessible transport is available for this age group. [74750]
Mr Gibb: The Department is undertaking an exercise to establish whether all local authorities have published transport policy statements as required by section 509AA of the Education Act 1996.
Decisions regarding the extent of such arrangements, including the provision of any financial assistance, are for local authorities to make following appropriate consultation. Local authorities know the location of the schools, the colleges and the other providers, they know the transport infrastructure available and they know the young people who need their support.
Teachers: Pensions
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the participation rate for the teachers' pension scheme was for each pay band in each year from 2006 to 2010. [79533]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 8 November 2011]: The Department does not hold data on the breakdown of teachers' pension scheme participation rates by pay band. The overall participation rate is, however, very high. The scheme accounts show that over the five-year period in question 14,701 teachers and lecturers opted out of the scheme, against a membership of approximately 650,000.
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Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Balkans
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to visit (a) Serbia, (b) Macedonia and (c) Bosnia. [81201]
Mr Lidington: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs visited Bosnia and Herzegovina in June 2010 and Serbia in August 2010, but has no current plans to visit Serbia, Macedonia or Bosnia and Herzegovina. In my capacity as Minister for Europe, I have visited all three countries over the last 18 months, in addition to visits to fellow Western Balkan countries Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. I was in Serbia last month (31 October), where I had useful discussions about the country's EU perspective, and the importance of its dialogue with Kosovo.
Bell Pottinger Group
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) political advisers in his Department have met representatives of (i) Bell Pottinger Group or (ii) each of its subsidiaries in the last five years; on what dates any such meetings took place; and what was discussed. [80057]
Mr Lidington: A full list of ministerial meetings with external organisations is published quarterly on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's website at:
www.fco.gov.uk/en/publications-and-documents/transparency-and-data1/hospitality/
The further information requested is not held centrally and is available only at disproportionate cost.
British Nationals Abroad: Arrests
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK citizens were arrested in each other EU member state in each of the last 20 years; and if he will make a statement. [81154]
Alistair Burt: In the following financial years, the numbers of British nationals requiring consular assistance after arrest in EU member states were:
|
|
Number |
This information was not collated on a central database before 2008. To break down the above figures into each EU member state would incur a disproportionate cost.
Supporting British nationals in difficulty around the world is a priority for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. This support is explained in our publication ‘Support for British nationals abroad: A guide’, available on the FCO website at:
www.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/2855621/support-for-british-nationals-abroad.pdf
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When British nationals are arrested, our role is to provide information about the local legal system, including the availability of local English-speaking lawyers, and to support the welfare of the detainee.
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the treatment of British nationals seized aboard the MV Saoirse and the Canadian vessel Al-Tahrir on 4 November 2011 by the Israeli navy. [81235]
Alistair Burt: The British embassy in Tel Aviv was made aware of the detention of one British national on 4 November following the interception of the Canadian vessel Al-Tahrir by the Israeli authorities. We were able to secure consular access to visit the individual on 5 November to check on his welfare and continued to do so until his deportation from Israel on 10 November.
British Nationals Abroad: Criminal Proceedings
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK nationals were (a) arrested, (b) charged and (c) convicted for each type of offence in each non-EU member state in each of the last 10 years. [81103]
Alistair Burt [holding answer 14 November 2011]: In the following financial years, the numbers of British nationals requiring consular assistance after arrest in non-EU member states were:
|
|
Number |
This information was not collated on a central database before 2008. To break down the above figures into those charged and convicted for each type of offence in each non-EU member state would incur a disproportionate cost.
Supporting British nationals in difficulty around the world is a priority for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. This support is explained in our publication ‘Support for British nationals abroad: A guide’, available on the FCO website at:
www.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/2855621/support-for-british-nationals-abroad.pdf
When British nationals are arrested, our role is to provide information about the local legal system, including the availability of local English-speaking lawyers, and to support the welfare of the detainee.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo. [80822]
Mr Bellingham: For security and operational reasons we do not comment on or announce visits.
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Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in his Department are stationed in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [80823]
Mr Bellingham: The FCO has six UK based officials stationed in the DRC. Five are based in Kinshasa and one in Goma in the east of the country.
There are 94 HMG staff based in DRC in total: 41 FCO (six UK, 35 locally engaged), 50 DFID (20 UK, 30 locally engaged), three MOD (two UK, one locally engaged).
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [80839]
Mr Bellingham: I have met the DRC Foreign Minister four times in the last 18 months, including when I visited the country in July 2010. We discussed a range of issues including human rights, security, elections, and the UK's support to the country.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Elections
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much funding his Department has provided to support the voter registration process in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [80940]
Mr Bellingham: Britain through the Department for International Development has provided £25.4 million since 2008 to the UNDP PACE programme to strengthen the capacity of the National Independent Commission. From this contribution, approximately £11 million has gone towards voter registration.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on a review of the DRC electoral roll ahead of elections in that country. [80941]
Mr Bellingham: We are pushing the Democratic Republic of Congo’s electoral commission to ensure all parties have access to the electoral roll and to publish full voter lists on its website and in registration centres. Our officials at the embassy in Kinshasa have raised this with the National Independent Electoral Commission.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many electoral observers from the UK (a) will be present in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the forthcoming election and (b) were present in the DRC during the election in 2006. [80942]
Mr Bellingham: There will be five UK electoral observers in the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of the EU observation mission.
We are working closely with the internationally-recognised monitoring experts in the EU and the Carter
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Center to ensure a high-quality network of observers will be in the country before, during and after the election.
In 2006 the UK sent a team of 40 observers led by Chris Mullin MP.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on measures to prevent violent street protests surrounding the forthcoming elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [80945]
Mr Bellingham: At the start of campaigning I made a statement urging all candidates and their supporters to pursue their political goals peacefully and avoid inflaming tensions. We monitor the situation continually, and we participate in regular meetings with the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and international partners on elections security. We have worked on scenario planning with the UN, EU and other partners including contingency plans to be activated in the event of sustained election-related violence.
UK officials in Kinshasa have discussed our concerns with the DRC authorities who have assured us that the Congolese police are prepared to handle disturbances. The Department for International Development has also provided £2.6 million for election security through their Security Sector Accountability and Police programme.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of the Government of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on (a) DRC's electoral commission allowing all parties in the DRC to scrutinise the electoral role and (b) the publication of voter lists prior to the forthcoming election in DRC. [80959]
Mr Bellingham: We are pushing the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) electoral commission to ensure all parties have access to the electoral roll and to publish full voter lists on its website and in registration centres. UK officials at our embassy in Kinshasa have raised this with the DRC authorities including the National Independent Electoral Commission.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Politics and Government
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department is providing to British nationals affected by the recent political unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [80820]
Mr Bellingham: We have not received any requests for consular assistance from British nationals affected by the recent political unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We will provide consular assistance as and when requested.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Democratic Republic of Congo on the recent political unrest in that country. [80845]
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Mr Bellingham: At the start of the election campaign in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), I urged all candidates and their supporters to pursue their political goals peacefully. In response to increased tensions following inflammatory remarks made last week by one of the presidential candidates, our ambassador in Kinshasa has called for all candidates to avoid language which could inflame tensions between communities or lead to confrontation with the security forces. He has also raised our concerns with opposition parties and the DRC authorities, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
European Union: Legislative Competence
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in his Department are working on the Government's examination of the balance of existing European Union competences. [78474]
Mr Hague: The examination of these issues draws on existing resources.
Israel: Embassies
Mr McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Egyptian counterpart on the future protection of the Israeli embassy in Cairo. [80755]
Alistair Burt: I issued a statement on 18 August condemning the attacks in southern Israel earlier that day, calling them appalling and senseless acts of violence and offering sincere condolences to the family and friends of those injured and killed.
We have reiterated these messages to Egyptian officials, and the Egyptians have reassured us that they take their responsibilities very seriously.
In the Prime Minister's statement on 10 September, he welcomed Egypt's agreement that it would uphold Egypt's international agreements including its peace treaty with Israel, stated that we looked to Egypt to honour this agreement, and urged both countries to work together to resolve current tensions and enhance regional stability.
We continue to deliver our key messages on the importance of upholding Egypt-Israeli relations in discussions at official level with both our Egyptian and Israeli interlocutors.
Mr McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on preventing further endangerment of Israeli officials in Egypt following the recent attacks on Israel's embassy in Cairo. [80757]
Alistair Burt: I issued a statement on 18 August 2011 condemning the attacks in southern Israel earlier that day, calling them appalling and senseless acts of violence and offering sincere condolences to the family and friends of those injured and killed.
We have reiterated these messages to Egyptian officials, and the Egyptians have reassured us that they take their responsibilities very seriously.
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In the Prime Minister's statement on 10 September 2011, he welcomed Egypt's agreement that it would uphold Egypt's international agreements including its peace treaty with Israel, stated that we looked to Egypt to honour this agreement, and urged both countries to work together to resolve current tensions and enhance regional stability.
We continue to deliver our key messages on the importance of upholding Egypt-Israeli relations in discussions at official level with both our Egyptian and Israeli interlocutors.
Kosovo: Borders
Mr Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the administration of the border between Serbia and Kosovo independently by EULEX. [81300]
Mr Lidington: The Government's policy is that Kosovo, as an independent sovereign state, should administer its border with Serbia. Kosovo Border Police and Customs officials already administer the Kosovo/Serbia border crossing points at Merdare, Mutivodë, Dheu i Bardhë and Muçibabë, with support from the EU's Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) in a monitoring and mentoring role.
Due to the political situation in northern Kosovo, the border crossing points at Brnjak and Jarinje are currently administered by EULEX, with support from NATO's peacekeeping force, KFOR, and a small Kosovo Police and Customs presence. While we are clear that, looking ahead, it is the Kosovo Government which should administer these crossing points, current political tensions mean this is not possible. The UK firmly supports EULEX and KFOR engagement to ensure the security situation at the border remains calm. We continue to underline that the best way to resolve the issue of customs controls in northern Kosovo in a sustainable fashion is through the EU-facilitated Dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade. We urge both sides to re-engage in the Dialogue as soon as possible, to implement those agreements already reached, and to work towards agreement on other related issues.
Mr Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the administration of the border crossings between Serbia and Kosovo at Jarinje and Brnjak by Albania; and if he will make a statement. [81301]
Mr Lidington: Albania has no role in the administration of the border crossings between Serbia and Kosovo at Jarinje and Brnjak.
Due to the political situation in northern Kosovo, the border crossing points at Brnjak and Jarinje are currently administered by EULEX (the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo), with support from NATO's peacekeeping force, KFOR and a small Kosovo Customs and Police presence. While we are clear that, looking ahead, it is the Kosovo Government which should administer these crossing points, current political tensions mean this is not possible. The UK firmly supports EULEX and KFOR engagement to ensure the security situation at the border remains calm. We continue to underline that the best way to resolve the issue of customs controls in
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northern Kosovo in a sustainable fashion is through the EU-facilitated Dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade. We urge both sides to re-engage in the Dialogue as soon as possible, to implement those agreements already reached, and to work towards agreement on other related issues.