Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Arms Trade: Treaties
Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to support an international prohibition of weapons that once activated can select and engage targets without further intervention from human operators. [152589]
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Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 6 March 2013, Official Report, columns 1021-22W.
Bahrain
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State had with his counterparts in the government of Bahrain about law enforcement and human rights in advance of the Formula One Grand Prix in that country. [152833]
Alistair Burt: I regularly discuss law enforcement and human rights in Bahrain with Bahraini Ministers.
During my visit in March I raised areas in which we have concerns with a variety of interlocutors, and discussed how the UK can support the Bahraini Government with further reforms as recommended by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry and the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The ambassador specifically raised the Grand Prix during his meeting with the Interior Minister last week, ahead of the race.
We were pleased and encouraged to see the event take place peacefully, with security forces exercising restraint and citizens taking part in legitimate and peaceful demonstrations.
Chad: Niger
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of safety on the border between Chad and Niger. [152140]
Mark Simmonds: Our assessment of the safety on the border between Chad and Niger is reflected in our Travel Advice published at:
www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
We advise against all travel to within 30km of the border on the Chadian side and advise against all travel to the regions bordering Chad in Niger.
Guinea-Bissau
Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the arrest of the UK consul-general in Guinea-Bissau; and whether he plans to appoint a replacement consul-general. [152860]
Mark Simmonds: We have no plans to replace our honorary-consul in Guinea-Bissau, Mr Jan van Maanen. Media reporting in early April that Mr van Maanen had been arrested was incorrect.
Human Rights
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria his Department uses to assess whether a country is included as a country of concern or as a case study in its annual human rights report. [153144]
Mr Lidington:
The primary criterion for inclusion as a country of concern is the gravity of the human rights situation in the country, including both the severity of
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particular abuses and the range of human rights affected. The other criteria considered are: whether a deterioration or improvement in the human rights situation in the country would have a wider impact in the region; whether the human rights situation in the country has an impact on wider UK interests; and the level of UK activity and engagement in that country.
Iran
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring his Department will undertake of the forthcoming elections in Iran. [152828]
Alistair Burt: Iran has a duty to comply with its obligations under international law to protect its citizens' rights. The UK will be monitoring the Iranian elections through reports from our diplomatic network, international bodies, and media to see whether these obligations are met. The UK has no desire to interfere in the Iranian electoral process; we have made clear on many occasions that the Government of Iran is a matter for the Iranian people. The UK does not seek to change the Government of Iran. We shall continue to speak out against abuses of human rights in Iran, as we do for other countries around the world.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on Iran. [152829]
Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has a regular dialogue with the EU High Representative on a range of issues, including Iran. They most recently discussed Iran at the G8 Foreign Ministers meeting in London, on 10-11 April, where G8 Ministers reaffirmed their desire for a peaceful and negotiated resolution to the nuclear issue, and indicated that talks could not continue indefinitely.
Iraq
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any representative of the Government has visited (a) Camp Ashraf and (b) Camp Liberty in Iraq. [152186]
Alistair Burt: Our embassy in Baghdad monitors the situation at Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty closely, and officials from our embassy have visited both Camps. The most recent visit was in September 2012, when one of our officials accompanied an EU delegation to Camp Liberty.
Israel
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to (a) UEFA and (b) the government of Israel on (i) access to tickets and (ii) free movement across borders for football fans from the West Bank and Gaza during the UEFA under-21 football tournament in Israel in June 2013. [153093]
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Alistair Burt: We have not raised these specific issues with the Israeli authorities or with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
We do however remain deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of movement from the west bank and Gaza. Through our embassy in Tel Aviv, we frequently lobby the appropriate authorities on the issue of movement and access. We continue to work closely with the Quartet and EU partners, and to call on Israel to ease restrictions on access on all occasions including the UEFA Under-21 football championship, which will take place in Israel in June.
We hope that the tournament will create opportunities to use football to break down barriers between Israelis and Palestinians.
Jordan
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the progress of the political reform agenda in Jordan. [152856]
Alistair Burt: We welcome the progress achieved during the January parliamentary elections. The EU Election Observation Mission, headed by David Martin MEP, similarly praised the technical improvements achieved to date, while making important recommendations on how to achieve political reform, including changes to the electoral system. We support these recommendations and encourage Jordan to maintain momentum on political reform.
Mongolia
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Mongolian government to ensure that UK-based companies will be awarded contracts in respect of the extraction of natural minerals in that country; and what steps he is taking to ensure that any such extraction is undertaken in a sustainable manner. [152604]
Mr Swire: We are working hard to build a stronger trading relationship with Mongolia for the mutual benefit of both countries. The extraction of natural minerals in Mongolia is an important catalyst to Mongolia's economic growth and we have highlighted to the Mongolian Government the expertise that British companies offer in this area. In February, I met Tsagaan Puntsag, the Chief of Staff to the President of Mongolia, where I discussed this issue. I also hosted the biennial UK—Mongolia Round Table talks in November 2012 where I discussed with the Mongolian Deputy Foreign Minister Damba Gankhuyag commercial opportunities for both countries. Opportunities in Mongolia's extractive industries were an important part of these discussions. In order to promote further opportunities for UK companies in Mongolia, UKTI have recently opened an office in Ulaanbaatar to support UK firms doing business in a sustainable manner.
North Korea
Paul Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of allegations made by North Korea defector,
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Hwang Jang-yop, that Iran made available the blueprints of the Urenco uranium enrichment technology to North Korea in exchange for North Korean Nodong missiles. [152797]
Alistair Burt: North Korea supplies a range of conventional arms to customers worldwide and has supplied goods in support of ballistic missile programmes, including to Iran.
We are unaware of any allegations made by Hwang Jang-yop of a nuclear connection between Iran and North Korea. In 2010, Hwang did report that North Korea had sold missiles to Iran, and we are aware that North Korea did indeed sell NODONG missiles to Iran in the 1990s. However, Hwang denied there had been a nuclear connection between the countries.
Official Hospitality
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible claimed reimbursements for working lunches and official entertainment in each of the last five years; and what the total cost was in each such year. [152669]
Alistair Burt: (a) The Foreign and Commonwealth Office undertakes a vast range of activities to establish and maintain diplomatic contacts throughout our network of over 260 overseas posts, as well as diplomatic activity in the UK to promote British interests. This includes meetings and events hosted for political and business delegations (including those in support of UK Trade and Industry) which range in size from large trade delegations to small working lunches with key senior contacts. Any such spending is undertaken for business reasons and expenditure on hospitality is kept under close scrutiny to ensure value for money and effectiveness, in accordance with HM Treasury guidance.
Total costs for business hospitality and official representation in the UK and our missions overseas were:
| £ | |
As part of its commitment to transparency, the FCO publishes the business expenses and hospitality of its senior London-based staff. These include travel costs and are subject to detailed Cabinet Office and internal guidance and regular audit. Details can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fco-senior-staff-expenses-and-hospitality
All FCO expenditure on Government Procurement cards is published online and can be seen at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-procurement-card-data
(b) The FCO does not hold data for non-departmental public bodies. We have received the following responses:
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The Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission have not incurred expenditure on entertainment costs. Expenses for the Foreign Compensation Commission, Wilton Park and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy are not recorded by expenditure type, but by project or event. They are therefore unable to segregate the working lunches element from other expenses relating to an individual project without disproportionate costs.
FCO Services provided the following data:
| £ | |
I will write to the hon. Member when the data are available for British Council and the Great China Centre and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.
Palestinians
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of current reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah. [152830]
Alistair Burt: We continue to follow closely developments regarding the issue of reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah. The British Government's position, and that of the EU, remains that Palestinian reconciliation, if agreed on the basis of the principles set out by President Abbas in his speech of 4 May 2011, would be a positive step for the unity of a future Palestinian state and for reaching a two state solution.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of political developments within the Palestinian Authority. [152832]
Alistair Burt: Dr Salam Fayyad resigned as Palestinian Prime Minister on 13 April 2013. Dr Fayyad made an outstanding contribution to Palestinian state-building, as Finance Minister then as Prime Minister. He was a close partner to successive British Governments and thanks to his dedication and energy, the Palestinian Authority took great strides forward in building the institutions necessary for a Palestinian state. Palestinian institutions are now stronger and more transparent. Despite serious economic constraints, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and UN last year all said that the Palestinian Authority has the capacity to be a functioning state in important sectors.
This development is a reminder of the urgency of returning to negotiations on a two-state solution. We need to see a clear path leading to a viable, independent Palestinian state, based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, living in peace and security with Israel. The vital work of Palestinian state-building must go on. 2013 is a crucial year for middle east peace. The UK will continue to work the President Abbas, Prime Minister Netanyahu and US and EU partners, to urge the necessary progress.
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Pay
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost to the public purse of the London location allowance was in each of the last 10 years. [152476]
Alistair Burt: The FCO introduced the London location allowance in 2005. It is funded from savings made in the FCO's overseas allowances budget.
The cost of the London location allowance in previous years has been:
| £ | |
In the financial years 2005-06 to 2007-08 this allowance was included as part of the overall pay bill and it would incur disproportionate costs to separate it out.
Policy Programme Evaluation Board
Mr Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many times the Policy Programme Evaluation Board has met since its creation; and on what dates; [152475]
(2) what the names are of those who sit on his Department's Policy Programme Evaluation Board. [152477]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Policy Programme Evaluation Board has met five times since its creation and is due to meet again on Monday 29 April 2013. The previous meetings have been held on:
27 July 2011
9 November 2011
29 February 2012
17 May 2012
14 September 2012
The FCO Policy Programme Evaluation Board is Chaired by Ann Cormack, a Non-Executive. The Members are:
David Lidington, Minister for Europe
Barbara Woodward, FCO Director-General Economic and Consular
Iain Walker, FCO Finance Director
Julia Bond, Non-Executive
Neil Wigan, Her Majesty's Ambassador Kinshasa
Martin Harris, Her Majesty's Ambassador Bucharest
Carolyn Miller, Non-Executive
Department for International Development (DFID) representative (to be confirmed, following a change in personnel).
Redundancy Pay
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) each of the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible received payments under a voluntary exit scheme in each of the last five years; and at what total cost in each such year. [152650]
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Alistair Burt: The information is as follows.
(a) The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) publishes this information in its annual reports and accounts. The FCO runs exit schemes in accordance with the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. All schemes run across the civil service are approved by the Cabinet Office.
The FCO has run a range of voluntary early exit schemes (Flexible Early Retirement and Flexible Early Severance). The current voluntary exit scheme has been in existence since December 2010. Under the reformed scheme, all costs fall within the year of departure. The NAO estimate that exits under the existing scheme cost around 40% to 50% less than under the previous compensation scheme. The reformed scheme also allows for greater distinction between voluntary and compulsory exits and is designed to encourage voluntary rather than compulsory departures.
131 staff left the FCO in 2010-11 under the voluntary exit scheme, at a cost of £15.3 million. 118 of these left under the terms of the previous compensation scheme (under which costs could extend for up to 10 years from departure).
89 staff left in 2011-12 under the voluntary exit scheme at a cost of £5.3 million.
The method for calculating payments under the compensation scheme was modified between the publication of the 2009-10 and 2010-11 accounts. Although we ran early exit schemes in previous years, we do not have comparable data for these years. It would incur disproportionate costs to search individual files to determine exact numbers and cost.
(b) The FCO does not hold data for non-departmental public bodies. We have received the following information:
2010-11—£1,546,399, average £36,819 (42 officers left)—in the annual report 2010-11 £2.030 million (includes CILON, annual leave payments, additional pensions etc), see page 38 (text) and page 67 (detail).
2011-12—£1,077,345, average £35,912 (30 officers left)—in the annual report 2011-12 £1.5 million (includes CILON, annual leave payments, additional pensions etc).
Great Britain China Centre (GBCC) have not run any exit schemes. The Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) ran a single exit scheme in 2009-10 at a cost of £116,000.
I will write to my hon. Friend when the data are available for British Council and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.
Sexual Offences
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made by UK experts working in (a) Bosnia, (b) the Syrian border and (c) Libya as part of the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative in each of the last six months. [153129]
Mark Simmonds:
Each deployment of the UK Team of Experts (TOE) builds local capacity to prevent and respond to the problem of sexual violence in conflict and is designed to take account of the specific context in which the team operates. The UK TOE deployed to Bosnia in March to provide training to Bosnian judges and prosecutors to strengthen their capacity to prosecute and adjudicate wartime sexual violence crimes in accordance
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with international standards. In March, the team deployed to Libya where they assessed how the UK can provide further assistance in terms of building local capacity across police, justice and health services to support survivors of sexual violence. In December last year, the team deployed to the Syrian border to train Syrian health care professionals in how to respond to reports of sexual violence. Each deployment has also examined how the UK can further support each country and follow-up deployments are planned over the next 12 months.
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his goals are for (a) the UK Presidency of the UN Security Council and (b) the 67th session of the UN General Assembly in relation to the G8 Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict. [153142]
Mark Simmonds: We will use the UK presidency of the Security Council in June and the 67th session of the General Assembly to build a wider global coalition behind the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative to overcome the political and practical barriers to tackling the culture of impunity for sexual violence in conflict. This will include garnering broad international support for the historic Declaration adopted by the G8 on 11 April 2013. This Declaration contains a number of UN specific G8 commitments, including the implementation of relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, the deployment of women protection advisers in all UN peacekeeping and political missions and ensuring training of international peacekeepers on sexual violence issues. We will also use upcoming UN opportunities to develop the new international protocol on the investigation and documentation of sexual violence in conflict.
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with which members of the UN Security Council he plans to discuss the G8 Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict in advance of the UK's presidency in June 2013. [153143]
Mark Simmonds: We will use the UK presidency of the Security Council in June to build a wider global coalition behind the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative to overcome the political and practical barriers to tackling the culture of impunity for sexual violence in conflict. This includes garnering the support of members of the Security Council for the historic Declaration adopted by the G8 on 11 April 2013. The Declaration was agreed by the three members of the G8 who are also members of the Security Council and we have shared the Declaration with all other council members. We will discuss it in more detail with them prior to our presidency in June.
Somalia
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the security situation in Mogadishu. [152824]
Mark Simmonds:
We keep the security situation in Mogadishu under constant review, including through monitoring and talking to key partners. We have seen important security gains made across Somalia in the last year and commend the commitment and bravery of
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African Union Mission to Somalia and Somali Government troops. However, security remains a serious concern. Recent gains are fragile and we strongly condemn the recent attacks in Mogadishu, which killed at least 28 people. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said that security is his top priority and we are supporting his Government to develop effective, professional and accountable security forces, including through the Somalia conference in London on 7 May.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the government of Somaliland will be participating in the conference on Somalia in May. [152825]
Mark Simmonds: The UK very much hoped to see Somaliland Government Representatives at the Somalia conference. However, the Somaliland authorities have now responded formally to inform us that they will not be attending.
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Somalia on the prevention of sexual violence and securing justice for the victims of sexual violence. [153145]
Mark Simmonds: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has spoken to the Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud a number of times on this issue, most recently on 14 April. Prevention of sexual violence in conflict will be highlighted at the Somalia conference which the Prime Minister will co-host with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on 7 May. We will seek commitments from those in attendance to tackle sexual violence in conflict in Somalia.
We have also been working with the UN Special Representative to the Secretary General (SRSG) on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura. She visited Somalia at the start of April and started a dialogue with the Federal Government of Somalia on combating sexual violence in conflict. We expect her team to visit in the summer to work with the Somali authorities on recommendations for combating sexual violence in Somalia and improving the justice system.
Syria
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recent decision taken by the Arab League to transfer the Syrian seat from the Assad regime to the Syrian opposition. [152831]
Alistair Burt: We are keen that the Syrian National Coalition's views are taken seriously in international forums, and are pleased that the Arab League has taken this action. This demonstrates the increasing credibility of the Coalition as a political organisation. It is also a welcome sign of the increasing support behind the Coalition in the region. Although international credibility is important, it is imperative for the Coalition to continue reaching out to and winning over ordinary Syrians on the ground and increasing its representation among minorities and women.
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Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effect of Syrian refugees on the political reform agenda in Jordan. [152857]
Alistair Burt: We pay tribute to Jordan's role in hosting the rising numbers of Syrian refugees as the pressure on the Jordanian system grows unabated. With almost 2,000 refugees arriving daily, there are now over 400,000 refugees in the country. The UK is providing significant humanitarian assistance to support in this regard. We also continue to call on our international partners to fulfil their pledges of assistance and support Jordan in coping with the humanitarian crisis which impacts on Jordan both economically and politically. The scale of the international refugee crisis is a further reason why the violence in Syria must end urgently.
Despite these external pressures parliamentary elections were held in January and following consultation with the new Parliament a new Prime Minister was appointed. We welcome the progress achieved during January's elections. The EU Election Observation Mission, headed by David Martin MEP, similarly praised the technical improvements achieved to date, while making important recommendations on how to achieve political reform, including changes to the electoral system. We support these recommendations and encourage Jordan to maintain momentum for political reform.
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment has been made of the effect on the Syrian economy of the civil war in that country. [152858]
Alistair Burt: Since the start of the conflict the Syrian economy has lost significant momentum as the economy has suffered from inflations, and substantial devaluation of the Syrian pound.
Syrian families have faced hardship as the cost of living has increased. As government spending has become increasingly redirected to support the military effort, the provision of public services has become limited. The conflict has affected the livelihoods of average Syrians especially workers in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors, where high unemployment and the loss of income has put further financial strain on individuals.
This has resulted in increased dependence on informal networks and markets and migration to neighbouring countries for survival.
Zambia
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the judiciary process in Zambia. [152826]
Mark Simmonds: The Zambian constitution and law provides for an independent judiciary. However, the judicial system is hammered by inefficiency and a lack of trained personnel and resources. Although the law requires that a detainee appear before court within 24 hours of arrest, detainees are routinely held for much longer periods. Trial procedures are reasonable, though many defendants cannot afford a lawyer. According to human rights groups there have been cases of arbitrary arrest and detention. We also understand that prison conditions can be harsh.
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Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the current (a) political and (b) security situation in Zambia. [152827]
Mark Simmonds: There was a peaceful transfer of power in Zambia in 2011 following the electoral victory of the Patriotic Front. While there is an active civil society in Zambia, much of the media is government-controlled. In February the opposition complained to the Commonwealth about government violations of democratic space; we regard some of the claims as exaggerated. Security is generally good, though there is some crime. For example, there is sometimes unruly behaviour at political rallies and during by-election campaigns and a Zambian died during a clash during a local election campaign in November 2012.
Education
16-19 Bursary Fund
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 15 April 2013, Official Report, column 118W, on 16-19 Bursary Fund: Barrow-in-Furness, what statistics on take-up of the 16-19 Bursary Fund are being collected centrally, including regional and demographic breakdowns. [152331]
Mr Laws [holding answer 22 April 2013]: Data covering 2012/13 and subsequent years are being collected through the School Census and Individual Learner Record covering the number of young people awarded discretionary and vulnerable group bursaries at each provider. This will not include the value of bursaries awarded.
The data will enable regional and demographic breakdowns by age, gender and ethnicity if the data collected are of sufficient quality.
Management information covering the number and value of vulnerable group bursaries and the number of discretionary bursaries awarded at a sample of providers in 2011/12 has been collected by the Education Funding Agency. This has provided national level statistics which we aim to publish in the first Independent Evaluation Interim Report in May 2013. This management information will also be collected in subsequent years.
Academies: Finance
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on what grounds he is able to revoke an academy funding agreement. [146032]
Mr Laws: The grounds for terminating an academy funding agreement vary depending on the specific clauses of the individual funding agreement. Academy funding agreements are available in the School Performance section of the Department's website.
The latest model funding agreement allows the Secretary of State for Education to give seven years' notice of his intention to terminate the funding agreement. He can also terminate it:
following the issue of a termination warning notice for example, on the grounds of unacceptable standards or a breakdown in governance or management;
following a ‘special measures' or ‘requires significant improvement' judgment from Ofsted;
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if the academy is struck off the register of independent schools;
in the case of insolvency (or serious risk of insolvency); or
where there has been a change of control of the academy trust or the legal entity that controls it and he is not satisfied that the new person is suitable.
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what procedure his Department follows in investigating potential financial irregularities in academies; and upon which grounds the Education Funding Agency commences an investigation into potential financial irregularities in academies. [152924]
Mr Laws: Information relating to potential financial irregularities within academy trusts may arise from various sources, and the Education Funding Agency (EFA) determines its response depending upon the source of information as well as the nature of the complaint or allegation.
Information could arise from:
A review of an academy's financial returns by EFA staff;
Information disclosed by the academy's external auditors;
Management of the academy seeking advice (as to how a particular situation should be dealt with); or
A complaint or whistleblowing allegation by a member of staff, parent or third party.
In general terms, and depending on the nature of the information, the procedure would be as follows:
The EFA would determine whether the information obtained related to a matter that was within its areas of responsibility. If the matter falls within the EFA's remit, the EFA would seek further information to establish whether there is substance to the matter which was thought to be of potential concern. This may involve a number of potential steps from a simple request to the academy to provide additional clarification to a more formalised review. Fact-finding has a number of potential outcomes. These include:
Conclusion that there is no case to answer;
Conclusion that the matter is immaterial and so no further action is required;
Conclusion that the matter requires action on the part of the academy to remedy the situation; and
Conclusion that the facts point to a situation where there may be further and more serious matters to be discovered. In these circumstances the EFA would commission a formal investigation. If the matter is an irregularity issue the case would be investigated by External Assurance, if it was clear that fraud had taken place the investigation would be undertaken by the Department's Internal Audit Investigation Team (IAIT).
Where the IAIT receives a referral from the EFA and an investigation is appropriate, Terms of Reference are agreed with the EFA and the investigation would proceed. The overall responsibility for the work remains with the EFA. At the completion of the work, the IAIT produces a report for the EFA with recommendations. Where fraud has been found this may lead to police referral and recovery of funds.
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the Comptroller and Auditor General's report on the Young People's Learning Agency's 2011-12 accounts and the National Audit Office report, Managing the expansion of the Academies Programme, published in November 2012, what steps he is taking to increase effective financial management and accountability in academies and free schools. [152925]
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Mr Laws: The Education Funding Agency (EFA) has already taken steps to develop financial management and accountability in academies and free schools.
A new financial handbook was published in September 2012, placing more emphasis on the role of the accounting officer, and is focused very clearly on the requirements of the academy trust.
From 2011/12 academy trust accounting officers were required to sign a new statement relating to their responsibilities for regularity, propriety and compliance with the terms and conditions of their funding.
This statement provides the basis for an enhanced regularity audit by academy external auditors, which tests propriety and regularity in the use of public funds. These audits began in autumn 2012 with an external audit regularity opinion included in the 2011/12 Statement of Accounts. This provides independent professional review.
The EFA continues to place importance on building networks within the sector as a driver of improvement. It has established working groups with sector representatives including academies and auditors to develop the financial accountability framework.
The Department's accountability system sets out a robust accountability framework for academies and free schools.
In July 2012 the Department published academies' spend data at a per-pupil level on its website for the first time. It is continuing to explore how it can make this information more directly comparable with that provided for maintained schools, and it will be setting out the arrangements for providing additional academy level information as part of the accounting arrangements for 2012/13.
As well as providing greater transparency, this is also aimed at sharing benchmarking information across the sector so that areas for improvement in financial management can be identified.
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the findings of the National Audit Office report, Managing the expansion of the Academies Programme, published in November 2012, if he will publish more detailed financial data for academies and free schools including (a) data that allow fuller comparison between academies and maintained schools and (b) fuller academy-level financial data. [152926]
Mr Laws: In July 2012, the Department for Education published academies' spend data at a per-pupil level for the first time. It is continuing to make them as directly comparable as it can. There are areas where data will not be directly comparable, such as where an academy receives funding for services which are provided free to maintained schools by the local authority.
The audited financial statements prepared by academy trusts presently contain high level financial information on individual academies within multi academy trusts. The Education Funding Agency will consider how more financial information about individual academies can be made easily accessible and will be setting out the arrangements for providing additional academy level information as part of the accounting arrangements for 2012/13.
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John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) academies and (b) free schools were monitored by the Education Funding Agency as being at financial risk in each month since May 2010. [152928]
Mr Laws: Since being established on 1 April 2012, the Education Funding Agency (EFA) has been responsible for monitoring financial risk presented by academies and free schools. Academies and free schools are collectively risk-assessed on an ongoing basis. As free schools have academy trust legal status, the EFA does not distinguish between academies and free schools when considering those at risk. The number of those academies and free schools that were assessed as presenting a higher financial risk for each month since April 2012 are as follows:
| Number | |
It should be noted that within this period the number of academies has increased from 1,806 in April 2012 to 2,986 in April 2013. This means that the percentage of academies assessed as presenting higher financial risk has fallen from 1.9% to 1.5%.
Academies: Pay
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the salaries of the heads of each academy trust in the academic year 2010-11. [152929]
Mr Laws: Academy trusts are required to disclose information on the salaries of senior staff in their audited financial statements. These are published on the academy trust's website and are also available from Companies House. All academy trust accounts are also published annually on the Department for Education's website and accounts for 2010-11 were published in July 2012. Information about the salaries of senior staff contained within the 2010-11 financial statements has not been centrally collated and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Children in Care
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which local authorities have signed up to the Care Leavers Charter to date. [152713]
Mr Timpson [holding answer 22 April 2013]: The following 95 local authorities have so far agreed to sign up to the principles of the Care Leavers Charter:
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Barking and Dagenham London Borough
Bath and North East Somerset Council
Bournemouth Borough Council
Bristol City Council
Buckinghamshire County Council
Cambridgeshire County Council
Central Bedfordshire Council
Cheshire West and Chester Council
Cornwall County Council
Cumbria County Council
Derby City Council
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
Barnet London Borough
Bexley London Borough
Bracknell Forest Borough Council
Bromley London Borough
Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council
Camden London Borough
Cheshire East Council
City of London
Croydon London Borough
Darlington Borough Council
Derbyshire County Council
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Ealing London Borough
Essex County Council
Gloucestershire County Council
Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough
Harrow London Borough
Hertfordshire County Council
Isle of Wight Council
Islington London Borough
Kingston Upon Thames Royal Borough
Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Lancashire County Council
Leicester City Council
Lewisham London Borough
Manchester City Council
Merton London Borough
Newcastle Upon Tyne City Council
North Somerset Council
Northamptonshire County Council
Nottinghamshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council
Plymouth City Council
Portsmouth City Council
Redbridge London Borough
Richmond Upon Thames London Borough
Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
Enfield London Borough
Gateshead Council
Hackney
Haringey London Borough
Hartlepool Borough Council
Hounslow London Borough
Isles of Scilly
Kent County Council
Kirklees Metropolitan Council
Lambeth Council
24 Apr 2013 : Column 947W
Leeds City Council
Leicestershire County Council
Luton Borough Council
Medway Council
Middlesbrough Council
Norfolk County Council
North Tyneside Council
Northumberland County Council
Oldham Council
Peterborough City Council
Poole Borough Council
Reading Borough Council
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
Salford City Council
Shropshire County Council
South Gloucestershire Council
Staffordshire County Council
Stockton on Tees Borough Council
Suffolk County Council
Surrey County Council
Swindon Borough Council
Tower Hamlets London Borough
Waltham Forest London Borough
Warrington Borough Council
Wiltshire County Council
York Council
South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Stoke on Trent City Council
Sunderland City Council
Sutton London Borough
Torbay Council
Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council
Wandsworth Borough Council
West Sussex County Council
Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council
Children: Day Care
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) which childcare settings each of his Ministers have visited in an official capacity since May 2010; [151032]
(2) which Sure Start children's centres each of his Ministers have visited in an official capacity since May 2010. [151033]
Elizabeth Truss: The following tables shows Ministers’ official visits to childcare settings in England including to children's centres (Sure Start children's centres) since May 2010.
| Children's centre | Location | Minister |
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| Other childcare provision | Location | Minister |
|
Durand Academy Early Years Centre (On two separate occasions) | ||
Children: Internet
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to his Department's response to the consultation on parental internet controls, published in December 2012, what progress the Government have made in identifying and defining those children who are most at risk from accessing explicit internet material. [152619]
Mr Timpson: The UK Council for Child Internet Safety Evidence Group has been looking at vulnerable groups since January 2012, when it produced a paper “Identifying Vulnerable Children Online And What Strategies Can Help Them”. The group is now building on this work to develop a holistic model for predicting risk and vulnerability, and to develop professional guidance for timely interventions to prevent harm to children online.
Children: Poverty
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education in what form responses to the Government's consultation on Measuring Child Poverty will be published. [144123]
Mr Laws: The consultation on better measures of child poverty closed on 15 February and a large volume of responses was received.
All responses will be read and analysed to ensure that all important points are captured and used to help Ministers decide on the next steps. The Government have not decided in what form our response will be published, but any response will be available on the Department's website.
Children’s Centres
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children's centres there were in each local authority in May 2010; and how many there will be in May 2013. [151031]
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Elizabeth Truss: The following table shows the breakdown of children's centre numbers by local authority at April 2010. The table is based on information supplied by the local authorities.
Local authorities continue to review, consult and reorganise their children's centre provision. The number of children's centres in May 2013 will be affected by those local decisions and is not something my Department would predict.
| Region | Local authority | Number of designated children’s centres at 30 April 2010 |
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Cwmcarn School
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2012, Official Report, column 590W, what steps he plans to take following the publication of the Health and Safety Executive's report into asbestos at Cwmcarn high school in Wales. [144983]
Mr Laws [holding answer 27 February 2013]:The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has recently concluded its investigation into the asbestos related incident at Cwmcarn high school in Wales and wrote to the school governors and local authority with its findings on 26 February.
The HSE investigation concluded that there are appropriate asbestos management arrangements in place at the school as required under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and that no enforcement action is required.
As part of the investigation, the HSE asked the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) to conduct asbestos testing at Cwmcarn high school. The main aim of the HSL sampling and analysis at the school was to measure
24 Apr 2013 : Column 952W
the release and transfer of airborne asbestos fibres into the classrooms. The report by HSL has also been provided to the school governors and the local authority and states that the sampling and analytical analysis carried out by HSL showed that there is no evidence for a quantifiable transfer of asbestos fibres from the ceiling void into the classrooms.
The Department for Education has noted the outcome of the HSE investigation and HSL testing at Cwmcarn and has decided that no further action is required at this stage in response to this specific case.
The Department continues to take the issue of managing asbestos in our schools very seriously and is pro-active in promoting good asbestos management in schools. It has published on-line guidance on managing the risks of asbestos, has established the Asbestos in Schools Steering Group to promote and raise awareness of asbestos management requirements and has asked the Committee on Carcinogenicity to consider and report upon the relative vulnerability of children to asbestos compared with adults. Alongside this, the Department liaises as necessary with the HSE as it is the lead regulator and enforces the duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises such as schools.
Dementia
Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department has a dementia strategy. [151824]
Elizabeth Truss: The Department does not have a specific dementia strategy.
The Department encourages proactive line management of staff that are unwell and provides a range of options to support them. These include access to guidance, occupational health and employee assistance.
Educational Institutions: Inspections
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the grounds upon which, under section 126(1) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, Ofsted may decide to inspect (a) schools, (b) further education colleges and (c) sixth form colleges which were graded outstanding at their last inspection. [151506]
Mr Laws: Her Majesty's chief inspector retains the discretion to inspect any outstanding further education or sixth form college where he considers it necessary. The chief inspector regularly conducts risk assessments of outstanding providers to see if they are maintaining their high standards of performance and, where they are not, he may choose to inspect. The chief inspector may also inspect in cases where a college that is not required to be inspected requests an inspection and must inspect any outstanding institution at the Secretary of State's request.
The grounds under which outstanding schools may be inspected are the same as the above but Ofsted's powers to inspect schools in those circumstances are provided by section 8 of the Education Act 2005 (as amended by section 40 of the Education Act 2011).
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Free Schools
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many open free schools have been inspected by Ofsted; and how many such schools have received an inspection judgement of, requires improvement. [152934]
Mr Laws: 24 free schools opened in September 2011. To date, Ofsted have inspected and published reports for nine of these free schools. Of the nine, six free schools have been judged to be ‘Good’, and three have received a ‘Requires Improvement’ judgement.
Free Schools: Pay
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the salaries of the head teachers of each free school were in 2010-11. [152930]
Mr Laws: The first free schools did not open until September 2011. The salary of the head teacher once the free school is open will be included in the free school's first full set of accounts.
GCE AS-level
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect of the establishment of AS-levels as a stand-alone qualification on the ability of universities to consider applicant potential. [145851]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 4 March 2013]:We know that universities use a range of information and evidence about applicants for admissions purposes. Even within individual universities, there may be a variety of approaches between subjects. Changes to the AS and A-levels mean that some universities may need to make changes to admissions processes. However, Ofqual's consultation on A-level reform found that for many universities, the removal of AS would not have a major impact on selection processes.
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect of the establishment of AS-levels as a stand-alone qualification on the take-up of each subject currently taught to AS-level. [145852]
Elizabeth Truss
[holding answer 4 March 2013]: The AS will be retained as a standalone qualification to offer breadth. It is for schools to determine the number
24 Apr 2013 : Column 954W
and range of AS qualifications they offer based on their own school's circumstances and the needs of their pupils.
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from university bodies which support the establishment of AS-levels as a stand-alone qualification. [145853]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 4 March 2013]: I have discussed our plans for A-level reform with a wide range of organisations and individuals, including the Russell Group and Universities UK. These discussions and Ofqual's consultation showed widespread support for the AS-level, so we are retaining it as a standalone qualification to support breadth.
Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed establishment of AS-levels as a stand-alone qualification on take-up of each subject at AS-level. [146261]
Elizabeth Truss: The AS will be retained as a standalone qualification to offer breadth. It is for schools to determine the number and range of AS qualifications they offer, based on their own school's circumstances and the needs of their pupils.
GCSE
Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the (a) average uncapped GCSE points score of pupils eligible for free school meals, (b) proportion of children eligible for free school meals who attained at least five GCSEs at grade C or above, including English and mathematics and (c) proportion of all children who attained at least five GCSEs at grade C or above, including English and mathematics in (i) London Challenge schools, (iii) City Challenge schools and (iii) all maintained secondary schools was in each year since the start of the London Challenge programme. [151935]
Mr Laws: The requested information for the academic years 2007/08 to 2011/12 is given in the table. Information for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| Average uncapped GCSE point score and percentage of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 achieving 5 or more GCSEs at grade A*-C or equivalent including English and mathematics GCSEs(1) of pupils in London Challenge Schools(2), City Challenge Schools(3) and all state-funded secondary schools(4) by Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility. Years: 2007/08 to 2011/12 (revised)(5). Coverage: England(6) | |||||
| Pupils eligible for FSM | All pupils(7) | ||||
| School type | Number of eligible pupils(8) | Average uncapped GCSE point score per pupil(9) | Percentage achieving 5+ A*-C grades inc. English and mathematics GCSEs | Number of eligible pupils(8) | Percentage achieving 5+ A*-C grades inc. English and mathematics GCSEs |
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24 Apr 2013 : Column 956W
| (1) Full GCSEs only have been included (full GCSEs, double awards, accredited international certificates and their predecessor iGCSEs and AS-levels). Figures from 2007/08 to 2008/09 exclude iGCSEs, 2009/10 figures onwards include accredited iGCSEs. (2) London Challenge schools include all inner and outer London state-funded schools (including academies and CTCs). (3) City Challenge schools include all state-funded schools (including Academies and CTCs) within the local authorities of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton in the ‘Black Country' and Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan in ‘Greater Manchester'. (4) Includes all England state-funded schools (including academies and CTCs) (5) Figures for 2007/08 to 2010/11 are based on final data, 2011/12 figures are based on revised data. (6) The figures in this table do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. (7) Includes pupils for whom free school meal eligibility could not be determined. (8) Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in each academic year. (9) Total uncapped point score from GCSE and equivalents divided by the number of eligible pupils. Source: National Pupil Database (2007/08 to 2010/11) and Key Stage 4 attainment data (2011/12). | |||||
Languages: Primary Education
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what criteria his Department used to identify the list of seven languages at Key Stage 2, one of which primary schools are required to teach. [151912]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answer 18 April 2013]:Subject to Parliament's approval, we intend to require maintained primary schools to teach all pupils at key stage 2 one of a list of prescribed languages from September 2014: French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Spanish, Latin or Ancient Greek.
Having a prescribed list of languages allows a balance between giving schools a variety of teaching options on the one hand, and maintaining continuity between primary and secondary language teaching on the other. We consulted on the question of which languages to prescribe and the proposed list broadly reflects the languages that primary schools indicated that they intend to teach. However, it does not restrict them unnecessarily, instead giving them a choice that extends to Mandarin, which is important economically, and Latin and Ancient Greek, which provide an important foundation to a number of modern languages, as well as covering the major European languages. The languages in the list comprise a sample of important languages that, each in its own right, give a good grounding for further languages study.