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Written Answers
Thursday, 19th June 1997.
Legal Services Ombudsman: Annual Report
Lord Taylor of Blackburn asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When the Legal Services Ombudsman intends to publish his sixth annual report.
The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg): The Legal Services Ombudsman has today published his sixth annual report, and copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Security Vetting Appeals Panel
Lord Graham of Edmonton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the arrangements for hearing appeals from those who need to have access to protectively marked government assets and have been refused security clearance or have had that clearance withdrawn.
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Richard): An independent Security Vetting Appeals Panel, chaired by Sir Anthony May, will be established on 1 July to hear appeals against refusals or withdrawal of clearance at Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) levels and to advise the head of the organisation concerned. The panel will be available to all those, other than recruits, in the public and private sectors and in the Armed Forces who are subject to security vetting at these levels, have exhausted existing appeals mechanisms within their own organisations and remain dissatisfied with the result. Separate arrangements are available to staff of the security and intelligence agencies. The establishment of the panel therefore brings to an end the role of the Three Advisers, who, since 1948, have been available to consider cases where security clearance was refused or withdrawn on the grounds of subversion.
Religious Education in Schools
Lord Milverton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are their plans for religious education in schools, particularly in respect of the teaching of the Christian faith.
The Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment (Baroness Blackstone): Most religious education in non-denominational schools will continue to be provided in accordance with an agreed syllabus which shall "reflect the fact that religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian whilst taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions in Great Britain" (Education Act 1996, Section 375 (3)).
Theological Teaching
Lord Milverton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they are satisfied with the present level of support, financial or otherwise, given to maintain the standard and quality of theological teaching in universities and teacher training colleges.
Baroness Blackstone: Yes. The teaching of all subjects, including theology and religious studies, in publicly funded higher education institutions is subject to quality assessment by the Higher Education Funding Councils. The quality of initial teacher training is also subject to regular inspection by OFSTED. In addition, religious education is classed as a shortage secondary subject by the Teacher Training Agency and as such is included in the Priority Subject Recruitment Scheme. The scheme provides financial support to initial teacher training students on shortage subject courses of up to two years in length, and funds for initial teacher training providers to publicise their courses and make them more attractive to students.
Sixth-form Colleges
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they envisage the foundation of additional sixth-form colleges in England; and, if so, through what procedure.
Baroness Blackstone: The procedures for the establishment of new further education corporations are contained in the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. In normal circumstances I would expect establishment to follow consideration by the Secretary of State of a proposal from the Further Education Funding Council for England. No proposals are before him at present.
School Transport
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have any plans to devolve responsibility for home to school transport to schools.
Baroness Blackstone: We have no plans to do so.
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whose responsibility they consider it to be to maintain discipline on publicly provided home to school transport; and whether they consider it possible for the driver of a double decker bus to do this on his own.
Baroness Blackstone: The maintenance of discipline on transport vehicles is linked to pupil safety. Interpretation of the law in any particular case is a matter for the courts, but it is generally considered that the safety of children on journeys to and from school is the responsibility of the operators of the vehicles in which they travel. Where transport is arranged but not operated by a local education authority, the authority
will also have a responsibility as regards pupil safety. LEAs should provide supervision if they consider it necessary to do so.Student Loans
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
- With reference to the present student loans system, what is the cost of administering it; what is the current rate of non-payment; and how many people it deters from taking up places in higher education.
Baroness Blackstone: The total grant in aid to the Student Loans Company in financial year 1996-97 was £21.28 million. At 31 March 1997, 49 per cent. of graduates were deferring repayment of around £465 million and 9.3 per cent. of graduates owing some £10.8 million were in default or in arrears. Only 9.2 per cent. of students entering higher education are from social classes IV and V, compared with 53.7 per cent. from classes I and II.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Earl Russell asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What information they have on the extent of the problem of cases passed on by the Employment Service to citizens advice bureaux for help with completion of jobseeker's allowance forms, and what legal responsibility rests on the Employment Service in these areas.
Baroness Blackstone: Responsibility for the subject of this question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its Chief Executive, Mr. L. Lewis. The agency has therefore been asked to respond to the question and its reply is attached for your information.
Letter to Earl Russell from the Chief Executive of the Employment Service, Mr. L. Lewis.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the completion of jobseeker's allowance forms. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the agency.
I ought to say first that we do not keep statistics of the extent to which ES advisers refer jobseekers to citizens advice bureaux for help with the completion of their claim forms.
The ES has no legal responsibility as such to help jobseekers to complete our forms. However, our guidance to all of our advisers recommends that someone should be available at all times to help people who are experiencing difficulty in this respect. In addition, jobseekers are asked to attend the Jobcentre at least thirty minutes before their first interview is scheduled to take place so that our advisers can help them with the completion of their forms if this is necessary.
I hope this clarifies the position.
Earl Russell asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will issue guidance drawing the attention of the Employment Service to Regulation 13(3) of the Jobseekers' Allowance Regulations, which allows claimants to restrict their availability provided the restrictions are reasonable in the light of the person's physical or mental condition.
Baroness Blackstone: The Employment Service is already aware of the Jobseekers' Allowance Regulations. The agency has been asked to respond to your question and its reply is attached.
Letter to Earl Russell from the Chief Executive of the Employment Service, Mr. L. Lewis.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about drawing the attention of the Employment Service to Regulation 13(3) of the Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) Regulations.
It may help if I explain that, prior to the introduction of JSA, all ES advisers attended training courses to enable them to implement the new regulations. This training was reinforced by detailed procedural guidance which was issued to all Jobcentres in August 1996. Guidance on regulation 13(3) was issued to Jobcentres as part of the JSA Local Office Adjudication Guide. The guidance states that: "A person may restrict their availability in any way provided the restrictions are reasonable in the light of their physical or mental condition. For example, a person with emphysema could restrict the: (a) type of work to avoid working in smoke/fumes; (b) number of hours work in a week; (c) number of hours work in a shift.
- Where a jobseeker imposes acceptable restrictions on the conditions of work they are prepared to accept because of their physical or mental condition they do not have to show reasonable prospects of getting a job. The jobseeker must show that all the restrictions are reasonable in view of their health."
I hope this is helpful.
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