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Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they expect operators of goods and passenger vehicles to be able to license their vehicles via the Internet and what changes would be required for this to be possible.[HL2367]
Lord Whitty: There are currently no plans to enable vehicle operators to license their vehicles via the Internet. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency plan to introduce in the autumn, a pilot telephone relicensing scheme for cars that will form the basis for future Internet services. Any electronic relicensing system will require on line access to insurance and testing information and electronic funds transfer.
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they expect operators of goods vehicles to be able to make the notifications in accordance with the Authorisation of Special Types (General) Order via the Internet and what would be the advantages to both operators and the authorities.[HL2368]
Lord Whitty: As stated in the White Paper Modernising Government, the Government are committed to electronic delivery of services. Notifications for the movement of abnormal loads made in accordance with the Authorisation of Special Types General Order are given to the highway authorities. In the case of the trunk roads, the Highways Agency is considering whether similar provisions to those already in place for the electronic notification of street works could be made for abnormal load notifications. For other classes of road, this is a matter for the highway authorities and their agents.
Non-working Parents: Social Security Benefits
Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the average expenditure from government funds to support a family with two children when neither parent works.[HL2151]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Social Security (Baroness Hollis of Heigham): The information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is as follows:
However, based on data from the 1997-98 Family Resources Survey, it is estimated that the average weekly expenditure in 1997-98 on social security benefits for couples with two children where neither parent works is £188. Of this, £124 is spent on income-related benefits, and £64 on non income-related tested benefits. This excludes families if an adult's reason for not working is that he or she is retired or is a student. Notes: 1. The above figure is based on data taken from the 1997-98 Family Resources Survey, which is an annual survey of the income of around 25,000 households in Great Britain. 2. The estimates are based on sample counts that have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors that control for region, Council Tax Band and a number of demographic variables. Estimates are subject to sampling error and to variability in non-response.
3. Benefit receipt is based on self-assessment and therefore may be subject to mis-reporting. 4. Income related benefits include: Income Support; Jobseeker's Allowance (income-based); Family Credit; Disability Working Allowance; Housing Benefit; Council Tax Benefit; Social Fund payments; Back to Work Bonus; Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit run-on; Social Fund Grants for funeral expenses and maternity expenses; Community Care Grant. Non-income related benefits include: Statutory Sick Pay; Statutory Maternity Pay; Disability Living Allowance; Child Benefit; Retirement Pension; Widow's pension; Widowed Mother's Allowance; Widows Payment; War Widows' Pension; War disablement pension; Severe Disablement Allowance; Attendance Allowance; Invalid Care Allowance; Jobseeker's Allowance (Contribution-based); Industrial Injuries; Incapacity Benefit; Maternity Benefit; Guardians Allowance;Other DSS benefits are included under non-income related benefits.
National Curriculum Test Standards
Baroness Blatch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether primary schools have been told that pupils will be expected to reach Level 2A or 2B in National Curriculum tests at Key Stage 1 this year and Level 2C is no longer regarded as a satisfactory level of attainment for 7 year-olds; and, if so, whether this change in expectations has been reported to parents and governors.[HL2379]
The Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment (Baroness Blackstone): The standards for Level 2 remain the same as in previous years. Our targets for 2002 are for 80 per cent. of children to reach Level 4 in English and 75 per cent. of children to reach Level 4 in mathematics at age 11. In order to assist schools and parents in helping children to meet this level of attainment, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has provided information showing clearly that children attaining Level 2C at age 7 are less likely than those reaching level 2A or 2B to reach Level 4 by the age of 11. This information has been given to all schools and local education authorities in the 1999 Key Stage 1 Assessment and Reporting Arrangements booklet published by the QCA in November 1998 and to parents in a leaflet, What you need to know about national tests and teacher assessment in 1999, published jointly by the DfEE and QCA in April 1999. The information is very helpful to schools and parents in the important task of raising standards of literacy and numeracy, which is crucial for individual children and for the nations's success in the future.
Northern Ireland: Prisoner Releases
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government: How many prisoners have been released during each week since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement; and what are the cumulative figures of all prisoners released by the end of each week.[HL2357]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Dubs): The Good Friday Agreement was signed on 10 April 1998. The first releases took place in the week commencing Sunday 6 September 1998. Table A attached illustrates the number of prisoners released during each week, starting Sunday 6 September 1998, and the cumulative figures of all prisoners released by the end of each week. The information contained in the table is drawn from information current at 8 May 1999.
| Week No. | Week Commencing (Sunday) | Number of prisoners released | Week-ending (Saturday) | Cumulative total of prisoners released |
| 1 | 6 Sep 98 | 7 | 12 Sep 98 | 7 |
| 2 | 13 Sep 98 | 17 | 19 Sep 98 | 24 |
| 3 | 20 Sep 98 | 18 | 26 Sep 98 | 42 |
| 4 | 27 Sep 98 | 25 | 3 Oct 98 | 67 |
| 5 | 4 Oct 98 | 18 | 10 Oct 98 | 85 |
| 6 | 11 Oct 98 | 47 | 17 Oct 98 | 132 |
| 7 | 18 Oct 98 | 41 | 24 Oct 98 | 173 |
| 8 | 25 Oct 98 | 18 | 31 Oct 98 | 191 |
| 9 | 1 Nov 98 | 7 | 7 Nov 98 | 198 |
| 10 | 8 Nov 98 | 6 | 14 Nov 98 | 204 |
| 11 | 15 Nov 98 | 5 | 21 Nov 98 | 209 |
| 12 | 22 Nov 98 | 4 | 28 Nov 98 | 213 |
| 13 | 29 Nov 98 | 3 | 5 Dec 98 | 216 |
| 14 | 6 Dec 98 | 5 | 12 Dec 98 | 221 |
| 15 | 13 Dec 98 | 6 | 19 Dec 98 | 227 |
| 16 | 20 Dec 98 | 2 | 26 Dec 98 | 229 |
| 17 | 27 Dec 98 | 0 | 2 Jan 99 | 229 |
| 18 | 3 Jan 99 | 2 | 9 Jan 99 | 231 |
| 19 | 10 Jan 99 | 1 | 16 Jan 99 | 232 |
| 20 | 17 Jan 99 | 5 | 23 Jan 99 | 237 |
| 21 | 24 Jan 99 | 0 | 30 Jan 99 | 237 |
| 22 | 31 Jan 99 | 3 | 6 Feb 99 | 240 |
| 23 | 7 Feb 99 | 0 | 13 Feb 99 | 240 |
| 24 | 14 Feb 99 | 2 | 20 Feb 99 | 242 |
| 25 | 21 Feb 99 | 0 | 27 Feb 99 | 242 |
| 26 | 28 Feb 99 | 2 | 6 Mar 99 | 244 |
| 27 | 7 Mar 99 | 3 | 13 Mar 99 | 247 |
| 28 | 14 Mar 99 | 1 | 20 Mar 99 | 248 |
| 29 | 21 Mar 99 | 5 | 27 Mar 99 | 253 |
| 30 | 28 Mar 99 | 2 | 3 Apr 99 | 255 |
| 31 | 4 Apr 99 | 0 | 10 Apr 99 | 255 |
| 32 | 11 Apr 99 | 4 | 17 Apr 99 | 259 |
| 33 | 18 Apr 99 | 1 | 24 Apr 99 | 260 |
| 34 | 25 Apr 99 | 2 | 1 May 99 | 262 |
| 35 | 2 May 99 | 2 | 8 May 99 | 264 |
Northern Ireland: National Curriculum Test Results
Baroness Blatch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will publish data for Northern Ireland showing, for secondary schools, the percentage of all 14 year-old pupils in 1998 passing National Curriculum tests at levels 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, together with the average level attained per pupil in the following subjects: mathematics, English and science, showing data separately for boys, girls and all pupils and including, for each category of school, the numbers of schools and the number of 14 year-old pupils.[HL2216]
Lord Dubs: The information is as follows (the average level attained per pupils not available as it cannot be calculated from the data held):
| Mathematics | English | Science | |
| % | % | % | |
| Boys | |||
| Not achieving Level 3 | 2.6 | 7.1 | 3.4 |
| Achieving Level 3 | 18.6 | 15.1 | 8.9 |
| Achieving Level 4 | 29.9 | 30.0 | 36.6 |
| Achieving Level 5 | 30.6 | 32.0 | 35.0 |
| Achieving Level 6 | 12.8 | 9.9 | 11.2 |
| Achieving Level 7 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 1.7 |
| Achieving Level 8 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Absent | 2.8 | 3.5 | 3.0 |
| Number of pupils | 8,772 | 8,710 | 8,746 |
| Girls | |||
| Not achieving Level 3 | 2.1 | 2.9 | 2.3 |
| Achieving Level 3 | 13.2 | 7.1 | 7.7 |
| Achieving Level 4 | 30.3 | 19.7 | 34.5 |
| Achieving Level 5 | 30.4 | 37.8 | 38.9 |
| Achieving Level 6 | 17.2 | 21.6 | 11.7 |
| Achieving Level 7 | 4.4 | 7.4 | 2.4 |
| Achieving Level 8 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 0.1 |
| Absent | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.3 |
| Number of pupils | 8,118 | 8,108 | 8,118 |
| All pupils | |||
| Not achieving Level 3 | 2.4 | 5.1 | 2.9 |
| Achieving Level 3 | 16.0 | 11.2 | 8.3 |
| Achieving Level 4 | 30.1 | 25.0 | 35.6 |
| Achieving Level 5 | 30.5 | 34.8 | 36.9 |
| Achieving Level 6 | 14.9 | 15.5 | 11.5 |
| Achieving Level 7 | 3.4 | 4.7 | 2.1 |
| Achieving Level 8 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| Absent | 3.4 | 3.0 | 2.6 |
| Number of pupils | 16,890 | 16,818 | 16,864 |
| Mathematics | English | Science | |
| % | % | % | |
| Boys | |||
| Not achieving Level 3 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 1.3 |
| Achieving Level 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Achieving Level 4 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Achieving Level 5 | 5.9 | 18.0 | 9.6 |
| Achieving Level 6 | 39.2 | 56.8 | 42.1 |
| Achieving Level 7 | 49.5 | 20.6 | 39.3 |
| Achieving Level 8 | 10.3 | 2.6 | 6.6 |
| Absent | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| Number of pupils | 4,366 | 4,364 | 4,364 |
| Girls | |||
| Not achieving Level 3 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.1 |
| Achieving Level 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Achieving Level 4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Achieving Level 5 | 4.5 | 8.4 | 7.3 |
| Achieving Level 6 | 33.2 | 48.4 | 43.5 |
| Achieving Level 7 | 49.5 | 35.0 | 40.8 |
| Achieving Level 8 | 11.1 | 7.3 | 6.3 |
| Absent | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| Number of pupils | 4,683 | 4,681 | 4,682 |
| All pupils | |||
| Not achieving Level 3 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 1.2 |
| Achieving Level 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Achieving Level 4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Achieving Level 5 | 5.2 | 13.1 | 8.4 |
| Achieving Level 6 | 36.1 | 52.4 | 42.9 |
| Achieving Level 7 | 46.1 | 28.0 | 40.0 |
| Achieving Level 8 | 10.7 | 5.0 | 6.5 |
| Absent | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| Number of pupils | 9,049 | 9,045 | 9,046 |
| Mathematics | English | Science | |
| % | % | % | |
| Boys | |||
| Not achieving Level 3 | 2.1 | 5.0 | 2.7 |
| Achieving level 3 | 12.4 | 10.1 | 6.0 |
| Achieving level 4 | 20.1 | 20.2 | 24.6 |
| Achieving level 5 | 22.4 | 27.4 | 26.5 |
| Achieving level 6 | 21.6 | 25.5 | 21.5 |
| Achieving level 7 | 15.8 | 8.3 | 14.2 |
| Achieving level 8 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 2.3 |
| Absent | 2.1 | 2.6 | 2.2 |
| Number of pupils | 13,138 | 13,074 | 13,110 |
| Girls | |||
| Not achieving Level 3 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| Achieving level 3 | 8.4 | 4.5 | 4.9 |
| Achieving level 4 | 19.3 | 12.5 | 22.0 |
| Achieving level 5 | 21.0 | 27.1 | 27.3 |
| Achieving level 6 | 23.0 | 31.4 | 23.4 |
| Achieving level 7 | 20.9 | 17.5 | 16.5 |
| Achieving level 8 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 2.4 |
| Absent | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.7 |
| Number of pupils | 12,801 | 12,789 | 12,800 |
| All pupils | |||
| Not achieving Level 3 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 2.3 |
| Achieving level 3 | 10.4 | 7.3 | 5.4 |
| Achieving level 4 | 19.7 | 16.4 | 23.3 |
| Achieving level 5 | 21.7 | 27.2 | 26.9 |
| Achieving level 6 | 22.3 | 28.4 | 22.4 |
| Achieving level 7 | 18.3 | 12.9 | 15.3 |
| Achieving level 8 | 3.9 | 2.1 | 2.3 |
| Absent | 1.8 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
| Number of pupils | 25,939 | 25,863 | 25,910 |
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