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Lord Ahmed asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have any evidence of British men training to take part in hostilities in Kashmir.[HL2311]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: We are aware of reports of UK citizens travelling overseas for "Jihad" training, and of allegations that these individuals then take part in conflicts in different parts of the world. There is no evidence of any breach of UK laws.
Lord Ahmed asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they support a final resolution of the Kashmir conflict; and what steps they have taken in this regard.[HL2312]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: We fully support India and Pakistan in their search for a solution in Kashmir. We continue to encourage them to return to dialogue to find a just and lasting solution acceptable to the people of Kashmir.
Nuclear Disarmament
Lord Jenkins of Putney asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will adopt and implement the Model Convention on the prohibition of the development, testing, production, stockpiling, transfer, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons and on their elimination contained in Security and Survival--The Case for a Nuclear Weapons Convention, issued by the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms, the International Network of Engineers and Scientists Against Proliferation, the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and others.[HL2318]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: As I made clear to my noble friend on 12 April 2000, (WA 188), the Government do not believe the circumstances yet exist to make starting negotiations on a nuclear weapons convention a practical proposition.
Over Thirty Months Scheme: Weight Limit
Lord Tomlinson asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When the weight limit on payments for cattle entering the Over Thirty Months Scheme will be removed.[HL2515]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Hayman): On 12 May the Beef Management Committee agreed to a Commission proposal to remove the weight limit on payments for all cattle entering the Over Thirty Months Scheme. This will take effect for all cattle entering the scheme on or after 5 June. This delivers on a key element of the Government's Action Plan for Farming. It is worth £20 million a year in payments to UK farmers and will also increase asset values. It will be of particular benefit to those running suckler herds.
Non-attendance at School: Parental Fines
Baroness Blatch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many parents have been found guilty and fined in connection with the offence of non-attendance at school; and[HL2404]
What is the average fine for parents found guilty in connection with the offence of non-attendance at school; and[HL2405]
How many parents have received the maximum fine of £2,500 in connection with the offence of non-attendance at school.[HL2406]
The Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment (Baroness Blackstone): We estimate that local education authorities undertake around 9,000 prosecutions a year of parents whose children are not attending school regularly. But in 80 per cent of cases, parents do not turn up in court and are fined in their absence. To challenge this culture amongst some parents that education is not important, we are proposing the rise in the level of the offence for non-attendance at school. More detailed information on the numbers found guilty and average fines is, however, not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Fresh Start Schools
Baroness Blatch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which schools have been selected for the Fresh Start programme; which schools continue to be part of the programme; which schools have failed or been recommended for closure; and what are the costs for each school associated with the programme.[HL2407]
Baroness Blackstone: Fresh Start is not a programme but an option for local education authorities to tackle failure. A Fresh Start requires the closure of a "failing" school and the opening of a new school on the same site. It offers a radical approach to securing school improvement for failing schools showing insufficient evidence of recovery.
Fresh Start policy is at its infancy--only 15 schools have undergone a Fresh Start to date, 11 secondary and four primary. Three opened in September 1998, eight in September 1999, two in January 2000, one in April 2000 and one in May 2000.
| New School Name | Former School Name | Phase | LEA Area | |
| September 1998 | ||||
| Firfield Community School | Blakelaw School | Secondary | Newcastle | |
| Fir Vale School | Earl Marshall School | Secondary | Sheffield | |
| Regis County Secondary | The King's CE School | Secondary | Wolverhampton | |
| September 1999 | ||||
| East Brighton College of Media Arts | The Marina High School | Secondary | Brighton | |
| Islington Arts and Media | George Orwell School | Secondary | Islington | |
| Kingswood High School | Perronet Thompson School | Secondary | Kingston upon Hull | |
| Telegraph Hill | Hatcham Wood School | Secondary | Lewisham | |
| Bishopsford Community School | Watermeads High School | Secondary | Merton | |
| River Leen School | Alderman Derbyshire School | Secondary | Nottingham City | |
| New Parks Community College | New College | Secondary | Leicester City | |
| Langham School | Park View Academy | Secondary | Haringey | |
| January 2000 | ||||
| Manor Oak Primary | Kevington Primary School | Primary | Bromley | |
| The Richard Heathcote Community Primary | Heathcote County Primary | Primary | Staffordshire | |
| April/May 2000 | ||||
| New Christ Church CE VC Primary | Christ Church CE VC Primary | Primary | Reading | |
| Goose Green Primary | Grove Vale Primary | Primary | Southwark | |
At the end of the spring term 2000, 446 schools were deemed to be "failing" and in need of special measures. A Fresh Start is planned for eight of these schools by the local education authorities concerned in September 2000. The schools are in Sheffield, Bristol, Hackney, Bournemouth, Essex, Stockport and Northamptonshire.
So far, local education authorites have met the costs associated with the Fresh Start process using a variety of existing funding sources, including the Standards Fund and New Deal for Schools. The costs of Fresh Start will vary and details are not readily available.
In line with the Government's ambitious new targets that all schools should achieve 20 per cent five GCSEs at Grades A*-C by 2004 and 25 per cent by 2006, all schools gaining less than 15 per cent 5A*-C at GCSE over three years must consider a Fresh Start. The Government is intending to make £60 million of capital funding available for Fresh Start schools and City Academies this year and an additional £13 million will be made available to cover the transition costs of setting up the new schools and embedding best practice.
Fresh Start has been an option for some of the hardest cases. The schools are new and fragile, and there are no quick fixes. But there are early signs of improvement in the first schools. Exam results are up and truancy down--to a marked degree.
Fresh Start is one of a number of options aimed at turning round failing schools more quickly. The average turn-around time for special measures schools now stands at 18 months for schools coming on to special measures since May 1997. This is down from
25 months for schools coming under special measures between 1993 and April 1997.
Unauthorised Absence
School/Year 1997 1999 1997 1999
Firvale 57 80 8.9 3.2
Firfield Community School 43 74 12.6 3.3
The King's School 81 91 13.2 8.5
New School Name Former School Name Phase School Address LEA Area Head's Name School Tel. Date Closed Date of Fresh Start
Firfield Community School Blakelaw School Sec Firfield Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE5 3HU Newcastle Russ Wallace 0191 286 3211 31 Aug 98 01 Sep 98
Fir Vale School Earl Marshal School Sec Earl Marshal Road, Sheffield S4 8LA Sheffield Hugh Howe 0114 243 9391 31 Aug 98 01 Sep 98
East Brighton College of Media Arts The Marina High School Sec Wilson Avenue, Brighton, East Sussex BN2 5PB Brighton Clive Frost 01273 692 471 31 Aug 99 01 Sep 99
Islington Arts and Media George Orwell School Sec Turfe Road, London N4 3LS Islington Dr John Hudson 020 7281 5511 31 Aug 99 01 Sep 99
Kingswood High School Perronet Thompson School Sec Wawne Road, Bransholme, Hull HU7 4WR Kingston upon Hull Kevin Beaton 01482 879 967 31 Aug 99 01 Sep 99
Telegraph Hill Hatcham Wood School Sec Wallbutton Road, London SE24 2NY Lewisham Michael Davis 0171 732 2122 31 Aug 99 01 Sep 99
Bishopsford Community School Watermeads High School Sec Lilleshall Road, Morden, Surrey SM4 6DU Merton Paul Harwood 0181 687 1157 31 Aug 99 01 Sep 99
River Leen School Alderman Derbyshire School Sec Hucknall Lane, Bulwell, Nottingham NG6 8AQ Nottingham City Tom Megahy 0115 927 8425 31 Aug 99 01 Sep 99
Regis County Secretary The King's CE School Sec Regis Road, Tattenhall, Wolverhampton WV6 8XG Wolverhampton Tim Gallager 01902 558333 31 Aug 99 01 Sep 99
New Parks Community College New College Sec Greencoat Road, Leicester LE3 6PN Leicester City Judith Mullen 0116 2873l774 31 Aug 98 01 Sep 98
Langham School Park View Academy Sec Langham Road, Tottenham, London N15 3RB Haringey Peter Walker 020 8888 1722 31 Aug 99 01 Sep 99
The Richard Heathcote Community Primary Heathcote County Primary Prim Alsagers Bank, Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire Sylvia Rizak 01782 720 406 31 Dec 99 01 Jan 00
Manor Oak Primary Kevington Primary School Prim Sweeps Lane, off Blacksmith Lane, St. Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3PE Bromley Mrs Yvonne Marsh 01689 828 099 31 Dec 99 07 Jan 00
Grove Vale Primary Goose Green Primary Prim Grove Vale, East Dulwich, London SE22 8DT Southwark Mrs Pat Ford 0181 693 3568 01 Apr 00 01 Apr 00
Christ Church CE VC Primary New Christ Church CE VC Primary Prim Milman Road, Reading RG2 0AY Reading Mrs B Revie 01734 871 019 01 May 00 01 May 00
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