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Young Asylum Seekers: Support
Lord Davies of Oldham asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they intend to increase the level of support provided by the National Asylum Support Service for those aged under 16 years. [HL4617]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: My honourable friend the Minister of State yesterday laid before Parliament regulations amending the Asylum Support Regulations 2000 to enable an increased rate of voucher support to be provided to under 16 year-old dependants of asylum seekers supported by the National Asylum Support Service with effect from 4 December. The rate will rise from £26.60 to £30.95 per week.
Freedom of Information Bill: Fees Regulations
Lord Richard asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they will place the draft working document of the Fees Regulations for the Freedom of Information Bill in the Library. [HL4618]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: The draft working document for the Fees Regulations required by the Freedom of Information Bill was placed in the Library on 10 November.
African Caribbean Pupils: Achievement
Baroness Whitaker asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans they have to deal with the situation where African Carribean pupils enter compulsory schooling as the highest achieving group but leave it as the group least likely to gain five high-grade GCSEs, as revealed in the recent report Educational Inequality: Mapping Race, Class and Gender, commissioned by Ofsted.[HL4497]
The Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment (Baroness Blackstone): The Government have been concerned since they came to power to tackle the relatively low achievement of African Caribbean pupils in school. The Ofsted report, based on 1997 data, rightly draws attention to worrying evidence from a small number of local education authorities that the relative attainment of African Caribbean pupils worsens between the start and end of
their compulsory schooling. However, it also shows that there have been absolute and relative overall improvements in their attainment at GCSE. We hope that further, more recent, evidence will show continued improvements.The Government's drive to improve school standards, especially in literacy and numeracy, is delivering higher attainment by pupils of all backgrounds. We plan to extend that drive to Key Stage 3 and to extend the Excellence in Cities programme, which targets areas where ethnic pupils tend to be disproportionately represented.
We are providing targeted finance for African Caribbean and other ethnic minority pupils through the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant. In 2001-02, the grant will support £153.5 million of local expenditure--an increase of 4.5 per cent. We also plan to enhance ethnic monitoring of pupils' progress to allow individual pupil-level achievement to be linked to ethnic group data to ensure better targeted support for groups at risk of poor attainment.
Education/Youth Council, 9 November
Lord Hardy of Wath asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was the outcome of the Education/Youth Council held in Luxembourg on 9 November.[HL4605]
Baroness Blackstone: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Learning and Technology and Jane Davidson AM, Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, represented the UK at the Council of EC Education/Youth Ministers in Brussels on 9 November. Education Ministers adopted a recommendation on mobility within the Community for students, persons undergoing training, volunteers, teachers and instructors and an associated Mobility Action Plan. The plan sets out a number of measures, which member states can select from according to national circumstances, to promote the mobility of teachers, academics, students and volunteers across Europe.
Ministers discussed a preliminary draft report on the future objectives of education systems. Council agreed that the report, which is to be presented by the education Ministers to the Stockholm European Council in Spring 2001, should aim to identify objectives and priorities common to education systems within member states and facilitate the sharing of information and exchange of good and best practice at a national level.
The Council adopted two opinions for the Employment and Social Policy Council on the Social Policy Agenda and draft employment guidelines.
Ministers received reports from the Commission and Presidency on the conclusions of the Leiden seminar, organised by the Netherlands and French Presidency; on open methods of co-ordination and benchmarking of European education systems;
follow-up to the meeting of the EU and Latin American Ministers for Higher Education in Paris on 3 November; a memorandum on lifelong learning; progress reached in the implementation of the European Year of Languages 2001; the renewal of the United States-Canada-EU co-operation agreements in the field of education and training; and the outcome of the Blois seminar entitled "Learn the history of Europe".Youth Ministers held an open debate on the follow-up measures which should be taken following earlier consultations with young people in Europe. Council agreed the importance of involving young people at European level and the need to create regular opportunities for consulting with young people--including those not affiliated to recognised youth networks--at both national and European level. The debate was part of the Commission's consultation process linked to developing a White Paper on the future of youth policy.
Ministers received information from the Commission on the implementation of the Youth Programme and adopted a resolution on the social inclusion of young people.
The Presidency and the Commission raised the issue of the potential dangers facing young sportsmen and women through over-training, drug abuse and commercial exploitation. The Commission urged the Council to consider taking action to tackle this.
The Council heard a report from the German delegation on the need to tackle the problem of racism and xenophobia amongst young people.
A copy of the Council Minutes will be placed in the Library in due course.
Green Ministers: Second Annual Report
Lord Hughes of Woodside asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they intend to publish the second annual Green Ministers' report.[HL4601]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty): We are delighted to announce that "Greening Government: the Second Annual Report of the Green Ministers Committee" will be published tomorrow. It provides a comprehensive account of the work of Green Ministers over the past year, and sets out our future work programme. The report reflects Green Ministers' increasing focus on integrating sustainable development into government policies, as well as our continuing efforts to improve the environmental performance of government operations. There is a considerable amount of information at department level to enable the reader to understand the progress each department has made in all areas of our work.
Copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Smoking-related Disease Victims' Families: Compensation Policy
Viscount Simon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In the light of their recent announcement on compensation for families of victims of nvCJD, whether they have plans to compensate the families of victims of smoking-related diseases.[HL4421]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The Government have no plans to compensate the families of victims of smoking-related diseases.
Free Hospital Transport: Policy
Lord Clement-Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have a uniform approach to entitlement to free hospital transport for those discharged from hospital in England; and, if so, what it is.[HL4541]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Patient transport for those discharged from hospital is available free where the clinician in charge of the patient determines that there is a need for the hospital to provide transport. Where there is no clinically defined need but the patient is in receipt of benefits such as income support, then he or she is able to receive help under the "Hospital Travel Cost Scheme" which was set up in 1988 as part of the NHS Low Income Scheme to provide financial assistance.
A guide entitled "Help with Health Costs" (HC11), copies of which are available in the Library, describes what help is available with necessary travel costs to and from hospital for National Health Service treatment.
Smoking: Pollution Reduction
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In the light of their recent statement of commitment to the environment, which of their policies are aimed at reducing pollution by smoking.[HL4466]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Smoking Kills--A White Paper on tobacco, published on 10 December 1998, sets out the Government's strategy to reduce smoking. The NHS Plan and the NHS Cancer Plan contain further commitments to reduce the health and other impacts of smoking.
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