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Secondary School Teachers: Subject Qualification
Baroness Blatch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many teachers in secondary schools are teaching subjects for which they were not trained. [HL884]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): The latest figures available show that in 1996-97, 82 per cent of secondary school teachers held an appropriate subject qualification for the subjects taught.
Playgroups: Graduate-trained Teachers
Baroness Blatch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the comments made by Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 22 October (H.L. Deb., col. 906), how many graduate-trained teachers will be employed to support playgroups; and who will fund them.[HL922]
What ratio of graduate-trained teachers to playgroups or numbers of children in playgroups are to be employed under the new proposals for early years' learning.[HL923]
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: We have asked local early years development and childcare partnerships (EYDCPs) in association with their local education authorities, to ensure that a ratio of one teacher with qualified teacher status to every 10 early education settings in the private, voluntary and independent sector, including playgroups, is achieved by 2004.
As a result, we have estimated that by 2004 approximately 1,500 teachers with qualified teacher status will be needed to support all early education settings in the private, voluntary and independent sector including playgroups. It is for EYDCPs to decide how this should be arranged.
Education Standard Spending (ESS) will increase by 6 per cent for 2002-03; £50 million in ESS has been provided with the aim of supporting qualified teacher involvement in early years settings and the introduction of early years area special educational needs co-ordinators. Local education authorities will need to decide how much of that increase they spend on employing qualified teachers as they make progress towards the target.
State Benefits: Hospital Downrating Rule
Earl Russell asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Answer by Baroness Hollis of Heigham on 17 October, how many people are employed in hospitals in reporting to the Department for Work and Pensions for the purpose of hospital downrating of the state pension; and at what cost to the National Health Service.[HL846]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Baroness Hollis of Heigham): There are no people employed in hospitals who report to the department for the purpose of hospital downrating. The onus for reporting hospital admission and discharge lies with the patient or their representative.
Abandoned Vehicles
Lord Glentoran asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What they intend to do about the increasing number of vehicles abandoned by the roadside.[HL851]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): We will be consulting very shortly on a package of measures to help local authorities deal with the abandoned vehicles problem. The main proposals are to reduce the notice periods used by local authorities so that abandoned vehicles can be removed more quickly; enable local authorities to use DVLA's powers to remove unlicensed vehicles and to provide better access for them to DVLA's records; promote exchanges of best practice between local authorities; and, in the longer term, bring forward changes to vehicle registration and licensing procedures to ensure greater accuracy of DVLA's vehicle record.
CAP: Rural Development Plan
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
- With reference to EU Common Agricultural Policy funds that are allocated to the United Kingdom: (a) how much is allocated to England; (b) of that allocation how much is spent on the England rurual developmment plan; and (c) how that percentage compares with the amount spent by the other European Union countries.[HL883]
Lord Whitty: During the 2001 EU budget year, the UK received £2.47 billion in CAP receipts. Direct payments to farmers accounted for approximately 90 per cent of this. The rest related to expenditure on market support measures such as intervention storage and export refunds. Of the direct payment receipts, approximately £1.4 billion were in respect of England. Market support expenditure cannot be allocated to particular regions.
For the 2000-07 rural development programming period, the UK has been allocated 154 million euros of EU rural development funds per annum, which represents 3.5 per cent of the annual EU total of 4.3 billion euros. Of the UK allocation, 50 per cent has been committed to the England Rural Development Programme.
Government Car Service
Lord Donoughue asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What cost is charged by the Government Car Service to Ministers and officials at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (per year) for the supply of cars (and, separately, of drivers); what is the book value of the cars (a) individually and (b) in total; and what is the total "overhead" charged by the Government Car Service for these cars.[HL920]
Lord Whitty: The Government Car Service (GCS) provides permanently allocated cars and drivers to five Ministers and the Permanent Secretary in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The total cost of providing this service for 2001-02 is estimated at £323,000, including £193,000 for drivers.
GCS provides individual contracts covering three years for each vehicle and driver. Each contract covers the cost of providing the vehicle, including road tax and insurance, annual maintenance charges, provision of a relief car and driver, and fuel charges; a depreciation charge based on the vehicle's estimated residual value at the end of three years; the full costs of the driver; and a charge to cover the overheads of providing the service. GCS is required to recover all its costs from its customers, but there is no element of profit in the charge GCS makes.
The net book capital value of these vehicles as at 31 March 2001 was £11,070; £10,847; £7,729; £7,684; £7,229 and £6,414. This gives a total value of £50,973. The wide band of values represents the mix and ages of the vehicles in question.
The total overhead charged by GCS for the provision of these services for 2001-02 is £80,300.
Food Purchase by Public Bodies
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What guidance they would give to farmers and producers about the ability of:
(a) health trusts;
(b) local authorities; and
(c) government bodies and departments to purchase their food requirements from local producers and suppliers.[HL945]
Lord Whitty: The Government's policy is to help local farmers and producers market their produce effectively. Although public bodies are generally required to look at best value for money in their procurement decisions, they do represent a significant market which we would encourage farmers and producers to explore.
Lord Kilclooney asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Whitty: This proposal forms part of a much wider set of proposals produced by the European Commission to amend the procedures for the authorisation and control of both human and veterinary medicines in the EU. In its present form this particular proposal could result in UK farmers having to pay more by incurring veterinary surgeons' fees when obtaining those medicines that are currently available without veterinary intervention. In considering this proposal the Government have taken account of its likely impact on the supply of veterinary medicines and have agreed that, during negotiations, UK officials should seek to modify the proposal to enable a flexible approach to the distribution of veterinary medicinal products that takes advantage of existing national practices, so long as consumer protection and animal welfare can be demonstrably assured.
Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Whitty: We have considered the case for payment of optional agrimonetary compensation to the arable sector. While we acknowledge the difficulties that the sector is facing, we have decided not to draw down these funds given the many competing demands on the Exchequer at present, not least the cost of eradicating foot and mouth disease. The arable sector will, however, receive £28 million in compulsory agrimonetary compensation this autumn.
Whether they support the European Union's proposal that all medicines for food-producing animals must be prescribed by a veterinary surgeon; and what would be the impact on United Kingdom farming costs. [HL948]
Whether they intend to apply to pay optional agrimonetary compensation to the arable sector. [HL1063]
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