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Disposal Services Agency: Key Targets 2003–04
Lord Brookman asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What key targets have been set for the Disposal Services Agency for financial year 2003–04.[HL3806]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): The agency was originally launched as the Disposal Sales Agency in October 1994 and was relaunched in November 2000 as the Disposal Services Agency. The agency provides a total disposal solution by acting as a broker and adding value through expert advice across the public sector. The agency operates very much in line with the Government's aim of more joined-up delivery. The chief executive of the agency has been set the following key targets for the financial year 2003–04.
- to achieve a disposal sales gross cash receipt of £20 million from sales of surplus government-owned equipment and stores. This figure reflects the expected surplus equipment disposal programme;
- to meet the key performance indicators as agreed in the customer supplier agreement (CSA) with the Defence Logistic Organisation (DLO);
- to ensure that the agency is at the standard or above the standard of the public sector
- benchmarking report for overall customer satisfaction; and
- to secure £360,000 sales per person employed for commercial sales activities.
Deaths by Suicide: Students
Lord Rogan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many deaths by suicide were recorded among students at (a) universities; (b) further education colleges; and (c) schools, since January 2003, and for each year for the past five years.[HL3613]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey): The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter to Lord Rogan from the National Statistician, dated 3 July 2003.
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question on how many deaths by suicide were recorded among students at (a) universities, (b) further education colleges, and (c) schools, since January 2003, and for each year for the past five years. [HL3613].
The numbers of suicides of persons aged 13 years or over in full-time education are given in the attached table for each of the five years ending 2001, the most recent year for which these figures are available. Information about both the type of educational establishment attended and about persons in part-time education is not available at death registration.
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | |
| (i) 13–15 years | |||||
| Intentional self-harm(3) | 6 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 8 |
| Injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted(4) | 13 | 7 | 6 | 16 | 9 |
| Total | 19 | 14 | 12 | 25 | 17 |
| (ii) 16 years and over | |||||
| Intentional self-harm(3) | 92 | 90 | 79 | 79 | 70 |
| Injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted(4) | 43 | 58 | 40 | 39 | 38 |
| Total | 135 | 148 | 119 | 118 | 108 |
(1) All persons aged 5 to 15 years were assumed to be in full-time education. However, those aged under 13 are excluded from the table (see note 4). Persons aged 16 and over in full-time education were identified by the SOC90 occupation pseudo-code 030 'full-time student' for 1997–2000 and the SOC2000 occupation pseudo-code 0040 'student, school girl, school boy' for 2001.
(2) Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar year from 1997 to 2001.
(3) The cause of death for intentional self-harm was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes E950-E959 and, for the year 2001 the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes X60-X84.
(4) The cause of death for injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes E980-E989 excluding E988.8 for the years 1997 to 2000, and, for the year 2001 the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes Y10-Y34 excluding Y33.9 where the Coroner's verdict was pending. It is likely that most of these deaths at ages over 13 are cases where the harm is self-inflicted but there was insufficient evidence to prove that the deceased deliberately intended to kill themselves. As there were no intentional self-harm deaths in children under the age of 13, data for deaths undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted have not been included either.
Lord Sewel asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: As my honourable friend the Minister of State for E-Commerce and Competitiveness indicated in his statement in another place on 24 March (Hansard col. 1WS) it is the Government's intention to implement the four EC Communications Directives by the required deadline of 25 July 2003 through the legislation contained in the Communications Bill (particularly Part 2 of the Bill) and the orders and regulations to be made under that legislation. Subject to the remaining parliamentary processes being completed satisfactorily, the Government believe that it is still possible for the Bill to receive Royal Assent before Parliament rises for the summer recess and for the necessary orders and regulations to be made in time to ensure that the directives are implemented by the required date.
The time between Royal Assent and 25 July will however mean that the normal 21-day delay between the making of certain orders and regulations and their coming into effect cannot be observed. The Government regret this, but consider it inevitable in order to ensure that there is a smooth transition to the new regulatory regime (which is founded on the EC directives which have to be implemented on 25 July). To alleviate problems which might arise from the short interval between the making of the orders and regulations and 25 July, the Government are today publishing the draft of the Electronic Communications (Universal Service) Order that will need to be made as soon as the Bill has been passed. This draft takes account of comments received during consultations earlier this year, and in parallel with the revised drafts, the Department of Trade and Industry is publishing a response document summarising the way in which the issues raised in the consultations have been dealt with. As soon as the order has been made following the passing of the Communications Bill, the Department of Trade and Industry will inform all those thought to be interested in the matter and will draw attention to any significant changes from the texts being published today.
The Department of Trade and Industry is also publishing today revised drafts of the Numbering Exclusion Order and the Electronic Communications (Networks and Services) (Penalties) (Rules for Calculation of Turnover) Order together with response documents describing how the responses to the consultations on those documents have been dealt with. As these orders require affirmative resolution of both Houses, the formal drafts will be laid once the Bill has been passed, and affirmative resolutions sought as soon as parliamentary time permits.
The Department of Trade and Industry will also publish within the next week a response to the consultation on the draft Electronic Communications
At least two other orders will also need to be made in the interval between Royal Assent and 25 July—the First Commencement Order, and the Wireless Telegraphy (Limitation of Number of Licences) Order. The Radiocommunications Agency is currently consulting on the latter draft order, and the text is available on the Radiocommunications Agency website.
The timetable to achieve Royal Assent before 25 July does however remain very tight and, as previously announced, since it would not be an option to fail to implement the directives by 25 July, if the Bill has not been passed in time the Government would need to bring forward regulations under the European Communities Act 1972 to ensure that our obligations were met. The Department of Trade and Industry consulted on drafts of these regulations in March, and within the next few days will republish the revised texts on the draft regulations together with a response document summarising how issues raised in that consultation have been dealt with. If the Bill does not receive Royal Assent before the summer recess, the regulations will be made so as to be effective by 25 July. The interval between the making of the regulations and their coming into force would also be very short, and accordingly the Department of Trade and Industry would contact all those thought to be interested in the issue to inform them of the making of the regulations. Copies of all the documents published today have been placed in the Libraries of both
Houses and made available on the internet: www.communicationsbill.gov.uk. Copies of the further documents will be published in a similar manner as soon as they are available. The Department of Trade and Industry is also informing all those thought to be interested in these issues of the publication of the documents. Anyone who has not received personal notification of the publication of the drafts and who wishes to be informed of the further action should contact the Department of Trade and Industry (at communications.billconsultation@dti.
gsi.gov.uk) to ensure they are added to the list of interested parties.
What steps they are taking to ensure that the EC Communications Directives are implemented on the required date of 25 July 2003.[HL3807]
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