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10 Oct 2005 : Column WA77
Lord Roberts of Llandudno asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many African-Caribbean (a) girls, and (b) boys between the ages of four to seven have gone missing from schools in London during each year since 2000; and [HL1465]
How many African-Caribbean children, who have gone missing from schools in London between 2000 to 2005, are now believed to be resident in (a) Africa or the Caribbean; (b) London or elsewhere in the United Kingdom; (c) elsewhere; or remain unaccounted for. [HL1466]
Lord Adonis: The Government are deeply concerned about any child missing from education, as it is not just the child's educational attainment that is at risk, but also potentially his/her safety and welfare. That is why we are focusing our efforts on improving local practice in identifying children missing, or at risk of going missing, from education and placing them in suitable educational provision.
There are no reliable statistics of the number of children who go missing from schools. There may be a number of reasons why children do not continue their education in one school, including moving to another part of the country, or back to their native country. In some cases parents or carers fail to provide details of their child's new school. There is no evidence in these cases that the children involved have come to any harm.
Schools: Missing Children
Lord Roberts of Llandudno asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will publish quarterly statistics of all children who go missing from schools in the United Kingdom. [HL793]
Lord Adonis: The Government are deeply concerned about any child missing from education, as it is not just the child's educational attainment that is at risk, but also potentially his /her safety and welfare. That is why we are focusing our efforts on improving local practice identifying children missing, or at risk of going missing, from education and placing them in suitable educational provision.
There are certainly no reliable statistics of the number of children who go missing from schools. In due course, the information sharing indexes provided for in Section 12 of the Children Act 2004 will enable more accurate estimates to be made.
Secondary Schools: 15 Year-old Students
Baroness Cox asked Her Majesty's Government:
What, at the start of the current school year, were (a) the total number of students aged 15; (b) the per cent in the age group obtaining the equivalent of level 2 (five or more grades at A* to C); (c) the average total point score per 15 yea-old; (d) the total
- number of students aged 16 to 18; (e) the total number entered for general and vocational A-level and AS results and key skills at level 3; and (f) the average point score per student in relation to (e) for (i) grammar schools; (ii) comprehensive schools; and (iii) modern schools. [HL1325]
Lord Adonis: The information for 2003-04 academic year can be found in the table below:
Sinn Fein: Judicial Review Applications
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What applications for judicial review have been initiated by Sinn Fein since 2000; which were rejected; which had costs awarded against Sinn Fein and how much; and whether those costs were paid. [HL1406]
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Court records show that there have been two applications for judicial review made by Sinn Fein since 2000.
The first application, in which the Lord Chancellor was the respondent, concerned the exercise of powers to make policy development grants to political parties under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 and was dismissed on 10 April 2003 with no order made for costs.
A subsequent appeal before the Court of Appeal was dismissed with an order that Sinn Fein pay the costs of the appeal. In a petition to the House of Lords, leave for a further appeal was granted but this appeal was later discontinued on the basis that Sinn Fein would continue to be liable for the costs of the original appeal to the Court of Appeal and for the appeal to the House of Lords to the point of discontinuance. The bill of costs in respect of this application is currently being drawn up.
The second application, which challenged the decision by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to impose a financial penalty on Sinn Fein in light of the first report by the Independent Monitoring Commission, was dismissed on 14 February 2005 with an order that Sinn Fein pay the respondent's costs. A bill of costs has been drawn up, which remains to, be agreed between the parties.
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South Yorkshire: Coalfields
Lord Mason of Barnsley asked Her Majesty's Government:
What financial assistance has been provided for the regeneration of the South Yorkshire coalfield; and from what sources. [HL1433]
Baroness Andrews: Several regeneration programmes provide assistance for the South Yorkshire coalfield area. The following gives approximate expenditure figures against each of those programmes. The Coalfields Regeneration Trust and the National Coalfields Programme are targeted specifically at the coalfield area of South Yorkshire. Other programmes cover a wider area but the figures shown represent the approximate amount provided either directly to the coalfield areas or on sub-regional projects from which people, communities and businesses in the coalfields areas benefit.
National Coalfields Programme, spend to March 2005: £75 million
Coalfields Regeneration Trust: spend to June 2005: £17 million
Objective 1 programme, total grant value 2000-06: £695 million
Other RDA programmes, spend to March 2005: £67 million
South Yorkshire: Unemployment
Lord Mason of Barnsley asked Her Majesty's Government:
By what proportion unemployment has fallen in the county of South Yorkshire, covering Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield, (a) in 2004, and (b) since 1997. [HL1432]
Lord McKenzie of Luton: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from the National Statistician and Registrar General, Len Cook, dated 27 July 2005.
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment. (HL1432)
Table 1 shows the percentage changes in the numbers of unemployed people resident in South Yorkshire between the 12-month period ending February 1997 and the corresponding period ending February 2004 the latest period available, together with the changes between 12-month periods ending February 2003 and February 2004. Table 2 shows changes in the unemployment rates for the same periods.
These estimates are based on annual local area Labour Force Survey data which, as with any sample survey, is subject to sampling variability.
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The ONS also compiles statistics of those claiming jobseeker's allowance for local areas. Table 3 shows the percentage changes in the numbers of JSA claimants resident in South Yorkshire between June 1997 and June 2005, and between December 2003 and December 2004. Table 4 shows the changes in the proportions of jobseeker's allowance claimants for the same periods.
The data are published on the Office for National Statistics Nomis website: www.nomisweb.co.uk.
Source: Annual local area Labour Force Survey
1 Changes calculated on unrounded estimates.
| 12 months ending February | Rate |
| 1997 | 10.8 |
| 2004 | 5.5 |
| Change | -5.3 |
| 2003 | 5.5 |
| 2004 | 5.5 |
| Change | 0.0
|
Source: Annual local area Labour Force Survey
1 Changes calculated on unrounded estimates.
Source: Jobcentre Plus Administrative system.
Source: Jobcentre Plus Administrative system.
1 Changes calculated on unrounded estimates.
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