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Your recent Parliamentary Question [HL588] has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
In relation to maintained schools, Ofsted has provided extensive training in matters relating to the judgement that inspectors make during inspections about the effectiveness with which a school promotes community cohesion. This does not, however, specifically include training for inspectors to identify links between schools and extremist groups.
In relation to independent schools, Ofsted provides extensive training to ensure inspectors are able to make consistent and high-quality judgements. When the inspection is of a faith or specialist school, inspectors with specialist knowledge of the relevant faith or specialism are deployed and, where relevant, inspectors with specific language skills are used. Training does not, however, specifically include training for inspectors to identify links between schools and extremist groups.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Vernon Coaker MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
Asked by Baroness Neville-Jones
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many schools have (a) been investigated, (b) had remedial action or special measures put in place, and (c) closed down because of links to (1) proscribed, and (2) extremist, groups in each year since 1997. [HL589]
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: Any investigation in relation to alleged criminal activity is a matter for the police.
Ofsted carries out regular inspections of maintained schools under Section 5 of the Education Act 2005. All independent schools are inspected on a three-yearly basis against the independent school standards for independent schools under Section 162A of the Education Act 2002.
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In the case of maintained schools, an inspection may occur where there are concerns about the education and well-being of pupils. A school judged inadequate is subject to monitoring and intervention measures which could result in closure. In the case of independent schools, emergency inspection visits can be commissioned by the DCSF if there is evidence that a school might not be meeting any of the independent school standards including concerns about the quality of education or procedures for safeguarding children. Any remedial action or deregistration would take place on the basis that one or more standard had not been met.
There have been no Ofsted inspections relating to links between independent or maintained schools and proscribed organisations.
Two independent schools were inspected by Ofsted in 2007 to ensure they were meeting the independent school standards following allegations of links with Hizb-ut-Tahrir.
Security Industry Authority
Question
Asked by Baroness Neville-Jones
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many workers without the right to work in the United Kingdom have been issued with clearance by the Security Industry Authority in each year since its inception. [HL733]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): This information is not available in the form requested.
In July 2007, the SIA introduced checks on the right to work of all non-European Economic Area (EEA) licence applicants. Licence applications from persons without the right to work are refused.
At the same time the SIA undertook retrospective checks of the right to work of all existing non-EEA licence holders, as a result of which nearly 8,000 licences have been revoked.
In addition, since September 2008, the SIA has checked the right to work of those non-EEA applicants who had a right to work which was current when they applied for a SIA licence but which would have expired before the expiry date of the SIA licence. As a result of this exercise over 6,250 licences have been revoked.
The SIA issued its first licences to door supervisors in 2004. It commenced licensing security guards in 2006.
Sexual Assault Referral Centres
Question
Asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether all sexual assault referral centres have appropriate facilities and trained staff to work with children and young people who have been sexually assaulted. [HL703]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): These data are not centrally collated but we are encouraging all SARCs to ensure that they are able to offer the full range of quality services to children and young people. The Home Office has provided capital and resource funding to expand the number and quality of SARCs since 2003-04, and the recently published Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy committed Government to providing a further £3.2 million in 2010-11.
Asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many sexual assault referral centres have separate facilities and staff dedicated to working with children and young people who have been sexually assaulted. [HL704]
Lord West of Spithead: These data are not centrally collated but we are encouraging all SARCs to ensure that they are able to offer the full range of quality services to children and young people. The Home Office has provided capital and resource funding to expand the number and quality of SARCs since 2003-04, and the recently published Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy committed Government to providing a further £3.2 million in 2010-11.
Somalia: Pirates
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government which items of pirate equipment and weapons have been destroyed during boarding operations in pursuit of the Royal Navy's operations off the coast of Somalia. [HL649]
The Minister for International Defence and Security (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): Since October 2008 the Royal Navy has seized, and where appropriate disposed of, a total of 49 weapons (39 assault rifles, six rocket propelled grenades and four pistols), a quantity of ammunition, five ladders, several grappling hooks, numerous fuel barrels and four skiffs.
St Helena
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the population of St Helena is dependent upon the public sector. [HL893]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead): The St Helena Government's latest figures show that the Government have a staffing complement of 949, which is approximately 46 per cent of the island's working population.
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To ask Her Majesty's Government what procedures are in place to protect and preserve historic buildings on St Helena. [HL894]
Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: Responsibility for the preservation of historic buildings on St Helena rests with the Government of St Helena who hold the required information.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what actions are being taken to improve food security on St Helena. [HL895]
Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: The St Helena Government are currently devising an agricultural and a fisheries strategy with a view to making the island more self-sufficient in food.
Sudan
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make representations to the Government of Sudan about the recent arrests of opposition leaders in Khartoum. [HL848]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead): We were very concerned by arrests on 7 December 2009 of those involved in a peaceful demonstration in Khartoum. The demonstration had been organised by the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and other northern opposition parties. Violence was used against some of the protestors. We understand that those arrested were released shortly afterwards.
I issued a joint statement with my honourable friend the Minister of State for the Department for International Development on 15 December 2009 about developments in Sudan. It expressed concern at the disruption of peaceful protest and underlined the importance of political rights as well as implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The statement is available here:
http://ukinsudan.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/?view=News&;id=21448078
During the week of 7 December 2009, the UK Special Representative for Sudan and British Ambassador met senior members of the National Congress Party (NCP) and SPLM in Khartoum, including Presidential Adviser Ghazi Salah Eddin, Foreign Minister Deng Alor, Vice-President of South Sudan Riek Machar, and Pagan Amum SPLM Secretary General. They also met a number of opposition party leaders.
In all these meetings we urged restraint on all sides, underlined the importance of political dialogue and warned against unilateral steps by any party. We also reiterated the priority the UK attached to full implementation of the CPA.
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Tax Allowances
Question
Asked by Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the most recent estimate of the cost of making the personal allowance transferable between couples with children under the age of six for each of the next five years. [HL146]
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the most recent estimate of the total financial effect of making the personal allowance transferable between couples with children under the age of six for each of the next five years by income decile. [HL147]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): Due to the complex nature of these questions, the following estimates should be treated with caution. These estimates exclude any behavioural response to the change, which could be significant given the magnitude of the change.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) estimates that the cost of making the personal allowance transferable between married couples and civil partners with children under the age of six would be £960 million for 2009-10.
Information on average gains by income decile of all UK households as a result of making personal allowances transferable between married couples and those in civil partnerships with children under the age of six in 2009-10 are shown in the table below:
| Average gain | |
| Income decile | (£ per year) |
These estimates have been calculated from HM Treasury's tax and benefit static micro-simulation model using Family Resources Survey 2007-08 data uprated to 2009-10 levels of prices and earnings. The model does not take into account behavioural changes in response to changes to the tax and benefit system or economic conditions so if the model was used to produce the financial effect for five years, it would show similar results for each year.
Asked by Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the most recent estimate of the proportion of (a) individuals who are married, (b) individuals who are married with dependent children, and (c) the working age adult population, who would benefit from a transferable personal tax allowance between married couples for each of the next five years. [HL148]
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Lord Myners: Due to the complex nature of this Question, the following estimates should be treated with caution. These estimates exclude any behavioural response to the change, which could be significant given the magnitude of the change.
The most recent estimate available of the proportion of individuals who are married or in civil partnerships that would benefit from a transferable personal tax allowance is 41 per cent. For those who are married or in civil partnerships with children the estimated proportion of beneficiaries would be 44 per cent, and for the working age adult population as a whole the estimate is 22 per cent.
These estimates have been calculated from HM Treasury's tax and benefit static micro-simulation model using Family Resources Survey 2007-08 data uprated to 2009-10 levels of prices and earnings. The model does not take into account behavioural changes in response to changes to the tax and benefit system or economic conditions so if the model was used to produce the financial effect for five years, it would show similar results for each year.
Taxation: Non-domiciled Residents
Question
Asked by Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Myners on 7 December (WA 101), whether they will update the estimates of additional revenue based on self-assessment returns for the tax year 2008-09. [HL683]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): The deadline to make tax returns for the 2008-09 financial year is 31 January 2010. Consequently, it is not possible to update the Exchequer yield from a flat £25,000 annual levy on all resident non-domiciled individuals using returns for 2008-09.
Taxation: Personal Allowance
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many extra low paid workers and pensioners are forecast to pay income tax because of the freezing of personal allowances for 2010-11. [HL797]
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much extra revenue is forecast to be collected from freezing income tax personal allowances in 2010-11; and how much of that will come from those who do not pay income tax in 2009-10 because they earn less than the personal allowance. [HL798]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): For 2010-11 the personal allowance will be maintained at its 2009-10 level of £6,475. By freezing the allowance at its current level, the allowance increases in real terms compared to the change in
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Taxation: Residential Property
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will provide tax relief for the letting of dwellings which have been empty for long periods and for individual rooms in private houses. [HL577]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): There is no relief for the letting of dwellings that have been empty for long periods. All taxes are kept under review, with any changes announced by the Chancellor as part of the Budget cycle.
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