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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 2 April 1992
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Crown Courts
Mr. Byers : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of defendants appearing in a Crown court changed their plea from not guilty to guilty for each of the court circuits in England and Wales in each year since 1989.
Mr. John M. Taylor : This information is not collected.
Mr. Byers : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of defendants pleaded guilty in the Crown court for each of the court circuits in England and Wales in each year since 1989.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The information is set out in the table. The figures given are for those defendants who pleaded guilty to all counts. Data for 1992 are provisional and liable to revision to account for any late amendments.
Committals for trial: guilty pleas (per
cent. of all<1> defendants)
|1989|1990|1991|1992
--------------------------------------------
Midland and Oxford |82 |83 |79 |77
North Eastern |86 |86 |84 |83
Northern |80 |80 |78 |77
South Eastern:
London |50 |50 |48 |50
Provinces |64 |64 |61 |60
Wales and Chester |73 |72 |73 |70
Western |72 |74 |72 |74
England and Wales |72 |72 |70 |70
<1> Excluding those defendants for whom
bench warrants issued, no pleas recorded,
indictment to lie on file, found unfit to
plead and other results.
Mr. Byers : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of defendants were found not guilty in Crown court cases for each of the court circuits in England and Wales in each year since 1989.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The table shows the percentage of defendants acquitted against the number of defendants who pleaded not guilty to all counts during each year since 1989. The 1992 figures are provisional and liable to revision to account for any late amendments.
Crown court trials: Per cent. of defendants
who have pleaded
not guilty to all counts acquitted
|1989|1990|1991|1992
--------------------------------------------
Midland and Oxford |52 |58 |60 |51
North Eastern |54 |62 |54 |55
Northern |55 |56 |59 |63
South Eastern:
London |59 |60 |61 |59
Provinces |55 |55 |57 |56
Wales and Chester |53 |51 |47 |50
Western |57 |55 |60 |49
England and Wales |56 |57 |58 |56
Mr. Byers : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the average time a defendant had to wait between being charged with an offence and having his or her case heard in the Crown court for each of the court circuits in England and Wales in each year since 1989.
Mr. John M. Taylor : Figures for waiting times from date of charge are not available. The table shows the average waiting time in weeks between the date of committal for trial and the start of hearing. Data for 1992 are provisional and liable to revision to account for any late amendments.
Waiting Times: Committals for Trial (Weeks)
|1989 |1990 |1991 |1992
-------------------------------------------------
Midland and Oxford |9.04 |8.30 |9.21 |12.66
North Eastern |12.06|12.64|13.55|15.86
Northern |11.76|12.09|11.05|12.04
South Eastern:
London |15.98|15.49|15.91|16.40
Provinces |13.07|13.23|14.30|13.31
Wales and Chester |7.93 |8.31 |8.06 |9.36
Western |13.04|12.73|13.71|16.30
England and Wales |12.44|12.07|12.58|13.95
Bradford Courts
Mr. Madden : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will arrange for the Bradford combined court centre to be designated as a care centre for the hearing of care cases brought under the Children Act 1989.
Mr. John M. Taylor : Bradford county court currently enjoys some Children Act jurisdiction as a family hearing centre. A national review of the designation of care centres has always been part of the Lord Chancellor's arrangements for the monitoring of the Children Act. This review will begin in the summer and will involve extensive consultation at local level. Consideration of any recommendations to my Department will take place during the autumn with a view to implementing any changes in the spring of 1994.
Magistrates
Mr. Allason : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many magistrates have resigned since the implementation of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 ; and of these how many have given as their reason for resigning concern about the effect of that Act.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The number of resignations during 1992, other than on grounds of age, for the Lord Chancellor's area of responsibility was 1,034. No information is collected centrally on how many magistrates gave concern about the effects of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 as a reason for resignation.
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Northern Ireland Court Service
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the annual cost of monitoring the religious affiliation of the employees of the Northern Ireland court service.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The equal opportunities unit of the Northern Ireland court service is responsible for the full range of equal opportunities issues within the service which includes monitoring by religious affiliation, gender and disability. It is not possible to separate the cost of monitoring by religious affiliation. The annual staff costs for the unit are £21,378.03.
EMPLOYMENT
London East TEC
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much money has been given in grants from her Department to the London East training and enterprise council in each year since 1988.
Mr. McLoughlin : This Department has funded London East Training and Enterprise Council since 1 April 1991.
Details of funding for each financial year since then are :
Financial year |£ million --------------------------------------------- 1991-92 |26.415 1992-93 |32.958
Funding is split into five blocks and allocated to specific areas. The blocks are youth training and education, adult training, enterprise, local initiative fund and management fee.
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how expenditure by training and enterprise councils is monitored.
Mr. McLoughlin : Training and enterprise councils (TECs) are paid sums specified in their business plan and claimed in accordance with the provisions of the TEC operating agreement. This is renewed annually and signed on behalf of my right hon. Friend by the Department's regional directors. A copy of the operating agreement is in the Library.
Invoices submitted by TECs are subject to regular appraisal and monitoring by finance control staff in ED regional offices. Departmental procedures are designed to ensure that public and parliamentary accountability is maintained.
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list the names of all members of the board of the London East training and enterprise council since its establishment and their period of office.
Mr. McLoughlin : Details of board membership are available from London East training and enterprise council's corporate plans or direct from the acting chief executive, Steve Crow.
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much money has been given in grants by her Department to the London East training and
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enterprise council for business education partnerships and to which organisations, and for what amounts, in each year since 1988.Mr. McLoughlin : This Department has funded London East training and enterprise council since 1 April 1991.
Details of funding for each financial year since then are :
Education business partnerships payments to TECs Financial year |£ million --------------------------------------------- 1991-92 |0.075,300 1992-93 |0.046,175
Information on who the TEC contracts with and how much it pays them is commercial in confidence between the TEC and the organisations concerned.
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff are employed by the London East training and enterprise council ; and how many staff have left in the last year.
Mr. McLoughlin : Direct employment of staff by training and enterprise councils is entirely a matter for the TECs themselves. The hon. Gentleman may wish to contact the acting chief executive of London East TEC, Steve Crow.
Business-Education Partnerships
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what arrangements are made in those boroughs and local authorities which do not have a business-education partnership for finance to be made available from training and enterprise councils for the work which would be carried out by such a business-education partnership ; (2) how many local authorities have business-education partnerships.
Mr. McLoughlin : Education business partnerships are operating in all training and enterprise council and local education authority areas.
Unemployment Benefit Disqualifications
Ms Eagle : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when and where the figures for unemployment benefit disqualifications for the quarter to December 1992 will be published.
Mr. McLoughlin : Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from Mr. J. Turner to Ms Angela Eagle, dated2 April 1993 :
As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, it is the responsibility of Mike Fogden, the Agency's Chief Executive to answer parliamentary questions about relevant operational matters. In his absence, I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State about the publication of statistics relating to unemployment benefit disqualifications for the quarter ending 31 December 1992. The Analysis of Adjudication Officers' Decisions for the quarter ending 31 December 1992 has now been published and copies were sent to the Library of the House on 29 March.
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As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will now be published in the Official Report. I will also place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.HOME DEPARTMENT
Forensic Investigations
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will instruct all police authorities to use forensic archaeologists at excavation sites where a body or bodies are believed to have been buried ; and if he will make a statement ; (2) if he will ensure that all police authorities use physical anthropologists at crime scene investigations as soon as they commence ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) if he will list the police authorities who currently use forensic anthropologists in their investigations ; and if he will make a statement ;
(4) if he will list by police authority those who use archaeologists for their forensic investigations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The use of forensic archaeologists, forensic anthropologists and other specialists to assist with the investigation of crime is a matter for individual chief officers. The information requested about the use of forensic archaeologists and forensic anthropologists is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Terrorism
Mr. McCartney : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will institute all-party talks on a more effective legal mechanism to combat terrorism than the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : No. I believe that the Prevention of Terrorism Act provides the powers which are needed for the prevention and investigation of terrorist crime. I am not prepared to weaken those powers while the threat of terrorism remains. However, I am ready to consider any proposals which might improve the effectiveness of the existing powers.
Trial Judges
Mr. Elletson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the number of prosecutions during the last 10 years for offences relating to illegal approaches to trial judges ; and what plans the Government have to provide for stiffer sentences to deal with such offences.
Mr. Jack : It is not possible from the information held centrally to identify offences relating to illegal approaches to trial judges from other common law offences of attempting to pervert the course of public justice.
The table shows the number of prosecutions in England and Wales from 1981 to 1991 for attempting to pervert the course of public justice. 1992 data will not be available until autumn 1993.
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Number of prosecutions at magistrates'
courts for the offence of
attempting to pervert the course of
public justice<1> under common law for
the years 1981-1991
England and Wales
|Prosecutions
---------------------------------------
1981 |290
1982 |279
1983 |333
1984 |308
1985 |326
1986 |386
1987 |652
1988 |864
1989 |1,139
1990 |1,376
1991 |1,565
<1> Under common law the offence of
attempting to pervert the course of
public justice includes fabrication of
false evidence, causing a person to be
wrongly convicted, interference with
witness, etc.
Fire Safety Regulations
Mr. Clifton-Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he has completed his re-examination and re-drafting of the proposed new fire safety regulations ; and if he will make a statement.
(2) what is the estimated cost to British industry of the implementation of the proposed new fire safety regulations.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : My right hon. and learned Friend expects to publish proposals for revised regulations and the associated guidance in the early summer. An estimate of the compliance costs for industry will be included in the consultative document.
Sheehy Inquiry
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons no (a) police advisers or (b) persons with special knowledge of policing in Scotland have been appointed to the Sheehy inquiry team ; and if he will consider extending its membership to incorporate police officers.
Mr. Charles Wardle : My right hon. and learned Friend considered it important for the inquiry to be conducted by a fully independent team with expertise in a number of disciplines. The inquiry is, however, working very closely with the police service. My right hon. and learned Friend does not propose to change the composition of the inquiry team.
Police National Network
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment criteria his Department used in the recent shortlisting for the police national network ; and what weight was given to the technical expertise and experience in providing communications to Her Majesty's Government of each company expressing an interest in this project.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Each company was assessed on the basis of (1) whether any circumtances of article 29 of the Services Directive (which relates to financial probity) apply to the company in question ; (2) its audited accounts for the last three years ; (3) its overall turnover and its turnover from operating managed telecommunications
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services ; (4) the managed networks which it provides ; (5) the technical expertise within the organisations ; (6) its total manpower and managerial staffing ; (7) its technical infrastructure, equipment and facilities ; and (8) the level of professional expertise in its operation of managed networks. The technical expertise of potential suppliers and their experience in providing communications to Her Majesty's Government and other users were therefore fully taken into account.Court Escorts
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has included special requirements for pregnant women, nursing mothers and very young children in the tender documents for the court escort services ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Tender documents for the court escort service in the London area have not yet been finalised, but a copy of the operational specification for the court escort service in the east midlands and Humberside area has been placed in the library of the House. It outlines the general principles concerning the welfare of prisoners. The contractor has a contractual responsibility for the welfare of prisoners, for their humane treatment and for their medical needs.
Animal Rights
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many names are currently contained in the animal rights national index.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The animal rights national index (ARNI) holds about 13,300 names.
Race Relations Legislation
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many posts in the public services are exempt from the requirements of the Race Relations Act ; and in what occupations these exemptions occur.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Section 75(5) of the Race Relations Act 1976 states that nothing in the Act invalidates rules made for restricting employment in the public service to persons of particular birth, nationality, descent or residence. Information on the particular posts or occupations concerned is not held centrally.
EDUCATION
Adult Education
Mr. Dowd : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what were the levels of enrolments for adult education in London for this year.
Mr. Boswell : Data for academic year 1992-93 are not yet complete. In 1991-92 there were 280,000 enrolments in adult education centres in London at the 1 November census date.
Assisted Places
Mr. Byers : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what fees were charged in the academic year 1991-92 in each school taking part in the assisted places scheme.
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Mr. Forth : The information requested is given in the following table :
Assisted places scheme
School Name |Average Fee charged
|in AY 1991-92
|£
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abbey School, Reading |3,183
Abingdon |3,936
Ackworth |3,633
Aldenham |6,290
Alice Ottley |3,582
Alleyns, Dulwich |4,905
Ardingly College |7,575
Arnold School, Blackpool |2,964
Ashford |4,189
Ashville College |3,999
Austin Friars |3,435
Bancrofts |3,930
Barnard Castle |3,732
Bath High GPDST |2,967
Batley Grammar |2,766
Bedales |7,251
Bedford |5,235
Bedford High |3,969
Bedford Modern |3,489
Belvedere GPDST |2,967
Berkhamsted Girls |3,936
Berkhamsted |4,929
Birkenhead |2,820
Birkenhead High GPDST |2,967
Bishop's Stortford College |6,600
Blackheath High GPDST |3,357
Bloxham, Banbury |6,003
Bolton School Boys |3,585
Bolton School Girls |3,585
Bootham, York |4,923
Bradfield College |7,762
Bradford Girls Grammar |3,261
Bradford Grammar School |3,174
Brentwood School |4,100
Brighton College |5,856
Brighton/Hove High GPDST |2,967
Bristol Cathedral |3,357
Bristol Grammar |3,189
Bromley High GPDST |3,357
Bromsgrove |4,761
Bruton Girls |2,881
Burgess Hill Girls |4,230
Bury Grammar Boys |2,790
Bury Grammar Girls |2,790
Canford |7,056
Carmel College |6,750
Casterton |4,257
Caterham |4,302
Central Newcastle High GPDST |2,967
Charterhouse |8,595
Cheadle Hulme |3,324
Cheltenham Ladies College |6,249
Chigwell |5,154
Christ's Hospital |5,826
Churchers College |4,125
City of London |4,734
City of London Freemans |4,779
City of London Girls |4,086
Clifton College, Bristol |4,710
Clifton High, Bristol |3,780
Colfes |3,705
Colston's Girls |2,946
Colston's, Bristol |2,945
Coventry, Bablake |2,883
Cranleigh |4,206
Croham Hurst |3,480
Croydon High GPDST |3,357
Culford |5,001
Dame Alice Harpur |3,261
Dame Allans Boys |2,868
Dame Allans Girls |2,868
Dauntseys |5,358
Denstone College |5,730
Derby High |4,644
Douai, Reading |4,644
Dover College |5,970
Downe House, Newbury |6,300
Dulwich College |5,355
Durham |5,638
Edgbaston College Girls |3,510
Edgehill College |4,123
Ellerslie |5,535
Ellesmere College |5,940
Eltham College, London |4,254
Emanuel, London SW11 |3,825
Epsom College |6,315
Exeter |3,282
Farnborough Hill |3,504
Felixstowe College |5,158
Felsted, Dunmow |7,383
Forest School |3,843
Framlingham College |5,118
Francis Holland |3,888
Friends, Saffron Walden |4,665
Giggleswick, Settle |4,707
Godolphin and Latymer |4,608
Godolphin, Salisbury |5,142
Greshams |6,786
Guildford High Girls |4,011
Haberdashers Askes Boys |4,458
Haberdashers Askes Girls |3,030
Haileybury and ISC |6,693
Hampton |3,690
Harrogate College |4,804
Headington |3,594
Hereford Cathedral |3,675
Highgate |5,409
Hipperholme Grammar |2,528
Holy Child |3,540
Hulme Grammar Boys |2,985
Hulme Grammar Girls |2,985
Hurstpierpoint College |7,650
Hymers College |2,835
Ipswich |4,020
Ipswich High GPDST |2,967
James Allens Girls |4,770
John Lyons |4,155
Kent College |5,100
Kimbolton School |4,050
King Edward VI High |3,291
King Edward VI Norwich |3,474
King Edward VI Southampton |3,627
King Edward VII Lytham |2,715
King Edwards at Bath |3,261
King Edwards Birmingham |3,645
King Edwards Witley |4,800
Kings College Wimbledon |5,022
Kings High Girls, Warwick |3,074
Kings, Bruton |6,090
Kings, Chester |3,627
Kings, Macclesfield |3,465
Kings, Rochester |5,107
Kings, Tynemouth |2,880
Kings, Worcester |4,230
Kingsley |3,327
Kingston Grammar |3,948
Kingswood School, Bath |4,712
Kirkham Grammar |2,789
La Sagesse Convent |2,916
Lady Eleanor Holles |4,335
Latymer Upper |3,750
Laxton |3,930
Leeds Girls High |3,329
Leeds Grammar |3,342
Leicester Grammar |2,940
Leighton Park |6,651
Leys, Cambridge |6,915
Liverpool College |3,444
Lord Wandsworth College |5,832
Loreto Convent Grammar |2,421
Loughborough Grammar |3,402
Loughborough High |3,075
Magdalen College |3,743
Malvern College |7,170
Manchester Grammar |3,225
Manchester High |3,132
Marist Convent Senior |3,165
Maynard |3,195
Merchant Taylors Girls |2,997
Merchant Taylors, Liverpool |2,997
Merchant Taylors, N'wood |5,310
Mill Hill |5,964
Monkton Combe |4,976
Mount Carmel, Cheshire |2,595
Mount St. Mary's College |4,569
Mount, York |5,034
Newcastle Under Lyme |2,784
Newcastle-upon-Tyne Church High |2,985
North London Collegiate |3,804
Northampton High |3,390
Norwich High GPDST |2,967
Notting Hill/Ealing High GPDST |3,357
Nottingham Girls High GPDST |2,967
Nottingham High |3,174
Oakham |5,277
Old Palace, Croydon |3,222
Oxford High GPDST |2,967
Pangbourne College |4,740
Perse School for Boys |3,672
Perse School for Girls |3,213
Plymouth College |3,495
Pocklington |3,834
Polam Hall |3,393
Portsmouth Grammar |3,343
Portsmouth High GPDST |2,967
Prior Park College |3,825
Putney High School GPDST |3,357
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Bristol |3,324
Queen Elizabeth, Blackburn |3,135
Queen Elizabeth, Wakefield |3,162
Queen Mary, Lytham |2,715
Queens College, London |4,335
Queens College, Taunton |4,680
Queens School, Chester |2,862
Ratcliffe College |4,563
Red Maids, Bristol |3,198
Redland High, Bristol |3,108
Reed's School, Cobham |5,772
Reigate Grammar |3,648
Rendcomb College |5,694
Repton |4,875
Rossall |6,129
Royal Grammar, Guildford |4,689
Royal Grammar, Newcastle |2,895
Royal Grammar, Worcester |3,654
Ryde School |3,159
Salesian College |2,025
Scarborough College |4,143
Sedbergh |6,930
Sevenoaks, Kent |5,382
Sheffield High GPDST |2,967
Shrewsbury High GPDST |2,967
Silcoates |4,432
Sir William Perkins |3,132
Solihull |3,468
South Hampstead High GPDST |3,357
St. Albans |4,005
St. Albans High Girls |3,690
St. Anselms College |2,592
St. Bede's College |3,198
St. Bees |5,778
St. Benedict's |4,155
St. Catherine's |4,725
St. Dunstan's College |3,702
St. Edmund's College |4,608
St. Edward's College |2,805
St. Felix, Southwold |4,662
St. George's College |4,920
St. Helen and St. Katherine |3,150
St. Helen's, Northwood |3,846
St. John's College, Southsea |2,875
St. John's, Leatherhead |5,778
St. Joseph's College, Ipswich |3,557
St. Joseph's College, Stoke |2,610
St. Joseph's Convent, Reading |3,225
St. Lawrence College, Ramsgate |5,775
St. Margaret's, Bushey |4,191
St. Margaret's, Exeter |3,033
St. Mary and St. Anne |5,901
St. Mary's College, Crosby |2,826
St. Mary's Convent, Cambridge |3,045
St. Mary's Hall, Brighton |4,779
St. Maurs Convent, Weybridge |3,444
St. Paul's Girls, Hammersmith |4,884
St. Paul's, Barnes |6,195
St. Peter's, York |5,205
Stafford Grammar |3,063
Stamford |3,300
Stamford High |3,300
Stockport Grammar |3,240
Stoneyhurst College |6,152
Stowe |6,993
Streatham Hill/Clapham High |3,357
Surbiton High |3,795
Sutton High GPDST |3,357
Sutton Valence |5,787
Sydenham High GPDST |3,357
Talbot Heath |3,546
Taunton |5,535
Teesside High |2,928
Tonbridge |6,888
Tormead |3,797
Trent College |4,901
Trinity of John Whitgift |4,215
Truro |3,543
Truro High |3,174
University College Sch London |5,265
Upton Hall Convent |2,220
Ursuline Convent, Kent |4,035
Ursuline High, Ilford |3,441
Wakefield High |3,162
Walthamstow Hall |4,500
Warwick |3,594
Wellingborough |4,500
Wellington College |7,275
Wellington, Somerset |3,510
Wells Cathedral |4,332
West Buckland |3,885
Westholme |2,700
Westminster |4,662
Whitgift, Croydon |4,344
William Hulme Grammar |3,360
Wimbledon High GPDST |3,357
Winchester College |7,674
Wisbech Grammar |3,750
Withington Girls |2,930
Wolverhampton Grammar |3,636
Woodbridge |4,590
Woodhouse Grove |3,945
Worksop |5,077
Wrekin College |5,970
Wycliffe College |6,924
Yarm |3,615
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Birmingham City Council
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Education when his officials asked the Birmingham city council for more information to justify its bid for capital expenditure in 1993-94 to deal with substandard places ; when his officials received this information from Birmingham city council ; and when he expects to take a decision on this bid for the financial year 1993-94.
Mr. Forth : The Department wrote to Birmingham city council on 22 December 1992 and the authority responded on 8 January 1993. Twenty-five other LEAs were asked to provide information on the same issue and not all have yet done so. Nevertheless, I expect to announce my decisions shortly.
College Fees
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the total amount of college fees in respect of students in higher education which is funded by his Department ; and if he will make a statement on how such funding is distributed on behalf of the Department.
Mr. Boswell : The total amount of college fees funded by the Department in respect of undergraduate students at collegiate unversities was £46 million in the academic year 1990-91, the latest year for which full information is available. These fees are payable by local education authorities on behalf of students holding mandatory awards and are reimbursed in full by the Department.
Higher cation away from home by various household income levels.
Mr. Boswell : The Department commissioned surveys of
undergraduates' income and expenditure in 1986-87 and 1988-89 academic years and of mature students' income and expenditure in the 1987-88 academic year. The Department has commissioned a further survey of undergraduate students' income and expenditure which is currently being undertaken. All of these surveys have sought information on the circumstances of students who study either while living in the parental home or away from it.
London East TEC
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how much grant from his Department was paid to London East training and enterprise council for business education partnerships and to which organisations, and for what amounts, in each year since 1988 ; (2) how much grant has been given by his Department to the London East training and enterprise council in each year since 1988.
Mr. Boswell : This Department has made no such grants.
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Education Costs
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the average annual cost met from public funds of (a) a nursery school place, (b) a primary school place, (c) a secondary school place and (d) a full- time undergraduate place in bands 1, 2 and 3.
Mr. Forth : Figures for spending on nursery and primary school pupils are not collected separately. For 1990-91, the latest year for which information on actual spending is available, the average cost per pupil at LEA-maintained schools was £1,339 per nursery and primary pupil and £2,019 per secondary pupil.
Public funding for higher education is provided through grant to the higher education funding councils and publicly funded tuition fees. The assumed average total recurrent grant per student through the Higher Education Funding Council for England in 1993-94 is £2, 927. The maximum tuition fees reimbursable through mandatory awards for undergraduate courses in the academic year 1993-94 are £1,300 for classroom-based courses ; £2,770 for laboratory and workshop-based courses ; and £4,985 for the clinical elements of medical, dental and veterinary courses.
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TRANSPORT
London Buses Ltd.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to issue guidance to London Transport on the handling of the privatisation of London Buses Ltd.
Mr. Norris : My right hon. Friend has recently written to the chairman of London Transport to give guidance on this issue. Copies of the letter have been placed in the library.
Transport Schemes, London
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all railway, light railway or underground schemes in London currently supported or proposed to be supported by public funds, which he intends should have a private sector contribution ; when they commenced or will commence ; in each case and for each relevant financial year, how much public funding is already allocated ; and how much private sector funding he estimates will be required.
Mr. Norris : The information requested is as follows :
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Project name Start date Public funding Private sector
(£million cash) funding
|1993-94 |1994-95 |1995-96
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jubilee line extension |Construction is expected to start when the current negotiations on the private sector contribution are completed. |385 |460 |405 |£100 million cash developer contribution during construction period and a stream of payments adding upto £300 million cash over time after extension is opened.
CrossRail |Bill currently in Parliament. |80 |64 |65 |Re-examination to assess ways of involving private sector announced in Budget statement. Results of re-examination will determine relative involvement of public and private sectors.
Channel tunnel rail link |Construction could start in 1995. |44 |- |- |Private sector interest needs to be tested before decisions can be taken on the timing and amounts of public and private funding.
Docklands light railway-Lewisham extension |Construction could start this financial year. |- |- |- |The cost, of £140 million, must be met by the private sector.
Heathrow express |Main works expected to start during 1993-94. |- |- |- |The project is a joint venture with BAA as private majority partner. The total cost is estimated at £250-300 million.
The proposed Croydon tramlink project would proceed on the basis of private funding though the Government is prepared to consider an element of grant.
The possibility of securing private sector contributions to other projects will be considered at the appropriate time.
Lower Road, SE16
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what moneys are allocated for the Lower road widening scheme, London SE16, for each financial year from 1992-93 onwards ; when he intends work on the scheme will commence ; and when it will finish.
Mr. Norris : This is a London Borough of Southwark scheme that is jointly funded by the Department of Transport and London Docklands Development Corporation. Funds are allocated by the Department as and when necessary and as laid down by a tripartite agreement. No moneys have been allocated to date for construction works. The timing of the scheme is a matter for LB Southwark in consultation with the Department and the LDDC.
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Jubilee Line Extension
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will now make a statement on the arrangements, funding and commencement date of the Jubilee line extension.
Mr. Norris : No. Negotiations are continuing on the private sector contribution and it would not be sensible for me to speculate when they might be concluded.
Airlines (State Assistance)
Sir Keith Speed : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about proposals for state aid to Aer Lingus ; and what has been his response.
Mr. Norris : Concern has been expressed to me from a number of sources about reports of an injection of state
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aid to Aer Lingus, and the serious distortion of competition which might result from this on many routes, including London-Dublin. The Minister for Aviation and Shipping has written to Commissioner Matutes, seeking assurance that any formal application for state aid by the Irish authorities will be very fully scrutinised in the light of the market economy investor principle and the need to avoid distortion of competition, and that member states will be given the opportunity to comment.Sir Keith Speed : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has made to the European Commission about recent state assistance to Air France.
Mr. Norris : We are aware of reports of further state assistance to Air France, following the support allowed by the European Commission in 1992. Since there has been no formal notification of further support by the French authorities, we have made no formal representations to the European Commission : but on many occasions we have made clear to the Commission that all applications for state aid should be very fully scrutinised in the light of the market economy investor principle and the need to avoid distortion of competition, and that member states should be given the opportunity to comment.
Sir Keith Speed : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the extent to which state aid to airlines of the European Community has continued after 31 December 1992.
Mr. Norris : The responsibility for approving state aids under the treaty of Rome rests with the European Commission. The Government have consistently urged the Commission to take a tough line to combat aids which distort free fair and open competition in the air transport market. So far this year, the only state aid which has been approved by the Commission is the settling by the Portuguese Government of the deficit accumulated by the carrier TAP in operating service between the Portuguese mainland and the Atlantic islands over the 13 years to 1991. We are generally aware of other forthcoming cases and will continue to monitor the situation.
Channel Tunnel Rail Link
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has had from the north of England regional consortium about the channel tunnel rail link ; what reply he is sending ; what action he is taking ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State recently received a letter from the North of England regional consortium to which he has replied. My right hon. Friend and I have no objection to the contents of the reply being made public but any inquiries about the correspondence should be directed to the consortium to whom the letter was sent.
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