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Trunk Road Construction
Mr. Chris Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the schemes within the 1996 trunk road programme which are expected to commence construction between (a) 1 January 1997 and 31 March 1997, (b) 1 April 1997 and 30 June 1997, (c) 1 July 1997 and 30 September 1997, (d) 1 October 1997 and 31 December 1997 and 31 December 1997 and (e) 1 January 1996 and 31 March 1998. [8445]
Mr. Watts: I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Chris Davies, dated 16 December 1996:
The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent question asking if he will list the schemes within the 1996 Trunk Road Programme which are expected to commence construction between (a) 1 January and 31 March 1997, (b) 1 April and 30 June 1997, (c) 1 July and 30 September 1997, (d) 1 October and 31 December 1997 and (e) 1 January and 31 March 1998.
Contracts for two schemes on the A12 (Hackney Wick-M11 Contracts 1 and 3) were let on 14 November 1996. It is likely that they will commence construction during one of the periods listed but I am not able to give a more precise date at the present time.
Contracts have also been signed for eight Private Finance Initiative (PFI) Design, Build, Finance and Operate (DBFO) projects during 1996. Construction has already started on nine of the eleven schemes included in these DBFO contracts, and the A19 Norton-Parkway Interchange Improvement and M40 Junctions 1A-3 Widening are both expected to start early next year.
For all schemes included in a DBFO project, it is for the DBFO company to determine the construction programme. However, the shadow toll regime is structured to include strong incentives for early construction.
Official Ministerial Visits
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each of the Ministers in his
16 Dec 1996 : Column: 419
Department how many official ministerial visits they have undertaken since 1 January; and how many of these have been abroad. [9381]
Sir George Young: Since 1 January, Transport Ministers have undertaken the following official ministerial visits:
Secretary of State for Transport
39 visits in the UK
4 visits abroad (including one to the EC Transport Council).
Minister for Railways, Roads and Local Transport
55 visits in the UK
2 visits abroad (both to the EC Transport Council).
Minister for Transport in London and Road Safety
28 visits in UK
2 visits abroad.
Minister for Aviation and Shipping
14 visits in UK
6 visits abroad (including two to the EC Transport Council).
Management Objectives
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the annual management objectives for each of his Department's divisions. [8327]
Sir George Young [pursuant to his reply, 10 December 1996 Official Report column 103]: I have now agreed the following revised aims for my Department:
Statement of Purpose
To promote safe, efficient and environmentally sustainable transport for people and goods, responding to the individual's need for mobility and supporting economic growth.
Aims
The Department will seek to:
Reduce transport-related deaths and injuries by promoting safety and security, providing rescue services and investigating accidents;
Reduce the damaging effects of transport on the environment by promoting sustainable growth and greater use of public transport, and by preventing, reducing and dealing effectively with pollution;
Improve choice, quality, value and accessibility for transport users by promoting competition wherever practicable and creating opportunities for transport providers, by investing in and making better use of existing infrastructure, and by encouraging transport providers to make their services accessible to all.
In pursuing these aims and broader Government aims the Department will:
Carry out tax-collecting, licensing, standard-setting, regulatory, enforcement, grant-payment, contingency planning and other functions efficiently and fairly, maintaining a high standard of service;
Keep Parliament and the public informed about transport policies and developments, and monitor their impact;
Promote effectively UK interests in the European Union and other international bodies and in bilateral relations;
Work effectively with local authorities, law enforcement agencies, other Government Departments and other organisations in both the public and private sector;
Create opportunities for all its staff and ensure they are equipped with the skills they need;
Manage its resources efficiently and effectively.
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EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Jobseeker's Allowance (Charities)
Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment she has made of the impact of the jobseeker's allowance on charities which previously relied on unemployed people working voluntarily. [8075]
Mr. Forth: We do not expect the replacement of unemployment benefit and income support with the jobseeker's allowance to have any adverse impact on charities which previously relied on unemployed people working voluntarily.
As with unemployment benefit and income support for unemployed people, there is no limit on the hours a person may undertake voluntary work while in receipt of jobseeker's allowance, so long as they are actively seeking work and available for work at 48 hours' notice--rather than the normal requirement to be immediately available.
Professorial Pay
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the average level of professorial pay in the university sector currently; and what it was in 1980. [8941]
Mr. Forth: According to the new earnings survey, the average level of gross weekly earnings of full-time male "university and polytechnic teaching professionals" in April 1996 was £577. The average level of gross weekly pay for the closest comparator group--full-time male university academics--in 1980 was £250. This is the equivalent of £474 at 1996 prices.
Truancy
Sir Irvine Patnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the total number of truancies in days per year for each of the last three years for (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Sheffield; and if she will make a statement. [8919]
Mr. Forth: Regular school attendance is important for pupils' progress, but the data collected for the performance tables now published each autumn show that significant amounts of valuable learning time are lost due to unauthorised absence. Rates of unauthorised absence at maintained schools in Sheffield for the last three years were about twice the national average, as follows:
| percentage of half days missed | average number of half days missed per absent pupil | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| School year | Sheffield LEA | England average | Sheffield LEA | England average |
| 1993-94 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 13 | 11 |
| 1994-95 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 14 | 10 |
| 1995-96 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 13 | 10 |
Source:
DfEE National Pupil Absence Tables 1994, 1995 and 1996.
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| Percentage of half days missed | Average number of half days missed per absent pupil | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| School Year | Sheffield LEA | England average | Sheffield LEA | England average |
| 1993-94 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 30 | 22 |
| 1994-95 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 29 | 22 |
| 1995-96 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 29 | 21 |
Source:
DfEE National Pupil Absence Tables 1994, 1995 and 1996.
Schools (Wiltshire)
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when schools inspectors last visited (a) Fovant school; (b) Dinton school and (c) Barford St. Martin school in Wiltshire. [8900]
Mr. Robin Squire: Fovant church of England first school was inspected under the statutory four-year cycle by Ofsted-registered inspectors between 3 and 5 October 1994, and Barford St. Martin's church of England first school between 19 and 21 September 1994. Dinton first church of England school is due to be inspected by Ofsted in February 1997.
Members of Her Majesty's inspectorate visited Fovant school in April 1996 and Dinton school in connection with Wiltshire local education authority's proposals for Fovant and Dinton schools in October 1996.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many schools in Wiltshire have been given grant-maintained status during 1996. [8901]
Mr. Forth:
Four schools in the Wiltshire local education authority area have become grant maintained since 1 January 1996.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if Wiltshire local education authority has expressed itself (a) in favour of closure of the Fovant school and (b) against grant-maintained status for the school. [8902]
Mr. Squire:
Wiltshire local education authority published proposals to cease to maintain Fovant school on 16 May. The authority has made a statutory objection to the proposals for grant-maintained status published by the governing body of the school.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people have made representations to her or to her Department (a) in favour and (b) against grant-maintained status for Fovant school in Wiltshire. [8903]
Mr. Squire:
My right hon. Friend has received two statutory objections to the proposals for grant-maintained status for Fovant school, and one non-statutory objection.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people have made representations to her or to her Department (a) in favour and (b) against closure of Fovant school in Wiltshire. [8904]
16 Dec 1996 : Column: 422
Mr. Squire:
My right hon. Friend has received 11 statutory objections to the proposals to close Fovant school, including one from the governing body of the school.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the original application for grant-maintained status from the governors of Fovant school in Wiltshire was dated; when it was recorded as received by her Department; and when she expects to reach a decision. [8905]
Mr. Squire:
Proposals for the acquisition of grant-maintained status for Fovant schools were published on 29 February 1996, and a copy received in the Department on the same date. My right hon. Friend will reach a decision as soon as is compatible with full consideration of all the relevant issues, including the separate local education authority proposals to choose the school.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the target time scale for a decision on an application by a school for grant- maintained status. [8906]
Mr. Squire:
We aim, so far as possible, to reach a decision on proposals for grant-maintained status where there are conflicting proposals by the local education authority, within five months; of publication of the authority's proposals.
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