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Details of previous years’ expenditure by the House of Lords can be found in its resource accounts (6).
| Number of Sitting Days | |||
| Sitting Days | 2005-06 Session | Calendar Year 2006 | 2006-07 Financial Year |
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Housing: Home Information Packs
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the recent, current and proposed legislation concerning home information packs, waste disposal and the closure of post offices is required as a result of decisions made under European Union law. [HL4401]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): Neither home information packs (HIPs), nor the Government's recent announcement on the post office network, result from decisions made under European Union law. However, the energy performance certificate, which is a mandatory part of the HIP, is required under the EU directive on the energy performance of buildings.
Recent, current and proposed legislation regarding waste disposal results from a combination of decisions made at European and domestic levels.
Local Government: Standards and Code of Conduct
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether a local authority can insist on its members, and those of town and parish councils in its area, taking part in compulsory training sessions on both standards and its code of conduct for councillors; and what sanctions it would have in the case of a failure or refusal by a councillor to comply with the code. [HL4379]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): While it is for a council's standards committee to provide advice on training to members on standards and the code of conduct, there is no general requirement on members to undertake such training.
A member who refuses to give the undertaking required by Section 52 of the Local Government Act 2000 to observe the code of conduct ceases to be a member of the authority. Sanctions for breaches of the code in less serious cases, imposed by councils' standards committees, include suspension from office up to a maximum of three months or requiring the member concerned to undertake relevant training. In more serious cases the national adjudication panel can impose a range of sanctions up to disqualification for a maximum of five years.
The Standards Board for England has issued guidance and training material to assist local standards committees in their role of providing advice and training on the code of conduct to members.
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Railways: Liverpool Street Routes
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
At what percentage of capacity the following routes are operating, at both peak and non-peak times; (a) London Liverpool Street to Harwich Town; (b) London Liverpool Street to Norwich; (c) London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport; (d) London Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria; and (e) London Liverpool Street to Braintree. [HL4323]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: The information requested is outlined in the table below:
| Route between London Liverpool Street and | Services from London Liverpool Street | |
| % of Peak capacity used | % of Off Peak capacity used | |
Schools: Special Educational Needs
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many schools have failed to produce accessibility plans, as required by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001; of those schools, how many are (a) Church of England, and (b) Roman Catholic primary schools; and what sanctions are in place for schools which fail to produce such accessibility plans; and [HL4353]
How many children with disabilities or special educational needs have been refused entry to Church of England and Roman Catholic primary schools which have never produced accessibility plans as required by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001; and [HL4354]
Whether they have powers to intervene to help children who have been refused entry to schools, following a school's failure to produce an accessibility plan; and, if so, under what conditions the Secretary of State would intervene to help children who have been refused entry; and [HL4355]
How much money they make available to make schools more accessible for children with special educational needs; and [HL4393]
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What representations they have received about the production of an accessibility plan by St Leonard's Church of England primary school in the London Borough of Lambeth; and [HL4394]
What sources of funding exist for Church of England schools to make their schools more accessible for children with special educational needs; and whether church schools can be required to use the money given to Church of England dioceses to make their schools more accessible. [HL4395]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Lord Adonis): The Government do not collect information centrally on schools’ compliance with their duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The department has received representations in relation to St Leonard's Church of England primary school which are being considered.
The discrimination duties schools have under Part 4 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 mean that they must not discriminate against prospective disabled pupils in their admissions arrangements and should make reasonable adjustments to their admissions policies and procedures so that prospective disabled pupils are not disadvantaged by the school's admission arrangements. They should also make reasonable adjustments to the education and associated services they provide as appropriate.
However, the duty which schools have to make reasonable adjustments for pupils and prospective pupils excludes the need to remove or alter physical features. Instead, schools are under a duty to plan strategically to increase their accessibility, over time, including making improvements to the accessibility of school buildings. Schools fulfil this planning duty by producing an accessibility plan and implementing it.
However, as the planning duties are duties to bring about general improvements over time, such as improving the physical environment of the school, the duties do not oblige a school necessarily to remove and alter specific physical features by any specific point in time during the overall period. This means that a school which is meeting its commitments under the planning duties might not always be able to admit every disabled child requiring alterations to the physical environment of the school unless it is possible to make reasonable adjustments that fall short of physical alterations.
To support schools in meeting their responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, the Department for Education and Skills has published a training resource for schools and local authorities: Implementing the Disability Discrimination Act in schools and early years settings. This includes a tool to help them to develop, review and revise their accessibility plans.
Under Section 28M of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), if the Secretary of State is satisfied that a responsible body has acted, or
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Local education appeals panels consider claims of discrimination in relation to admissions to, and permanent exclusions from, local authority maintained schools. The Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) hears all other claims about schools under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
More resources are going into schools to support children with SEN and disabilities—some £4.5 billion in 2006-07. Total revenue funding for schools has increased nationally by £1,440 per pupil in real terms since 1997. In addition, substantial funding has also been delegated to local authorities (LAs) through the schools access initiative—some £620 million up to 2007-08. The grant element for voluntary aided schools is delivered through the locally co-ordinated VA programme. It is up to each local authority to decide its priority schemes within the criteria of support. All schools receive a devolved formula capital grant and it is for the governing body to decide its priorities (which can include access requirements) for spending that grant.
Scouts
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have to celebrate or mark the holding of the 21st World Scout Jamboree at Hylands House, Chelmsford, Essex between 27 July and 8 August 2007. [HL4324]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Scout Association makes an enormous contribution to society and several Ministers will attend the 21st World Scout Jamboree this summer. Ed Miliband, Minister for the Third Sector, is the government champion for the scouts and in February 2007 pledged almost £1.5 million to the Scout Association for the centenary World Scout Jamboree. In addition to this, the Department for International Development is providing some support towards the global development area at the jamboree.
Transport: Infrastructure
Lord Bilimoria asked Her Majesty’s Government:
What assessment they have made of the level of investment required in transport infrastructure for the United Kingdom to maintain its current level of competitiveness. [HL4267]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: Sir Rod Eddington's recent independent study into the long-term links between transport and the UK's economic
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