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Physics Students
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement of the number of students studying physics, indicating those studying (a) radioactivity and (b) nuclear physics. [68999]
Mr. Mudie: The number of students studying physics in UK higher education institutions in 1997-98, the latest year for which data are available, is shown in the following table:
| Level | Full-time | Part-time | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postgraduate | 2,543 | 1,452 | 3,995 |
| Undergraduate | 9,731 | 256 | 9,987 |
| Total | 12,274 | 1,708 | 13,982 |
(6) Enrolments on HE courses as at 1 December 1997
It is not possible to separately identify those studying radioactivity or nuclear physics.
Mature Students
Mr. Green:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the number of students over the age of 25 years applying for university places for the academic years (a) 2000-01 and (b) 2001-02. [70547]
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Mr. Mudie:
The planned number of students underlying the funding plans for higher education are not disaggregated by age groups. However, the funding plans announced on 8 December 1998 will allow for 61,000 extra students in 2000-01 compared with planned numbers for 1998-99 and for an extra 100,000 students in 2001-02 compared with 1997-98. The planned additional 61,000 students in 2000-01 include 37,000 part-time students, of whom the majority are likely to be mature students.
Mr. Green:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he proposes to publish the outcome of the review of TECs and CCTEs--chambers of commerce, training and enterprise. [70552]
Mr. Mudie:
We hope to announce the outcome of the TEC Review shortly.
Overseas Visits
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 18 January 1999, Official Report, column 343, on overseas visits, what were the costs of flights to New York; how many people travelled with him; and if he will make a statement. [67401]
The Prime Minister: The costs of the visit to New York in June 1997 were fully accounted for in the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Mr. Flight) on 14 July 1997, Official Report, column 46.
For the visit in September 1997, I travelled on a scheduled flight to New York by Concorde, and was accompanied by four members of my office. In order to attend the United Nations General Assembly, which began with a speech by President Clinton at 10.30a.m., this was judged the most efficient cost effective way of travelling. This is one of the 14 occasions, I and 8 of my Ministers have used scheduled flights on Concorde since May 1997 and compares with 11 Ministers on a total of 13 occasions during the last two years of the previous Administration.
For the return trip, I and five members of my office returned on a scheduled British Airways 747. The usual number of security and secure telecommunications staff accompanied me on both flights.
The cost of the flights to New York in September totalled £56,000. This is part of this Government's expenditure on visits overseas of £6.1 million for the period 1 May 1997 to 31 March 1998. By comparison, in the last year of the previous Administration, expenditure on overseas visits was £7.8 million.
Miss Melanie Johnson:
To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he has to change the Cabinet Office security and intelligence services cash limits for 1998-99. [71262]
The Prime Minister:
Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for Class XVIII, Vote 2 will be increased by
11 Feb 1999 : Column: 339
£1,880,000 from £707,906,000 to £709,786,000 and the gross running costs limit increased by £3,059,000 from £375,993,000 to £379,052,000.
This change is to take on board transfers of; £310,000 to the Scottish Office Class XIII, Vote 5; £3,500,000 to the Inland Revenue Class XVI, Vote 4; take up of running costs end year flexibility of £5,690,000 as announced by the Chief Secretary of the Treasury on 14 July 1998, Official Report, columns 131-36.
There will be an increase in Appropriation in Aid of £14,495,000 resulting from changes in accounting procedures and a net increase in other current expenditure payments of £25,878,000.
The increases will be offset by transfers, and charged to the Reserve and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Prime Minister how he intends to mark the accession to NATO membership of (a) Poland, (b) Hungary and (c) the Czech Republic. [70423]
The Prime Minister:
The three invited countries will join NATO simultaneously in early to mid-March. The precise date is not yet decided. Their accession will be marked by ceremonies at NATO Headquarters in Brussels and in Washington. The Heads of State and government of the invited countries will be welcomed by existing Allies as they take their places alongside their colleagues in the Alliance at NATO's 50th anniversary Summit in Washington on 23-25 April.
Audrey Wise:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which country receives most overseas development aid from the European Union; and if she will make a statement on how the priorities for aid are determined. [69898]
Clare Short:
In 1997, the latest year for which figures are available, Bosnia Herzegovina received most EU official development assistance, £132.34 million in EU official development assistance, which the share attributed to the UK was 15.12 per cent.
The Government inherited from the previous Administration a situation in which EC aid spending is both skewed against the poorer countries and often of poor quality. In December we published and placed in the Library our strategy to improve that performance. We are actively seeking support for our strategy in the Commission and the European Parliament and among Member States.
Ms Buck:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance the British Government have provided to relieve the famine in North Korea. [70219]
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Clare Short:
The main causes of shortages of food and other basic needs in North Korea arise from its economic policies, though the problems were exacerbated by natural disasters in the mid-1990s.
Following the UK-led mission to North Korea last May during the UK Presidency, we are working with our European Union partners to provide, through the European Commission, a programme of food aid and related measures to enhance food security. In 1998 this assistance was worth about £21 million, of which UK's attributable share was about £3 million. We also support efforts to maintain a constructive dialogue with the North Korean authorities to ensure that aid is used effectively.
We have recently initiated a complementary bilateral programme of humanitarian assistance in North Korea. $1 million (about £625,000) will be provided through the United Nations Development Programme to support selected activities within the Agricultural Recovery and Environmental Protection (AREP) programme. We are allocating a similar amount to support humanitarian projects managed by British non-governmental organisations which are already established in the country.
Ms Jenny Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what changes will be made to the cash limits for her Department for 1998-99. [71261]
Clare Short:
Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for Class III, Vote 1 will be increased by £143,758,000 from £1,633,307,000 to £1,777,065,000.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Take up of end of year flexibility in respect of an underspend against the 1996 EC attributed aid | 113,758,000 |
| Claim on the Reserve in respect of the Central American Trust Fund | 10,000,000 |
| Increase in respect of a reduction in CDC's EFL to account for additional funds given to CDC at the end of last financial year | 20,000,000 |
| Increase in Vote Cash limit | 143,758,000 |
The increases will be offset by transfers and a claim on the Reserve and therefore will not add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Departmental Asset Sales
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the items sold by his Department, its agencies and associated public bodies from those listed in the National Assets Register of November 1997; if she will give in each case the amount of money realised; if she will estimate the total cash raised from such sales to date; and if she will make a statement. [70421]
11 Feb 1999 : Column: 341
Mr. Foulkes:
None of the items listed in the National Assets Register of November 1997 in respect of the Department for International Development (DFID) have been sold. DFID is not a capital intensive organisation and as such our capital baseline is relatively stable and turnover of assets relatively slow in comparison with others.
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