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New Deal (Young People)
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 15 February 2000, Official Report, column 470W, on the New Deal, if he will list the number of young people on each of the New Deal options in Shrewsbury and Atcham broken down into (a) employment, (b) full-time education/ training, (c) voluntary sector and (d) environment task force; and if he will make a statement. [111063]
Ms Jowell: The numbers of young people on each of the New Deal Options in Shrewsbury and Atcham at the end of December were as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Employment Option | 4 |
| FTET | 17 |
| ETF | 12 |
| VS | 12 |
I expect many of these to join the 155 young people who have already found work as a result of New Deal in Shrewsbury and Atcham.
New Deal (JSA)
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will review the requirement under the New Deal programme whereby a JSA claimant who stops claiming JSA to work on a temporary contract with a employer has, on completing the contract to wait a further six months before becoming eligible for training. [112089]
Ms Jowell:
There is no case for a review. Anyone who has been in employment for several months or more immediately prior to making a claim for Jobseeker's
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Allowance (JSA) has an excellent chance of finding a job quickly and will be helped to do so by the Employment Service.
The New Deal for Young People is designed to help those who are at risk of long-term unemployment. It is essential that we target resources effectively. New Deal advisers have discretion to allow early access to the programme for young people claiming JSA who are likely to find it particularly difficult to find work.
Mr. Browne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he intends to amend section 2(5) of the Equal Pay Act 1970 to entitle an employee in Scotland to arrears of remuneration or damages for breach of the principle of equal pay for a period of six years. [111929]
Ms Jowell:
We are considering the implications of recent case law for the provisions in the Equal Pay Act on entitlement to arrears of pay for employees across the UK. I will make a further statement in due course.
Dr. Starkey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many awards have been made of the education maintenance allowance in the 15 pilot areas in England so far; and what is the cost of these awards (a) in total and (b) as a percentage of the budgeted amount. [111714]
Mr. Wicks:
The information requested is shown in the table (figures refer to the period up to and including 18 February):
| Current EMA recipients | Total cost to date (£) | |
|---|---|---|
| Bolton | 1,130 | 420,760 |
| Cornwall | 2,770 | 1,442,447 |
| Doncaster | 1,241 | 634,959 |
| Gateshead | 953 | 502,261 |
| Greenwich | 205 | 108,178 |
| Lambeth | 179 | 89,350 |
| Leeds | 962 | 508,108 |
| Lewisham | 175 | 70,591 |
| Middlesbrough | 913 | 443,841 |
| Nottingham | 1,184 | 821,835 |
| Oldham | 1,205 | 641,975 |
| Southampton | 804 | 358,836 |
| Southwark | 108 | 37,175 |
| Stoke | 1,179 | 656,569 |
| Walsall | 1,114 | 594,851 |
| Total | 14,122 | 7,331,736 |
There is no set budget as the scheme is demand led. Some EMA applications remain uncleared where further information is required from applicants.
We are encouraged by anecdotal information which suggests that EMAs are having a positive impact already. A number of institutions have reported improved
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attendance and a stronger work ethic among EMA recipients. EMAs have the potential to make a real difference to the life chances of young people and we are pleased that the pilot areas have made an encouraging start and continue to consolidate the progress already made.
Mr. Peter Bottomley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the proposed annual university (a) fees and (b) repayable grants for tuition at universities in each part of the United Kingdom for students who are (i) UK citizens, (ii) other EU citizens, (iii) Commonwealth citizens, (iv) Irish and (v) other, (A) educated and (B) resident in the previous four years in (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Ireland, (4) other European Countries, (5) Commonwealth countries and (6) other places. [111996]
Mr. Wicks:
The maximum tuition fee contribution for "home" (including other EU students) studying in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (and for students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who are studying in Scotland), if they are assessed as eligible for fee support, will be £1,050 in the next academic year (2000-01). Universities may charge fees to other students at higher rates. To qualify for "home" fee status, a student must normally meet certain conditions, including having been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom (or the European Economic Area for EU nationals) for three years on the relevant date closest to the beginning of their course. However, no part of that three year-period can have been wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education.
Public support towards tuition fees is not repayable. Because of the system of income-assessment around a third of home and EU students make no contribution to tuition fees.
This answer covers Northern Ireland (given the suspension of devolved government there) but tuition fees for Scottish-domiciled and EU students studying in Scotland are a matter for the Scottish Executive and Scottish Parliament.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the Key Stage 4 results for 16-year-olds in English, maths and science for each year since 1992 (a) for Shropshire and (b) nationally; and if he will make a statement. [111915]
Mr. Wicks:
The GCSE is the main means of assessing the performance of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 and these results for (a) Shropshire and (b) nationally are shown in the table. The figures show the number of 16-year-olds achieving the specified grades, as percentages of those 16-year-olds entered for the relevant GCSE subjects.
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Dr. Godman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will estimate the number of businesses in (a) Inverclyde, (b) Renfrewshire and (c) Scotland which have participated in the New Deal; and if he will make a statement. [111502]
Ms Jowell
[holding answer 28 February 2000]: Employers across Scotland are strongly committed to New Deal, with almost 11,000 signing New Deal Agreements to date, and many others recruiting New Dealers into unsubsidised jobs (for which Agreements are not required) or supporting the Programme in other ways. In Inverclyde and Renfrewshire 417 employers have signed Agreements (Agreement figures are not broken down below the level of New Deal Delivery Units).
Mr. Keetch:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the relationship between (a) class sizes in the years when (i) Key Stage assessment (ii) GCSEs, (iii) A-levels, and (iv) equivalent vocational training are taken and (b) pupil performance as measured at each of those stages; and if he will make a statement. [112434]
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Ms Estelle Morris:
The evidence, including that from Ofsted, indicates that class size is most important at Key Stage 1. That is why we have pledged to reduce the size of infant classes. The pledge will ensure that all children benefit from infant classes of 30 or below, and will help to give young pupils the important start they need.
Mr. Keetch:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the size of classes was in (a) Hereford and (b) nationwide, in each of the last four academic years, leading up to (i) each Key Stage assessment, (ii) GCSEs, (iii) A-levels and (iv) vocational courses equivalent to A-levels; and if he will make a statement. [112437]
Ms Estelle Morris:
Information on class sizes is not available in the form requested. The available information on class sizes from January 1996 to 1999 is shown in the table. A class size count for January 2000 is currently being undertaken and national estimates are expected to be published in a Statistical First Release in April.
The most recent count of infant classes was carried out in September 1999. Figures derived from this count show that the average size of infant classes taught by one teacher in maintained primary schools in the Hereford Parliamentary constituency was 23.7 pupils per class. The Government have pledged to limit to 30 the size of infant classes for five, six and seven-year-olds by September 2001 at the latest. We are well on course to deliver that pledge.
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| Hereford Parliamentary constituency | England | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key stage 1 | Key stage 2 | Overall primary (27) | Key stage 1 | Key stage 2 | Overall primary (27) | |
| 1999 | 24.4 | 27.4 | 25.8 | 26.5 | 28.4 | 27.4 |
| 1998 | 25.2 | 27.4 | 26.4 | 27.1 | 28.3 | 27.7 |
| 1997 | 24.7 | 27.0 | 26.2 | 26.9 | 28.1 | 27.5 |
| 1996 | 24.7 | 26.2 | 25.4 | 26.8 | 27.9 | 27.3 |
(27) Includes middle schools
Note:
Position at January each year
(28) Ages at the start of the academic year (August 31)
(29) Includes middle schools
Note:
Position at January each year
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