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Poverty

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the recent UNICEF report on Poverty in The United Kingdom. [126570]

The Prime Minister: This report shows that in the last 20 years child poverty has trebled in the UK. The data used in the report relate to 1995 and reflect the situation under the previous administration.

I have already made a commitment to eradicating child poverty within 20 years, and halving it within 10. The report confirms this government have made a very good start and that the measures we have already announced will lift around one million children out of poverty by 2002.

The report also highlights the importance of work for those who can as the best way of reducing child poverty. We are already tackling this through the New Deals, the Working Families Tax Credit and the minimum wage. Increases in the income-related benefits and Child Benefit will help those for whom work is not yet an option. By the end of this parliament we will be spending £7 billion extra on families with children.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Higher Education

Mr. Ian Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the trend is in (a) numerical and (b) percentage terms of applications for higher education places from social classes L11, L6, L7, L3, L5 and L4; and what assessment he has made of which changes in Government policy are affecting the trends. [125181]

Mr. Wicks [holding answer 9 June 2000]: The available information on full-time students is contained in the following table, and covers only those who apply to full-time and sandwich undergraduate courses through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS); data on the family background of applicants to part-time courses are not held centrally.

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UK domiciled applicants to full-time and sandwich undergraduate courses in the UK

	Year of entry
Social Class	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999
Numbers
I Professional	50,270	50,245	49,931	48,423	47.024	46,533
II Intermediate	142,661	140,137	138,995	150,294	147,309	144,804
IIIN Skilled non-manual	43,388	42,377	42,969	49,567	47,057	47,102
IIIM Skilled manual	61,784	61,915	58,235	60,735	58,894	58,540
IV Partly skilled	28,340	28,785	28,340	32,200	31,012	30,805
V Unskilled	7,208	7,644	7,033	7,904	7,305	7,451
Total known	333,651	331,103	325,503	349,123	338,601	335,235
Unknown	31,672	38,598	39,382	49,204	50,987	53,456
Total	365,323	369,701	364,885	398,327	389,588	388,691
Percentages(11)
I Professional	15.1	15.2	15.3	13.9	13.9	13.9
II Intermediate	42.8	42.3	42.7	43.0	43.5	43.2
IIIN Skilled non-manual	13.0	12.8	13.2	14.2	13.9	14.1
IIIM Skilled manual	18.5	18.7	17.9	17.4	17.4	17.5
IV Partly skilled	8.5	8.7	8.7	9.2	9.2	9.2
V Unskilled	2.2	2.3	2.2	2.3	2.2	2.2
Total	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0

(11) Excluding applicants with unknown social class

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This Government are committed to ensuring that everyone who is capable of benefiting from higher education will have the opportunity to do so. Widening participation on a sound basis requires policies across a broad front, from improving school performance through to funding formulae that target help on those students that need it most. This is a complex area and the results will not be immediate. We will of course continue to monitor applications in order to evaluate the longer term impact of our action.

Mr. Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for each institution of higher education in Great Britain the (a) total budget and (b) amount of budget deficit for each year since 1995 for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [126176]

Mr. Wicks: The income and expenditure of each higher education institution in Great Britain is set out in "Resources of Higher Education Institutions" published annually by the Higher Education Statistics Agency. Copies are in the Library of the House.

Commonwealth Students

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many commonwealth students are studying at universities in the UK for whom the UK has contributed towards the cost of college fees. [125766]

Mr. Wicks: The UK Government currently contribute towards the costs of college fees, and in some cases maintenance, for 2,037 commonwealth students at UK universities. There are five main Government schemes open to commonwealth students, as listed. The first three are exclusively for commonwealth students. In addition, there are a number of scholarship schemes operated by recognised charities from which commonwealth students may benefit.

	Number of commonwealth students 2000
Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (DFID/FCO)	843
DFID Shared Scholarship Scheme (DFID/Universities)	170
Montserrat Emergency Award Scheme (DfEE)	171
British Chevening Scholarships (FCO)	502
Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme (DfEE)	351

Disabled People

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what discussions he has had with local education authorities in the Greater London area to ensure that all possible assistance is given to enable disabled people to enter further and higher education; and if he will make a statement. [125765]

Mr. Wicks: Local education authorities are active in securing the transition of young people with special educational needs, including many disabled young people, from school to further and higher education. They must have regard to the Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs, which sets

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out a transition planning process to support this group of learners. A revised Code will come into effect in September 2001 which will set out strengthened arrangements. These arrangements will, in part, be informed by provisions in the Learning and Skills Bill, which should receive Royal Assent in July.

The Bill includes a range of provisions to improve the learning opportunities available for people with learning difficulties and disabilities, including their transition from school to other learning. In addition, the Government are committed to legislate as soon as Parliamentary time allows, in response to the Disability Rights Task Force's recommendations in respect of further and higher education, which featured in its report published in December 1999.

Over half of local education authorities in England, Wales and Scotland have responded to the recent consultation exercise on how those recommendations should translate into specific legal rights and duties. Those responses will help inform and refine the legislation.

Connexions Service

Mr. Prior: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what will be the role and responsibilities of (a) personal advisers, (b) learning mentors and (c) Connexions advisers in the Connexions Service; and to whom each will be contractually accountable. [125865]

Mr. Wicks: The document "Connexions: The best start in life for every young person" published in February this year contained information on the role and responsibilities of the personal adviser working within the Connexions Service. We have started work on developing the new profession for personal advisers and this week we aim to publish the consultation document, "Connexions Service: Professional Framework for Personal Advisers--proposals for consultation" asking for views on the profession. This document outlines proposals for a comprehensive training programme which aims to ensure that personal advisers have the appropriate skills and knowledge for the role and meet agreed standards for the profession.

Learning mentors work alongside teaching staff and are responsible for helping pupils to overcome barriers to learning both inside and outside the school. They are employed in schools covered by the Government's Excellence in Cities initiative and report to the headteacher or a member of the senior management team. Learning mentors are available to all secondary age pupils who need them and they devote the majority of their time to those individuals needing extra support in order to realise their full potential.

We will be asking for Connexions Partnership to include in their proposals information about which organisations will employ personal advisers. We expect some personal advisers will be employed directly by the Connexions Service, some will be seconded from partner organisations and some will be employed by organisations which hold a subcontract or franchise for the delivery of some Connexions services.

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