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Departmental Research Contracts
Dr. Harris:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many research contracts have been let by his Department since May 1997; what is the value of each contract; and in each case whether the contract included (a) a departmental veto over publication of the research
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results, (b) departmental control over the date of publication of the research results and (c) a requirement that the final research results incorporate departmental amendments. [100159]
Dr. Reid
[holding answer 6 December 1999]: Information about individual research contracts could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The various Departments within the Scottish Executive have their own devolved research programmes and strategies. While there are some differences in the precise detail of contracts relating to each programme, generally, researchers are actively encouraged to publish their work.
Mr. Grieve:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many departmental special advisers have been given severance packages when leaving employment in Scotland in the last 12 months; what amount has been paid to them; and what conditions were attached to the payment. [102917]
Dr. Reid
[holding answer 16 December 1999]: Before the Scottish Parliament elections, four Special Advisers received severance pay in line with the long-standing rules which have applied under previous Administrations. The conditions relating to the payment of severance pay are set out in the Model Contract of Employment for Special Advisers, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. The total paid amounted to £53,026.
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Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the principal activities of his Department and its agencies which provide business for (a) Crown post offices and (b) other post offices; if he will assess whether the level of business generated in each case is likely to increase or decrease over the next five years; and which new areas of business for post offices are likely to be developed by his Department and its agencies over the same period. [99550]
Mr. Wills:
The Department uses post offices on an occasional basis only, for the delivery of specific public messages. This can take the form of displaying leaflets for the public to select or be issued by counter staff, to putting out rolling messages through television or digital displays inside main posts offices.
The frequency of using post offices for communicating with the public in this way is dependent on both the content of the message and on the target audience. It is not clear therefore whether this type of activity will increase or decrease over the next five years. What is likely, in terms of communications generally, is a gradual decrease in paper communications such as leaflets and a corresponding increase in digital/electronic forms of communication.
We do not provide any other business for post offices and this is unlikely to change in the future. We do however have significant business with Royal Mail and Parcelforce who provide the bulk of our mail collection and delivery service.
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Mr. David Davis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what arrangements (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have put in place for the taking and keeping of minutes of meetings between Ministers and people outside his Department. [102377]
Mr. Wills:
Decisions on the arrangements to and format for minutes of meetings will depend on the nature of the discussion.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment on what date, in October 1998 he met the then Irish Minister for Education and Science. [103150]
Mr. Wills:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State met Michael Martin in Dublin on 27 and 28 October 1998 to discuss bilateral co-operation in education.
Mr. Hilary Benn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment for each year since 1990, what has been the (a) number and (b) proportion of applications for enrolment in higher education institutions in England from (a) men, (b) women and (c) ethnic minorities. [101946]
Mr. Wicks
[holding answer 13 December 1999]: The information available, as given in the following tables, covers only those who apply for places through the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) and its predecessor organisations the Universities Central Council for Admissions (UCCA) and the Polytechnics and Colleges Admissions Service (PCAS).
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| of which: | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year of entry (16) | Total accepted applicants | Total applicants | Men (number) | Women (number) | Men (percentage) | Women (percentage) |
| 1990 via UCCA | 99,377 | 193,704 | 97,412 | 96,292 | 50 | 50 |
| 1990via PCAS | 77,539 | 184,771 | 95,059 | 89,712 | 51 | 49 |
| 1991via UCCA | 106,717 | 207,324 | 101,632 | 105,692 | 49 | 51 |
| 1991 via PCAS | 94,465 | 214,320 | 109,562 | 104,758 | 51 | 49 |
| 1992via UCCA | 117,976 | 241,660 | 116,901 | 124,759 | 48 | 52 |
| 1992 via PCAS | 125,590 | 286,420 | 141,451 | 144,969 | 49 | 51 |
| 1993via UCCA | 127,476 | 263,341 | 127,627 | 135,714 | 48 | 52 |
| 1993 via PCAS | 130,596 | 304,716 | 151,171 | 153,545 | 50 | 50 |
| 1994 | 251,292 | 365,323 | 179,449 | 185,874 | 49 | 51 |
| 1995 | 265,536 | 369,701 | 179,602 | 190,099 | 49 | 51 |
| 1996 | 268,289 | 364,885 | 175,479 | 189,406 | 48 | 52 |
| 1997 | 303,318 | 398,327 | 190,040 | 208,287 | 48 | 52 |
| 1998 | 298,220 | 389,588 | 184,069 | 205,519 | 47 | 53 |
| 1999 | 303,065 | 388,691 | 182,405 | 206,286 | 47 | 53 |
(16) In the years up to 1993 some students applied to both UCCA and PCAS. From 1994 onwards all applications are through UCAS. From 1997 onwards the figures include students applying for Art and Design courses which were included in the UCAS scheme for the first time in this year.
Via UCCA
(17) In the years up to 1993 some students applied to both UCCA and PCAS. From 1994 onwards all applications are through UCAS. From 1997 onwards the figures include students applying for Art and Design courses which were included in the UCAS scheme for the first time in this year.
(18) Covers the following ethnic groups: Black Caribbean, Black African, Black Other, Asian Indian, Asian Pakistani, Asian Bangladeshi, Asian Chinese, Asian Other, Other (non-white) ethnic origin.
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Mr. Hilary Benn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) for each year since 1990, what (i) number and (ii) proportion of applicants for (a) full-time and (b) part-time courses in higher education institutions in England came from low-income family backgrounds; [101944]
Mr. Wicks
[holding answer 13 December 1999]: The information available on full-time students, as given in the following table, covers only those who apply through the Universities and colleges Admission Service (UCAS) and its predecessor organisations the Universities Central Council for Admissions (UCCA) and the Polytechnic and Colleges Admissions Service (PCAS). Data on the family backgrounds of part-time students are not held centrally.
(2) for each year since 1990, what (i) number and (b) proportion of (a) full-time students and (b) part-time students enrolling in higher education institutions in England came from low-income family backgrounds. [101945]
| Accepted applicants from social classes IIIM, IV and V | Applicants from social classes IIIM, IV and V | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year of entry (19) | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
| 1990 via UCCA | 17,202 | 19 | 36,354 | 21 |
| 1990 via PCAS(20) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 1991 via UCCA | 18,548 | 19 | 39,914 | 22 |
| 1991 via PCAS | 19,599 | 29 | 45,996 | 27 |
| 1992 via UCCA | 23,504 | 21 | 54,664 | 25 |
| 1992 via PCAS | 29,806 | 31 | 70,036 | 30 |
| 1993 via UCCA | 26,962 | 22 | 64,390 | 26 |
| 1993 via PCAS | 34,100 | 33 | 82,142 | 31 |
| 1994 | 63,472 | 27 | 97,332 | 29 |
| 1995 | 67,360 | 28 | 98,344 | 30 |
| 1996 | 65,671 | 27 | 93,608 | 29 |
| 1997 | 73,931 | 28 | 100,839 | 29 |
| 1998 | 72,228 | 28 | 97,211 | 29 |
| 1999 | 73,109 | 28 | 96,796 | 29 |
(19) In the years up to 1993, some students applied to both UCCA and PCAS. From 1994 onwards all applications are through UCAS. From 1997 onwards the figures include students applying for Art and Design courses which were included in the UCAS scheme for the first time in this year.
(20) The family background of students was not collected by PCAS in 1990.
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