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Health Service Employees
Paddy Ashdown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been employed by the National Health Service for each of the last 20 years. [144600]
Mr. Denham: The information requested is shown in the table.
| All staff | Whole time equivalents |
|---|---|
| 1980 | 835,000 |
| 1981 | 867,000 |
| 1982 | 874,000 |
| 1983 | 874,000 |
| 1984 | 865,000 |
| 1985 | 861,000 |
| 1986 | 848,000 |
| 1987 | 847,000 |
| 1988 | 842,000 |
| 1989 | 876,000 |
| 1990 | 861,000 |
| 1991 | 870,000 |
| 1992 | 868,000 |
| 1993 | 848,000 |
| 1994 | 835,000 |
| 1995 | 842,000 |
| 1996 | 848,000 |
| 1997 | 846,000 |
| 1998 | 855,000 |
| 1999 | 873,000 |
Notes:
1. Whole time equivalent data for GPs are not available prior to 1991. Headcount data on GPs have been used for years 1980-90.
2. The data include General Medical Practitioners, although the vast majority of these are self-employed.
3. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.
Source:
Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.
Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce Census.
Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Census.
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EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Commonwealth Education Ministers Conference
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the nature was of the parliamentary business which occasioned the withdrawal of the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Croydon, North (Mr. Wicks), from leadership of the British delegation to the Commonwealth Education Ministers Conference in Halifax, Canada, in November 2000. [R] [144283]
Mr. Wicks [holding answer 8 January 2001]: Given the importance of the business before the House during the week of 27 November 2000, I felt that I should be present. This in no way reflects any weakening of our engagement with Commonwealth education initiatives, which is excellent. The UK fielded a strong delegation which, as previously agreed, was led by my hon. Friend the Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs in the Scottish Parliament.
New Deal
Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which 10 constituencies have the (a) most and (b) fewest people gained sustained employment under the New Deal. [145313]
Ms Jowell: The relative success in any constituency of young people moving into sustained employment through the New Deal will depend on numbers of young people in the eligible client group and prevailing labour market conditions. Latest figures show that to the end of October 2000 the constituency of Birmingham, Ladywood had the most young people moving into sustained employment through New Deal (1,023), and Wokingham showing the fewest (27).
Paddy Ashdown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people in (a) Somerset and (b) Yeovil Constituency are on each option of the New Deal. [144615]
Ms Jowell: Figures requested, as at the end of October 2000, are as follows:
| Somerset unit of delivery | Yeovil constituency | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of young people on New Deal | 436 | 49 |
| Number on the Employment Option | 25 | 3 |
| Number on full-time Education and Training Option | 61 | 5 |
| Number on Voluntary Sector Option | 47 | 10 |
| Number on Environment Task Force Option | 18 | 1 |
Learning and Skills Councils
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what definition of business is used to determine the percentage of business representation on the regional learning and skills councils. [145228]
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Mr. Wicks [holding answer 15 January 2001]: In line with the commitment set out in the Learning and Skills Council Prospectus, business people on the local Learning and Skills Councils are defined as people with substantial recent business and commercial experience.
Individual Learning Accounts
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment for what reason a resident of Herefordshire, with an approved individual learning account (reference 4001658711) who is studying 'A' Level Welsh through Coleg Gwent, cannot transfer funding to study at a Welsh establishment; and if he will make a statement. [145436]
Mr. Wicks [holding answer 15 January 2001]: Individual Learning Account holders are free to decide how and where they undertake their chosen learning. This includes using a learning provider in a country outside the one in which they currently live as long as the provider is registered with the Individual Learning Account Centre. Anyone living in England who wants to study 'A' level Welsh can use an Individual Learning Account to help pay for the course costs at a Welsh establishment as long as they have opened their Individual Learning Account before enrolling on the course.
Individual Learning Account incentives are made available in the form of a discount on the cost of learning and incentives cannot be claimed retrospectively once an individual has paid for and started their learning. We want Individual Learning Accounts to be used to encourage many new learners including those who will benefit most from the incentives.
Connexions Service
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many personal advisers under the Connexions strategy will be in post in each of the three years commencing April; and what is the cost of their employment. [145396]
Mr. Wicks [holding answer 15 January 2001]: Local Connexions Service Partnerships will determine how many personal advisers they will have in post. Partnerships invited to introduce the service in 2001-02 will be submitting business plans by 15 January, setting out the anticipated numbers of staff and associated costs, and proposals for the build-up of staff over the following two years.
Student Support
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to (a) change the student support package to reflect social changes since the Education Act 1962 and (b) simplify and make more intelligible the content of the implementing regulations. [145395]
Mr. Wicks [holding answer 15 January 2001]: Our policy is to provide financial support in a way which is fair to students, families and the taxpayer and which provides carefully targeted help for the most needy. Among the changes we propose to make in 2001-02 are: a childcare grant package for students with children; an increase to the parent and spouse income thresholds of around 10 per cent. above the rate of inflation; and a
18 Jan 2001 : Column: 326W
simplified method of calculating contributions from parents and spouses. These changes will be set out in the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2001, which will be laid before Parliament in the spring.
Bursaries
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which local authority areas in England and Wales will be eligible for the take up of opportunity bursaries in October 2001; and what will be the individual eligibility for students from those areas to receive such bursaries. [145257]
Mr. Wicks [holding answer 15 January 2001]: As my right hon. Friend announced last September, Opportunity Bursaries in England are being piloted initially for students studying at state schools and colleges in Excellence in Cities Phase 1 and 2 areas, which includes Newcastle upon Tyne. The Bursaries, worth £2,000 each over three years, will be awarded by higher education institutions, all of which have been given guidance from the Department for this purpose. The Bursaries are intended to improve access for bright young students from poorer backgrounds, where there is little or no family connection with, or experience of, higher education.
Eligibility for Opportunity Bursaries in Wales is a matter for the National Assembly.
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many mature students received bursaries for childcare and travel in 2000-01; from which local education authority areas those students came; and which universities those students attended. [145256]
Mr. Wicks [holding answer 15 January 2001]: The table shows the number of bursaries awarded to mature students at higher education institutions (HEIs) in England in 2000-01 for childcare and other course-related costs, as at 31 October 2000. The bursaries have been a success and we expect a full take-up by students. HEIs received 80 per cent. of the total funding available for such bursaries in September 2000. 20 per cent. was held back to take account of students who entered universities through clearing and expected numbers of students whose courses did not start until later in the year, and will shortly be allocated by the Higher Education Funding Council. HEIs have not collected information on the local education authority areas from which students who have received these bursaries come. The number of bursaries given out by Welsh institutions is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.
We are introducing a package of measures this autumn including a Childcare Grant based on actual costs of up to £100 per week. Bursaries for mature students will continue for those ineligible for the Childcare Grant.
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