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Teacher Statistics
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) full and (b) part-time overseas teachers were employed in (i) primary, (ii) secondary and (iii) special schools in each of the last four years for which figures are available. [8844]
Mr. Timms: The information requested is not held centrally.
Illiteracy
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people are illiterate in (a) Wales and (b) England. [8344]
John Healey: Lord Moser's 1999 report, "A Fresh Start", notes that perhaps as many as 7 million people (roughly one in five adults) in England have difficulties with functional literacy and numeracy. These adults have a wide range of needs, varying from those who cannot read and write or perform the simplest calculations, to those who simply need to brush up rusty skills. We are commissioning a new survey next year to provide an up-to-date assessment of the scale of basic skills need in England.
The Government have recognised the vital importance to individuals and the economy of improving adult basic skills. The national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills, "Skills for Life", was launched in March this year by the Prime Minister. Our target is to improve the literacy and numeracy skills of 750,000 adults by 2004.
Literacy in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Assembly.
Devolved Administrations
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her policy is with regard to >(a) ministers and (b) officials in her Department giving evidence to (i) Scottish Parliament, (ii) Welsh Assembly and (iii) Northern Ireland Assembly committees; and to what categories of document she gives (A) full access, (B) restricted access and (C) no access to (1) Scottish parliament, (2) Welsh Assembly, (3) Northern Ireland Assembly and (4) House of Commons Select committees. [7005]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 15 October 2001, Official Report, columns 1004–05W by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office.
Civil Servants (Retirement Age)
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the compulsory retirement ages which apply to employees of her Department and of executive agencies and other public sector bodies for which it is responsible, broken down by grade or job title. [7228]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Within my Department, all staff below the Senior Civil Service can choose when they retire between age 60 up to a maximum retirement age of 65. This is subject to satisfying fitness and efficiency requirements. Staff in the Senior Civil Service grades retire at age 60.
In executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by my Department, normal retirement ages are:
- age 60 for the Adult Learning Inspectorate, the Learning and Skills Council, and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority;
- age 65 for the Construction Industry Training Board, Engineering Construction Industry Training Board, Higher Education Funding Council for England, Investors in People UK Ltd. and the National College for School Leadership;
- age 63 for the Student Loans Company;
- age 65 for staff who are members of the London Pension Fund Authority in the British Educational and Communications Technology Agency, and age 60 for those who are members of the Teachers Pension Scheme; and
- for the Teacher Training Agency, retirement age depends on individual contracts.