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Students (Living Expenses)

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 2 November 2001, Official Report, column 898W, on costs of living, what estimates the research gave of total required living expenses in (a) London and (b) other parts of England and Wales. [14677]

Margaret Hodge: The Student Income and Expenditure Survey 1998–99 did not give estimates of the total required living expenses. It recorded reported expenditure by students of students.

Individual Learning Accounts

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to examine the role of Capita in the operation of their contract to run individual learning accounts; and if she will make a statement. [14836]

John Healey: The Department regularly monitors the performance of Capita in the delivery of ILAs as part of the standard contract management arrangements.

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of individual learning account credits was spent on IT-related skills. [15010]

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John Healey [holding answer 15 November 2001]: The Department holds information specific to basic IT-related learning which attracts an ILA incentive of 80 per cent. As at 31 October, ILAs had supported 765,873 such learning episodes at a total cost of £147,669,129, since the launch of the national framework in September 2000.

During this period ILAs have supported 1,380,370 learning episodes.

Course titles for the 20 per cent. ILA discount do not allow precise figures for IT-related learning to be extracted.

Internet Access

Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans her Department has to increase internet access to those without computers. [15126]

John Healey: The Department has a range of measures to increase access to those without computers particularly for those who live in disadvantaged areas. We are committed to establishing 6,000 UK online centres in England by the end of 2002. There are currently over 1900 UK online centres in operation with more opening each month. They offer access and support to people who have not used, or are not familiar with the internet. In addition we are investing in wiring up communities. Seven pilot projects are exploring how the benefits of access to information and communication technology, including the internet, will help individuals to develop new skills, access job opportunities and become more involved in their communities.

Excellent progress is being made to improve computer/student ratios in schools, further education colleges and higher education institutions. 97 per cent. of all schools are now connected to the internet. In future all school leavers should have the skills to use and benefit from new technologies.

Educational Maintenance Allowances

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what plans she has to extend educational maintenance allowances to all areas of all local education authorities; [15554]

(2) what evaluation she intends to make of the educational maintenance allowance pilots; and when. [15469]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The educational maintenance allowance (EMA) scheme is still in the pilot stage. There are currently eight different variants of the scheme being tested in a total of 56 local education authorities.

The Department has commissioned the Centre for Research and Social Policy to carry out a rigorous three-year evaluation study of the pilots which is now in its third year of data collection. The study is examining each of the EMA variants to determine their effect upon participation, retention and achievement in further education. It is an extensive study not only of hard figures on take-up of EMAs but also includes interviews with local practitioners and partners. 20,000 interviews will be carried out with young people from both pilot and control areas to examine what factors influence their decisions at age 16 when considering post-compulsory education.

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Early findings of the study show that EMAs are having a positive effect not only on participation and retention but also on student behaviour. However, it is important that we do not make any decisions on the future of EMAs until we have received satisfactory evaluation conclusions.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many named day parliamentary written questions were tabled to her Department between 15 October and 5 November; and what proportion of these have received holding answers; [13314]

(2) what proportion of those named day parliamentary written questions to her Department that received a holding answer between 15 October and 5 November received the substantive answer (a) within three parliamentary days, (b) within seven parliamentary days, (c) within 10 parliamentary days, (d) within 15 parliamentary days and (e) over 15 parliamentary days after the holding answer was issued. [13333]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: We have provided substantive replies to all of the 191 PQs tabled to this Department for answer on a named day between 15 October and 5 November, 96 of which were sent on the named day. Details of all the remaining 95, for which holding replies were issued, are as follows;

44 were answered within three parliamentary days; 28 within seven parliamentary days; seven within 10 parliamentary days; nine within 15 parliamentary days; and seven over 15 parliamentary days (the longest of which was 22 days after the named day).

SCOTLAND

Ministerial Visits

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if she will list all official overseas visits undertaken by Ministers in her Department in each year since May 1997, indicating (a) the cost in (i) cash and (ii) real terms, (b) the number and grade of (i) civil servants and (ii) special advisers accompanying Ministers and (c) the number of official engagements or meetings undertaken on each visit; and if she will make a statement; [6923]

(2) on how many occasions in each year since 1992 non-commercial flights were used by Ministers in her Department for official overseas visits; what the (a) destination, (b) Ministers involved, (c) cost and (d) reason for use of non-commercial flights were on each occasion; and if she will make a statement. [6924]

Mrs. Liddell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 15 October 2001, Official Report, column 823W.

Ministers (Evidence to Committees)

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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

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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. [7012]

Mrs. Liddell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 15 October 2001, Official Report, column 1003W.

Royal Prerogative

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many ministerial decisions were made where authority for the same derived from the Royal Prerogative for the most recent calendar month for which information is available. [9370]

Mrs. Liddell: Records are not kept of the individual occasions on which powers under the Royal Prerogative are exercised, nor would it be practicable to do so.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many named day parliamentary written questions were tabled to her Department between 15 October and 5 November; and what proportion of these have received holding answers; [13312]

(2) what proportion of those named day parliamentary written questions to her Department that received a holding answer between 15 October and 5 November received the substantive answer (a) within three parliamentary days, (b) within seven parliamentary days, (c) within 10 parliamentary days, (d) within 15 parliamentary days and (e) over 15 parliamentary days after the holding answer was issued. [13331]

Mrs. Liddell: Of the small number of 'named day' written questions (the vast majority are tabled as 'ordinary' written questions instead) tabled to my Department between the dates mentioned, all but one were either answered on the day or within 15 days.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Fair Trade

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her Department's policy is in relation to departmental spending for supplies concerning the purchase of fair trade goods. [15209]

Hilary Benn: We take every opportunity to promote fair trade products and also to support ethical trading in mainstream business. As the hon. Member knows, fair trade tea, coffee and chocolate are available in the House of Commons and they are also available in the Department for International Development refreshment facilities. I understand that a number of other Departments have considered stocking fair trade products.

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