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Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions further to his answer of 6 November 2001, Official Report, column 195W, on industrial injuries disablement benefit, for what reason information is not available on claims for industrial injuries disablement benefit which have been refused as a result of the applicant's condition being caused through work processes and not as a result of accident or prescribed disease. [18928]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: In general we do not keep records of the reasons for disallowing claims for benefit where to do so would serve no purpose. If, in the course of reviewing scientific and medical developments, the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council recommends changes to the way conditions caused by work processes are dealt with under the industrial injuries scheme, we will consider those recommendations and monitor the number of cases affected.
EDUCATION AND SKILLS
Individual Learning Accounts
Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations she has received from training providers affected by the closure of the ILA scheme for an introduction of another scheme; and if she will make a statement. [17297]
John Healey [holding answer 22 November 2001]: We have received representations from a number of Individual Learning Account (ILA) registered providers expressing disappointment about the withdrawal of the programme. Many have also offered their help in the development of our future plans. We welcome their offers and will take advantage of their experience. I hope to announce more details on the process for developing a further scheme in due course.
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people were under investigation in relation to individual learning accounts (a) before 30 October and (b) at the latest available date. [19323]
John Healey: Before 30 October 2001 29 cases had been taken up for investigation by the Department's Special Investigations Unit. As at 27 November 2001 this had increased to 60 cases. The police are currently involved in five cases.
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether she consulted training providers before bringing forward the suspension of the Individual Learning Account scheme; and if she will make a statement. [19325]
John Healey: Because of the need to take immediate action it was not possible to consult training providers. The Department for Education and Skills called in police to investigate new allegations of fraud and theft involving Individual Learning Accounts. Officers from the Department's Special Investigations Unit had confirmed the allegations on Thursday 22 November. With the
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advice of the police and to prevent serious risk to public funds, the ILA programme was shut down on Friday 23 November.
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what considerations informed her decision to bring forward the suspension date for individual learning accounts. [19326]
John Healey: The Department for Education and Skills called in police to investigate new allegations of fraud and theft involving individual learning accounts. Officers from the Department's Special Investigations Unit were alerted to those allegations on Wednesday 21 November and confirmed them on Thursday 22 November. With the advice of the police and to prevent a serious risk to public funds, the ILA programme was shut down on Friday 23 November.
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many complaints had been received in relation to the operation of individual learning accounts (a) before 30 October and (b) at the latest available date. [19324]
John Healey: Up to 31 October 2001 there had been 8,448 (0.33 per cent.) complaints received concerning the operation of individual learning accounts. As at 19 November 2001 the number of complaints had increased to 10,276 (0.41 per cent.). Just over a quarter of complaints have raised questions about non-compliance of learning providers with the rules of the ILA scheme.
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the public expenditure consequences of the operations of the individual learning account scheme between 30 October and 23 November. [19327]
John Healey: We cannot give a figure for expenditure between 30 October and 23 November.
There are still significant numbers of payments due in respect of claims already made by learning providers and committed expenditure in respect of learning already booked by providers on the ILA Centre system before it was shut down on 23 November. Because of the police investigation into allegations of fraud and abuse we do not, currently, have access to Capita's ILA Centre system on which the data are stored. We also need to validate both the claims and the bookings held on the ILA Centre system and take action to recoup moneys which have been improperly claimed. As a result it is not possible to estimate the extent of the additional financial commitment at present.
FE Course Costs
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made for the current financial year of the average cost per student following a two-year curriculum 2000 programme in (a) a school sixth form, (b) a sixth form college and (c) a tertiary college. [18348]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The department does not publish the average cost per student of a two-year Curriculum 2000 programme. However, the latest estimate of the average delegated funding per sixth form student in schools per year for 2001–02 is £3,330. The total funding per full time equivalent student in FE sector colleges per year in
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2001–02 is £3,660. Separate figures for sixth form colleges and tertiary colleges are not available. It should be noted that the two unit funding figures quoted are not directly comparable, as the FE unit funding includes total public funding allocated for further education, while the schools' figure is based only on delegated funds and excludes other funding which the school receives centrally from LEAs which impact on post-16 students.
Class Sizes (Somerset)
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average secondary school class size was in (a) the County of Somerset and (b) the constituency of Yeovil in (i) 1996, (ii) 1997, (iii) 1998, (iv) 1999, (v) 2000 and (vi) 2001; and if she will make a statement. [18373]
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Mr. Timms: The available information is shown in the following table.
| January each year | Somerset LEA | Yeovil parliamentary constituency |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 23.2 | 23.9 |
| 1997 | 23.2 | 23.2 |
| 1998 | 23.9 | 24.2 |
| 1999 | 23.9 | 24.1 |
| 2000 | 23.6 | 24.8 |
| 2001 | 23.9 | (14)— |
(14) Not available