House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 10 Dec 2001 (pt 26)

Spain

Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last spoke to his counterpart in Spain; and what was the subject of discussion. [21548R]

Peter Hain: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's last formal meeting with his Spanish counterpart was on 20 November 2001, as part of the Brussels Process talks on Gibraltar. However, they also meet regularly in the margins of other EU and international meetings, such as the 6–7 December North Atlantic Council, to discuss a range of foreign policy issues.

Correspondence

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many, and what proportion of letters received by the Department from right hon. and hon. Members between 20 June and 20 July were replied to in (a) under 15, (b) under 20, (c) under 30, (d) under 40 and (e) over 40 working days. [21996]

Mr. Straw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 3 December 2001, Official Report, column 88W.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Departmental Staff Costs

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will estimate total annual staff costs for her Department and its agencies by nation and region of the UK; and if she will make a statement. [6859]

10 Dec 2001 : Column: 634W

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The estimated staff costs for the Department for Education and Skills by region of the UK are as set out. The figures reflect the machinery of government changes that took place following the June 2001 general election, including the transfer to the Cabinet Office of responsibility for the Government Offices for the Regions. The Department does not have staff outside England.

Region £ million

North East 11

North West 10

Yorkshire and Humberside 29

London 58

Region	£ million
North East	11
North West	10
Yorkshire and Humberside	29
London	58

Citizenship Lessons

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers were qualified to teach citizenship lessons in secondary schools in September. [8406]

Mr. Timms: This information has not been collected centrally. Citizenship does not become part of the secondary schools curriculum until September 2002.

Teacher Statistics

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers of non-EU nationality are employed in British schools. [8835]

Mr. Timms: This information is not collected centrally.

Teacher Recruitment (East Sussex)

Mr. Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers have been recruited from overseas to fill teaching posts in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in East Sussex in the past year. [9860]

Mr. Timms: The information requested is not held centrally.

Public Service Agreements

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on (a) the margin of failure and (b) the reason for failure to meet the public service agreement target of a 2 per cent. reduction in unit price per work-based trainee in 1999–2000 over 1998–99. [14053]

John Healey: The unit price per work-based trainee in 1999–2000 was £2,933 compared with £2,734 in 1998–99. This represents a real terms increase of 4.7 per cent.

Departmental plans for 1999–2000 were on the basis of a 2 per cent. overall efficiency gain. The consequential unit price was passed out for local negotiations to establish the actual local unit prices, within training and

10 Dec 2001 : Column: 635W

enterprise councils' agreed flexibilities. The range of young people being helped and the mix of occupational training delivered however also influenced the overall unit price. In 1999–2000, the average numbers on higher value and quality modern apprenticeships were 10 per cent. higher than in 1998–99 and numbers on higher value and quality national traineeships (now foundation modern apprenticeships) increased threefold. The result of negotiations and the factors for 1999–2000 was that training and enterprise councils delivered a more expensive menu of training than in the previous year and the overall unit price reflects this.

10 Dec 2001 : Column: 636W

Student Finances

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much her Department has spent per student on (a) loans, (b) grants and (c) other maintenance support in each year since 1990. [16188]

Margaret Hodge: The table shows how much the Department has spent per student on average on higher education student loans, grants and other maintenance support in each academic year 1990–91 to 1999–2000 (latest data available).

Average expenditure per student on student loans in the United Kingdom; average expenditure per student on fees and maintenance in England and Wales⁽²⁴⁾^,⁽²⁵⁾: Academic years 1990–91 to 1999–2000

Academic year 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000

Student loans⁽²⁵⁾

Total value of loans (£ million) 69.9 139.2 226.5 316.7 538.8 700.8 877.2 941.0 1,233.5 1,823.0

Average loan per student⁽²⁶⁾ 390 530 660 740 1,040 1,250 1,490 1,530 1,870 2,520

Student Fees⁽²⁷⁾

Total fee expenditure (£ million) 843.8 1,281.3 1,536.6 1,549.2 970.5 984.3 977.5 986.9 678.8 555.5

Average fee per student (£)⁽²⁶⁾ 1,700 2,250 2,310 2,100 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,260 870 700

Student maintenance grants⁽²⁴⁾^,⁽²⁸⁾

Total maintenance expenditure (£ million) 713.4 859.7 1,045.8 1,202.0 1,158.6 1,074.8 948.2 931.6 782.8 347.5

Average maintenance grant per student⁽²⁶⁾ 1,480 1,550 1,610 1,670 1,520 1,390 1,240 1,210 1,030 1,150

Additional allowances/grants/loans⁽²⁹⁾^,⁽³⁰⁾^,⁽³¹⁾

Total expenditure on additional allowances/ grants/loans 79.2 104.2 137.4 173.6 196.5 190.7 179.3 171.2 164.9 164.1

Average additional allowance/grant/loan⁽²⁶⁾ 330 360 400 420 460 450 440 450 470 420

Academic year	1990–91	1991–92	1992–93	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000
Student loans⁽²⁵⁾
Total value of loans (£ million)	69.9	139.2	226.5	316.7	538.8	700.8	877.2	941.0	1,233.5	1,823.0
Average loan per student⁽²⁶⁾	390	530	660	740	1,040	1,250	1,490	1,530	1,870	2,520

Student Fees⁽²⁷⁾
Total fee expenditure (£ million)	843.8	1,281.3	1,536.6	1,549.2	970.5	984.3	977.5	986.9	678.8	555.5
Average fee per student (£)⁽²⁶⁾	1,700	2,250	2,310	2,100	1,250	1,250	1,250	1,260	870	700

Student maintenance grants⁽²⁴⁾^,⁽²⁸⁾
Total maintenance expenditure (£ million)	713.4	859.7	1,045.8	1,202.0	1,158.6	1,074.8	948.2	931.6	782.8	347.5
Average maintenance grant per student⁽²⁶⁾	1,480	1,550	1,610	1,670	1,520	1,390	1,240	1,210	1,030	1,150

Additional allowances/grants/loans⁽²⁹⁾^,⁽³⁰⁾^,⁽³¹⁾
Total expenditure on additional allowances/ grants/loans	79.2	104.2	137.4	173.6	196.5	190.7	179.3	171.2	164.9	164.1
Average additional allowance/grant/loan⁽²⁶⁾	330	360	400	420	460	450	440	450	470	420

⁽²⁴⁾ Totals include both students funded under the mandatory scheme and those funded under the new student support scheme. New student support arrangements were introduced from academic year 1998–99. New students in 1998–99 received support for maintenance through income-assessed grants (comprising about a quarter of the support available) and non income-assessed student loans (comprising about three quarters of the support available). (The ratio for existing students is roughly 50 per cent. income-assessed grant and 50 per cent. non income-assessed student loan). In 1999–2000, students who entered higher education from 1998–99 onwards received support for maintenance entirely through loans, of which three quarters of the value was non income-assessed. Loans made under these arrangements are repayable on an income contingent basis.

⁽²⁵⁾ Student loans are available to eligible students normally domiciled in the United Kingdom. From 1999–2000 student loans have been made available to those aged 50 to 54 who plan to return to work after studying. A time series of data for England and Wales domiciled students is not available.

⁽²⁶⁾ Average loan, fees, maintenance grant and additional allowance/grant/loan rounded to the nearest £10.

⁽²⁷⁾ Most new students in 1998–99 and 1999–2000 were expected to contribute up to £1,000 and £1,025 respectively to their fees depending on family income.

⁽²⁸⁾ Maintenance shown in 1999–2000 relates to mandatory awards scheme students only.

⁽²⁹⁾ Up to academic year 1999–2000 data on additional allowances/grants/loans are included in the maintenance grants information, totalling will therefore include some double counting. 1999–2000 data relating to mandatory awards scheme students will also be included in maintenance grants, however those relating to students funded under the support scheme will not, as these students received support for maintenance entirely through loans.

⁽³⁰⁾ Students may receive more than one additional allowance/grant/loan. The average figures shown will include an element of double counting of student numbers. The profiles of additional allowances/grants/loans have not remained constant over the time period and this accounts for some of the variation in the average values shown.

⁽³¹⁾ For student support scheme students, grants for living costs are no longer available except for some limited allowances, eg for students with dependants; single parent students; and disabled students. Grants for students with dependants and single parents students will be income-assessed but the disabled students allowance will not.

Source:

The Student Loans Company; F503G survey of local education authorities.

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