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Out-of-school Schemes
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the Government's strategy to develop out of school and holiday schemes for 11 to 14-year-old children. [20493]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Government have recognised that out-of-school-hours learning activities play a key role in developing young people and raising their attainment. "Extending Opportunity: a national framework for study support", published in 1998, set out our vision for providing more opportunities for older primary and secondary pupils to enrich their learning through out-of-school-hours learning activities. Since then £160 million has been made available through the New Opportunities Fund, including £25 million specifically for summer schools. In addition, the Department's Standards Fund has provided nearly £75 million for study support programmes this year.
The National Childcare Strategy was established to promote childcare for children aged 0–14 and for children up to age 16 with special needs. Between 1999 and 2004, £225.5 million is being made available from the New Opportunities Fund to help create new out-of-school- hours child care in England, including breakfast, after school and holiday schemes. This can benefit all children in education, including 11 to 14-year-olds. Since 1997, through the New Opportunities Fund support and other Government support, nearly 275,000 new child care places have been set up for the 3 to 14 age range.
Higher Education Staff
Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of higher education lecturing staff are on non-permanent contracts. [21269]
Margaret Hodge: The latest available information is shown in the following table.
| Full-time | Part-time | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terms of employment | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
| Permanent | 66,520 | 80 | 4,870 | 29 | 71,390 | 72 |
| Fixed term contract | 16,380 | 20 | 8,350 | 50 | 24,730 | 25 |
| Hourly paid/casual staff | 10 | 0 | 3,390 | 20 | 3,400 | 3 |
| Other | 60 | 0 | 120 | 1 | 180 | 0 |
| Total | 82,970 | 100 | 16,730 | 100 | 99,700 | 100 |
(25) Covers staff whose primary employment function is either teaching or teaching/research. Staff whose primary employment function is research are not included
Source:
Higher Education Statistics Agency's Staff Record. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10 and percentages to the nearest whole number
11 Dec 2001 : Column: 817W
Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average turnover has been of teaching staff in higher education institutions in each year since 1997. [21271]
11 Dec 2001 : Column: 818W
Margaret Hodge: The available information is shown in the following table.
| Academic year | Average | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 1997–2000 | |
| Total staff(27) | 90,250 | 92,170 | 94,360 | 92,260 |
| Inflow(28) | 7,940 | 8,670 | 8,510 | 8,370 |
| Outflow(28) | 7,140 | 7,120 | 7,060 | 7,110 |
| Total turnover(29) | 15,080 | 15,790 | 15,570 | 15,480 |
| Turnover as percentage of total staff | 16.7 | 17.1 | 16.5 | 16.8 |
(26) Includes staff whose primary employment function is teaching or teaching/research. Staff whose primary employment function is research are not included
(27) As at 31 July
(28) Includes entrants from, and leavers to, other (non HE) educational institutions, the public and private sectors, and overseas. Staff who move between other HE institutions in the UK are not included
(29) Total of inflow and outflow
Source:
Higher Education Statistics Agency's Staff Record. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10
Astra Group Pension Scheme
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what actuarial assessment has been made of the shortfall in the Astra Group pension scheme; and if she will make a statement. [21416]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The latest actuarial valuation of the Astra Group Pension Scheme was by William M Mercer in April 2001. My understanding is that it showed that at the due date of valuation of 30 April 2000, had the winding-up of the scheme been completed, it would have been in deficit by £10.72 million. However, the completion of the winding-up is still some time away and only when this process is complete will the extent of any deficit be known. This matter is entirely in the hands of Astra's administrators. The actuary (William M Mercer) has recommended that the next actuarial valuation be carried out with an effective date no later than 30 April 2003.
Special Educational Needs
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information she collates on the educational attainments of young people with disabilities and special educational needs compared with their peer group, with particular reference to (a) qualifications attained and (b) access to higher education. [20952]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 6 December 2001]: The primary source of information on the activities and attainment of young people in the years immediately after completing compulsory education is the Youth Cohort Study (YCS). A question designed to identify those with a current long-term disability or health problem as defined under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 was introduced in the 1998 YCS surveys. Questions on Special Educational Needs (SENs) were included in the most recent survey of 16-year-olds in 2000.
Key results from the YCS are published in Statistical First Releases (SFRs). The tables include information on attainment and participation in higher education for those with and without a long-term disability or health problem. DfES SFRs are available in the House of Commons Library and on the DfES website at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/ statistics/DB/SFR/.
In response to the call for more information in the 1997 Green Paper "Excellence for all children: meeting special educational needs" the Department has commissioned a longitudinal piece of research about the experiences of young people with SEN once they have left school.
The study looks at the experiences, achievements, and attitudes of young people with SEN during their transition from secondary education to early adult life. It aims to identify barriers to further education, training, employment and independent living.
Post-16 Learning
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list for each local education authority (a) the sum spent on post-16 education in 2000–01, (b) the sum budgeted for post-16 education in the current year and (c) the sum top-sliced from the SSA in 2002–03 for post-16 education. [21725]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 10 December 2001]: The following table lists for each local education authority (a) estimated spend on post-16 education in 2000–01, consisting of the amount for each school with a sixth form which was used as the baseline for calculation of the Real Terms Guarantee, and an estimate of each authority's spend on post-16 Special Educational Needs; and (c) the provisional deduction from each local education authority's post-16 SSA for 2002–03, which each authority will receive back from the Learning and Skills Council in grant for post-16 provision. Estimated budgets for post-16 for each LEA for 2001–02 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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11 Dec 2001 : Column: 821W
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