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Early Years Excellence
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 21 November 2001, Official Report, column 345W, on Early Years Excellence, (a) on what date and (b) by what means her Department fulfilled the promise made in the letter of 20 June to Somerford Infant School concerning their expression of interest. [18662]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 27 November 2002]: The further guidance setting out criteria and detailed requirements for joining the Early Excellence Centre (EEC) programme was issued on 5 October. This explained that those whose expressions of interest were assessed as category 2 should submit a fresh expression of interest, taking into account the outline feedback provided. Somerford Infant School was assessed as category 2. The Department has not received a further expression of interest from Somerford Infant School. Nevertheless, the Department plans to follow up Somerford's interest along with others in a similar position.
Departmental Underspend
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 3 December 2001, Official Report, column 81W, on departmental underspend, if she will break down the main projects for which the
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unspent £1.44 billion available in end-year flexibility from the former Department for Education and Employment had been intended in financial year 2000–01. [22774]
Estelle Morris: The Department is voted funds for its programmes rather than individual projects. The End Year Flexibility (EYF) is therefore calculated on the total Departmental Expenditure Limit aggregates.
£715 million of the available EYF can, however, be analysed into a number of separate elements as follows: £220 million for the European Structural Funds, £106 million for the Employment Opportunities Fund, £87 million for the Capital Modernisation Fund, Non-Discretionary Other (primarily Student Loans) of £172 million, Ofsted £1 million and Sure Start £129 million.
The remaining £739 million of Discretionary Capital and Other (current) underspends can be analysed against the Departmental objectives as follows: against Objective 1: Early years and schools, were £441 million; Objective 2: Lifelong Learning, £233 million; Objective 3: Helping people without a job into work, £22 million; and on activities supporting all objectives, including administration costs, £43 million.
During 2001–02 this EYF has been and will be drawn on to fund additional expenditure on Departmental programmes. Following the machinery of government changes the EYF on European Structural Funds and the Employment Opportunities Fund transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions. Discussions are taking place with other Government Departments concerning the amount of Discretionary Other EYF required to support the services transferred.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 3 December 2001, Official Report, column 81W, on departmental underspend, on what specific purposes the remaining £530 million left from underspend in 2000–01 will be spent in the current financial year. [22776]
Estelle Morris: Of the £530 million, £129 million relates to Sure Start, £1 million to Ofsted, £172 million relates to non-discretionary other (primarily student loans) and £228 million to discretionary capital and other, including administration costs. The funds will be drawn down to support departmental programmes as required to meet priorities and pressures.
Graduate Earnings
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information she has collated about changes to average graduate earnings since 1997. [23404]
Margaret Hodge: Information on estimated average graduate earnings is available from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The table shows estimated average gross weekly earnings of graduates with a first degree or above, in full-time employment, taken from the spring quarters of the LFS. The figures show that, in cash terms, estimated average weekly earnings have increased every year between 1997 and 2001.
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| Year | £ |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 510 |
| 1998 | 520 |
| 1999 | 540 |
| 2000 | 570 |
| 2001 | 580 |
Note:
Figures are in cash terms.
Source:
Labour Force Survey, spring quarters, for Great Britain
Student Loans
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of recipients of student loans are in arrears with their repayments. [23496]
Margaret Hodge: The only borrowers who were in arrears at the end of 2000–01 were those who had taken out mortgage-style loans which were in place before the introduction of income contingent loans in 1998. At the end of financial year 2000–01 some 13 per cent. of borrowers with student loan accounts in repayment status were in arrears with their repayments. Repayment from borrowers with income contingent loans are collected through the tax system. As these repayments are mostly collected by employers who are legally obliged so to do, the borrower cannot go into arrears.
Pupil Vacancies
Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupil vacancies there are in secondary schools in London; and if she will make a statement. [23648]
Mr. Timms: My Department does not collect this information. The Government believe that decisions concerning the supply of school places are best taken locally by the main partners in the provision of education, who have knowledge of local needs. It is for local education authorities to plan and keep under review the supply of school places and to ensure there is sufficient provision to meet demand. They must publish annually a School Organisation Plan setting out how they plan to deal with any surplus or deficit of places over a five-year rolling period.
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Specialist Schools
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of applications for specialist school status have been successful where the school in question is (a) a grammar school, (b) a comprehensive school and (c) a secondary modern or high school. [24087]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 19 December 2002]: Information covering designations from September 1997 on the percentage of successful applicants for specialist school status of grammar, comprehensive and modern schools is set out in the following table.
| Grammar | Comprehensive | Modern | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | |||
| Applications | 13 | 313 | 12 |
| Designations | 2 | 71 | 2 |
| Success Rate (Percentage) | 15.4 | 22.7 | 16.7 |
| 1997–98 | |||
| Applications | 7 | 205 | 7 |
| Designations | 0 | 80 | 3 |
| Success Rate (Percentage) | 0.0 | 39.0 | 42.9 |
| 1998–99 | |||
| Applications | 4 | 111 | 4 |
| Designations | 1 | 75 | 1 |
| Success Rate (Percentage) | 25.0 | 67.6 | 25.0 |
| 1999–2000 | |||
| Applications | 13 | 250 | 12 |
| Designations | 8 | 120 | 4 |
| Success Rate (Percentage) | 61.5 | 48.0 | 33.3 |
| 2000–01 | |||
| Applications | 12 | 314 | 22 |
| Designations | 6 | 130 | 14 |
| Success Rate (Percentage) | 50.0 | 41.4 | 63.6 |
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list applications for specialist school status which have been made by grammar schools; and what the subject specialism and the outcome of the application was in each case. [24088]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 19 December 2002]: A list of applications to become specialist schools from September 1997 which have been made by grammar schools, together with information about the specialism for which they applied and the outcome of these applications is given in the table.
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Some schools appear twice in the table. This is where the school has submitted a subsequent application following an unsuccessful bid in a previous year.
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