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Academic Qualifications

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the work force had (a) an advanced degree, (b) a BA, (c) an associated degree and (d) undertaken higher or further education course work in (i) St. Helens, South, (ii) the St. Helens MBC area,

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(iii) Merseyside, (iv) Manchester, (v) the North West RDA region, (vi) the other RDA regions and (vii) England, in each of the last five years. [35416]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Shaun Woodward, dated 14 February 2002:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about qualifications in the workforce. (35416)

The table below gives the available information from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) for the autumn (September to November) quarters of each year from 1997 to 2001.

Percentages of working age⁽³³⁾ people in employment by highest qualification⁽³⁴⁾, autumn (September to November), quarters 1997 to 2001, not seasonally adjusted

Government office regions and St. Helens metropolitan borough council	All of working age(33) in employment(35),(36) (thousand)	Higher degree	First degree	Other degree	Other higher education below degree level
	Autumn (September to November) 1997
UK	26,380	3.9	9.8	1.4	9.5
England	22,269	3.9	9.9	1.5	9.1
North West:	2,936	3.1	8.9	1.3	10.2
Greater Manchester	1,120	3.9	8.4	1.1	9.9
Merseyside	535	3.3	8.1	(37)—	10.1
St. Helens	85	(37)—	(37)—	(37)—	13.6
Rest of North West	1,281	2.3	9.6	1.3	10.5
North East	1,067	2.7	6.3	1.7	8.7
Yorkshire and Humberside	2,204	3.8	8.3	1.4	8.6
East Midlands	1,927	3.1	8.3	1.3	8.5
West Midlands	2,391	3.0	8.3	0.9	8.8
Eastern	2,529	3.2	8.8	1.3	8.0
London	3,168	7.4	15.9	1.9	8.2
South East	3,818	4.0	10.6	2.1	9.3
South West	2,228	3.3	9.1	1.3	11.1
Wales	1.179	3.5	7.8	1.2	10.6
Scotland	2,253	3.9	9.5	0.9	12.8
Northern Ireland	680	3.9	9.4	(37)—	8.9
	Autumn (September to November) 1998
UK	26,735	4.4	10.3	1.6	9.9
England	22,593	4.3	10.5	1.7	9.4
North West:	2,969	3.4	9.3	1.2	10.2
Greater Manchester	1.137	3.6	9.5	1.0	9.6
Merseyside	514	3.4	8.4	2.2	10.1
St. Helens	77	(37)—	(37)—	(37)—	15.7
Rest of North West	1,318	3.3	9.5	1.0	10.9
North East	1,052	3.2	7.5	1.1	9.5
Yorkshire and Humberside	2,241	3.7	8.4	1.5	9.1
East Midlands	1,943	3.1	9.1	1.9	8.3
West Midlands	2,413	3.6	7.6	1.2	9.2
Eastern	2,544	3.9	9.7	2.0	8.4
London	3,274	7.5	17.1	2.0	8.6
South East	3,892	5.0	11.7	2.2	10.1
South West	2,256	3.5	9.3	1.7	11.1
Wales	1,187	4.7	7.9	1.0	11.2
Scotland	2,279	4.5	10.3	1.0	13.6
Northern Ireland	676	4.7	9.0	(37)—	9.3
Autumn (September to November) 1999
UK	26,997	4.6	10.7	1.7	9.7
England	22,830	4.7	10.8	1.8	9.2
North West:	3,042	3.9	9.4	1.3	10.0
Greater Manchester	1,167	4.0	9.3	1.3	9.1
Merseyside	546	4.4	9.3	(37)—	9.6
St. Helens	77	(37)—	(37)—	(37)—	(37)—
Rest of North West	1,329	3.6	9.5	1.1	11.1
North East	1,064	2.9	7.3	1.0	10.0
Yorkshire and Humberside	2,265	3.9	8.2	1.8	9.5
East Midlands	1,960	4.2	9.3	1.4	8.4
West Midlands	2,408	3.7	8.7	1.2	9.3
Eastern	2,581	4.2	10.1	1.7	8.2
London	3,296	8.0	17.7	2.1	7.4
South East	3,922	5.2	11.7	2.6	9.8
South West	2,293	4.1	10.0	2.0	10.4
Wales	1,215	4.0	8.8	(37)—	11.6
Scotland	2,270	4.4	10.7	0.9	14.2
Northern Ireland	681	4.3	11.1	(37)—	8.6
	Autumn (September to November) 2000
UK	27,215	4.8	11.5	1.7	9.7
England	22,971	4.8	11.7	1.8	9.2
North West:	3,020	4.0	10.9	1.1	10.2
Greater Manchester	1,162	4.3	10.9	1.2	10.0
Merseyside	542	4.7	10.9	(37)—	10.9
St. Helens	69	(37)—	(37)—	(37)—	(37)—
Rest of North West	1,316	3.4	10.9	1.1	10.2
North East	1,083	3.6	7.8	1.5	8.8
Yorkshire and Humberside	2,291	3.9	9.0	1.4	9.9
East Midlands	1,963	3.7	10.5	1.1	9.3
West Midlands	2,382	3.8	9.6	1.7	10.0
Eastern	2,640	4.2	9.9	2.0	8.0
London	3,302	8.1	19.1	2.4	7.3
South East	3,958	5.5	12.1	2.2	9.1
South West	2,332	4.0	11.0	1.8	10.5
Wales	1,212	4.9	9.7	1.2	11.4
Scotland	2,344	4.7	10.4	1.4	14.3
Northern Ireland	689	4.6	11.1	(37)—	7.9
	Autumn (September to November) 2001
UK	27,425	5.2	11.9	1.5	9.3
England	23,176	5.2	12.0	1.6	8.8
North West:	3,020	4.4	10.3	1.1	9.6
Greater Manchester	1,169	3.4	10.4	1.0	9.2
Merseyside	549	5.4	10.3	(37)—	9.9
St. Helens	83	(37)—	(37)—	(37)—	(37)—
Rest of North West	1,302	4.9	10.2	1.2	9.7
North East	1,080	4.3	8.3	1.0	9.4
Yorkshire and Humberside	2,280	4.3	9.6	1.0	8.8
East Midlands	2,003	3.8	9.5	1.3	8.1
West Midlands	2,434	4.2	9.8	1.2	8.7
Eastern	2,656	4.1	10.5	1.9	9.0
London	3,366	9.3	20.2	2.5	7.4
South East	3,988	5.6	13.1	1.9	8.7
South West	2,350	4.3	10.6	1.8	10.1
Wales	1,223	4.8	8.7	1.1	11.5
Scotland	2,334	5.3	12.2	1.4	13.7
Northern Ireland	692	5.0	11.6	(37)—	8.6

⁽³³⁾ Men aged 16–64 and women aged 16–59.

⁽³⁴⁾ Base for percentages excludes people who did not state their qualifications.

⁽³⁵⁾ Includes people who did not state their qualifications.

⁽³⁶⁾ = 100 per cent.

⁽³⁷⁾ Sample size too small for reliable estimate.

Source:

ONS Labour Force Survey

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NIRS2

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much compensation has been paid in total to people who have been adversely affected by the problems with the NIRS2 computer system, broken down by year. [35287]

Dawn Primarolo: The delay in the implementation of NIRS2 caused arrears of work in both the Inland Revenue and the then DSS. These arrears have been managed through an integrated recovery plan. The compensation costs paid to customers as a result of the delays are:

Million

Year paid	IR	DSS	Total
1998–99	21.5	—	21.5
1999–2000	19.5	2.5	22.0
2000–01	14.0	1.3	15.3
2001–02	2.8	0.7	3.5
Total	57.8	4.5	62.3

The compensation costs paid in 2000–01 have previously been overstated. The actual amounts paid from the National Insurance Fund are set out.

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer since the NIRS2 computer system first became operational, how many people have received national insurance contribution rebates after the date they were due; how much money has been paid to these people in compensation; and what his best estimate is of the total value of late rebates that are outstanding. [35285]

Dawn Primarolo: The Government have paid over £57.8 million in compensation for late rebate payments since 1998. This is for compensation paid, on behalf of individuals, to pension providers for the late payment of NI age-related rebates for 1997–98.

Rebate payments, together with any compensation due, are paid directly as an aggregate amount to the pension provider, not to the individual scheme member. The

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information in relation to these payments is not held in a way that makes it possible to quantify the number of people whose rebates for 1997–98 were paid late. It is not possible to estimate the total value of late rebates still outstanding, as this is partly dependent on the extent to which all relevant information for 1997–98 has been received from employers.

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