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Teenage Pregnancies

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) conceptions, (b) maternities and (c) abortions were recorded among girls of each year of age under 16 in each health region in each year since 1989. [28209]

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

Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Andrew Turner, dated 8 March 2002:



Conceptions under 16 by outcome and age for health regions 1992–2000

Number of conceptions Number of conceptions leading to maternity Number at conceptions leading to abortion
Age at conception Under 141415Age at conception Under 141415Age at conception Under 141415
Year of conception and health region*
1992
Northern & Yorkshire532367962511347228123324
Trent46187659148636432101295
West Midlands51199674199335632106318
North West412487652212046519128300
Eastern2613940610521821687224
London482255941910429129121303
South East45186647196433426122313
South West3211532911501692165160
Wales21973528481971349155
1993
Northern & Yorkshire572757802010344237172338
Trent42225606189532824130278
West Midlands452286442411936921109275
North West552617862312844732133339
Eastern2516137710641801597197
London54200613268929328111320
South East41191634196928122122353
South West2812834615441701384176
Wales2110533910502071155132
1994
Northern & Yorkshire693038372715048542153352
Trent48235624239734525138279
West Midlands502477332510040525147328
North West622648002411846238146338
Eastern211464098561971390212
London66243656289029938153357
South East35243647168432419159323
South West231333968511771582219
Wales231243588582101566148
1995
Northern & Yorkshire532719231913555934136364
Trent352146731011341325101260
West Midlands482397112512541323114298
North West472358211711446330121358
Eastern3613044210522142678228
London742327133010133844131375
South East392387291610235123136378
South West2513342310562021577221
Wales2514240013802371262163
1996
Northern & Yorkshire603178873215250328165384
Trent58210790198846339122327
West Midlands57225821229942735126394
North West542569212112352533133396
Eastern2513748511512581486227
London712788233510536936173454
South East57225810257541732150393
South West3916044713682372692210
Wales3015346114772691676192
1997
Northern & Yorkshire573099072813753529172372
Trent342176471511734319100304
West Midlands52239721229636030143361
North West452457811911142426134357
Eastern251494579572381692219
London572857992011536637170433
South East472627741911140728151367
South West3414242215642181978204
Wales141164342582581258176
1998
Northern & Yorkshire633018562613446137167395
Trent562416722610835830133314
West Midlands56227752188736838140384
North West392638262110843918155387
Eastern2815645113572231599228
London642808082511035139170457
South East54236773179836237138411
South West3514447410532282591246
Wales2814042914662421474187
1999
Northern & Yorkshire532608062313240330128403
Trent39204623148931125115312
West Midlands49206635228633927120296
North West502588262110643729152389
Eastern2714545511582091687246
London71257730319932540158405
South East63256737289833735158400
South West28161469105923218102237
Wales2611939214582101261182
2000
Northern & Yorkshire432508051811940825131397
Trent40181590187531022106280
West Midlands492347092110434228130367
North West38229840219843017131410
Eastern3015343011631851990245
London873038562410534063198516
South East472687922211334825155444
South West4015345016592152494235
Wales2111935410542001165154

* Boundaries as at 1 April 2001

Source: Office for National Statistics

Background note:

1. Boundaries are for health regions as defined at 1 April 2001. This is a consequence of the absence of postcode on the electronic records for abortions prior to 1992.

2. The wording of the question is ambiguous in that year of age could relate either to the age at which events occurred or to conceptions at each age leading to an abortion or a maternity. For consistency, we have chosen the latter interpretation since it provides the two components of conceptions at each age.

3. To prevent disclosure and preserve the confidentiality of individuals figures for under 14 have not been disaggregated.

4. This question was originally asked of the Secretary of State for Health on 15 January 2002 The Department of Health transferred it to ONS on 1 March 2002.

5. Numbers of conceptions are estimated from registrations of births and notifications of abortions. Miscarriages before the 24th week of gestation are not included.

8 Mar 2002 : Column 621W

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Standard Spending Assessment

Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will give the total standard spending assessment per pupil, and the total over or under spend per pupil, broken down by local education authority for England and Wales for each year from 1990–91 to 2000–01, for 2001–02 to date, and projected for the financial year 2002–03, adjusted for inflation at current values. [37196]

Mr. Timms: The information requested is not collected in the form requested. Because of the long time series involved, it is only possible to provide an analysis for education overall. A table containing information showing Local Education Authorities' Standard spending Assessments (SSA) and Outturn at 2001 prices for England has been placed in the Library. My right

8 Mar 2002 : Column 622W

hon. Friend is not responsible for expenditure in Wales. We do not yet have information on spending in 2001–02, or projected for 2002–03.

Individual Learning Account

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) whether the database held by Capita of individual learning account holders has been made available to her Department to assist in investigations into fraud and abuse of the individual learning account scheme; and if she will make a statement; [36945]

8 Mar 2002 : Column 623W

John Healey: Capita have complied with all of the Department's requests for information about Individual Learning Account holders and have been working closely with the Department to assist investigations into potential fraud and abuse of the Individual Learning Account programme.

Capita provided four copies of the ILA Centre database; one has been passed to the police and three copies have been retained by my Department.

Job No: 715993 Folios: 000-000Operator: Operator No 3. Date: 08/03/02

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information concerning individual learning account holders is stored by Capita; and in what form. [36947]

Mr. Healey: The Individual Learning Account Centre, which is managed by Capita, stores information provided by Individual Learning account holders on the Individual Leaning Account Application Form. This information is stored both electronically and as a hard copy. The information held is as follows:








Providing information for items marked ** was not compulsory and therefore is not held for all ILA holders.

In addition information is held electronically on learning episodes undertaken by ILA holders. This covers: registered learning provider number, course identifier, course name, course start date, course cost and payment claimed.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the non-fraudulent abuses of the Individual Learning Account scheme have been; and if she will issue guidance on methods of selling in any successor scheme. [40403]

John Healey [holding answer 5 March 2002]: Recorded complaints received in respect of non-compliance with the rules of the programme included aggressive marketing, poor value for money, unsolicited learning materials sent to learners, improper use of the ILA and DfES logos and offers of free training to which individuals were not required to contribute.

There will be a replacement ILA-style scheme building on the strengths of the ILA and taking into account lessons learned from the ILA investigations, and the findings of the current stakeholder consultation exercise due in early April. We will announce our plans for the successor scheme in due course.

Job No: 715993 Folios: 000-000Operator: Operator No 3. Date: 08/03/02

8 Mar 2002 : Column 624W

Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what the Government are doing to help those students who started individual learning account courses and could not complete the course because of the decision to suspend ILAs; [40629]

John Healey: The Individual Learning Account programme was closed down completely on 23 November 2001. The Department has taken steps to ensure all bookings of eligible learning are honoured. The Department has put in place validation arrangements to process payments for claims already in the system when it was closed down and for submitting claims for learning booked, but unconfirmed on the system at its closure on 23 November. All learners who started ILA supported learning will, subject to validation checks, benefit from a discount.

It was not mandatory for a learner to complete their ILA supported course to b able to benefit from a discount. Therefore, the ILA Centre was not required to hold information on course completion.


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