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Catering Services

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost was of (a) in-house canteen and (b) other catering services provided by her Department in each of the last four years. [38933]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: My Department's cost for (a) in-house canteen and (b) other catering services in each of the last four years is as follows:

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	£
In-house
2000–01	119,541
1999–2000	130,437
1998–99	111,766
1997–98	(3)—
Other catering services
2000–01	535,188
1999–2000	408,026
1998–99	337,961
1997–98	273,291

⁽³⁾ No figures available

Job Advertisements

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the job advertisements placed by her Department in the last 12 months specifying where the advertisements were placed and the cost in each case. [39056]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department placed approximately 65 job advertisements in a wide variety of national, local and specialist media in the last 12 months. The media used most regularly included the Guardian, the Sunday Times, the Times Educational Supplement, the Evening Standard, The Voice, the Ethnic Media Group of Newspapers and the Pink Paper.

A more complete answer could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Modern Languages

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proposals she has to provide resources to recruit more teachers of modern foreign languages to adult learners. [48234]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 10 April 2002]: We propose to provide additional resources to assist further education colleges and other post-16 learning institutions to recruit and retain teachers in shortage subjects. The resources will cover the introduction of 'Golden Hello' payments and, subject to the passing of legislation by Parliament, help to pay off, over time, the student loans of newly appointed teachers in shortage subjects. We are currently consulting on the list of shortage subjects which includes modern foreign languages.

Engineering Ambassadors Scheme

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the terms of reference are of the engineering ambassadors scheme; and if she will make a statement. [49848]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Science and engineering ambassadors will build on, strengthen and expand existing work around the country bringing young people and teachers together with people who use science, technology, engineering, and mathematics skills in their careers. It aims to show young people the links between what they learn at school and the world of work, and to give them an understanding of science/engineering career opportunities.

Science and engineering ambassadors (SEAs) has been jointly developed by this Department and DTI colleagues. It was launched jointly by my noble Friends the Minister

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for Early Years and School Standards and the Minister for Science on 31 January, initially as part of Science Year but is expected to become a permanent activity—a legacy of Science Year. A copy of the SEAs brochure will be placed in the Libraries and more information is available on www.setnet.org.uk.

Trainee Doctors

Mr. Mole: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action she intends to take in co-operation with the Department of Health to rationalise student finance for trainee doctors. [49907]

Margaret Hodge: It has been agreed with the Department of Health that, from academic year 2002–03, undergraduate medical and dental students should in year five and any subsequent year of their course become eligible for a means-tested NHS bursary of up to £2,640 a year in London and £2,148 elsewhere and a reduced-rate student loan of up to £2,365 a year in London and £1,915 elsewhere.

For the first four years of their course, medical and dental students will be entitled to loans from the Student Loans Company like other higher education students and they are assessed for a contribution to tuition fees. However, from year five they will not pay any contribution to tuition fees.

In addition, they will also continue to receive extra weeks allowances throughout the course to take account of their longer academic year.

This enhanced package of support recognises that medical and dental training programmes are longer than average; and it should help to guarantee the supply of newly qualified staff.

Tuition Fees

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether figures are available which indicate the number of students who are eligible to pay tuition fees and who do not receive the required contribution from their parents. [49803]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 17 April 2002]: In England and Wales students on undergraduate courses and their families are expected to make a contribution towards their tuition fees only if they can afford to do so.

In academic year 1999–2000, the latest year for which data are available, the number of higher education students (both dependent and independent) eligible for support was 479,000.

The only data available on parental contributions to tuition fees come from the Student Income and Expenditure Survey in 1998–99 when only first-year students were liable to pay tuition fees. In that survey four in five students, whose parents had been assessed for a contribution, said that they had received the full amount. However, the survey also showed that the parental contribution to students' maintenance was on average £348 more than the assessed amount.

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Graduate Debt

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the average level of graduate debt, broken down by social class. [49808]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 17 April 2002]: The average debt of a borrower with a mortgage-style student loan taken out under the previous Government's student support arrangements starting repayment status in 1999–2000 was £3,210. The amount available to students through student loans has increased under the loan-based support system introduced in August 1998. So the average debt of a borrower with a new income-contingent loan entering repayment status in April 2002 has increased and is estimated to be some £6,100. Repayments of income- contingent loans will be linked to graduates' income after leaving higher education so they repay only when their income exceeds the threshold of £10,000 per annum. Interest on student loans is linked to inflation so that borrowers repay, in real terms, only the amount borrowed. The data are not available by social class.

Professional Indemnity Insurance

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many contracts her Department has with consultants; what level of professional indemnity insurance is standard in contracts with small consultants; whether she can make exceptions to the level of professional indemnity insurance; and what recent discussions she has had with other Government Departments about the level of professional indemnity insurance. [50827]

Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 18 April 2002]: The information on the number of contracts my Department has with consultants could only be provided at disproportionate costs.

With regard to professional indemnity insurance, my Department's model contract for purchases asks for 'unlimited liability'. As developed by HM Treasury my officials are, however, always prepared to negotiate with contractors and agree a limit of professional indemnity appropriate to the level of risk associated with each individual contract.

It is not the Government's practice to provide details of discussions which form part of the process of policy development and analysis, therefore I am unable to answer your final question.

Specialist Status Schools

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the targets agreed by Sir Thomas Rich's school, Gloucestershire LEA, at the time of its acquisition of specialist status, identifying those not yet achieved. [52144]

Mr. Timms: Sir Thomas Rich's school has been operating as a language college since September 2000. The information requested is being collated. I will therefore write to the hon. Member as soon as possible giving a full reply to the question raised.

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Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the targets agreed by Our Lady's Convent high school, London borough of Hackney LEA, at the time of its acquisition of specialist status, identifying those not achieved. [52143]

Mr. Timms: Our Lady's Convent high school has been operating as a language college since September 1999. The information requested is being collated. I will therefore write to the hon. Member as soon as possible giving a full reply to the question raised.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the targets agreed by Bournemouth school, Bournemouth LEA, at the time of its acquisition of specialist status, identifying those which are not yet achieved. [52142]

Mr. Timms: Bournemouth school has been operating as a language college since September 2000. The information requested is being collated. I will therefore write to the hon. Member as soon as possible giving a full reply to the question raised.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the targets agreed by Katharine Lady Berkeley's school, Gloucestershire LEA, at the time of its acquisition of specialist status, identifying those not yet achieved. [52405]

Mr. Timms: Katharine Lady Berkeley's school has been operating as a language college since September 1996. The information requested is being collated. I will therefore write to the hon. Member as soon as possible giving a full reply to the question raised.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the targets agreed by Pate's Grammar School, Gloucestershire LEA, at the time of its acquisition of specialist status, identifying those not yet achieved. [52404]

Mr. Timms: Pate's Grammar School has been operating as a language college since September 2001. The information requested is being collated. I will therefore write to the hon. Member as soon as possible giving a full reply to the question raised.

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