---

21 Oct 2002 : Column 37W—continued

Lombok

Mr. MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political and economic situation on the island of Lombok, Indonesia. [76034]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The political situation in Lombok has stabilised since the widespread violence between Christians and Muslims in 2000, though reports of isolated incidents of violence continue. Lombok is one of Indonesia's poorer provinces and its tourism industry will undoubtedly suffer following the terrorist attack in Bali and advice to overseas visitors to stay away.

UN Security Council Resolutions

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list each of the United Nations Security Council resolutions which have not been implemented by UN member states since August 1990; and if he will set out what the United Kingdom has done in each case to press for implementations. [75872]

Mr. MacShane: Between August 1990 and 17 October 2002 the United Nations Security Council adopted 779 resolutions.

The UK expects all Member States to implement Security Council resolutions, and has called on the States concerned to do so, as has the Security Council itself. When the Security Council has taken a decision all Member States have an obligation to accept it and carry it out under Article 25 of the Charter of the United Nations.

The United Kingdom has also fully supported the establishment of a number of committees of the UN Security Council, monitoring mechanisms and expert panels whose mandates include monitoring member states' implementation of Security Council resolutions (eg, those imposing sanctions regimes, or demanding that states take action against terrorism).

International Criminal Court

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterparts within the European Union

21 Oct 2002 : Column 38W

regarding a common EU position on bilateral agreements with the United States regarding the exemption of US citizens from the ICC. [76014]

Mr. MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has had a number of discussions with his EU counterparts about the US government's request for bilateral agreements under Article 98.2 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in the period leading up to the GAER Council on 30 September. At that meeting, my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Europe (Peter Hain), agreed Conclusions and General Principles on the handling of the US request, consistent with the ICC Statute.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Student Loans

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what procedures are in place to allow those repaying student loans to obtain up to date balances of the total sum owed. [74309]

Margaret Hodge: Borrowers under the pre-1998–99 scheme of mortgage style loans receive annual statements from the Student Loans Company (SLC) showing what has been repaid and the outstanding balance owed.

For most borrowers under the income-contingent loans scheme, repayments are collected by their employers through deductions from their earnings, with tax and national insurance contributions. These borrowers receive a statement from the SLC after the end of the tax year, once the SLC has received details of what has been collected by the Inland Revenue. As well as the yearly statement, borrowers' payslips contain details of their repayments. If a borrower contacts the SLC, the company can provide an estimate of the amounts that have been repaid and what is outstanding using the information on the borrower's payslips. Borrowers can contact the SLC over the phone for this information.

Self-employed borrowers receive their statements after making their self-assessment return to the Inland Revenue.

The SLC is introducing a service by the end of November 2002 for borrowers under the income-contingent loan scheme who have nearly completed repayment of their loan. Based on a projection of earnings from the borrower, the SLC will tell the Inland Revenue when repayments should stop being collected. This is designed to prevent employers collecting too much and the borrower having to obtain a refund.

Higher Education Access

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average extra cost is of a marginal student under the programme of widening access to higher education. [74669]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 15 October 2002]: The information requested is not available.

21 Oct 2002 : Column 39W

We are determined to encourage more people from under-represented groups to enter higher education. Through the Excellence Challenge we are spending #190 million over 3 years to raise the attainment and aspirations of young people in some of the most deprived areas of the country. Our AimHigher campaign, which includes a roadshow for schools and colleges in Excellence Challenge areas is promoting the benefits of higher education. We have also introduced significant extra financial help for students who need it, including increasing Access and Hardship Funds fourfold, a child care grant and a travel books and equipment grant for student parents, and, as part of the Excellence Challenge, we have introduced Opportunity Bursaries for young people from low income backgrounds. We have also significantly increased support for part-time students through fee waivers and loans. Additionally the Higher Education Funding Council for England also provides significant funding for widening participation including the postcode premium for institutions which they increased to #41 million this year. Their funding for widening participation totals about #180 million in 2002–03, including student support.

Student Numbers

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average unit cost of capital to support increased student numbers is. [74670]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 15 October 2002]: Capital funding for FE colleges is not paid on a cost per student basis, so unit cost figures are not available. Where capital investment is needed for expansion of places, colleges can apply to the Learning and Skills Council for separate capital grants for specific projects. They may also fund capital from revenue funding for

21 Oct 2002 : Column 40W

students, through borrowing, and through Private Finance Initiative projects. Funding for the Further Education sector included no ear-marked capital in 1997–98; we plan to provide over #250 million in 2003–04.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England provides capital funding for a variety of purposes, for example for improving poor estates, and providing access for students with disabilities. Higher education institutions are invited to bid for this funding. If capital investment is needed for the expansion of student places, higher education institutions are expected to fund this from recurrent grant, reserves, from charities, endowments or other gifts, through PPP/PFI projects or through borrowing. Our planned funding for the Higher Education sector included ear-marked capital of #256 million in 2001–02, rising to #364 million in 2003–04.

Sponsorships

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the schemes and initiatives sponsored by her Department and its agencies which are not the subject of national roll out, showing (a) the authorities or areas covered by the scheme and (b) the budget of the scheme in the last year for which information is available. [75669]

Estelle Morris: Details of area based initiatives operated by my Department are set out below.

The number of authorities or areas covered by these initiatives is too numerous to list here.

Therefore, where available, website details are included.

Budget details listed for each initiative are for financial year 2001–2002.

Area Based Initiative	Website Address	In year Budget for 2001–2002 (#m's)
Neighbourhood Nurseries	Not all areas decided yet but will cover 20% of wards selected as those with highest deprivation as per the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Index of multiple deprivation. Or pockets of equivalent deprivation.	46
Sure Start	www.surestart.gov.uk	206
Education Action Zones	www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/exellence	90
Children's Fund	www.cypu.gov.uk	85
Community Champions	www.dfes.gov.uk/communitychampions	3
Neighbourhood Support Fund	www.dfes.gov.uk/nsf	19

Research (Primates)

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the use of primates in research in British universities. [75630]

Margaret Hodge: Use of animals for research is regulated by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. This specifies that non-human primates can only be used where there are no alternatives. In addition to regulatory testing to help ensure the safety of medicines, non-human primates are also used for other important areas of fundamental research. For example they contribute to programmes of work relating to Parkinson's disease, visual impairment, stroke, diabetes, disorders of reproduction and vaccine development. Non-human primates were used in only 0.15 per cent. of regulated scientific procedures in 2001. Detailed information is available in the ''Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain 2001'' which is published by the Stationery Office and is available on the Home Office website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/animalsinsp/index.htm.

---