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Disabled Students (Access)

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent progress has been made by further and higher education providers to ensure that course materials are accessible to disabled students; and if he will make a statement. [76001]

Margaret Hodge: Through the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001, the Government have amended the Disability Discrimination Act to place new duties on providers of post-16 education. These duties started to be effective from September 2002. It is now unlawful to discriminate against disabled students by treating them less favourably than others, and responsible bodies have a duty to provide reasonable adjustments to provision where disabled students might otherwise be substantially disadvantaged. This duty includes ensuring that any course materials provided to disabled students are available in an accessible format.

Engineering Training

Mr. Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to propose amendments to legislation regarding levies to the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board. [76617]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: [holding answer 24 October 2002]: The Industrial Training Act 1982 gives industrial training boards the power to raise a levy from employers in the industry they cover. The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) makes annual proposals to me for its levy arrangements, including the rates of levy that it feels are needed to encourage adequate training. The proposals must have the agreement of organisations representing the majority of those employers who pay most of the levy. Parliamentary approval is also required before I can make an order to put them into effect. I have no plans at present to change the legislation.

Higher Education

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether students with (a) the University for Industry and (b) the National Health Service University will be treated as participating in higher education. [76818]

Margaret Hodge: Those students who are registered on a programme of study leading to a higher education qualification are treated as participating in higher education. This applies to Ufi learners and will also apply to learners within the NHSU, once it is established.

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to widen participation in higher education. [74820]

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Margaret Hodge: This Government are committed to widening participation in higher education. Our reform of secondary education will improve attainment levels and encourage greater numbers to enter higher education. Through our 14–19 proposals we will ensure that young people have access to both academic and vocational study which is attractive and relevant to them, further raising the post-16 staying on rate, levels of attainment and aspirations.

We have introduced the Excellence Challenge, worth over #190 million over three years, which will raise aspirations and attainment in some of the country's most deprived areas, and our AimHigher campaign promotes the benefits of higher education to young people. We have also increased student support for those who need it, including Opportunity Bursaries for young people from low income backgrounds, increased Access and Hardship Funds and a new child care grant and travel, books and equipment grant for student parents.

The forthcoming higher education strategy document will set out a 10-year vision for developing higher education, and widening participation will naturally be a key element of that vision. The Government strongly believe that fair access to all our universities and colleges must be an integral part of our higher education system and our strategy document will reflect that.

Modern Apprenticeships

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the funding available to those over 19 completing a modern apprenticeship in (a) England and (b) Wales. [76832]

Margaret Hodge: Funding and planning of Modern Apprenticeship provision is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. John Harwood, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested and place a copy of his reply in the Library. The funding of Modern Apprenticeships in Wales is a devolved issue.

Reoffending

Mr Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action he has taken to implement the recommendations relevant to his Department in the Social Exclusion Unit report Reducing Re-offending by Ex-prisoners. [76808]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Social Exclusion and Women on 24 October. Responsibility for co-ordinating action to implement the recommendations of the Social Exclusion Unit report XReducing Re-offending by Ex-prisoners" rests with the Home Office, where a new unit, the Adult Offenders Rehabilitation Unit has been set up. This unit will, in due course, produce an action plan detailing how the recommendations will be taken forward. Interdepartmental groups of ministers and officials will be convened to oversee the work of this unit. The Social Exclusion Unit remains fully involved in monitoring and facilitating progress through its implementation team.

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Student Funding Review

Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when the Government will publish its review of student funding. [77908]

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he intends to publish the review of student funding. [77754]

Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when the Government will publish its review of student funding. [77777]

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he expects to announce the results of the review into higher education spending. [77536]

Margaret Hodge: The outcome of the student finance review will form part of the strategy document setting out our 10-year vision for the development and reform of higher education. We will be publishing the strategy document shortly.

Student Loans

Mr. MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for what reason eligibility for student loans is restricted to those under the age of 55. [76128]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 21 October 2002]: In England and Wales student loans for maintenance are not available to over 54 year olds only because the loan is written off at retirement age, which may leave many older graduates with inadequate time for repayment.

There is no age limit on eligibility for grants for tuition fees, supplementary grants for living costs or hardship funds, which do not have to be repaid.

Mr. MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for what reason people aged 50 to 54 wishing to access loans have to state their intention to seek employment in writing. [76129]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 21 October 2002]: Student loans are intended to be repaid. For this reason, in England and Wales, they are only available to 50 to 54 year-olds who intend to enter employment upon graduating, and thus, will have the means to repay.

There is no age limit on eligibility for grants for tuition fees, supplementary grants for living costs or hardship funds which do not have to be repaid.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to raise the repayment threshold for student loans. [77748]

Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the Government will raise the repayment threshold for student loans. [77781]

Margaret Hodge: There are two types of student loan. Borrowers who started their courses before the 1998–99 academic year are liable to repay fixed-term (mortgage-style) loans. Income contingent loans apply to the vast majority of borrowers who entered higher education from the 1998–99 academic year.

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Under the mortgage-style loans scheme, a student can defer their loan repayments for a year at a time if their income is not more than 85 per cent. of national average earnings. This deferment threshold is recalculated annually in line with figures published by National Statistics, and is currently #21,022 for the year starting 1 September 2002. Any change to the 85 per cent. threshold would require primary legislation and we have no plans to make such a change.

The threshold for repaying income contingent loans is an annual income of #10,000. Borrowers over this threshold are liable to repay 9 per cent. of their income over #10,000. The repayment scheme came into effect in April 2000 and the level of the threshold is being kept under review.

Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans the Government have to raise the repayment threshold of student loans. [77910]

Margaret Hodge: We have announced our intention to publish a strategy document setting out our vision for the development and reform of higher education, including the outcome of the review of student support. The document will be out shortly; it would not be right to pre-empt it here by saying what is or is not planned.

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to increase the earnings threshold at which student loans become repayable; and if she will make a statement. [77056]

Margaret Hodge: There are two types of student loan. Borrowers who started their courses before the 1998–99 Academic Year are liable to repay fixed-term (mortgage-style) loans. Income contingent loans apply to the vast majority of borrowers who entered higher education from the 1998–99 Academic Year.

Under the mortgage-style loans scheme, a student can defer their loan repayments for a year at a time if their income is not more than 85 per cent. of national average earnings. This deferment threshold is recalculated annually in line with figures published by National Statistics, and is currently 21,022 for the year starting 1 September 2002. We have no plans to change the 85 per cent. threshold.

The threshold for repaying income contingent loans is an annual income of 10,000. Borrowers over this threshold are liable to repay 9 per cent. of their income over 10,000. The repayment scheme came into effect in April 2000 and the level of the threshold is being kept under review.

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