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2 Dec 2002 : Column 556W—continued
Free School Meals
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schoolchildren in Leeds West are in receipt of free school meals; and what this number is as a percentage of the total. [81490]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| Maintained nursery and primary schools(14) | Maintained secondary schools(14) | All special schools(14),(15) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number on roll | Number known to be eligible for free meals | Percentage known to be eligible for free meals | Number on roll | Number known to be eligible for free meals | Percentage known to be eligible for free meals | Number on roll | Number known to be eligible for free meals | Percentage known to be eligible for free meals | |
| England | 4,405,639 | 754,511 | 17.1 | 3,260,931 | 486,353 | 14.9 | 87,734 | 33,695 | 38.3 |
| Leeds West | 7,932 | 1,999 | 25.2 | 4,093 | 1,007 | 24.6 | 193 | 80 | 41.5 |
(13) Includes middle schools as deemed.
(14) Excludes boarding pupils.
(15) Excludes pupils who are also registered at a mainstream school.
Further Education Funding
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the unit costs are of educating students in further education in (a) vocational and (b) academic courses in England. [83935]
Margaret Hodge: In 2002–03 we plan for total funding of £4,090 per full time equivalent student in further education sector colleges.
This figure is for students on all courses, as the Department does not allocate money separately for vocational and academic courses. The figure includes additional funds for 2002–03 announced in June for the 'Success for All' strategy, and in September for the Teaching Pay Initiative and the College Pay Initiative.
Graduate Incomes
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the total income over the average working life of (a) graduates and (b) non-graduates; and what the sources are for this information. [82773]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 25 November 2002]: Using Labour Force Survey data from the four quarters autumn 2000 to summer 2001, we have estimated that, on average, graduates whose highest qualification is a first degree earn around £1,075,000 over a working life. This figure relates to Great Britain, and is based on gross earnings from main job. The equivalent figure for graduates and non-graduates, collectively, is around £675,000. Average lifetime earnings for only non-graduates would be significantly lower than this figure.
Sir Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the difference between the incomes of non-graduates and graduates in the five years after graduation. [82947]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 26 November 2002]: The information requested is not available.
However, using Labour Force Survey data from the four quarters autumn 2000 to summer 2001, we estimate that first-degree graduates earn on average around £73,000 over the five years between the ages of 20 to 24 years inclusive. This figure relates to Great Britain, and is adjusted to take into account the likelihood of being in employment. The equivalent figure for graduates and non-graduates, collectively, is around £55,000. Average earnings over the ages of 20 to 24 years for only non-graduates would be significantly lower than this figure.
Graduates (Gender Balance)
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what gender balance is in graduates of mathematics, science and technology in England. [83201]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 25 November 2002]: The latest available information is shown in the table.
(16) Includes nursing.
2 Dec 2002 : Column 557W
Literacy Levels
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the levels of literacy in coalfield areas are, and how this compares with the national average for citizens born in the United Kingdom. [82248]
Mr. Miliband: The information is as follows:
(a) Levels of literacy in coalfield areas
The following table shows estimated literacy levels in the main coalfield districts (those districts with more than three 'coalfield wards').
National average = 24 per cent.
Note:
Data at ward level are available as a searchable database on the Basic Skills Agency (BSA) website at www.basic-skills.co.uk/datasite/, which also contains data by parliamentary constituency and by local Learning and Skills Council area.
(b) Levels of literacy of citizens born in the United Kingdom
2 Dec 2002 : Column 558W
The most detailed survey of basic skills in Britain is XAdult Literacy in Britain", published in 1997. This reported that 20 per cent. of the UK population born in the UK had low levels of literacy, compared with 41 per cent. of those born outside the UK.
The categories of skills referred to in the table above are defined as follows:
- 'Average or Above'—Someone in this category will be able to satisfactorily complete most tasks, given that they were straightforward and commonly encountered in everyday life. Respondents were allowed to make some mistakes without being classified as below average or in need of help.
'Low'—These respondents will be regarded as on the borderline of functional literacy and could attain the national standards in literacy and numeracy with relatively limited coursework or assistance.
'Lower'—These respondents have limited literacy and numeracy skills and would need directed assistance in order to reach the national standards. They would be expected to have difficulties in coping with at least some of the everyday literacy and numeracy requirements they encounter.
'Very Low'—These people have severe literacy and numeracy problems and would need intensive assistance to reach national standards.
Higher Education Funding
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total budgetary deficit is for each higher education institution. [83938]
Margaret Hodge : In 2000–01, there were 48 higher education institutions with budget deficits out of a total of 130. Higher education institutions include their accounts in their published annual reports.
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