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28 Jan 2003 : Column 781W—continued

Special Educational Needs

Dr. Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what training Ofsted inspectors have received in respect of duties imposed on schools by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001. [92995]

Mr. Miliband: The training undertaken by school inspectors is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector David Bell will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of his letter will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Specialist Status Schools

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills of the schools that have lost specialist status since 1996, how many were (a) arts, (b) business and enterprise, (c) engineering, (d) languages, (e) maths and computing, (f) science, (g) sports and (h) technology. [93197]

Mr. Miliband: There have been 33 specialist schools which have lost their specialist status since 1996. Of these schools, 32 were technology colleges and one was a language college.

Student Funding

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether bankruptcy discharges liability to repay student loans; and if he will make a statement. [91182]

Margaret Hodge: Bankruptcy discharges liability to repay student loans where the loan was taken out before the commencement of bankruptcy.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many UK students have qualified for the income-dependent element of student loans in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland in each academic year since 1998; [91637]

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Margaret Hodge [holding answer 20 January 2003]: For the first year of the new student support arrangements, academic year 1998–99, eligible new entrants domiciled in England and Wales received support for living costs through both grants and loans. Grants, which were assessed against family income, on average formed about a quarter of the support available. All students were entitled to a non income-assessed loan which comprised the remaining three quarters of support available.

New entrants to higher education from 1999–2000, together with those who started in 1998–99, receive support for living costs through loans which are partly income assessed.

The number of students in academic years 1999–2000 and 2000–01 (latest year for which data is available) who are eligible for the full income-assessed element of the loan and those who receive some of the income-assessed element of the loan are:

All students(23),(24),(25)
Thousand

Academic yearStudents eligible for the full income-assessed element of the loanStudents eligible for part of the income-assessed element of the loan
1999–2000
England295.148.9
Wales21.43.9
2000–01(26),(27)
England348.380.0
Wales(26)(26)(26)

(23) The amount of student loan available is assessed by local education authorities in England and Wales for students who are normally domiciled in their area and studying in the UK.

(24) Includes students in receipt of loans for extra weeks of study.

(25) Excludes students in receipt of the reduced rate of loan as these are not subject to income-assessment.

(26) In academic year 2000–01 data are not available separately for Wales due to a low response rate to the survey. Data are provisional.

(27) The apparent rise in student numbers over the two years is accounted for by the introduction of income-assessed student loans in 1999–2000 for those starting their courses that year or academic year 1998–99—so two cohorts were included in the first year but three in 2000–01.

Source:

F503G student support survey of LEAs in England and Wales


The devolved Administrations for Scotland and Northern Ireland are responsible for their own administration of student loans.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what reports he has received about the number of students in Scotland who have qualified for (a) the full amount, (b) a proportion and (c) no part of the young students' bursary in each academic year since its introduction. [91639]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 20 January 2003]: My right hon. Friend does not hold information on Scottish issues. This is a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many UK students in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland and

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(d) Scotland qualified for (i) the full amount, (ii) a proportion and (iii) no part of student maintenance grants in each academic year from 1990 to 1998. [91753]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 20 January 2003]: The support arrangements under the mandatory awards scheme for eligible undergraduate students domiciled in England and Wales on courses which began before 1 September 1998 consisted of payment, usually in full, of their tuition fees, a grant towards their maintenance, depending on income, and a non-income assessed loan. New students in academic year 1998–99, were expected to contribute up to £1,000 a year towards the cost of their tuition depending on family income. In 1998–99, income-assessed grants on average only formed about a quarter of the support available and all students were

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entitled to a non income-assessed loan which comprised the remaining three quarters of support available and which will be repayable on an income contingent basis.

In addition to the basic maintenance grant disabled students, students with dependants and lone parent students could also apply for various supplementary grants and allowances, the majority of which were income-assessed.

The number of students in academic years 1990–91 to 1998–99 who have been assessed for a full, partial or nil contribution to their maintenance are shown in the table.

The devolved Administrations for Northern Ireland and Scotland are responsible for the administration of their own student support.

Maintenance awards Status of student: academic years 1990–91 to 1998–99 —England and Wales(28)
Thousand

Mandatory scheme students(29)
1990–911991–92(30)1992–931993–941994–951995–961996–971997–98
England
Students with:
Full maintenance grants165.8257.8301.2324.0328.8321.9317.3
Partial maintenance grants169.9205.7224.2225.0218.6205.8203.4
Nil maintenance grants(31)117.1147.3154.8168.4179.2194.0205.6
All students(32)452.8610.8680.2717.4726.6721.7726.3
Wales
Students with:
Full maintenance grants11.917.319.420.320.821.020.2
Partial maintenance grants12.915.115.816.315.214.114.0
Nil maintenance grants(31)5.26.46.27.18.28.29.2
All students(32)30.038.841.443.744.243.343.4

1998–99(31)
Mandatory scheme students(29)Student support scheme students(29),(31)All students
England
Students with:
Full maintenance grants198.2118.9317.1
Partial maintenance grants139.043.0182.1
Nil maintenance grants(31)150.064.7214.7
All students(32)487.2226.7713.9
Wales
Students with:
Full maintenance grants12.78.721.4
Partial maintenance grants9.32.511.8
Nil maintenance grants(31)6.83.610.4
All students(32)28.814.843.6

(28) The table shows awards made by local education authorities in England and Wales to students normally domiciled in their area. The table excludes placement year sandwich students who do not normally receive maintenance support in their placement year.

(29) Up to and including academic year 1998–99 eligible students in England and Wales received support through income-assessed grants and a non income-assessed student loan. For new students in 1998–99, the proportion of grant and loan was approximately 25 per cent. and 75 per cent.

(30) Separate data for academic year 1991–92 are not available; combined England and Wales totals show 212.1 thousand students with full maintenance grants, 199.1 thousand students with partial maintenance grants and, 135.2 thousand students with a nil maintenance grant. These figures do not include data in respect of the London Residuary Body estimated to be 8,600 mandatory awards; an accurate breakdown of this figure is not available.

(31) Data in 1998–99 include an estimated 15,000 students support scheme students in England and Wales who, because they did not expect to receive a contribution to their support from public funds, did not make an application to their local authority.

(32) Totals may not add through due to roundings.

Source:

F503G survey of local education authorities on student support



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