House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 26 Mar 2003 (pt 16)

26 Mar 2003 : Column 283W—continued

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Attendance Monitoring

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what he estimates to be the cost of the joint LEA and DfES awareness campaign, to be run in April, to highlight key messages on attendance monitoring to local education authorities. [104418]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The joint Department for Education and Skills and Cabinet Office document: "Making A Difference" Reducing Red Tape and Bureaucracy In Schools—Second Report contains a typographical error at page 6 of the Executive Summary. In the outcome relating to LEA monitoring of attendance, the acronym "LEA" should read "LGA" (Local Government Association). The related action, to be found at page 23 of the report, explains that work on the joint DfES/LGA awareness campaign will begin from April 2003. This initial work will include scoping the extent of the campaign and its likely cost.

First Aid

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) if he will make a statement regarding the provision of basic first aid education for children; [104446]

(a)

(b)

Mr. Miliband: Basic Aid Training is included in the curriculum as part of the framework for Personal Social and Health Education. No assessment has been made by the Department for Education and Skills of the benefits of first aid teaching in schools. The aim is to ensure that children are safe within and outside their school environment. At Key Stage 2 (ages 7–11) children are taught about school rules, health and safety, basic emergency aid procedures and where to get help. Learning continues through Key Stage 3 and 4. At Key Stage 4 (ages 5–16) young people learn to recognise and follow health and safety requirements and develop skills to cope with emergency situations that require basic aid procedures, including resuscitation techniques.

Higher Education

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what actions he is taking in conjunction with the Higher Education Funding

26 Mar 2003 : Column 284W

Council for England to monitor the value added by higher education institutions, with particular reference to in-course assessment. [104098]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 24 March 2003]: Since 1999, HEFCE has published each year Performance Indicators for each institution on student non-continuation and progression rates, benchmarked against entry qualifications and other factors. As signalled in the White Paper for Higher Education published in January 2003, we have asked HEFCE to build upon this work, reviewing the current methodologies for recording student achievement and developing more sophisticated ways of measuring 'value added'. HEFCE will announce details of their review shortly.

Hospitality

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what hospitality has been offered at public expense in the last 12 months, by each Minister in his Department to outside interest groups, broken down by (a) restaurant, (b) recipient and (c) cost in each case; [99521]

(3) how often Ministers in his Department have received hospitality in restaurants from outside groups in the last 12 months. [99596]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: All offers of hospitality are made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in Government Accounting. The giving and receiving of hospitality is conducted fully in accordance with the guidance set out in the Ministerial Code, and Guidance on Contacts with Outside Interest Groups including Lobbyists. The detailed information requested is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his Department's hospitality budget (a) is in 2002–03 and (b) was in each of the last three years; and how much was left unspent at the end of each financial year. [99597]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: My Department does not hold budgets specifically for hospitality. I refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 27 January 2003, Official Report, columns 539–40W, which provides figures on spend.

LEAs (Meetings)

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what meetings he has had with representatives of local education authorities in the last 12 months. [103357]

Mr. Charles Clarke: In line with Exemptions 2 and 7 of the "Code of Practice on/Access to Government Information", it is not normal practice of Governments

26 Mar 2003 : Column 285W

to release details of specific meetings or their content, as some of these discussions may have taken place on a confidential basis.

Sector Skills Councils

Mr. Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the sector skills councils, and the names of the chairman and chief executive of each. [104093]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Five trailblazer Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) were announced in December 2001 and have received two year licences to operate. Details are as follows:

Cogent—trailblazer SSC for oil and gas extraction, chemicals manufacturing and petroleum industries.

Chair—John Mumford

Chief Executive—John Ramsay

Lantra—trailblazer SSC for the environment and land based sector.

Chair—Gordon McGlone

Chief Executive—Peter Martin

Skillfast-UK—trailblazer SSC for apparel, footwear and textiles industries.

Chair-Edward Stanners

Chief Executive—Linda Florance

26 Mar 2003 : Column 286W

Skillset—trailblazer SSC for the audio visual industries.

Chair—Clive Jones

Chief Executive-Dinah Caine

Skillsmart-trailblazer SSC for the retail sector.

Chair-Belinda Earl

Chief Executive—Nigel Broome

There are ten further sectors in the final phase of developing Sector Skills Council proposals for consideration by the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA). As SSCs are licensed, information about them including the names of the Chair and Chief Executive, will be published by the SSDA.

Student Loans

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students at the Universities of (a) Newcastle and (b) Northumbria at Newcastle took out (i) loans, (ii) grants, (iii) hardship funds and (iv) opportunity bursaries in each year since 1996; and what the total amount of money paid out was under each different scheme. [103418]

Margaret Hodge: The number of students domiciled in the UK attending University at (a) Newcastle and (b) Northumbria at Newcastle who have taken out a student loan, and the total amount of money borrowed, in academic years 1996–97 to 2001–02 (latest year available) is shown in the following tables:

Student loans: number of borrowers and amount borrowed by students normally domiciled in the UK—academic years 1996–97 to 2001–02

Academic year 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99⁽⁷⁾ 1999–2000⁽⁸⁾ 2000–01⁽⁸⁾ 2001–02⁽⁸⁾

Newcastle University

Total number of borrowers (000s)⁽⁹⁾ of which ⁽¹²⁾— 6.2 6.9 7.1 7.7 8.8

Mortgage style loans (000s)⁽¹⁰⁾ ⁽¹²⁾— 6.2 5.0 3.2 1.4 0.4

Income contingent repayment loans (000s)⁽⁸⁾ ⁽¹²⁾— ⁽¹¹⁾— 1.9 3.9 6.3 8.3

Total amount borrowed (£m)⁽⁹⁾of which: ⁽¹²⁾— 9.5 12.7 16.5 21.1 26.3

Mortgage style loans (£m)⁽¹⁰⁾ ⁽¹²⁾— 9.5 7.6 4.6 2.0 0.6

Income contingent repayment loans (£m)⁽⁸⁾ ⁽¹²⁾— ⁽¹¹⁾— 5.1 11.9 19.1 25.6

University of Northumbria at Newcastle

Total number of borrowers (000s)⁽⁹⁾ of which: ⁽¹²⁾— 7.2 7.7 8.5 8.9 9.2

Mortgage style loans (000s)⁽¹⁰⁾ ⁽¹²⁾— 7.2 5.3 3.2 1.2 0.2

Income contingent repayment loans (000s)⁽⁸⁾ ⁽¹²⁾— ⁽¹¹⁾— 2.4 5.3 7.7 9.0

Total amount borrowed (£m)⁽⁹⁾ of which: ⁽¹²⁾— 10.6 13.9 20.4 24.3 27.2

Mortgage style loans (£m)⁽¹⁰⁾ ⁽¹²⁾— 10.6 7.8 4.5 1.6 0.3

Income contingent repayment loans (£m)⁽⁸⁾ ⁽¹²⁾— ⁽¹¹⁾— 6.1 16.0 22.7 26.9

Academic year	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99⁽⁷⁾	1999–2000⁽⁸⁾	2000–01⁽⁸⁾	2001–02⁽⁸⁾
	Newcastle University
Total number of borrowers (000s)⁽⁹⁾ of which	⁽¹²⁾—	6.2	6.9	7.1	7.7	8.8
Mortgage style loans (000s)⁽¹⁰⁾	⁽¹²⁾—	6.2	5.0	3.2	1.4	0.4
Income contingent repayment loans (000s)⁽⁸⁾	⁽¹²⁾—	⁽¹¹⁾—	1.9	3.9	6.3	8.3
Total amount borrowed (£m)⁽⁹⁾of which:	⁽¹²⁾—	9.5	12.7	16.5	21.1	26.3
Mortgage style loans (£m)⁽¹⁰⁾	⁽¹²⁾—	9.5	7.6	4.6	2.0	0.6
Income contingent repayment loans (£m)⁽⁸⁾	⁽¹²⁾—	⁽¹¹⁾—	5.1	11.9	19.1	25.6
University of Northumbria at Newcastle
Total number of borrowers (000s)⁽⁹⁾ of which:	⁽¹²⁾—	7.2	7.7	8.5	8.9	9.2
Mortgage style loans (000s)⁽¹⁰⁾	⁽¹²⁾—	7.2	5.3	3.2	1.2	0.2
Income contingent repayment loans (000s)⁽⁸⁾	⁽¹²⁾—	⁽¹¹⁾—	2.4	5.3	7.7	9.0
Total amount borrowed (£m)⁽⁹⁾ of which:	⁽¹²⁾—	10.6	13.9	20.4	24.3	27.2
Mortgage style loans (£m)⁽¹⁰⁾	⁽¹²⁾—	10.6	7.8	4.5	1.6	0.3
Income contingent repayment loans (£m)⁽⁸⁾	⁽¹²⁾—	⁽¹¹⁾—	6.1	16.0	22.7	26.9

⁽⁷⁾ New student support arrangements in higher education came into effect in September 1998. For the first year of the new scheme, eligible new entrants 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.

⁽⁸⁾ New entrants to higher education in 1999–2000, together with those who started in 1998–99, received support for living costs solely through loans which are partly income-assessed. Grants for living costs are no longer available except for some limited allowances, e.g. for students with dependants; single parent students; and disabled students. Grants for students with dependants and single parent students are income-assessed but the Disabled Students' Allowance is not. From 1999–2000 student loans have been made available to those aged 50–54 who plan to return to work after studying. These loans are repayable on an income contingent basis.

⁽⁹⁾ Refers to loans advanced in the target year only, which include those students in their first, second, third and any subsequent year of their course. Includes hardship loans but excludes fixed rate loans of £500 for part-time students introduced in September 2000.

⁽¹⁰⁾ Loans available to students who, apart from a few exceptions, entered higher education before academic year 1998–99 and which are repayable on a mortgage style basis.

⁽¹¹⁾ Not applicable

⁽¹²⁾ Not available

Source:

The Student Loans Company

26 Mar 2003 : Column 287W

Data on the number of students in receipt of all types of maintenance grants at individual institution level are not collected centrally.

26 Mar 2003 : Column 288W

Hardship funds: Academic years 1996–97 to 2001–02

Academic year 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02

Newcastle University

Successful applicants 639 430 * 1,505 1,079 1,291

Total in payments (£) 192,106 160,812 * 591,886 562,848 714,368

University of Northumbria at Newcastle

Successful applicants 776 448 558 729 900 750

Total in payments (£) 231,420 231,984 672,735 845,445 1,023,467 809,520

Academic year	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
Newcastle University
Successful applicants	639	430	*	1,505	1,079	1,291
Total in payments (£)	192,106	160,812	*	591,886	562,848	714,368
University of Northumbria at Newcastle
Successful applicants	776	448	558	729	900	750
Total in payments (£)	231,420	231,984	672,735	845,445	1,023,467	809,520

* Information for 1998–99 for Newcastle is unfortunately not retrievable

Opportunity Bursaries: Academic years 2001–02 and 2002–03⁽¹³⁾

Academic year 2001–02 2002–03

Newcastle University

Number of students with a bursary 59 110

Amount paid to students (£) 59,000 110,000

University of Northumbria at Newcastle

Number of students with a bursary 62 151

Amount paid to students (£) *89,000 *199,500

Academic year	2001–02	2002–03


Newcastle University
Number of students with a bursary	59	110
Amount paid to students (£)	59,000	110,000
University of Northumbria at Newcastle
Number of students with a bursary	62	151
Amount paid to students (£)	*89,000	*199,500

* Includes payments to second year Opportunity Bursary award holders.

⁽¹³⁾ Opportunity Bursaries (only available since 2001–02)

Next Section

Index

Home Page