House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 14 Apr 2003 (pt 21)

14 Apr 2003 : Column 554W—continued

Ethnic Monitoring

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to maintained schools of (a) setting up and (b) maintaining the ethnic monitoring programme required by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. [108844]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: No such estimates have been made. The collection of ethnic monitoring data is not a new requirement on schools. Schools have been required by the DfES to collect ethnic background data on pupils since 1990.

Higher Education

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is his policy to set access targets for higher education. [101720]

Margaret Hodge: We have a target to increase participation to higher education towards 50 per cent. of those aged 18–30 by the end of the decade; also to make significant progress year on year towards fair access and to bear down on rates of non-completion.

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if it is his Department's policy that the Access Regulator for Higher Education should take account of the birth weight of applicants to courses of higher education. [105438]

Margaret Hodge: No.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average cost was to public funds of (a) support, (b) teaching and (c) university infrastructure costs attributable to each higher education student in each year since 1997. [105939]

14 Apr 2003 : Column 555W

Margaret Hodge: Available data on average maintenance per student from public funds and the average student loan taken out from academic years

14 Apr 2003 : Column 556W

1997–98 to 2001–02 (latest year available) are given in the following table:

Student support provision: Academic year 1997–98 to 2001–02⁽³²⁾£

Academic year

1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 (Provisional)

Average loans⁽³³⁾^,⁽³⁴⁾

Student Support Scheme Students⁽³⁵⁾^,⁽³⁶⁾ ⁽³⁷⁾— 2,580 3,150 3,100 3,120

Mandatory Award Scheme Students⁽³⁸⁾ 1,530 1,520 1,470 1,450 1,500

All Students 1,530 1,870 2,570 2,900 3,070

Average maintenance2

Student Support Scheme Students⁽³⁵⁾^,⁽³⁶⁾^,⁽³⁹⁾ ⁽³⁷⁾— 690 120 140 ⁽⁴⁰⁾—

Mandatory Award Scheme Students⁽³⁸⁾ 1,210 1,190 1,150 1,130 ⁽⁴⁰⁾—

All Students 1,210 1,030 510 270 ⁽⁴⁰⁾—

	Academic year
	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02 (Provisional)


Average loans⁽³³⁾^,⁽³⁴⁾
Student Support Scheme Students⁽³⁵⁾^,⁽³⁶⁾	⁽³⁷⁾—	2,580	3,150	3,100	3,120
Mandatory Award Scheme Students⁽³⁸⁾	1,530	1,520	1,470	1,450	1,500
All Students	1,530	1,870	2,570	2,900	3,070

Average maintenance2
Student Support Scheme Students⁽³⁵⁾^,⁽³⁶⁾^,⁽³⁹⁾	⁽³⁷⁾—	690	120	140	⁽⁴⁰⁾—
Mandatory Award Scheme Students⁽³⁸⁾	1,210	1,190	1,150	1,130	⁽⁴⁰⁾—
All Students	1,210	1,030	510	270	⁽⁴⁰⁾—

⁽³²⁾ Tuition fees and maintenance support are assessed by Local Education Authorities (LEAs) in England and Wales to eligible students normally domiciled in their area; student loans are available to eligible students normally domiciled in the United Kingdom.

⁽³³⁾ Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

⁽³⁴⁾ Student loans are available to most 'home' students on full-time undergraduate HE courses (and students on full-time and part-time postgraduate courses of initial teacher training) normally domiciled in the United Kingdom.

⁽³⁵⁾ 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.

⁽³⁶⁾ New entrants to higher education in 1999–2000, together with those who started in 1998–99, received support for living costs mainly 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.

⁽³⁷⁾ Not applicable.

⁽³⁸⁾ Students who entered higher education up to 1997–98 and those who entered from 1998–99 under existing arrangements.

⁽³⁹⁾ Maintenance expenditure for student support scheme students from 1999–2000 relates only to additional allowances/grants available to eligible students for extra help depending on their circumstances, e.g. students with disabilities, students with dependents, single parent students, those incurring certain travel costs, and those who have recently left care.

⁽⁴⁰⁾ Not available.

Source:

Student Loans Company, F503G survey of local education authorities

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) provides funding for research, teaching and for ear-marked capital for higher education institutions in England through its funding method. Higher education institutions are able to allocate this according to their own priorities and also draw on other sources of funding, both public and private. This means that separate estimates of public funding per student for teaching and infrastructure are notional.

The total HEFCE allocations for teaching and infrastructure costs for each academic year since 1997, and the implied notional costs per student, are shown in the following table.

Teaching £ million Per Student FTE (£) Infrastructure £ million Per Student FTE (£)

1997–98 2,342 2,546 0 0

1998–99 2,690 2,965 0 0

1999–2000 2,926 3,066 85 89

2000–01 3,020 3,185 150 158

2001–02 3,151 3,295 240 250

2002–03 3,268 3,390 300 311

	Teaching £ million	Per Student FTE (£)	Infrastructure £ million	Per Student FTE (£)
1997–98	2,342	2,546	0	0
1998–99	2,690	2,965	0	0
1999–2000	2,926	3,066	85	89
2000–01	3,020	3,185	150	158
2001–02	3,151	3,295	240	250
2002–03	3,268	3,390	300	311

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average debt to (a) the Student Loans Company and (b) others was of a higher education student graduating in each year since 1997. [105943]

Margaret Hodge: Borrowers are liable to repay their loans from the April following graduation or otherwise leaving their course. The table shows estimates of average student loan debt on entering repayment status for borrowers who became liable to repay their loans in financial years 1998–99 to 2002–03. Figures include those on shorter courses as well as those who have left higher education early.

Average student loan debt on entering repayment status⁽⁴¹⁾^,⁽⁴¹⁾^,⁽⁴²⁾£

Financial year enteredrepayment status⁽⁴³⁾ Mortgage style loans⁽⁴⁴⁾^,⁽⁴⁵⁾ Income contingent loans⁽⁴⁶⁾

1998–99 2,870 ⁽⁴⁷⁾—

1999–2000 3,340 ⁽⁴⁷⁾—

2000–01 3,920 2,340

2001–02 4,500 3,530

2002–03 5,160 6,000

Financial year enteredrepayment status⁽⁴³⁾	Mortgage style loans⁽⁴⁴⁾^,⁽⁴⁵⁾	Income contingent loans⁽⁴⁶⁾
1998–99	2,870	⁽⁴⁷⁾—
1999–2000	3,340	⁽⁴⁷⁾—
2000–01	3,920	2,340
2001–02	4,500	3,530
2002–03	5,160	6,000

⁽⁴¹⁾ Data rounded to nearest 10. Includes interest.

⁽⁴²⁾ Excludes any repayments which may have been made before borrowers enter repayment status.

⁽⁴³⁾ Borrowers enter repayment status in the April following their graduation or otherwise leaving their course.

⁽⁴⁴⁾ Loans made to students who entered higher education up to 1997–98 or who entered in 1998–99 under existing arrangements. Includes loans repayable to the private sector following the sale of two portfolios of student loans.

⁽⁴⁵⁾ Includes loans sold in the two portfolios of student loans which are administered by the Student Loans Company.

⁽⁴⁶⁾ Loans, repayable on an income contingent basis, available to students who entered higher education from academic year 1998–99. These loans were subject to a repayment holiday until April 2000. Includes hardship loans and the fixed rate loans (£500) to eligible part-time students.

⁽⁴⁷⁾ Not applicable.

Source:

Student Loans Company

14 Apr 2003 : Column 557W

Data on debts for which there is no public subsidy, such as overdrafts and credit cards, and informal debts to family and friends, are not held centrally.

Infant Classes (North Yorkshire)

Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average infant class size in North Yorkshire was in each year since 1997. [109009]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: Information on infant class size is collected in the September Class Size Count, which first took place in 1998. The available figures are shown in the table.

Maintained primary schools: infant class sizes taught by one teacherPosition in September each year

North Yorkshire Local EducationAuthority Average infant class size

1998 25.5

1999 22.9

2000 22.4

2001 22.4

2002 22.4

North Yorkshire Local EducationAuthority	Average infant class size
1998	25.5
1999	22.9
2000	22.4
2001	22.4
2002	22.4

Source:

September Class Size Count.

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