House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 14 Apr 2003 (pt 23)

14 Apr 2003 : Column 560W—continued

Schools (Capital Spending)

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what capital spending there has been in schools in Amber Valley since May 1997. [108736]

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Mr. Miliband: We do not hold information at constituency level, as the bulk of capital investment for school buildings is allocated to local education authorities and to schools. Capital funding for Derbyshire LEA is set out in the following table:

Derbyshire LEA capital allocations£000

Total

1997–98 4,037

1998–99 12,965

1999–2000 13,855

2000–01 27,405

2001–02 ⁽⁴⁹⁾50,596

2002–03 37,207

2003–04 ⁽⁵⁰⁾66,916

	Total
1997–98	4,037
1998–99	12,965
1999–2000	13,855
2000–01	27,405
2001–02	⁽⁴⁹⁾50,596
2002–03	37,207
2003–04	⁽⁵⁰⁾66,916

⁽⁴⁹⁾ Includes £29 million of PFI credits.

⁽⁵⁰⁾ Includes £30 million of PFI credits.

Schools Access Initiative

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which schools in the Buckingham constituency benefited from the Schools Access Initiative in (a) 2000–01, (b) 2001–02 and (c) 2002–03; and how much each school was awarded. [108512]

Mr. Miliband: The Schools Access Initiative provides resources to help make mainstream schools accessible to pupils with disabilities. The funding is allocated to local education authorities and it is for each authority to decide its priority schemes. In total, Buckinghamshire LEA has received £1.3 million through the Schools Access Initiative in the years 2000–03.

At the end of the financial year LEAs are required to report back to the Department the projects funded from the Initiative. According to the reports received from Buckinghamshire LEA, no projects in schools in the Buckingham constituency were funded from Schools Access Initiative in 2000–01. In 2001–02 Gawcott Community Infant School received £20,230 and Royal Latin School £17,805. LEAs have until 25 July 2003 to return reports for 2002–03.

Standards Fund (North Tyneside)

Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding was received by North Tyneside local authority from the Standards Fund in 2002–03; and how much is being received in 2003–04. [108831]

Mr. Miliband [holding answer 11 April 2003]: The total Standards Fund grant allocated to North Tyneside local education authority in 2002–03, and 2003–04 to date, is shown in the following table, split between recurrent and capital grants.

Standards Fund Grant for North Tyneside£ million

Recurrent Grant Capital Grant

2002–03 9.18 7.95

2003–04 9.02 5.64

	Recurrent Grant	Capital Grant
2002–03	9.18	7.95
2003–04	9.02	5.64

The figures include Government grant only, they do not include local authority contributions to the Standards Fund. The recurrent figure for 2002–03

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includes class size grant of £378,000. The funding for class size grant is now distributed via the Education Formula Spending Shares (EFSS). North Tyneside received an increase in EFSS per pupil of 7.0 per cent. on a like for like basis.

Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much School Standards Grant was paid to schools in North Tyneside in 2002–03; and how much is being paid in 2003–04. [108832]

Mr. Miliband [holding answer 11 April 2003]: North Tyneside received £2,721,800 in School Standards Grant (SSG) for the year 2002–03. The amount due to be paid for 2003–04 has not yet been calculated; payments will be made to authorities at the beginning of May. It is expected to increase broadly in line with the national increases in SSG levels.

Statements

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in the (a) state maintained and (b) independent sector in Gloucestershire have statements in each year from year 1 to year 11. [108772]

Mr. Miliband: The information available is shown in the table.

Maintained primary, secondary and special schools: Number of pupils with a statement of SEN by age⁽⁵¹⁾^,⁽⁵²⁾—Gloucestershire local education authority—January 2002

Pupils aged Maintained primary Maintained secondary Maintained special⁽⁵³⁾ Total

3 0 ⁽⁵⁴⁾— 2 2

4 26 ⁽⁵⁴⁾— 12 38

5 59 ⁽⁵⁴⁾— 32 91

6 88 ⁽⁵⁴⁾— 35 123

7 117 ⁽⁵⁴⁾— 36 153

8 130 ⁽⁵⁴⁾— 48 178

9 152 ⁽⁵⁴⁾— 59 211

10 182 ⁽⁵⁴⁾— 80 262

11 31 136 93 260

12 ⁽⁵⁴⁾— 183 94 277

13 ⁽⁵⁴⁾— 181 138 319

14 ⁽⁵⁴⁾— 161 117 278

15 ⁽⁵⁴⁾— 147 109 256

16 ⁽⁵⁴⁾— 25 6 31

17 ⁽⁵⁴⁾— 8 9 17

18 ⁽⁵⁴⁾— 1 4 5

Total all ages 785 842 874 2,501

Pupils aged	Maintained primary	Maintained secondary	Maintained special⁽⁵³⁾	Total
3	0	⁽⁵⁴⁾—	2	2
4	26	⁽⁵⁴⁾—	12	38
5	59	⁽⁵⁴⁾—	32	91
6	88	⁽⁵⁴⁾—	35	123
7	117	⁽⁵⁴⁾—	36	153
8	130	⁽⁵⁴⁾—	48	178
9	152	⁽⁵⁴⁾—	59	211
10	182	⁽⁵⁴⁾—	80	262
11	31	136	93	260
12	⁽⁵⁴⁾—	183	94	277
13	⁽⁵⁴⁾—	181	138	319
14	⁽⁵⁴⁾—	161	117	278
15	⁽⁵⁴⁾—	147	109	256
16	⁽⁵⁴⁾—	25	6	31
17	⁽⁵⁴⁾—	8	9	17
18	⁽⁵⁴⁾—	1	4	5
Total all ages	785	842	874	2,501

⁽⁵¹⁾ Includes middle schools as deemed.

⁽⁵²⁾ Age as at 31 August 2001.

⁽⁵³⁾ Excludes General Hospital schools.

⁽⁵⁴⁾ Not applicable.

Source:

Annual Schools' Census

Information on the number of pupils in the independent sector who have a statement of SEN by age is not collected centrally.

Student Finance

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to introduce a lower maximum annual top-up fee for part-time higher education courses. [105309]

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Margaret Hodge: There is no fixed fee for part-time higher education. Unlike the position for full time provision, higher education providers are free to set the fees for part-time higher education at a level they choose. We announced in the White Paper "The future of higher education" that we would improve the package of support for part time students by introducing a new fee support grant for those whose income is below certain thresholds, and who are studying courses that are at least half-time. Full details of the package will be announced later in the year.

Mr. Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he will publish the funding implications for his Department of devolved administrations not using top up fees in their universities to fund higher education. [107566]

Margaret Hodge: The implications for the funding of institutions if variable fees are not used are a matter for the devolved nations. The devolved administrations for Scotland and Northern Ireland have responsibility for student support. This Department is currently responsible for student support for higher education students in England and Wales. Whilst this remains the case, the funding implications for both administrations of deferring variable fees will be taken into account when providing funding for students in England and Wales.

Mr. Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will publish the comparative cost analysis showing the differences between using (a) a top up fees system and (b) a graduate tax to fund future higher education before the end of the formal consultation period for the White Paper. [107568]

Mr. Charles Clarke: I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Paul Farrelly) on 3 April 2003, Official Report, columns 815–17W.

Student Funding

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average difference was between the cost of a student resident at home and a student resident away from home (a) to the student and (b) to public funds in each year since 1997. [105945]

Margaret Hodge: Student costs consist of maintenance cost and tuition fee (if paid by the student).

The average assessed student contribution towards tuition fees depends on family income and does not vary according to whether the student lives at home or away from home. Parents are assumed to contribute towards the tuition costs of their student children. There are no data available which discriminate between the cost to the student only and the cost to other family members, i.e. parents/spouse/cohabitee.

The average assessed student contribution towards tuition fees for all eligible higher education students, in England and Wales, on courses subject to income-assessment for academic years 1999–2000 and 2000–01 (latest year available) are £470 and £510 respectively. Robust data on assessed student contributions for

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academic year 1998–99 (the first year of the student support scheme funding arrangements) are not available.

The Department does not have up to date and reliable information on the amounts students actually spent supporting themselves. We are, however, conducting a limited Student Income and Expenditure Survey for the academic year 2002–03, which is due to report in July this year. We are conducting a comprehensive SIES for the academic year 2003–04 and the results will be available in November 2004.

The cost to public funds of the student maintenance loan, and where applicable the maintenance grant, varies according to whether the student lives at home or away from home as the amounts of support available depend on term-time residence. There are no data available, which compare these costs.

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