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28 Apr 2003 : Column 223W—continued

Education Maintenance Allowance

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students in the North Shropshire constituency have received the Education Maintenance Allowance. [110071]

Margaret Hodge: Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is currently running as a pilot scheme in 56 local education authority (LEA) areas in England. Shropshire LEA is not one of the pilot areas. Therefore, no young people living in North Shropshire have benefited from the scheme.

However, young people in North Shropshire will be able to apply for EMA from September 2004, when the national EMA scheme is launched. The first tranche of eligible students will be those who reach compulsory school leaving age in the 2003–04 academic year.

Educational Psychologists

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the system for the provision of funding for the training of educational psychologists; and if he will increase the number of funded placements to over 124 placements per year; [108171]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Funding for postgraduate training of those wishing to become educational psychologists is currently provided via the Educational Psychology Clearing House and Grant Scheme, using funding drawn from within the top-sliced Rate Support Grant provision, allocated by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in accordance with recommendations of the Local Government Association. The Grant Scheme is administered by the Employers' Organisation on behalf of the Local Government Association.

The Department is facilitating on-going discussions with a range of partners, including the LGA and Employers' Organisation, on developing a new shorter entry training route for educational psychologists. We have commissioned an implementation study which has been looking at issues such as the operation of existing arrangements, future funding arrangements and the number of places to be supported for the foreseeable future.

European Working Groups

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on progress with achieving transparency in respect of the European working groups for which the Department is responsible. [105734]

Margaret Hodge: The Government have long been committed to greater openness in the EU Institutions. This was a key theme of the UK Presidencies in 1992 and 1998. The Government welcomed Regulation 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents. As a result, more documents are released to the public, while genuinely sensitive documents are given the protection they need.

28 Apr 2003 : Column 224W

Much of the Council's work takes place in preparatory bodies, including working groups.

Accountability and transparency of Council business to Parliament are ensured by the scrutiny process, to which the Government are also firmly committed.

We strongly supported the measures agreed at the Seville European Council to make the Council more open when in legislating mode. We remain committed to increasing transparency.

The Future of Europe Convention is also looking at ways to make the EU more open.

My Department represents the UK Government at the Education, Youth and Culture Councils and the associated working groups, where proposals for EU legislation are discussed. It also currently represents UK Government at the Establishment and Services Working Group where the draft proposal for a directive on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications is being negotiated. All proposals before these working groups are subject to the scrutiny of UK Parliament, which is kept fully informed of developments.

Flexible Learning

Dr. Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures he plans to introduce (a) to support part-time students and (b) to encourage flexible learning in higher education. [108271]

Margaret Hodge: On our plans for improving the financial support offered to part-time students, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Daventry on 14 April 2003, Official Report, column 562–63W.

The Government is firmly committed to encouraging more flexible ways of learning to attract people with different demands and responsibilities into higher education. E-learning has the potential to provide interactive, individualised learning at the pace, place and level most suited to the learner. We have provided £62 million to set up the UK e-Universities project to make higher education more widely available over the Internet for both individuals and businesses.

Since September 2001, foundation degrees have been available offering flexible study methods such as distance learning and e-learning to suit the individual needs of both employed and unemployed students. Both full and part-time courses are offered at universities or colleges of further and higher education.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England is about to start a two year programme of work with other partners in the HE sector to identify and build upon good practice in the use of credit systems. This work will include a number of pilot schemes to encourage the use of credit to support flexible progression and transfer between institutions and qualifications.

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Further Education

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of 16 to 18-year-olds in (a) Suffolk and (b) Bury St. Edmunds in education have gone on to further education in each of the last five years. [108779]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The percentage of 16 and 17-year-olds participating in full-time education for Suffolk LEA in each of the last five years for which data are available is set out in the table. Data on the percentage of students participating in post-compulsory education are not calculated for areas smaller than LEAs as reliable estimates cannot be made. Participation rates at sub-national level are available only for 16 and 17-year-olds. Bury St. Edmunds is part of Suffolk LEA.

Participation in full-time education in Suffolk LEA
Percentage of age group

End 1996End 1997End 1998End 1999End 2000
16-year-olds7169717072
17-year-olds5959585957


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Participation rates by LEA for 16 and 17-year-olds are published in an annual statistical bulletin, "Participation in Education and Training by 16 and 17-year-olds in Each Local Area in England". This bulletin is available on the departmental website: www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of 16 to 18 year olds in (a) Staffordshire and (b) Stoke on Trent in education have gone on to further education in each of the last three years. [108145]

Margaret Hodge: The percentage of 16 and 17 year olds participating in education and training for Staffordshire LEA and Stoke-on-Trent LEA in 1998, 1999 and 2000, is set out below. Separate figures are shown for those in full-time education, and for those in education and Government Supported Training. There are no figures available beyond 2000. Participation estimates for 18 year olds are not available at a local level due to unavailability of information regarding term-time residential addresses for students in Higher Education.

Participation in education and training
(64)Percentage

Full-time education Total education and training(65)
LEAEnd 1998End 1999End 2000End 1998End 1999End 2000
16 year olds
Stoke-on-Trent525860687378
Staffordshire687070868585
17 year olds
Stoke-on-Trent384146636465
Staffordshire575759797777
16 and 17 year olds combined
Stoke-on-Trent455053666971
Staffordshire636464828181

(64) Percentage of age group.

(65) Includes full and part-time participation in education and Government Supported Training, counting those in both education and Government Supported Training only once. Participation rates by LEA for 16 and 17 year olds are published in an annual statistical bulletin, 'Participation in Education and Training by 16 and 17 Year Olds in Each Local Area in England'.


Higher Education

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average net expenditure on (a) support and (b) tuition of a higher education student was in each year since 1997. [105942]

Margaret Hodge: Students entering higher education under the student support scheme since 1998 have been required to make a contribution to their tuition and support, depending on their family income. The average assessed student contribution towards tuition fees is presented in the following table. As we do not have up to date and reliable data on the amount students actually spent supporting themselves, we have presented the average loan taken out by students in the table.

Available data on average assessed student contributions toward fees, and the average loan taken out by higher education students are given in the table.

Average loan and average assessed student contribution towards tuition fees(66),(67),(68)
£

Academic year
1998/99(66)1999/20002000/01(69)2001/02 (Provisional)
Average maintenance loans(70)2,5803,1503,1003,120
Average assessed student contribution towards tuition fees: all students on courses subject to income assessment (71),(72),(73)n/a470510n/a

n/a = not available

(66) 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.

(67) 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. Any student contributions towards income-assessed maintenance grants for students in these circumstances are not included.

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

(69) Latest year for which tuition fee data are available.

(70) 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

(71) Data relate to students domiciled in England and Wales and studying in the United Kingdom. Data are not available for 1998/99.

(72) From 1998/99 most new students were expected to contribute towards the cost of their tuition depending on family income. The maximum contribution (£1,075 in 2001/02, £1,050 in 2000/01, £1,025 in 1999/2000 and £1,000 in 1998/99) represents only about 20 per cent. to 25 per cent. of the average cost of the course. The balance is met from public funds.

(73) Includes students on their placement year in sandwich courses and part-time courses of ITT.

Source:

Student Loans Company; F503G survey of local education authorities.


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Dr. Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the devolved administrations on widening participation in higher education. [108269]

Margaret Hodge: We are in regular contact and meet regularly with our colleagues in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to discuss a range of issues, including widening participation in higher education.


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