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6 May 2003 : Column 636W—continued

Graduate Entrepreneurship

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on his Department's plans to establish a National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship, and the level of funding to be made available for the scheme. [110617]

Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 1 May 2003]: I have been asked to reply.

The Government seek to ensure their undergraduates and new graduates are aware of the opportunities available to them to back their ideas and participate in business.

The Small Business Service, in conjunction with the Department for Education and Skills, will shortly be undertaking a feasibility study on this.

Individual Learning Accounts

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in what circumstances compensation will be payable from public funds to training providers in the light of the withdrawal of individual learning accounts; and what the estimated cost of such payments is. [110886]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: As a result of a recent report by the Parliamentary Ombudsman on a complaint from a learning provider, the Department has decided, in line with Government Accounting guidance, to offer compensation to registered Individual Learning Account (ILA) learning providers in respect of those learners who properly applied to open accounts before 24 October 2001; were committed to purchase ILA eligible learning with a specific learning provider; and who had not been issued with account numbers by the time the system closed down at 6.30 pm on 23 November 2001, subject to the provision of appropriate evidence.

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It is very difficult to estimate the likely cost as it is uncertain how many of these learners would have been committed to learn with a specific learning provider. The cost is estimated to be in the range of £2 million to £7 million with expectations being at the lower end.

Learning and Skills Council

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received about the School Organisation Proposals by the Learning and Skills Council for England Regulations. [110505]

Margaret Hodge: The Department consulted widely for three months last September on the School Organisation Proposals by the Learning and Skills Council for England Regulations together with associated guidance. The response to the consultation was generally supportive of the new regulations. We made available a summary of the responses to the consultation on the Department's website on 12 February 2003.

The following is a list of the names and organisations of those who responded to our consultation.

List of respondents to the consultation on the school organisation proposals by the learning and skills council for England


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6 May 2003 : Column 639W

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on recent changes in the senior management team at the Learning and Skills Council. [110879]

Margaret Hodge: John Harwood is retiring after three successful years as chief executive of the LSC. He has been a key figure in building a new learning system which will support a prosperous economy and an inclusive society. He has performed an immense service to this country and leaves a considerable legacy behind him for which we are very grateful. John will continue to drive forward LSC business until a successor has been appointed, and the LSC will be advertising for this post shortly.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to align the financial year of the Learning and Skills Council with (a) the standard financial year and (b) the academic year. [110069]

Margaret Hodge: All public sector bodies have 31 March as their financial year end, and in the case of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), this is specified by statute. Public funding is allocated to the LSC by financial years, but it plans and funds the bulk of its provision on an academic year basis, as this best meets the needs of the key providers involved. There are no plans to re-align the LSC's financial year.

Mr. Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what percentage of (a) the applicants to serve on the National Learning and Skills Council and (b) the successful applicants declared political activity for the Labour Party; [109427]

Margaret Hodge: In the first and subsequent appointments rounds, there have been 969 applications for National Council positions. This included applications for the Chair, the Chief Executive and Council Member positions. 102 of these applicants have declared political activity (as defined by the Office for the Commissioner of Public Appointments—OCPA) for the Labour party. This represents 10 per cent. of the total applicants. Of these, 39 applicants declared that they have, or have had, experience as an elected councillor.

There are up to 16 positions available on the Council at any one time (including Chair and Chief Executive). Because of turnover of Council Members, a total of 21 positions have been available since the outset, and of these, six have declared Labour Party activity.

None declared political activity for either the Conservative or Liberal Democrat parties.

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Appointments to the LSC are made through fair and open competition, in accordance with guidance issued by OCPA. Working with the LSC we have sought to attract applications from individuals with a wide range of appropriate experience, regardless of any declared political activity.

Literacy

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment has been made of the number of adults unable to read and write to an adequate level; what plans he has to improve literacy; and if he will make a statement. [111147]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Moser Report (1999) indicated that around 7 million adults in England have poor literacy skills, and that even more have a problem with numbers. The Department has commissioned a new representative sample survey of working age adults in England to provide an up-to-date assessment of the scale of literacy and numeracy need. These estimates will be mapped to the new national basic skills standards and will be published in summer 2003.

In March 2001, the Government launched Skills for Life, the national strategy for improving adult's literacy and numeracy skills. The strategy aims to improve the basic skills of 1.5 million adults by 2007 by boosting demand for learning, ensuring the capacity of basic skills training, raising standards in teaching and learning, and increasing learner achievement. Between April 2001 and July 2002, 300,000 adults improved their literacy, language or numeracy skills.

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