| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
18 Sept 2003 : Column 981W—continued
EDUCATION
Online Centres
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many UK online centres were opened in deprived or rural wards across the north west in 2002–03; and how many centres there are. [128566]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 July 2003.
Adult Education
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his estimate is of the cost of the guarantee of free tuition to help adults study for a Level 2 qualification in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [130720]
Alan Johnson [holding answer 17 September 2003]: The new entitlement to free tuition for adults studying for a first full level 2 qualification will be phased in from
18 Sept 2003 : Column 982W
2004–05: we expect to introduce the entitlement on a partial basis in academic year 2004–05. Subject to experience in that first year, the entitlement will proceed to roll out nationally from 2005–06. This will enable us to test out the impact on demand. The cost will depend on learner take-up of the entitlement. We have to target a greater proportion of state funding towards priority groups, so those with the greatest need have opportunities to acquire relevant skills and qualifications. Over time, colleges and other providers will need to better focus their resources to support this aim.
Bureaucracy (Universities)
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) when he expects to receive the findings of the Committee chaired by David Van de Linde in relation to bureaucracy in universities; and if he will make a statement; [128415]
- (2) if he will make a statement on the work in progress of the Better Regulation Review Group under Professor Van de Linde. [129994]
Alan Johnson: Professor Van de Linde has been asked to chair the Better Regulation Review Group, a committee of senior stakeholders from across higher education, to consider the issue of bureaucracy in higher education. The Group first met in March, since when it has been in regular discussions with the Department on regulatory matters, notably the Regulatory Impact Assessment of the White Paper The future of higher education, and aspects of it, such as the development of the Office for Fair Access. An important responsibility of the Group is to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the Better Regulation Task Force report Higher education: Easing the burden. I look forward to receiving an interim report on the status of the recommendations from Professor Van de Linde in November.
Learning and Skills Council
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make it his policy to ensure that workers facing redundancy within the Learning and Skills Council are given the opportunity to retrain for other jobs within the organisation; and if he will make a statement. [129793]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. John Harwood, the Council's Chief Executive will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.
Connexions
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many personal advisers Connexions employed, broken down by region, in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003. [130717]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 17 September 2003]: The information in the following table shows the number of full time equivalent personal advisers working for the Connexions Service by region in the first years of operation.
18 Sept 2003 : Column 983W
| December 2001 | December 2002 | June 2003 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAs | Number of Partnerships | PAs | Number of Partnerships | PAs | Number of Partnerships | |
| England | 1,872.4 | 15 | 6,086.2 | 44 | 7,251.6 | 47 |
| South East | 118.0 | 1 | 606.9 | 5 | 862.1 | 6 |
| London | 252.2 | 2 | 841.7 | 6 | 910.3 | 6 |
| East of England | 42.8 | 1 | 398.6 | 5 | 614.6 | 6 |
| South West | 272.0 | 2 | 735.4 | 6 | 658.7 | 6 |
| West Midlands | 328.1 | 3 | 784.3 | 5 | 1,009.5 | 5 |
| East Midlands | 63.4 | 1 | 488.2 | 5 | 528.0 | 5 |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 300.0 | 2 | 800.5 | 4 | 898.0 | 4 |
| North West | 495.9 | 3 | 1 ,082.8 | 5 | 1,220.6 | 5 |
| North East | 118.0 | 0 | 347.8 | 3 | 549.8 | 4 |
Notes:
1. The figures include those staff directly employed by the Partnerships and those seconded to Connexions from local partner agencies.
2. In addition to personal advisers, Partnerships also employ other delivery staff whose main role is customer contact in support of the personal adviser role, but who are not qualified to give the in depth advice and guidance expected from a personal adviser. In 2001 there were 438.7 full time equivalent other delivery staff in the 15 Partnerships rising to 2,206.8 in the 42 partnerships in 2002 and 2,456.0 at the end of June 2003.
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills by how much Connexions services are reducing their support, in terms of personal adviser time, for young people from (a) schools and (b) colleges. [130718]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 17 September 2003]: Connexions offers a service to all young people aged 13–19 differentiated on the basis of need. It is not reducing personal adviser time in schools or colleges. There have been significant year-on-year increases in funding since Connexions was introduced in 2001–02. In 2000–01, before the start of Connexions, Careers service and New Start budgets totalled £243 million; in 2001–02, the first year of Connexions, the total budget was £320 million. In 2002–03 this rose to £420 million and in the current year to £455 million.
One service offered by Connexions is for career guidance to be available to all 13 to 19-year-olds. The Ofsted report "Connexions Partnerships: the first year 2001–2002" found that the implementation of the Connexions Service had maintained, restored and, in some instances, enhanced the provision of Careers Education and Guidance in schools and colleges.
Education Clothing Grant
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the level of education clothing grant given by each local authority in England. [130416]
Mr. Miliband: The information you have requested is not collected by this Department.
Foundation Degrees Forward
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a further progress statement on Foundation Degrees Forward; and what the planned publication date for its prospectus is. [129993]
Alan Johnson: Foundation Degree Forward (FDF) is in the process of being set up, as a network organisation, with its administrative centre located at the Lichfield Campus jointly owned by Staffordshire University and Tamworth and Lichfield College. Dr. Derek Longhurst has been appointed as the Executive Director. The FDF
18 Sept 2003 : Column 984W
Management Board will hold its first meeting on October 7 when it will consider a Strategic Plan for 2003–06 and a Business Plan and Operating Statement for 2003–04.
Maintenance Grants
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students in sixth form colleges and other education institutions in Hull are eligible for maintenance grants; how many are receiving them; what steps he is taking to ensure that individual students receive such grants; if he will list those institutions whose students qualify; and if he will make a statement. [129532]
Alan Johnson: The latest information available shows that the number of 16 and 17 year olds eligible for Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) in Kingston upon Hull LEA at the end of 2000 was around 2,300. This is based on estimates of participation in full time education and the percentage of young people eligible for EMA based on income distribution. In 2002–03 1,960 students received weekly payments of EMA, of which 1,654 students received the maximum allowance.
Local LEAs are responsible for ensuring young people are aware of EMA. In the pilots eligibility is governed by the local authority area in which the young person lives, so any school with a sixth form, sixth form college or FE college at which an EMA student enrols will "qualify" to operate EMA.
EMA pilots are currently available in 56 LEA areas and the national scheme will be available from September 2004.
Post-graduate Certificate in Education(Citizenship)
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many places have been (a) taken up and (b) available for Post-graduate Certificate in Education Citizenship courses since their introduction; and if he will make a statement. [129894]
Mr. Miliband: Since 2001–02, when the citizenship PGCE course was introduced, 332 trainees have taken up places (147 in 2001–02 and 185 in 2002–03).
18 Sept 2003 : Column 985W
The table which shows the number of entrants to training against the number of places for 2001–02 and 2002–03 in England only.
| Places | Entrants | |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–02(41) | — | 147 |
| 2002–03 | 200 | 185 |
| 2003–04(42) | 250 | — |
(41) In 2001–02, there was no separate allocation for citizenship places.
(42) The number of entrants to Initial Teacher Training in 2003–04 is not yet available.
Source:
TTA
In addition to those trainees shown above, in 2002–03 14 trainees started the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) in citizenship.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |