| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
3 Nov 2003 : Column 460W—continued
Student Loans
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action he is taking to ensure
3 Nov 2003 : Column 461W
that student loans associated with top-up fees are available to students whose faith precludes the charging of interest. [134497]
Alan Johnson: Student loans are not commercial loans. The Government uprates the value of the outstanding loan in line with the general rate of inflation, to make sure that all borrowers pay back the same amount that they borrowed in real terms. We understand that some students believe that this precludes them from taking out such a loan. However, a recent survey of students by religious group, conducted for the report "Minority Ethnic Students in Higher Education", found that 64 per cent. of Muslims reported having a student loan; that was only slightly less than Hindu groups (66 per cent.), Sikh groups (66 per cent.) and Christian groups (69 per cent.) 1
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has met representatives from the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) on 8 July to discuss their concerns regarding student loans. Officials from my Department have also held further discussions with FOSIS representatives recently and will continue to do so.
- 1 Source:lES/Mori Survey 2002. All figures are taken from table 6.3 of the report "Minority Ethnic Students in Higher Education", which was published in July 2003.
Teenage Pregnancy
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action is being taken to tackle teenage pregnancy in deprived areas; and if he will make a statement. [120773]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: The similar geography of teenage pregnancy and deprivation suggests that while there is still much work to do, the encouraging 10 per cent. decline in England's under 18 conception rate from 1998 to 2001 has been largely achieved through targeted work in deprived localities with high numbers of conceptions by:
- The allocation of funding to teenage pregnancy partnerships based on teenage pregnancy rates.
The use of research and toolkits to address the needs of vulnerable groups. For example, "Teenage Pregnancy and Neighbourhood Renewal: Learning from New Deal for Communities" which details good practice in new deal for community areas and share the main learning points from that practice.
New deal for communities and other neighbourhood renewal pathfinder programmes are given support and guidance in tackling teenage pregnancy as an issue through learning events and written guidance.
Encouraging local strategies to target wards with a high number of teenage conceptions.
The development of a programme of work to improve our understanding of the relationship between teenage pregnancy and socio-economic factors.
3 Nov 2003 : Column 462W
Tuition Fees
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action he will take to alleviate hardship arising from top-up fees for students whose family relationship has been broken. [134496]
Alan Johnson: We expect the student support arrangements for students that are either irreconcilably estranged from their parents or whose parents are no longer living together to continue as they are now, when variable fees are introduced from 2006. The current arrangements are set out as follows:
If a student is irreconcilably estranged from his or her parents, they are treated as independent for the purposes of assessing student support. Where such a student's personal income while on the course is below £10,000, they are entitled to the full fee remission grant to cover the standard fee and to a full maintenance loan. If their income is £15,200 or below, they will be entitled to the full higher education grant when this is introduced from 2004.
If a student's parents are no longer living together, the income to be used for the purposes of assessing student support will continue to be that of the parent considered to be most appropriate. If that parental income is £15,200 or below, the student will be eligible for a full higher education grant; if below £20,970, they will be eligible for the full fee remission grant to cover the standard fee; and if below £31,230, a full maintenance loan.
Both types of students will be able to take out a loan for fees to cover the balance of the fee above the standard fee once variable fees are introduced.
Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what advantages in charging top-up fees will accrue to universities with (a) high levels and (b) low levels of students from low income backgrounds. [135472]
Alan Johnson: No university will be advantaged or disadvantaged in terms of additional fee income by the makeup of their intake. It will be for universities to assess the advantages and disadvantages of charging fees and what level of fee they should charge, up to the maximum of £3,000, provided they have an access agreement.
University Drop-out Rates
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the drop-out rate was at universities in England and Wales in each year since 1997. [130377]
Alan Johnson: The latest available figures giving non-completion rates for students starting full-time first degree courses in England and in Wales are as follows:
3 Nov 2003 : Column 463W
| Non completion rate (percentage)(36) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Students starting courses in: | England | Wales |
| 1999/2000 | 16 | 15 |
| 1998/99 | 16 | 14 |
| 1997/98 | 16 | 16 |
(36) Non-completion is regarded as those who do not gain a qualification from their original course or from any other course and do not transfer to another institution.Source:
HEFCE Performance Indicators
Figures published in 2003 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) show that the UK as a whole has one of the lowest non-completion rates among OECD countries.
University Students (Buckinghamshire)
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of A-level students from (a) the Chesham and Amersham constituency and (b) Buckinghamshire secured a place at university in the last year for which figures are available. [129889]
Alan Johnson: The available information shows that, in 2002, the proportion of 18-year-olds resident in Buckinghamshire who obtained two or more A levels and who were accepted onto a full-time or sandwich undergraduate course in the UK via the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) was 65 per cent. compared to the national average of 61 per cent.
Figures are not available at constituency level.
LEADER OF THE HOUSE
European Legislation
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Leader of the House what plans he has to bring forward proposals to reform the procedures used by the House for scrutiny of European legislation. [134846]
Mr. Hain: I have no current plans but would welcome Members' views on whether our procedures for scrutiny of European legislation need to be reformed. I intend to consult with Members on all sides of the House on the way we engage with the European legislative process and how we might do so more effectively.
TREASURY
Council Tax
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the increase in the level of income tax which would be required if council tax were abolished and the same revenue were raised through an increase in the basic rate of income tax. [135365]
3 Nov 2003 : Column 464W
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the change in the level of income tax which would be required if council tax were abolished and the same revenue were raised through an increase in basic rate income tax. [135750]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Members to Table C8 on p.257 of the 2003 Financial Statement and Budget Report which is available in the Library of the House, and table 1.6 of Inland Revenue Statistics, available on their website at www.inlandrevenue. gov.uk/stats/tax expenditures/q t061.htm.
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of increases in stamp duty land tax on his policies for promoting employment in the retail sector; and if he will make a statement. [135608]
Ruth Kelly: The impact of stamp duty land tax on the retail sector was considered and discussed as part of the recent consultation process.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |