Previous Section Index Home Page


19 Nov 2003 : Column 1007W—continued

Licensed Qualifications

Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to introduce a licensed qualification for (a) bricklayers and (b) hairdressers; and if he will make a statement. [138960]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: We have no plans to introduce licensed qualifications for either bricklayers or hairdressers. While a statutory approach, such as a licence to practice or operate, may suit some industries, we believe that collaborative voluntary action will be the appropriate route for most sectors.

We have an excellent example of such an employer led initiative in the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS). Major contractors have made a commitment to improve performance by requiring members of their workforce to hold an industry record card—normally the CSCS.

In the skills strategy we stated our determination to put employers' needs centre stage; it is for employers, not Government, to determine through their Sector Skills Council, whether this kind of agreement for collaborative action should be pursued.

Local Education Authorities

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total targeted transitional grant is that he expects to give to local education authorities; and whether this sum is additional to the total DFES support grant available for local education authorities. [139093]

Mr. Miliband: Indicative allocations of targeted transitional grant for 2004–05 were published on 29 October: these totalled £120 million. Allocations for 2004–05 will be confirmed later this month. I expect to make around half the 2004–05 level of grant available nationally in 2005–06: details will be confirmed in due course. The transitional grant is additional to the funding for local education authorities which was announced following the Spending Review 2002.

In addition, if any local education authority is able to put forward a compelling case that additional, transitional funds are needed in the short term—above and beyond those already available to the LEA—my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be prepared to consider bringing forward grant payments from my department, so that the LEA will have funds available in 2004–05 for this purpose, with the expectation of a consequential reduction to what they will receive in future years. The maximum amount that might be made available to each LEA in this way would be 300,000 per authority, or 0.2 per cent. of the authority's total education resources in 2004–05, if that is higher.

Modern Apprenticeships

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent discussions he has had on modern apprenticeships; what plans he has to expand Government aided apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement. [139444]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and his ministerial colleagues have regular meetings with numerous organisations and agencies

19 Nov 2003 : Column 1008W

to discuss modern apprenticeship developments. The Secretary of State has agreed to take part in a panel discussion at the Confederation of British Industry conference to address skills issues including modern apprenticeships. There are plans for Sir Roy Gardner, Chair of the Modern Apprenticeship Task Force, to feed back the task force's interim findings to the Secretary of State and myself.

The Government are wholly behind modern apprenticeships as a high quality work-based learning option for young people. We are fully committed to implementing the reforms recommended by the Modern Apprenticeships Advisory Committee under Sir John Cassels, and more recent skills strategy announcements. We have adopted a PSA target for 2004 of 28 per cent. of young people entering a modern apprenticeship before the age of 22. We have made sufficient resources available to ensure that we meet this target and are on course to achieve it.

Office of Fair Access

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the (a) capital expenditure and (b) running costs likely to arise as a result of the establishing of the Office of Fair Access. [137474]

Alan Johnson: This matter will be addressed in the explanatory notes which will be published when legislative proposals are presented to the House. We have proposed, in "Widening Participation in Higher Education" that OFFA will be separate from but supported by HEFCE. We do not expect any significant capital expenditure.

Primary Schools (Essex)

Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the vacancy figure for primary school teachers in Essex was on 1 September 2003. [139523]

Mr. Miliband: Vacancy information is collected in January of each year. Information for January 2003 is shown in table 17 of the Schools Workforce in England statistical first release (SFR) of 9 September 2003. A copy of this SFR has been placed in the Library. The table is also available on the statistics section of the DfES website at: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgatewav/DB/SFR/s000411/index.shtml

School Performance Tables

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total cost of publishing stand-alone school performance tables for Key Stage 3 was. [139087]

Mr. Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 4 July 2003, Official Report, column. 680W. The Key Stage 3, GCSE/GNVQ and post-16 performance tables are managed as one exercise so there are no separate costings.

19 Nov 2003 : Column 1009W

Schwarz Review

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what process he followed in appointing Mr. Steven Schwarz to lead a review into admissions to higher education; what (a) exchanges and (b) representations took place between himself and Mr. Schwarz regarding the independence of such a review; and what guidelines there are regarding independence of reviews carried out at his request. [139123]

Alan Johnson: The Secretary of State for Education and Skills appointed Professor Steven Schwartz following discussion with organisations in the higher education sector. This included contact with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), and Universities UK (UUK).

The Secretary of State for Education and Skills has drawn up clear terms of reference for the Admissions to Higher Education Steering Group which are set out in its recent consultation paper, "Consultation On Key Issues Relating To Fair Admissions To Higher Education", available from www.admissions-review.org.uk.

The Admissions to Higher Education Review adheres to good practice in preserving the independence of such reviews. This is demonstrated by the following:


An independent press agency has been used for all matters relating to the review.

Statistical Bulletin

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will place in the Library statistics for the most recent available year consistent with those on which DFES statistical bulletin 13–84 was based. [139028]

Mr. Miliband: The Department does not produce figures in the form of bulletin 13–84 and to produce an update in that form would involve disproportionate cost.

Student Drop-outs

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what evidence he has collated on the differences in student drop-out rates between institutions, correlated with the socio-economic class of those dropping out. [135780]

Alan Johnson: The available information on non-completion rates by institution is contained in the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) publication 'Performance indicators in higher education in the UK ', a copy of which is in the house

19 Nov 2003 : Column 1010W

Library. The figures cover full-time first degree courses only and show the proportion of entrants who failed to complete their course for each individual HE institution in the UK. This data is not disaggregated by social class. However, the publication does show the proportion of young full time first degree entrants from the 'lower' social class categories for each institution.

However, a number of research studies have explored the factors associated with students dropping out of higher education. The evidence shows that non-completion is a complex process that cannot normally be explained by a single factor. Other important factors (many of which are inter-related) include:


Studies in this area include:


Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research his Department has (a) conducted or (b) received into the relationship between a student's financial position and their propensity to drop out of higher education; and what conclusions he has drawn. [139626]

Alan Johnson: A number of research studies have explored the factors associated with dropping out of higher education. These include:


19 Nov 2003 : Column 1011W

The evidence shows that non-completion is a complex process that cannot normally be explained by any single factor. Incompatibility between the student and their course or institution and a lack of preparation for higher education are the most commonly cited reasons for dropping out of higher education. Other reasons, which are often inter-related, include:


Research also shows that students with lower prior attainment and those who apply through clearing are more likely to drop-out of higher education other things being equal.


Next Section Index Home Page