House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 10 Feb 2004 (pt 23)

10 Feb 2004 : Column 1400W—continued

Student Living Costs

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what definition he uses of what constitutes basic living costs for the average student. [153400]

Alan Johnson: We have based the increased rates of maintenance loan on the expenditure on basic living items for the average student in each loan category, as shown in the 2002/03 Student Income and Expenditure Survey (SIES). Students studying in London who live independently will benefit the most.

SIES showed that there is huge variability in students' level of expenditure. We have derived the following standardised list of basic living items based upon a list compiled by a departmental advisory group charged with overseeing the guidance for Higher Education Institution staff when considering applications for hardship support ¹ . This definition is more generous than the definition of 'essential' expenditure that was used in the 1995/06 and 1998/09 SIES.

¹ The Advisory Group on Student Discretionary Funds (AGSDF)

Definition of basic living items

Broad basic expenditure groups	Detailed items
Accommodation	Rent/mortgage payments; council tax; utility bills.
Household	Food; non-alcoholic drink; household items; TV licence; land-line telephone bills; furniture; household appliances over £50; washing machine; fridge; contents insurance.
Travel	To university; to parental home; field trips
Course costs	Allowance of £260 per year (includes books; equipment; amenity fees; photocopying; stationery).
Personal	Clothes; footwear; glasses/contact lenses; medical treatment; personal items; entertainment spending allowance of £300 per year.

We recognise that on top of basic living items most students will want to buy goods and services that other young people want. The SIES shows that they manage this through supplementing student loans (where taken out) with a mixture of parental support, paid work and additional borrowing.

Undergraduates

Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many undergraduate students in Wales have declared themselves bankrupt in each year since 1992; and if he will make a statement. [153716]

Alan Johnson: The following table shows the number of student loan borrowers, both graduates and undergraduates, who have had bankruptcy orders made against them since 1992.

There are no figures showing undergraduates as a separate group.

Bankrupt year⁽³⁴⁾ Number of borrowers⁽³⁵⁾ ^, ⁽³⁶⁾ ^, ⁽³⁷⁾ ^, ⁽³⁸⁾

1992 0

1993 1

1994 2

1995 4

1996 6

1997 7

1998 2

1999 6

2000 16

2001 22

2002 21

2003 ⁽³⁹⁾48

Total 135

Bankrupt year⁽³⁴⁾	Number of borrowers⁽³⁵⁾ ^, ⁽³⁶⁾ ^, ⁽³⁷⁾ ^, ⁽³⁸⁾
1992	0
1993	1
1994	2
1995	4
1996	6
1997	7
1998	2
1999	6
2000	16
2001	22
2002	21
2003	⁽³⁹⁾48
Total	135

⁽³⁴⁾ Calendar year in which the borrower became bankrupt.

⁽³⁵⁾ Data shows the number of student loan borrowers.

⁽³⁶⁾ Includes borrowers who may or may not have graduated from their course.

⁽³⁷⁾ Includes all types of students (including PGCE—Postgraduate Certificate of Education students).

⁽³⁸⁾ Data covers both types of student loan—Mortgage Style (including loans sold to the private sector) and Income Contingent.

⁽³⁹⁾ The increase in the numbers of bankruptcies in 2003 seems to be as a result of greater public awareness that students loans are provable in bankruptcy.

Source:

Student Loans Company.

Student Funding

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the Government is required to provide identical funding to UK students and students from other EU countries choosing to study in the UK under all circumstances. [153065]

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Alan Johnson: The Government are required, under Article 12 of the EC Treaty, to provide tuition fee support for EU nationals in a way that does not discriminate compared to UK nationals. This requirement does not extend to providing access to student loans or grants for maintenance purposes for EU students.

Student Incentives

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the £30 million budget set aside for further education student incentives. [153068]

Alan Johnson: As announced in the White Paper "21st Century Skills: Realising Our Potential" in July 2003, we are currently piloting an Adult Learning Grant (ALG) in 10 local Learning and Skills Council areas. We are trialling the approach and will evaluate the impact of

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the pilots to establish, in the light of the conclusions of the next spending review, the best operational design for ALGs, with the intention of implementing a national roll-out of ALGs.

No announcement has been made on the budget for 2004/05 for the ALG pilots.

University Access

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the access regulator will hold responsibility for the allocation formula for the widening participation budget. [152778]

Alan Johnson: No. Responsibility for the widening participation and retention allocation will remain with the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The Director for Fair Access will be a regulatory, not funding body.

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HEALTH

Acute Hospital Trusts

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who is responsible for meeting the costs where the activity of an acute hospitals trust exceeds the amount commissioned by primary care trusts without the agreement of those primary care trusts. [152310]

Mr. Hutton: Discussions about commissioning arrangements are undertaken locally between national health service trusts and primary care trusts and if required the relevant strategic health authority. However, NHS trusts are responsible for balancing their income and expenditure in year.

Adolescent Medicine

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialists in adolescent medicine there are in England. [152738]

Mr. Hutton: There is not a specific specialty called adolescent medicine. There are a number of specialties that specialise in the treatment of pre-adult conditions.

The table shows the number of consultants, employed in the National Health Service in England, in child and adolescent psychiatry, paediatric dentistry, paediatric surgery and within the paediatric group.

Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health services (HCHS): Medical and dental consultants within specialties that work with children

England at 30 June 2003 Numbers (headcount)

Child and adolescent psychiatry 500

Paediatric dentistry 26

Paediatric surgery 105

Paediatric cardiology 63

Paediatrics 1,700

Paediatric neurology 38

England at 30 June 2003	Numbers (headcount)
Child and adolescent psychiatry	500
Paediatric dentistry	26
Paediatric surgery	105
Paediatric cardiology	63
Paediatrics	1,700
Paediatric neurology	38

Source:

Department of Health medical and dental workforce census

Allergies

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much NHS funding is provided for the diagnosis and treatment of allergies; what plans he has to increase this amount; and if he will make a statement; [153364]

(a)

(b)

Dr. Ladyman: Information on national health service funding for the diagnosis and treatment of allergies is not collected centrally. Health authorities (HAs) and primary care trusts receive unified allocations to cover the costs of hospital and community health services, discretionary funding for general practice staff, premises and computers and primary care prescribing.

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The level of funding made available for the drugs, staffing and other costs of providing allergy services are determined locally. It is for HAs, in partnership with other local stakeholders, to determine how best to use their funds to provide health services for their populations including those with allergies.

The British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology handbook, "National NHS Allergy Clinics" (2001), lists 86 NHS consultant-led clinics in the United Kingdom. There were an additional 15 clinics run by NHS consultants identified by the British Allergy Foundation in the handbook.

Ashford Hospital

Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress in the negotiations with Mercury Healthcare for the setting up of a new treatment centre at Ashford Hospital, Middlesex. [153276]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 9 February 2004]: The Department, working with local national health service sponsors, is continuing to make good progress towards finalising a contract for the provision of an independent sector treatment centre at Ashford.

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