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Further Education (Level 2)

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to expand the number of places available on level two courses in further education colleges. [169327]

Alan Johnson: The availability of learning at level two in further education institutions is key to meeting our Skills Strategy objective, outlined in the White Paper 21st Century Skills—Realising Our Potential, of reducing the number of adults without the foundation of skills needed for employability. Local Learning and Skills Councils are prioritising level two provision for those lacking such skills in their discussions with colleges about their plans for 2004–05. From September this year we will be trialling, in the North East and South East regions, a new entitlement enabling adults in the labour force without a full level two qualification to have access to free learning for their first full level two qualification.

Higher Education

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many admissions to the higher education sector there have been of students from (a) overseas, (b) the Gulf States and (c) the United Arab Emirates in each of the last 10 years. [168567]

Alan Johnson: The available figures covering all overseas entrants to higher education in UK HE institutions are given in the table.
 
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Overseas domiciled entrants⁽¹⁵⁾ to UK HE institutions

Academic year	All non-EU overseas	Gulf States(16)	United Arab Emirates
1994/95	47,776	1,337	231
1995/96	50,332	1,504	256
1996/97	51,604	1,639	338
1997/98	57,133	1,739	302
1998/99	58,481	2,144	357
1999/2000	61,385	2,407	427
2000/01	68,879	2,439	466
2001/02	78,625	2,419	498
2002/03	98,538	3,027	528

⁽¹⁵⁾ Figures are a snapshot as at 1 December and cover both postgraduate and undergraduate study.
⁽¹⁶⁾ Includes: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Qatar.
Source:
Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding has been spent on higher education in Manchester, Gorton in each of the last seven years. [167440]

Alan Johnson: There is no higher education institution in Manchester Gorton receiving funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England. We are aware of a small number of students (less than 10 in the 2002/03 academic year) at the Partnership for Theological Education receiving financial support via the Student Loans Company (SLC). The available figures for funding for these students are shown below. These relate only to funding for tuition fees, student loans (cash cost) and the Dependants Grant. Data prior to 1999/2000 are not available. The figures do not include any spending on other additional grants, namely Disabled Students Allowances, Care Leavers Grant and Travel Grant. These were paid through local education authorities, up to 2003/04, and figures are not held centrally.

Academic year	SLC funding (£000)
1999/2000	29.2
2000/01	49.5
2001/02	47
2002/03	28.4

In addition, institutions located outside Manchester Gorton may be undertaking activities in the area, for example outreach to raise the attainment and aspirations of potential higher education entrants, or special arrangements with schools and colleges to improve progression into higher education. This information is not held centrally.

Industry Interchange

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage a greater interchange of staff between education and industry; and what discussions he has had (a) with other departments and (b) with employers on how best to facilitate such an interchange. [169454]

 
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Mr. Ivan Lewis: My Department supports a number of schemes that encourage greater interchange of staff between education and industry: the Learning and Skills Council's Professional Development Placement scheme enables teachers in schools and further education colleges to undertake short placements in business; the Centre for Excellence in Leadership in co-operation with the Association of Colleges runs a work shadowing programme open to colleges and training providers involving exchanges of managers; and the Higher Education Funding Council supports a range of activities, often in partnership with the DTI, to make university staff more aware of business needs, including Business Fellowships.

There are regular discussions with DTI and Treasury on promoting links between education and business. The Government's approach to promoting such links draws on a number of consultations with business including, for example, through Howard Davies' review of enterprise education in 2002

Information and Communication Technologies

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 27 April 2004, Official Report, column 975W, on information and communication technologies, if he will place in the Library the independent research to which he refers. [171289]

Mr. Charles Clarke: I have today placed in the Library copies of the lmpaCT2 Pupil Attainment report.

Key Workers

Mr. Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for what reasons further education lecturers are not permitted to apply for higher equity loans under the Key Worker Living housing programmes announced in March. [169822]

Alan Johnson [holding answer 4 May 2004]: FE teachers, like school teachers and other key workers, in London and other high housing cost areas in the South East and East regions, are eligible for equity loans of up to £50,000 under the Key Worker Living initiative announced by the Deputy Prime Minister on 23 March. This is the first time FE teachers have been eligible for such support.

In addition, as part of the London Challenge, there is a specific scheme in London to retain school teachers who have the potential to be future leaders of the education service in London. This was developed in the light of evidence that, although London is very attractive to young school teachers, many leave London when they want to settle down and start a family. This is just the moment when they are beginning to take on crucial middle leadership roles in schools. The London Challenge Key Teacher Homebuy Scheme therefore offers school teachers in London equity loans of up to £100,000 to enable them to afford family homes.

Learning and Skills Council

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the transfer of the learning and skills councils to the proposed regional assemblies. [170091]

 
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Alan Johnson: In our White Paper "Your Region, Your Choice" we set out proposals for each assembly to appoint two members to the Board of each local Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in its region, and for the national LSC to consult assemblies on its guidance to the local LSCs. We also propose that local LSCs will be required to have regard to assembly strategies, including in drawing up their spending plans; and to consult the relevant assembly about their local plans.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on achievement levels of (a) young people and (b) adults in relation to basic skills in the North London Learning and Skills Council area. [170661]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The Local LSC will write to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Learning Disabilities

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many local education authorities have provided parent partnership services for families of children with special educational needs; what proportion of families have been provided with the service; and if he will make a statement. [170611]

Mr. Miliband: Every local education authority is required under Section 332A of the Education Act 1996 to make arrangements for parent partnership services. Arrangements vary, with some authorities providing the service themselves, while others buy in the service from another provider such as a voluntary organisation or another local authority. Information on the proportion of families that have used the service is not collected centrally.

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools have increased accessibility to children with learning disabilities through the School Access Initiative; what funding will be provided for the initiative over the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [170612]

Mr. Miliband: The Schools Access Initiative is designed to increase the accessibility of mainstream schools for pupils with disabilities. Over £274 million has been made available since the scheme began in 1996. A further £100 million will be made available each year for 2004–05 and 2005–06. Funding for the scheme beyond 2005–06 is subject to decisions relating to the outcome of the 2004 Spending Review.

It is for local education authorities to decide which of the capital projects proposed by their schools should be supported in the light of local needs and circumstances detailed in their Accessibility Strategy. They are not required to provide us with information detailing how they have spent their allocation of the School Access Initiative to increase access to pupils with specific disabilities. It is therefore not possible to say how many schools have increased their accessibility for children with learning disabilities.
 
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