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University Students (Huntingdon)

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students from (a) Cambridgeshire and (b) the constituency of Huntingdon are attending university; and how many of these students pay (i) no tuition fee and (ii) a partial tuition fee. [175251]

Alan Johnson: In England and Wales, students on full-time undergraduate courses and their families are expected to make a contribution towards the cost of their tuition only if they can afford to do so.

For entry in 2002, there were 3,025 applicants domiciled in Cambridgeshire LEA who were accepted through UCAS to full-time first degree and HMD courses at UK institutions. Data on the number of students from the constituency of Huntingdon attending university are not available.

The number and percentages of students in England and Wales in academic year 2002/03 (latest year for which data are available) who have been assessed to make a nil or partial contribution towards the cost of their tuition are shown in the table:
England and Wales: Academic year 2002/03⁽¹⁴⁾

	Student Support Scheme Student numbers(15) (Thousand)	Student Support Scheme Students(15) (Percentage)
Nil contribution towards the cost of tuition from student/parents/spouse/ partner(16)	330	43
Partial contribution towards the cost of tuition from student/parents/spouse/ partner	116	15

⁽¹⁴⁾ Provisional.
⁽¹⁵⁾ Contributions towards the cost of tuition are assessed by local education authorities in England and Wales for students normally domiciled in their area and studying in the UK.
⁽¹⁶⁾ Includes students on courses where the fee support was not subject to income-assessment (e.g. PGCE courses, and some other ITT courses; and designated courses at private institutions).
Note:
National level data are published annually in the Department's Statistical First Releases (SFRs) (SFR 12/2004 for 2002/03).
Source:
F503G survey of local education authorities

Data are collected from the Local Education Authorities (LEAs) to produce national estimates and the data collection exercise does not allow for the production of firm figures below this level. Therefore data by Constituency or local education authority are not available.

Vocational Qualifications

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average cost of (a) a GCSE, (b) an intermediate GNVQ, (c) an AS-level and (d) an NVQ
 
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level-2 or equivalent vocational qualification are; and how many people achieved each of these qualifications in 2003. [172978]

Mr. Miliband [holding answer 13 May 2004]: The cost of examination entry is set by the independent awarding bodies. The typical cost of entry and the number of people achieving (a) GCSEs, (b) GNVQs and (c) AS levels in 2003 is as follows:

Qualification	Typical cost of entry(17)(£)	Number of candidates achieving qualification(18)
(a) GCSE
Full	21.00	682,828
Short Course	14.50	275,841
(b) Intermediate GNVQ		48,842
Part 1
Full	79.00	45,550
(c) GCE AS level	33 (11 per unit)	315,357

⁽¹⁷⁾ Typical cost of entry is based on entry through Edexcel. These figures have been taken from information provided on the Edexcel website.
⁽¹⁸⁾ Information on candidates attempting GCSEs, GNVQs and AS levels in 2003 is taken from information collated for the 2003 Performance Tables.

Using the most recent data available the number of level 2 NVQs (National Vocational Qualifications) and OVQs (Other Vocational Qualifications) achieved in 2002 are shown in the following table.

Qualification	Typical cost of entry(19)(£)	Number of qualifications achieved (20)
(d) NVQ Level 2	84.00	177,115
OVQ Level 2	(21)—	98,307

⁽¹⁹⁾ Typical cost of entry is based on entry through Edexcel. These figures have been taken from information provided on the Edexcel website.
⁽²⁰⁾ Information on candidates attempting GCSEs, GNVQs and AS levels in 2003 is taken from information collated for the 2003 Performance Table
⁽²¹⁾ For OVQs the cost is not shown as this would be dependant upon the exact qualification.

CABINET OFFICE

Emergency Communications Network

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how it is planned that senior Government figures will remain in contact in the event of a terrorist attack that eliminated the London telephone network. [172751]

Mr. Alexander: A range of measures are available to maintain contact with senior Government Ministers and officials in the event of degradation of the telephone network. These include the use of managed call preference schemes, secure fixed and mobile facilities, the private Whitehall telephone service and the Government Secure Intranet.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many non-departmental public bodies have been (a) created and (b) abolished since July 2003. [175451]

 
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Mr. Alexander: This information is not currently available centrally.

I refer the hon. Member to my response to the hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr. Davey) on 4 May 2004, Official Report, column 1444W, when I indicated that later this year we would be launching a Public Bodies database on the internet. This will contain statistics as at 31 March 2004 which can then be compared with figures in the previous annual "Public Bodies" publications.

Official Vehicles

John Barrett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what percentage of official vehicles used by the Department are run on (a) petrol, (b) diesel, (c) liquid petroleum gas and (d) compressed natural gas. [172770]

Mr. Alexander: The responsibility for the provision of ministerial cars and drivers has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Government Car and Despatch Agency. I have asked its Chief Executive Mr. Nick Matheson to write to the hon. Member. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Public Bodies

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many public bodies sponsored by other Departments have been (a) merged and (b) abolished since 1997 as a result of a quinquennial review by his Department; and if he will make a statement; [174709]

(2) how many quinquennial reviews of public bodies have been carried out since 1997; on what dates; and for which Departments. [174710]

Mr. Alexander: It is the responsibility of the relevant parent Department to ensure its public bodies are kept under review. Cabinet Office does not carry out such reviews for other Departments. The rigid requirement to review public bodies in accordance with detailed guidelines at least every five years ceased in 2002. Sponsor Departments now have greater flexibility in determining the appropriate timing and format for reviewing a particular public body. Information about the number and timing of reviews of public bodies by Departments is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Beef

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the amount of imported beef which is processed in local factories and sold in Northern Ireland with a produce of Northern Ireland label under the Farm Quality Assured Scheme. [175915]

Mr. Pearson: Only beef derived from animals from FQAS registered farms and slaughtered in an FQAS registered slaughterhouse may be labelled as FQAS under the Livestock and Meat Commission Assurance
 
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Scheme. The rules pertaining to the FQAS and the EU Beef Labelling Scheme preclude imported beef being sold under a FQAS label.

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