---

26 May 2004 : Column 1689W—continued

Secondary Schools

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his policy is on the most appropriate size of a secondary school to deliver an acceptable level of subject choice to pupils; and what guidance he has issued to local education authorities on this. [174565]

Mr. Miliband: We do not prescribe an appropriate size of secondary school to deliver an acceptable level of subject choice to pupils, and we have not issued any guidance to local education authorities on this. What is important is that secondary schools provide a high quality, broad and balanced curriculum as set out in sections 78 to 96 of the Education Act 2002. Schools can collaborate with other schools and colleges to broaden the range of options available to their pupils.

Student Fees

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answers of 1 April 2004, Official Report, columns 1549–50W, to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight, if he will list (a) for each higher education institution and (b) in total (i) the number of students who were UK nationals, (ii) the number of non-EU students and (iii) the number of EU students from countries other than the United Kingdom; if he will list for each total the (A) aggregate fee-income and (B) average fee-income per student; and what the (1) aggregate fee-income foregone and (2) average fee-income per student foregone was (y) at cost to the institution and (z) at cost to the public purse through treating EU students from outside the UK in the same way as students from the UK. [171206]

Alan Johnson [holding answer 4 May 2004]: It is not possible to calculate what the change in income to higher education institutions would be if EU students ceased to be treated in the same way as UK students for fees and funding purposes. This is because the change in income will depend on the courses that these students are following and institutions' decisions about the fee levels for those courses. Fees for non-EU overseas students are not regulated and institutions determine the amount they charge depending, for example, on the costs of the course offered. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) provides funding for EU students but not for non-EU overseas students. The amount paid by HEFCE will also depend on the type of course the student is taking. Information for each HE institution showing student numbers and fee income received is published by the Higher
 
26 May 2004 : Column 1690W
 
Education Statistics Agency (HESA) in "Students in Higher Education Institutions and Resources of Higher Education Institutions" respectively, copies of which are available from the House Library.

Teachers

Mr. Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers have retired over the last four years. [174845]

Mr. Miliband: The information requested has been published in table 40 of the School Workforce in England volume, 2003 edition. A copy of this has been placed in the House of Commons Library. The volume can also be accessed from the following URL: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000443/index.shtml

Test and Examination Costs

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the initial total cost was, including production, printing, marking and moderation of (a) KS1 SATS, (b) KS2 SATS, (c) KS3 SATS, (d) GCSE, (e) AS, (f) A Level and (g) A2 for all schools for 2002–03. [175404]

Mr. Miliband [holding answer 24 May 2004]: The breakdown of expenditure for the Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 National Curriculum tests (commonly referred to as SATS) for all schools for 2002–03 are shown in the table.
£ million

Area of work	KS1	KS2	KS3
Test development, pre-testing and level setting	0.6	1.35	1.5
Paper and printing	0.5	0.75	1
Test distribution	0.5	0.6	0.6
Marking	—	9.4	9
Data collection	—	0.9	0.9
Total	1.6	13	13

Notes:
1. Key Stage 1 tests are marked and moderated locally and so the figures are unavailable for that expenditure.
2. Moderation at Key Stage 2 and 3 is involved in the marking costs—it is not possible to disaggregate the figure.
3. The figure for marking at Key Stage 2 is higher than Key Stage 3 as there are approximately 5 per cent. more pupils.
4. The figures relate to the test cycle and not a financial year.

As part of the work to modernise the examinations systems, announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 17 November 2003, Official Report, column 25WS, we are seeking to improve our understanding of costs of the examinations system. Work to estimate the total costs incurred by the awarding bodies, rather than simply the fees they charge, shows that they spend a total of some £280 million a year on general examinations (principally GCSEs and GCEs) taken by students in schools and colleges in England.

DEFENCE

Air-Sea Rescue Service

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of the UK Air-Sea Rescue Service. [171736]

 
26 May 2004 : Column 1691W
 

Mr. Ingram: The United Kingdom Search and Rescue services will continue to be provided by Royal Navy and Royal Air Force Sea King helicopters (alongside the Maritime Coastguard Agency) until the Support Amphibious Battlefield Rotorcraft Search and Rescue enters service.

Defence Analytical Services Agency

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role and performance of the Defence Analytical Services Agency. [173936]

Mr. Ingram: The role of the Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) is to provide economic and statistical information, analysis and advice to the Ministry of Defence and to provide Parliament, other Government Departments and the public with defence-related statistics and analytical information.

DASA's main products and services are:

defence National Statistics (available at www.dasa.mod.uk);

statistics, analysis and interpretation on a wide range of defence activity for use within MOD (personnel, financial, logistics, commercial, health, and equipment);

forecasting to support the Department's financial and personnel planning appraisal and evaluation policy, scrutiny and advice to support the Department's investment decisions;

and consultancy services, advice and research including modelling, economic and statistical analyses, surveys and problem solving.

More detail about DASA can be found on its website.

In 2003–04 DASA met seven out of its eight key targets. In addition, DASA met the work-life balance standard (a key target carried over from 2002–03) and won the National Council for Work Experience award in the public sector category for the quality of the placements it offers to students. Further information on DASA's performance will be contained in DASA's Annual Report and Accounts which are due to be laid before Parliament before the summer recess.

Defence Scientific and Technology Laboratory

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent the Defence Scientific and Technology Laboratory plans to increase its revenue from sources other than Government departments. [169389]

Mr. Ingram: The Defence Scientific and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) currently has no plans for increasing the revenue it receives from sources outside the public sector, except in the area of IPR exploitation, where it generates revenue through the setting up of joint ventures and the licensing of IPR from defence technology. In this role, Dstl, as a Public Sector Research Establishment, complies with the recommendations of the Baker Report in that it takes opportunities to protect, license and otherwise exploit the IPR generated from public funds for the wider benefit of the United Kingdom.

Departmental Executive Agencies

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will place in the Library copies of the (a) operating cost statement, (b) statement of recognised gains and losses,
 
26 May 2004 : Column 1692W
 
(c) balance sheet, (d) cash flow statement and (e) fixed assets register for financial year 1997–98 for the (i) Defence Dental Agency, (ii) Defence Estate Organisation, (iii)   Defence Intelligence and Security Centre, (iv) Defence Vetting Agency and (v) RAF Logistic Support Services; [172119]

(2) if he will place in the Library copies of the (a) operating cost statement, (b) statement of recognised gains and losses, (c) balance sheet, (d) cash flow statement and (e) fixed assets register for (i) RAF Logistic Support Services for financial year 1999–2000 and (ii) the Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency for the period April to October 2000. [172120]

Mr. Ingram: No accounts were published in financial year 1997–98 by the Defence Estate Organisation, the Defence Intelligence and Security Centre, the Defence Vetting Agency and RAF Logistic Support Services. No accounts were published in financial year 1999–2000 by RAF Logistic Support Services as the organisation ceased to be an agency on 31 March 2000. For that year, no accounts direction was given by HM Treasury and accordingly the agency did not produce a set of annual report and accounts. In respect of the Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency no accounts were produced for the period April to October 2000 or for the year 2000–01 as the organisation ceased to be an agency on 1 October 2000. An operating cost statement, statement of recognised gains and losses, balance sheet and cash flow statement are thus not available.

For the Defence Dental Agency, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Aldershot (Mr. Howarth) on 19 November 2003, Official Report, column 961W.

Fixed Asset Registers could be published only at disproportionate cost in view of the substantial volume of MOD assets.

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) resource provision and (b) outturn for his Department's executive agencies was for financial years (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01, (iii) 2001–02 and (iv) 2002–03. [172121]

Mr. Ingram: For financial years 1999–2000 to 2001–02, I refer the hon. Member to the letter I sent to the hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin) (reference: D/Min(AF)Al 4656/04C of 30 March 2004) copies of which are available in the Library of the House. This provides the "resource outturn" (net operating cost after interest in the Operating Cost Statement) for all agencies which are also Management Groupings or Top Level Budgets. Agency net operating costs may otherwise be found in the Operating Cost Statement of their Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. Technical differences in the way in which agency and consolidated departmental accounts must be prepared may result in a variance between the net operating costs figure shown in agency accounts and that shown in the equivalent consolidated departmental breakdown.

I will write to the hon. Member to provide the corresponding information for financial year 2002–03 and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
 
26 May 2004 : Column 1693W
 

I am unable to provide resource provision below Top Level Budget. The setting of budgets below this level is for internal management control purposes only as lower-level budgets may be redistributed over the financial year to take account of in-year cost pressures or programme changes.

---