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Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding he plans to make available to universities to enable them to promote applications. [192924]
Dr. Howells: The 'Aimhigher' programme provides funding to universities, colleges and schools in order to raise the aspirations and attainment of young people. The aim is to increase the number of applications from groups which are currently under-represented in higher education. Aimhigher is jointly funded by the Department for Education and Skills, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Learning and Skills Council.
HEFCE also provides funds through its widening participation allocation to assist universities with the additional costs of recruiting and retaining non-traditional students.
Announcements about future funding levels will be made in the new year, once the funding councils have received and considered their annual grant letters.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether he was consulted by the Higher Education Statistics Agency on the university performance indicators it produced in September; whether these indicators were subject to his approval;
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when he or his Ministers were first informed what the performance indicators were; and what assessment he has made of the impact on university admissions of the indicators relating to state school intake. [191980]
Dr. Howells: The Secretary of State does not approve the higher education performance indicator statistics for publication. The Secretary of State and Ministers were informed by departmental officials of the broad results of the sixth annual set of performance indicators a few days before their publication. The Secretary of State has made no explicit assessment of the impact on university admissions of any of the indicators; admissions are for individual institutions to determine. However, the Government believe it is right to publish data which allow comparison between individual institutions, enable institutions to reflect on their own performance, and indicate to potential students the position in each institution.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what advice he has given to universities about employing university teachers beyond the statutory retirement age. [191794]
Dr. Howells:
I have given no advice to universities on this issue. As independent and autonomous bodies, higher education institutions are responsible for their own employment matters. Like other employers, higher
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education institutions will have to take account of future legislation in this area, such as the age strand of the European Employment Directive, which the Government intend to implement in 2006. The Equality Challenge Unit, a sector body which provides advice on equality issues, will provide guidance to institutions on the implications of this legislation. This will be in consultation with other relevant organisations, such as the Universities and Colleges Employers Association and the pensions bodies that operate in higher education.
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the teaching infrastructure of UK universities; and what plans he has for changes to the infrastructure. [192507]
Dr. Howells:
We have made no recent assessment of the 'teaching infrastructure' of UK universities, and have no plans to make any such assessments, or make any changes. In terms of funding support for institutions Government expenditure on higher education will increase by around £2 billion between 200405 and 200708, taking total investment to almost £9.5 billion. On top of all this, HE institutions will receive in full the extra income they generate from charging variable feesin steady state (i.e. by 2010) this will be around £1.2 billion extra. Institutions will be free to spend this as they see fit, including on improvements to the institutional infrastructure, which supports their teaching.
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Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Laos about the health and treatment of evangelist Boon Chanh, serving a sentence in Udomsay Province. [193578]
Mr. Alexander: British Government contacts with the Laos Government are limited, but Ministers and senior officials regularly raise our human rights concerns either in bilateral contacts, or through the EU. Most recently, we raised the case of Mr Boon Chanh in particular and the treatment of Christians in general with the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs at official level on 14 October. Our ambassador to Laos (resident in Bangkok) also raised the treatment of Christians with the Lao authorities in June; and we again raised general human rights issues, including prisoners, at official level in September. The EU Mission in Vientiane also monitors human rights developments and religious freedom in Laos.
We are aware of reports of the mistreatment of Christians in Laos. Since the introduction of a Religious Freedom decree in Laos, we understand there has been some limited progress, with a number of churches being allowed to re-open and an overall drop in the number of believers detained.
We will continue to raise our concerns with the Lao Government when opportunities arise; and to encourage it to implement recent reforms on religious freedom.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has collated on the living standards of British Indian Ocean Territory citizens normally resident in (a) Mauritius, (b) the Seychelles and (c) UK; and if he will make a statement. [192719]
Mr. Rammell: Information on the living standards of members of the Chagossian communities in Mauritius and Seychelles is not formally collated, but I am kept informed about this by officials and by visitors to these two countries. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not responsible for collating information on the living standards of people resident in the United Kingdom.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the ministerial meetings concerning the British Indian Ocean Territory which have been held with (a) representatives of the Chagos Islanders and (b) hon. Members in the last five years. [192720]
Mr. Rammell:
There have been numerous such meetings over the last five years. However, a comprehensive list of such meetings is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to visit the Cayman Islands in the next three years. [192603]
Mr. Rammell: It is not our practice to announce visits until they are firm. Because of the unpredictable nature of world events, final decisions on overseas visits are often not possible until very shortly before the day of travel.
I have no immediate plans to visit the Cayman Islands.
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on civil disobedience in the Cayman Islands after Hurricane Ivan. [192610]
Mr. Rammell: There were reports of looting immediately following Hurricane Ivan. There is no evidence known to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Force of any organised burglary or theft. The majority of crimes reported were opportunistic, which targeted unoccupied homes that were badly damaged and stores which had become insecure.
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the legislative body of the Cayman Islands in the last six months; and if he will make a statement. [192613]
Mr. Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had any discussions with the Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands in the last six months. Members of the Legislative Assembly form part of the Cabinet of the Cayman Islands. On 7 October, following the recent hurricane damage, I met the Leader of Government Business and other Members of the Cabinet for discussions.
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political effects of Hurricane Ivan on the Cayman Islands. [192623]
Mr. Rammell: The devastation and subsequent recovery and reconstruction efforts has meant that a General Election due in November this year has had to be postponed until 2005. A precise date has yet to be agreed.
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representation the UK Government will be sending to the Cayman Islands Tourism Conference. [192639]
Mr. Rammell: The Cayman Islands Tourism Conference was due to take place on 15 November on Grand Cayman. Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Ivan, this is now subject to confirmation. This is an annual event which the Governor of the Cayman Islands usually attends.
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