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23 Jun 2005 : Column 1179W—continued
Student Debt
David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) the total amount of debt incurred by UK students studying at English universities, (b) the mean amount of such debt and (c) the median amount of such debt was for each year since 1996; and what estimate she has made of these figures for each year until 2010. [5005]
Bill Rammell: The table shows the student loan amount outstanding for publicly-owned debt in the UK, at the end of each financial year specified.
| Financial year | Amount outstanding (£ million) |
|---|---|
| 1995–96 | 1,859.0 |
| 1996–97 | 2,691.0 |
| 1997–98 | 3,574.3 |
| 1998–99 | 3,591.9 |
| 1999–2000 | 3,992.5 |
| 2000–01 | 6,043.2 |
| 2001–02 | 8,394.0 |
| 2002–03 | 10,827.5 |
| 2003–04 | 13,364.2 |
Source:
Student Loans Company
Data are not available centrally for UK students at English universities.
The latest Student Income and Expenditure Survey 2002/03, which covered young, single, childless full-time undergraduate students in higher education institutions in England and Wales found that final year students' average anticipated total debt on graduation was £8,666 in 2002/03. This included student loans, overdrafts, credit cards, commercial loans and informal loans. The 2004/05 SIES, published at the end of 2005, will give up to date figures.
The table shows average student loan debt for UK borrowers, at the point they entered repayment status, by financial year. Note this only covers student loans obtained from the Student Loans Company.
| Financial year entered repayment status | Average debt (£)(31) |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 3,530 |
| 2000–01 | 3,840 |
| 2001–02 | 4,230 |
| 2002–03 | 5,720 |
| 2003–04 | 7,110 |
| 2004–05(32) | 7,910 |
| 2005–06(32) | 8,430 |
(31) Values rounded to nearest 10. Includes interest accrued up to the point of entering repayment status. Excludes any early voluntary repayments that may have been made by the borrower before entering repayment status.
(32) Income-contingent loans only
Source:
Student Loans Company
23 Jun 2005 : Column 1180W
Figures are not available before 1999–2000. Borrowers enter repayment status in the April following graduation or otherwise leaving their course. Data are not available centrally in the form requested.
The introduction of loans for variable fees of up to £3,000 will increase the amount the average student is able to borrow but not all will take up their full loan entitlement. Those receiving the new maintenance grants and university bursaries can use them if they wish to reduce their overall debt.
Changes to maintenance loans levels could reduce rather than increase student indebtedness for many poorer students. Although maintenance loans will rise in 2006/07 to reflect the median of essential living costs expenditure recorded in the SIES 2002/03, a bigger change will be the substitution of a significant part of the new £2,700 maintenance grant for maintenance loans for lower income students, reducing the need to borrow.
We will be monitoring changes in borrowing patterns as the new student support arrangements come in. Whatever a student's circumstances, no student from 2006/07 has to pay fees upfront and the arrangements for repayment of maintenance and fee loans are fair and equitable. The graduate's repayments are at zero real rate of interest, related directly to earnings and only required when earnings are greater than £15,000 per year.
DfES does not hold information on borrowers in repayment status at an individual student level; therefore we are unable to calculate a median amount of debt.
Truancy
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the truancy level has been in each secondary school in the (a) Reading borough council and (b) Wokingham district council local education authority area in each year since 1990. [5410]
Jacqui Smith: The information requested is only available from 1994 (truancy rates were not published previously); this information has been placed in the Library. These figures relate to unauthorised absence, this includes all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established and truancy.
Undergraduates
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of undergraduate students in higher education institutions in England were (a) full-time and (b) part-time in each year between 1995 and 2005; and what the projected figures are for 2006 to 2010. [3063]
23 Jun 2005 : Column 1181W
Bill Rammell: The latest available figures and projections for higher education students (studying at higher education institutions or further education colleges in England) are given in the tables.
(33) Covers students studying at higher education institutions and further education Colleges.
(34) Figures are on a snapshot basis as at the 1 December of the academic year, and are rounded to the nearest five.
(35) Figures are on a DfES whole year count basis which are not consistent with snapshot figures given for earlier years. The whole year count counts students at the end of the academic year and provides a more accurate representation of student numbers. Whole year count figures are not available for years before 2000/01. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
Note:
Constituent parts may not sum due to founding.
Source:
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Learning and Skills Council (LSC) Individual Learner Records (ILR).
(36) Covers students studying at higher education institutions and further education colleges.
(37) Projected figures given here are on a whole year count basis. Coverage is different than for the actual student numbers given in the preceding table. In particular, students of unknown or Island domiciles or on courses of greater than six years in length are not included in the projections.
Note:
Constituent parts may not sum due to rounding.
23 Jun 2005 : Column 1182W
The planned number of student places is set during spending reviews in the light of the Government's target of increasing participation in higher education towards 50 per cent. of those aged-17 to 30 by the end of the decade, and the projections shown here are based on these plans. Projections may change as new data becomes available. Projections for 2007/08 are subject to revision (and projections for years beyond 2007/08 are not available) as they are dependent on Spending Review 2006 outcomes.
Teacher Victims of Violence
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers have been victims of offences of violence in the West Chelmsford parliamentary constituency in each of the last 10 years. [6599]
Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not collected centrally.
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