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11 Jul 2005 : Column 844W—continued
Prison Education
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the (a) number and (b) percentage of prisons in England and Wales that are providing adequate (i) literacy, (ii)numeracy and (iii) vocational training. [11498]
Phil Hope: Learning and skills in prisons in England and Wales are provided by providers acting under contract to the Prison Service and through some direct provision by Prison Service staff.
The quality of learning and skills provision in prisonsis assessed through a programme of inspections undertaken by the Adult Learning Inspectorate working alongside Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons. The ALI Chief Inspectors' Annual Report 2004 records that the quality of Foundation Programmes (covering literacy, language and numeracy provision) was judged to be satisfactory or better in 25 out of 33 (76 per cent.) of prisons inspected in 2003–04.
For all other areas of learning, which include vocational training, the provision in 2003–04 was judged to be satisfactory or better in 65 out of 94 (69 per cent.) instances.
Research and Development
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made towards the target to increase the ratio of research and development across the economy to 2.5 per cent. of national gross domestic product by 2014; and if she will make a statement. [10040]
John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
In July 2004, the Government published a 10-year Science and Innovation Investment Framework, which set out an ambition for the UK's total public and private investment in R&D to reach 2.5 per cent. of GDP by 2014, together with a comprehensive set of policies designed to achieve this. Figures from 2003, which pre-date the 10-year framework, show that public and private investment in R&D stood at 1.9 per cent. of UK GDP. The Government will continue to monitor public and private levels of investment in R&D as the 10-year framework is implemented in future years.
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what real-terms percentage increase she expects in research investment by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in each of the next three years. [9836]
Bill Rammell: Our overall plans for investment in university research are published each year in the grant letter to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), but HEFCE is responsible for determining the distribution of the total between institutions and over academic years. Our latest plans allow for an increase of 6.8 per cent./5.9 per cent./5 per cent. in real terms over the next three financial years (2005–08).
School Bullying
Mr. Hoban:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the Answer of 7 June
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2005, Official Report, column 471W, on bullying, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the Make the Difference series of ministerial conference on bullying in schools. [8480]
Jacqui Smith: Between November 2003 and June 2004, a series of regional conferences was run as part of the Make the Difference" campaign. These conferences, which welcomed an impressive 5,000 people, offered an opportunity for schools and other partners to share good practice on this issue and to learn at first hand of successful techniques used elsewhere.
Many delegates reported that the conferences had been exactly what they need in order to return to their schools and start making changes.
There was also an influx of signed Charters after the conferences at which it was launched.
One specific result has been that a school that offered an acclaimed workshop at two conferences has now placed its work on DVD in response to requests from many other schools.
Most importantly schools tell us that the conferences have led to significant changes in schools, acting as a catalyst for innovative ways of tackling the problem.
Science Graduates
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the shortfall in science-qualified graduates against the requirements of industry in each of the last five years, broken down by discipline in which there has been such a shortfall. [9249]
Bill Rammell: My Department does not make such estimates.
Skills Shortage
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the skills shortage in (a) the East of England and (b) Hertford and Stortford constituency. [10926]
Phil Hope: Figures from the National Employers Skills Survey, conducted by the Learning and Skills Council in 2003, showed that the East of England region had 14,000 skill shortage vacancies at the time of the survey. This compares with 16,000 in 2002 and represents 18.2 per cent. of all England's skill shortage vacancies. 4 per cent. of establishments reported such vacancies, which was the average for England as a whole.
For East Hertfordshire, which covers the constituency of Hertford and Stortford, seven of the 67 establishments surveyed reported skill shortage vacancies. This equates to 10 per cent. of those surveyed.
State Boarding Schools
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) state boarding schools there are and (b) pupils were educated at state boarding schools in the last year for which figures are available. [8487]
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Jacqui Smith: There are currently 34 maintained boarding schools in England, with approximately 32,500 pupils, of which 4,500 are boarders.
There are also 132 maintained special schools with approximately 9,200 pupils, of which 2,900 are boarders.
Student Finance
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) average and (b) maximum amount of support available for (i) full-time and (ii) part-time students in academic years (A)was in 2003/04 and (B) is in 2004/05. [10049]
Bill Rammell: The maximum amount available for the standard student support package is set out as follows. Whereas we publish statistics on average fee and maintenance expenditure per student, we do not have data on average amounts available.
(100)Grant for fees up to the full £1,125 fee.
(101)Loan £500.
(102)Grant for fees up to the full £1,150 fee. HE grant up to £1,000 (the minimum grant is £50).
(103)Fee grant up to £575. Course grant up to £250.
In addition to the standard package of full-time support, in both academic years there was a range of extra help available for students with dependants (Adult Dependants Grant, Parents Learning Allowance and Childcare Grant); disabled students (non-means tested Disabled Students Allowances); care leavers (Care Leavers Grant); and certain students incurring additional travel costs (Travel Grant). Also available were discretionary funds such as the Access to Learning Fund and Opportunity Bursaries. Part-time students could also receive Disabled Students Allowances and help from the discretionary funds. In 2003/04 a fee waiver scheme was operated for part-time students through the discretionary Access to Learning Fund. This was replaced with the statutory fee grant in 2004/05.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to her answer of 23 June 2005, Official Report, column 1169W, on further and higher education, what the estimated cost of grants
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for full-time students with dependants domiciled in England and Wales at UK institutions was for each academic year between 1999–2000 and 2003–04. [10053]
Bill Rammell: Available data are given in the table.
(104)Rounded to the nearest 100.
(105)The figures show the total number of grants received as a student can receive more than one type of grant.
(106)Expenditure on dependants' grants for children is not included in 2003/04 since, in April 2003 child tax credits became available to individuals with dependent children, and this included students. To avoid double funding for the same purpose it was decided that it was correct to abolish the dependant grants for children from 2003/04 as students could receive the child tax credit.
Source:
F503G Survey of local education authorities and SLC.
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total value of student loans outstanding has been at the end of each year between 1993–94 and 2003–04. [10911]
Bill Rammell: The following table shows the student loan amount outstanding for publicly owned debt in the UK, at the end of each financial year specified.
Source:
Student Loans Company
The Statistical First Release SFR26/2004 Statistics of Student Loans for Higher Education in the United Kingdom—Financial Year 2003–04 (Provisional)" published on 29 July 2004 gives further information on student loan outlay and repayments. It is available on the DfES website at:
Figures will be updated in the Statistical First Release Student Loans for Higher Education in the United Kingdom—Financial Year 2004–05 (Provisional)", due to be published on 28 July 2005 by the Student Loans Company. It will be available on the SLC website at:
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