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12 Jul 2005 : Column 1010W—continued

A-levels

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to her answer of 21 June 2005, Official Report, column 979W, on A-levels, if she will place a copy of her letter in the Library. [9996]

Jacqui Smith: A copy of the Secretary of State's remit letter to QCA of 29 March 2005 has been placed in the House Library.

Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average cost was per head of pupils studying for A levels in (a) schools funded by local education authorities and (b) colleges funded through learning and skills councils in the last year for which figures are available. [10428]

Bill Rammell: The Further Education (FE) funding system is different to schools. Funding is paid for learning aims as well as an entitlement per 16–18 payment.

Under the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC's) funding formula the basic cost to the public purse of delivering three A-levels in a sixth form college and an FE college to a student in the 2004/05 academic year was £3,045. This figure comprises £766 for the delivery of each A-level learning aim, and £747 for each student for the entitlement element of their learning programme.

Under the LSC's funding formula the basic cost to the public purse of delivering three A-levels to a student at an English maintained secondary school was £3,212. This figure comprises £785 for the delivery of each A-level learning aim, £750 for each student for the
 
12 Jul 2005 : Column 1011W
 
entitlement element of their learning programme, and £107 for each student to meet additional employers' contributions to teachers' pensions.

These figures do not represent all funding that colleges and school sixth forms receive and are not directly comparable. For example the FE funding rates include consolidated funds for pay and staff training that are not reflected in the school sixth form rates. Also, in each case additional funding may also be available to take account of the higher costs of delivering learning in particular geographical areas, in higher cost subjects, or to students with particular disadvantages or individual needs.

Children's Trusts

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent evaluation she has made of children's trusts. [10800]

Beverley Hughes: Children's trusts are being evaluated over three years through the national evaluation of children's trusts. The Phase 1 report of the national evaluation of children's trusts will be published in the summer. Other current national evaluations, for example of the Children's fund and of Sure Start, are also providing important messages about the development of children's trusts.

Conferences

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much the Department spent on organising or sponsoring conferences in each of the last five years. [10264]

Bill Rammell: The Department organises a large number of events for different target audiences and purposes each year, ranging from small scale workshops to introduce practitioners to new procedures or initiatives, to larger scale events to promote policy initiatives or share good practice.

Records of events organised or sponsored by the Department are not held centrally and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Dance and Drama Awards Scholarships

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Dance and Drama Awards scholarships, funded by the Learning and Skills Council, have been made in the last five years to residents of each of the nations of the UK. [10092]

Bill Rammell: The Dance and Drama Awards are open to students from all parts of the UK and the EU. Neither the DfES nor the LSC analyse information on the nationality of students in receipt of a Dance and Drama Award because to do so would be disproportionately expensive. The number of Further Education Dance and Drama Awards allocated to students between 2000–01 and 2004–05 was 4,427. This figure includes students from all parts of the UK and the EU.
 
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Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what account is taken of nation and region of residence in the granting of dance and drama awards scholarships as funded by the Learning and Skills Council. [10093]

Bill Rammell: Neither the DfES nor the LSC analyse information on the nationality of students in receipt of a dance and drama award because to do so would be disproportionately expensive. The average size of non-means tested awards made to schools on behalf of all students in receipt of a dance and drama award between 2000 and 2005 was £6,572. This includes students from all parts of the UK and the EU.

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average size has been of awards made to residents of each of the nations of the UK from the Dance and Drama Awards scholarships funded by the Learning and Skills Council over the last five years. [10095]

Bill Rammell: Neither the DfES nor the LSC analyse information on the nationality of students in receipt of a Dance and Drama Award because to do so would be disproportionately expensive. The average size of non-means tested awards made to schools on behalf of all students in receipt of a Dance and Drama Award between 2000 and 2005 was £6,572. This includes students from all parts of the UK and the EU.

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what account is taken of (a) nation and (b) region of residence in the granting of awards from the Dance and Drama Fees and Maintenance Fund. [10734]

Bill Rammell [holding answer 11 July 2005]: All students in receipt of Dance and Drama Awards, who currently live in England, Scotland or Wales, are ordinarily resident in England, Scotland or Wales at the beginning of the academic year and who have been ordinarily resident in the British Isles for the last three years can apply for means tested help from the Fees and Maintenance Fund. Eligible European Union citizens in receipt of Dance and Drama Awards who do not meet the above requirements can apply for fee support only from the Fees and Maintenance fund.

English, Scottish and EU residents are assessed for support by Manchester LEA. The assessment is based on family income and if they meet the residency requirements above no further account is taken of nationality or region of residence.

The National Assembly for Wales holds the budget and is responsible for the student support costs for Welsh students and the Scottish Executive holds the budget and is responsible for the student support costs of Scottish students.

Students living in Northern Ireland who have been ordinarily resident in the British Isles for at least three years and who have a Dance and Drama Award apply for student support through the Department for Employment and Learning.
 
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Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average size has been of awards made to residents of each of the nations of the UK from the Dance and Drama Fees and Maintenance Fund in each of the last five years. [10721]

Bill Rammell: UK students in receipt of a dance and drama award can apply for means tested support to help with their maintenance and with their tuition fee contribution. English, Scottish and Welsh students apply for this help through Manchester LEA while students from Northern Ireland apply direct to the Department for Employment and Learning.

The National Assembly for Wales holds the budget and is responsible for the student support costs for Welsh students and the Scottish Executive holds the budget and is responsible for the student support costs of Scottish students.

The average amount of support received by Welsh dance and drama award students who applied for means tested support between 2000 and 2005 was £3,000.

We only have figures on Scottish students from 2001, as prior to this Scottish students in receipt of a dance and drama award received discretionary support for maintenance costs through their local LEA. The average amount of support received by Scottish students who applied for means tested support between 2001 and 2005 was £2,900.

The average amount of means tested support paid to other students who applied during 2000–05 was £2,703.

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