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EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Adult Education

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2005, Official Report, column 576W, on adult education, what assessment she has made of the affordability of courses for adults wishing to study for a non-basic skills qualification at a lower level than level 2 in 2006–07; and if she will make a statement; [31818]

(2) what research she has conducted into the (a) ability and (b) willingness of (i) employers and (ii) individuals to pay an increased proportion of the cost of adult education courses. [31820]

Phil Hope: On 21 October, we made an announcement setting out the Government's strategic direction for the learning and skills sector for the coming period. Our main purpose for doing so was to ensure the 2006/07 funding allocations process began with a clear and concise message on the principles that will underpin funding over the next two years. Our funding priorities do not affect the existing arrangements whereby my Department funds free tuition for learners who are eligible, however, a rebalancing of responsibilities between Government, employers and learners is central to delivering our skills strategy. My Department will continue to waive fees for all young people; those taking literacy and numeracy; and learners receiving income-based benefits, the pension (guarantee) credit and those on higher levels of the working tax credit.

My Department recently commissioned a public poll asking people about their attitudes towards fees in the learning and skills sector. We published a report of the findings on the Department's website on the 11 November. Other research includes a study of learners (Study of Learners in Further Education (2003)) to ascertain the financial circumstances of learners in FE; and a Prior Qualifications of Adult Learners survey which includes questions about learner attitudes to contributing to the costs of their learning. We have also commissioned two surveys (Fees in Colleges—A Review Of The Use of Discretionary Fee Remission In Further Education (2003); and FE Colleges Fee Charging Policy and Practice (1999)) about fee policies and practices from the college's perspective. DfES published research findings are available on the Department's website at dfes.gov.uk/research/
 
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The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is currently researching the impact of the new fee policies in the further education sector. LSC published research findings are available on their website at lsc.gov.uk

There has been no specific research into employer attitudes to payment of fees for adult education courses.

Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the number of over-45s seeking (a) further education and (b) skills training who were (i) in the workforce and (ii) seeking re-entry into the workforce in the last period for which figures are available. [31375]

Phil Hope: Analysis of the labour force survey of spring 2005 found that of the people living in England who were aged 45 or more: 9,050,000 were working; 260,000 were unemployed; and 10,499,000 were inactive.

According to the national adult learning survey (2002): 79 per cent. of employed people aged over 45 had done some job-related learning during the previous three years. This compares with 57 per cent. for unemployed people, and 13 per cent. for inactive people of the same age range.

The same survey also found that 58 per cent. of employed people aged 45 or more said they were very likely or fairly likely to do job-related training over the next three years. In comparison, 43 per cent. of unemployed people; and 16 per cent. of inactive people of the same age range said they were very likely or fairly likely to do job-related training over the next three years.

The LSC's individual learner record data showed that in the academic year 2003/04 there were 1,200,000 people aged 45+ who had attended a course at an LSC- funded further education college. The activity status of these students is unknown. We also have no information on the number of people seeking further education.

Ed Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people aged (a) 30 to 39, (b) 40 to 49 and (c) 50 years and over received skills training in (i) West Yorkshire and (ii) Normanton constituency since 2001. [31566]

Phil Hope: Analysis of the Local Labour Force Surveys from 2001 to 2005 has produced the following results.
Table 1: Percentage of working aged⁽⁶⁴⁾ people who have received skills training⁽⁶⁵⁾ in the four weeks prior to interview in West Yorkshire

	Percentage of people receiving skills training
Age·year	2001/02	2002/03	2003/04	2004/05
16–29	22	26	22	21
30–39	15	16	15	14
40–49	13	12	13	13
50–59/64	9	8	7	8
Total(66)	15	16	15	14

⁽⁶⁴⁾ Working age refers to men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59.
⁽⁶⁵⁾ Skills training is assumed to be job related training for current and future jobs in the four weeks prior to interview.
⁽⁶⁶⁾ There were approximately 1,291,000 16 to 59/64-year-olds in West Yorkshire in 2004/05.



 
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Table 1 indicates that approximately 15 per cent. of 30 to 39-year-olds in West Yorkshire received skills training in 2001/02. Older people are less likely to do skills training than younger people. There has been no significant change within age groups in the period 2001 to 2004/05.
Table 2: Percentage of working aged people who have received skills training⁽⁶⁷⁾ in the four weeks prior to interview in Normanton

	Percentage of people receiving skills training
Age/year	2001/02	2002/03	2003/04	2004/05
Total 16 to 59/64(68)	14	13	16	13

⁽⁶⁷⁾ Skills training is assumed to be job related training for current and future jobs in the four weeks prior to interview.
⁽⁶⁸⁾ There were approximately 54,000 16 to 59/64-year-olds in Normanton in 2004/05.

Table 2 indicates that there is little difference between skills training in West Yorkshire as a whole and skills training in Normanton as a whole. The number of people receiving skills training within each age group, in Normanton, who were sampled in the LLFS was too small to yield any meaningful estimates.
Table 3: Percentage of working aged people who have received skills training⁽⁶⁹⁾ in the four weeks prior to interview in Normanton, West Yorkshire and UK

	Percentage of people receiving skills training
Region·year	2001/02	2002/03	2003/04	2004/05
Normanton total	14	13	16	13
West Yorkshire total(70)	15	16	15	14
UK total(71)	15	15	14	14

⁽⁶⁹⁾ Skills training is assumed to be job related training for current and future jobs in the four weeks prior to interview.
⁽⁷⁰⁾ There were approximately 1,291,000 16 to 59/64-year-olds in West Yorkshire in 2004/05.
⁽⁷¹⁾ The UK total for 2001/02 uses the LFS spring quarter 2001, 2002/03 uses LFS spring quarter 2002 and soon.

There is little difference between the percentage of working aged people receiving skills training in Normanton compared to West Yorkshire and nationally.

Quality Mark

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many local education authorities are working with the Basic Skills Agency as part of a primary Quality Mark partnership. [32910]

Jacqui Smith: In England 138 of the 150 local authorities are in the Quality Mark partnership. In Wales all 22 of the LEAs are in the Quality Mark partnership.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools that were assessed for the Basic Skills Agency's Quality Mark failed to gain one. [32911]

Jacqui Smith: There are no figures available on the number of schools who do not attain the Quality Mark, since local authorities are responsible for carrying out the assessments and are not required by the Basic Skills Agency to provide figures on the numbers of schools which fail to gain the Quality Mark.
 
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Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 16 November 2005, Official Report, column 1280W, on the Basic Skills Agency, how many and what proportion of 11-year-olds achieved level 4 or above in (a) reading, (b) writing and (c) mathematics at (i) schools that had gained the Quality Mark from the Basic Skills Agency and (ii) other schools in the last year for which figures are available. [33205]

Jacqui Smith: The data requested are not available.

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