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Exam Results

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2006, Official Report, column 678W, on exam results, what the average A level attainment of entrants to undergraduate courses leading to qualified teacher status has been in each year since 2002–03, based on the best three qualifications; and what proportion of entrants attained (a) at least (i) 360, (ii) 300, (iii) 240, (iv) 180 and (v) 120 and (b) fewer than 120 points in their three best A levels in each year since 2002–03. [50633]

Bill Rammell: The information is not held centrally. The data collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on the highest qualification of undergraduate entrants shows the number of A levels obtained and the total A level tariff score, but because tariff scores are not collected for individual A levels it is not possible to derive the tariff score for the three best A levels.

Labour Market Needs

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what forecasts of future skills and labour market needs have been carried out in each of the local Learning and Skills Council areas; and what steps have been taken to act on the data collected. [58885]

Bill Rammell: All local LSCs are required to prepare a plan for each financial year. The plan includes an assessment of the skills and training needed to meet the needs of individuals and employers in the area; and
 
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proposals on how the local council intends to carry out its functions, and achieve the objectives and priorities identified in the plan. Plans for 2006–07 are being finalised and will be published on the LSC's website shortly.

Data on skills and labour market needs in each of the local Learning and Skills Council areas is also contained in the Working Futures 2004 to 2014 reports, commissioned by the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA), and available on their website at www.ssda.org.uk. Local LSCs will be using this information to inform their plans.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she expects to give a substantive answer to question reference 55453, on early years programme funds, tabled by the right hon. Member for Birkenhead on 27 February. [59154]

Beverley Hughes: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 14 March 2006.

Special Advisers (Overseas Visits)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many overseas visits special advisers in her Department made in an official capacity since January 2004; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost. [52672]

Ruth Kelly: Since 1999 the Government have published, on an annual basis, the total costs of all ministerial overseas travel and a list of all visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500. Copies of the lists are available in the Library of the House. Information for the financial year 2004–05 was published on 21 July 2005, Official Report, 158WS. Between 31 January 2004 and 31 January 2006, a special adviser accompanied me on one visit to Brussels. The travel costs of special advisers accompanying Ministers on overseas are included in the annual list of overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers. Information for the financial year 2005–06 is in the process of being collated and will be published when it is ready.

All official travel by special advisers is undertaken in accordance with the guidance set out in the Ministerial Code" and the Civil Service Management Code".

Student Loans

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many graduates are waiting for their 2004–05 student loan repayments to be transferred from HM Revenue and Customs to the Student Loans Company. [58592]

Bill Rammell [holding answer 14 March 2006]: Some borrowers' student loan accounts have not yet been updated with 2004–05 repayment information as there have been some delays in HMRC processing Employer's Annual Returns for 2004–05. HMRC anticipates that the bulk of all 2004–05 Employer's Annual Returns will have been processed by the end of April 2006. We will not know how many accounts are affected by this delay until all returns have been processed, as not all student loan borrowers will have
 
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been due to make repayments. However borrowers who have made repayments will be able to calculate from their payslips amounts they have repaid and thus the balance outstanding.

Sure Start

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Sure Start places there are in each local authority area of England; and how many places there are per 10,000 children in each area, ranked in descending order. [57380]

Beverley Hughes: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when the Government will report on progress on the Sure Start targets of an increase in the proportion of children with (a) satisfactory speech and language development at age two years, (b) normal levels of communication, language and literacy at age five years and (c) normal levels of personal, social and emotional development for their age; and if she will make a statement. [58730]

Beverley Hughes: The Department for Education and Skills' Autumn Performance Report 2005" (Cm 6719) explained that the Sure Start targets set in Spending Review 2002 for increases in the proportion of children aged five reaching normal levels of communication, language and literacy and normal levels of personal, social and emotional development for their age, will be measured under Spending Review 2004 public service agreement (PSA) target 1. The baseline and target for PSA target 1 is currently being established and will be available in the next departmental report, which will be published later this year.

The final 2005 figures for the foundation stage profile in England were published in Statistical First Release 03/2006 Foundation Stage Profile 2005: National Results (Final)" on 16 February 2006, a copy of which is available on my Department's website at www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/

The Sure Start language measure assesses children with satisfactory speech and language development at age two in Sure Start communities. The proportion of children both with high word count scores and whose parents were free of concerns about their child's development rose from 73 per cent. in 2003 to 76 per cent. in 2004. Results for 2005 will be available in the next departmental report.

Teenage Pregnancies

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy in the eastern region. [57280]

Beverley Hughes: Following the launch of the Government's Teenage Pregnancy Strategy in 1999, each local authority was asked to put in place a strategy to reduce local under-18 conception rates by between 40–60 per cent. by 2010. These local targets underpin the national target to halve England's under-18 conception rate by 2010. Local strategies focus on: improving the effectiveness of sex and relationships education (SRE)
 
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in schools; improving young people's access to contraceptive and sexual health advice; and supporting parents so they are better able to talk to their children about relationships and sexual health. This is supported by a national media campaign on local radio and in teen magazines, with key messages on: the benefits of delaying early sex; resisting peer pressure; and promoting condom use among young people who are already sexually active.

Data for 2004 (published in February 2006) shows that since the 1998 baseline year, the under-18 conception rate has fallen by 11.1 per cent. and the under-16 rate has fallen by 15.2 per cent. Both rates are now at their lowest levels since the mid-1980s. The decline in the under-18 conception rate in eastern region over the same period is 13.4 per cent. A full analysis of the causes of teenage pregnancy will be included in a strategy document setting out the next phase of the teenage pregnancy strategy, due to be published shortly.

Top-up Fees

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research her Department has commissioned on the likely impact of the new top-up fees regime on the number of EU domiciled students choosing to study at higher education institutions in England. [58979]

Bill Rammell: The Department has not commissioned any research on the impact of the top-up fees regime on the number of EU domiciled students studying at English higher education institutions. However we will continue to monitor student numbers and any trends in applicants from EU countries. The cost of travelling to and living in the UK will continue to be an important factor in any decision taken by EU nationals who wish to study in the UK.

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