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4 July 2006 : Column 1038W—continued
Teach First
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many graduates who have entered teaching via Teach First have continued to work as teachers after the two year commitment had ended. [81752]
Jim Knight: Teach First was launched in 2003 and, of the first cohort to complete the two year programme, approximately 45 per cent. have stayed in teaching.
Teachers
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many trained teachers were employed by the East Riding of Yorkshire Education Authority in each of the last 5 years, broken down by subject taught; and if he will make a statement. [81701]
Jim Knight: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of regular qualified teachers in service in the East Riding of Yorkshire local authority for each January from 2000 to 2005, the latest year available. This information is not available broken down by subject taught.
| Full-time equivalent number of regular qualified teachers in service in the East Riding of Yorkshire local authority, January 2000 to 2005 | |
| Total FTE | |
| Source: Annual survey of teachers in service and teacher vacancies, (618g). | |
Tuition Fees
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students from (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) the south-west are exempt from tuition fees. [82149]
Bill Rammell: The number of students from Somerset local authority, and the South West Government Office Region making no contribution to their tuition fees in 2004/05 was £2,830, and £29,700 respectively(1). Data are not available at the constituency level.
Students on full-time undergraduate courses and their families are expected to make a contribution towards the cost of their tuition based on household income. Students from lower income backgrounds are wholly or partially exempt from paying tuition fees.
From 2006/07 upfront fees are abolished and full-time students will be eligible for tuition fee loans of up to £3,000. In addition, we expect around 30 per cent. of students to receive a maximum maintenance grant of £2,700 and an HE institution bursary of at least £300. Overall, we expect around half of all eligible students to receive at least some maintenance grant.
(1) Rounded to the nearest 10 students.
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students from (a) Houghton and Washington East constituency and (b) Sunderland city council area are exempt from tuition fees. [82284]
Bill Rammell: The number of students from Sunderland local authority making no contribution to their tuition fees in 2004/05 was 1,740(1). Data are not available at the constituency level.
Students on full-time undergraduate courses and their families are expected to make a contribution towards the cost of their tuition based on household income. Students from lower income backgrounds are wholly or partially exempt from paying tuition fees.
From 2006/07 up-front fees are abolished and full-time students will be eligible for tuition fee loans of up to £3,000. In addition, we expect around 30 per cent. of students to receive a maximum maintenance grant of £2,700 and an HE institution bursary of at
least £300. Overall, we expect around half of all eligible students to receive at least some maintenance grant.
(1) Rounded to the nearest 10 students.
University Ranking
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) if he will consider creating a system by which to rank universities; [80577]
(2) what recent representations his Department has received on establishing its own criteria for ranking universities. [80578]
Bill Rammell: We have received no formal recent representations on criteria to rank universities nor do we have any immediate plans to create a ranking system. However, we have started to make more comparative information available to prospective students. However, there is currently no consensus on how English higher education institutions could be ranked taking due account of their increasingly diverse size and missions and distinguishing between inputs and outputs. We will listen to any suggestions on possible ways forward.
Weapons (Schools)
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps are being taken by his Department to provide security measures to ensure that (a) knives and (b) guns are not taken into schools. [82264]
Jim Knight: School security is a local matter. Under health and safety law, it is for individual school employers to determine what measures a school should take to keep pupils and staff safe. In the main, schools are very safe places and the majority of pupils have never carried a knife. It is a criminal offence to carry an offensive weapon on school premises. Where schools have suspicions they can call the police, and should do so if they believe pupils or staff are at risk of serious harm. Schools and local police can agree a Safer School Partnership to prevent crime in and around a school. We also propose a power in the Violent Crime Reduction Bill to enable schools to search, without consent, pupils they suspect are carrying a knife or other weapon.
Home Department
Animal Experiments
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many project licences for animal experiments were (a) applied for and (b) successful in 2004; and for what reasons applications were rejected. [81433]
Joan Ryan:
In 2004, 595 project licences were applied for and of those 413 were granted in 2004, 122 in 2005 and two in 2006. None were formally refused. Nineteen
are still being processed. Thirty nine applications are recorded as not proceeded with.
A feature of the regulatory regime under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 is the discussion that often takes place at an early stage between applicants (or prospective applicants) and the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate. This means that proposals unlikely to meet the Act’s stringent requirements are revised or withdrawn before formal refusal becomes necessary.
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) age and (b) sex was of each of those made subject to an antisocial behaviour order in the Bristol local authority area in each year since their introduction. [80591]
Mr. McNulty: The available information is given in the following table:
| Number of ASBOs issued, as reported to the Home Office by the Court Service, where restrictions are imposed within the local government authority area of Bristol city council, by period, sex and age group, from 1 June 2000( 1) to 30 September 2005 (latest available) | ||||||||
| Males (age) | Females (age) | |||||||
| Period | 10-17 | 18+ | Unknown | Total | 10-17 | 18+ | Unknown | Total |
| Persons (age) | ||||
| Period | 10-17 | 18+ | Unknown | Total |
| (1) From 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 data were collected on aggregate numbers only by police force area. (2) Includes one order made at Bristol magistrates court—petty sessional area only known. | ||||
Asylum/Immigration
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps he has taken to ensure that the supporting documents produced by asylum applicants are recorded. [73700]
John Reid: Any document presented by an applicant at their screening interview in relation to their identity, nationality or route taken to the UK is retained by the screening officer, the applicant is given a copy, and a copy placed on file.
The screening form includes a question 7.38 “What other documents do you have (Record full details and attach copies of all documents to this screening form)”. The applicant and screening officer both sign the screening form at the end of the interview.
The Casework Integrated Database has a field for recording documents that have been submitted, the screening officer will update that field, any additional entries will be recorded under the name of the officer who added the information. CID would also record the date and time of any amendments.
It is also practice in the ASU to record on the file minute sheet documents that have been retained.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action is taken in respect of immigration and asylum applicants who are assessed by Immigration and Nationality Directorate officials as posing a security risk. [73691]
John Reid: Where an individual in question is assessed as posing a security risk, and is overseas and is seeking to enter the United Kingdom, they will be excluded. Those applicants assessed as posing a security risk who are already present in the UK, we will seek to deport, consistent with our international human rights obligations.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what language qualifications are required of employees of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate; and if he will make a statement. [73693]
John Reid: All Home Office employees are expected to demonstrate competency in the English language. For those in more operational roles such as immigration officers there is a provision to demonstrate proficiency in languages other than English.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the director general of the immigration and nationality directorate last considered his policy on the quality of decisions made by staff. [73705]
John Reid: The policy on the quality of casework decisions made by staff is kept under constant review.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate hold dual citizenship. [77120]
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