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25 Oct 2006 : Column 1932W—continued
Student Finance
Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost was to his Department of subsidising the interest rate on accumulated student debt for 2005-06; and what the Department's estimate is of any change in this annual cost as a result of the Higher Education Act 2004 and the deferral of variable tuition fees. [96828]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 24 October 2006]: The cost of subsidising the annual rate of interest on the stock of English and Welsh maintenance loans was £355 million in financial year 2005-06. This is the amount released from the interest subsidy provision as stated in the FY 05-06 departmental resource accounts. The calculation of annual cost is based on a number of variable factors, including the closing and average values of the loan stock, the cost of capital and interest added to the loans each year.
Future cost estimates are calculated on a long-term basis over the lifetime of loans as part of the resource accounting and budgeting (RAB) charges, which take into account both interest subsidy and write offs. There are separate RAB charges for maintenance and fee loans. My written statement of 10 November 2005 provides future estimates of maintenance and fee loan RAB charge costs for accounting year 2006-07.
Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students qualified for the full maintenance grant of £2,700 introduced in September. [96829]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 24 October 2006]: The new maintenance grant and the equivalent special support grant were introduced for new full-time English domiciled students who started their course in September 2006 or later. The grant is means-tested and my Department anticipates that around 30 per cent. of new full-time English domiciled students in 2006/07 will receive the full grant, while around 50 per cent. will receive either a full or partial grant.
Figures on the distribution of the new maintenance grant will be published for the first time in the National Statistics Statistical First Release “Student Support for Higher Education in England, academic year 2006/07 (Provisional)” in November 2006.
Teachers
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers were employed in each (a) local education authority and (b) constituency in each of the last 20 years. [93843]
Jim Knight: The information requested has been placed in the House Library.
University Degree Courses
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students were enrolled on degree courses at universities in the north-west in each of the last five years. [96552]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 24 October 2006]: The latest available information is shown in the table below for 2000-01 to 2004-05. Figures for 2005-06 will be available in January 2007.
Veterinary Studies
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people studied veterinary studies at university in each year since 2000. [96596]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 24 October 2006]: The latest information is given in the table. Figures for 2005-06 will be available in January 2007.
| Higher Education Students( 1) on Veterinary Science( 2) Courses Higher Education Institutions in England | |||
| Level of course | |||
| Postgraduate | Undergraduate | Total | |
| 1 Covers UK domiciled and overseas students on full-time and part-time courses. 2 The methodology used to allocate students to subjects was changed in 2002-03, which means that the figures for this and later years are not directly comparable with those for earlier years. The main effect of the change in methodology was to increase the number of students who are allocated to particular named subjects, and reduce the number who are allocated to "combined subjects" courses. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals . | |||
Violent Crime Reduction Bill
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he expects guidance regarding Clause 43 of the Violent Crime Reduction Bill to be produced; and whether such guidance will be produced by (a) his Department and (b) the Learning and Skills Council; and if he will make a statement. [96655]
Mr. Dhanda: Clause 43 (now clause 46) of the Violent Crime Reduction Bill is an enabling power that an FE institution may, or may not, choose to use. FE institutions (as independent organisations) are responsible for their own health and safety arrangements and it is for them to assess health and safety risks and implement the appropriate control measures. The Department has no plans to issue specific guidance to FE institutions.
However, it will make available the guidance we produce for schools which FE institutions may find helpful. The LSC similarly has no plans to issue guidance but will continue to support colleagues in FE institutions.
Welsh Students (Further and Higher Education)
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students from (a) Wrexham and (b) Wales started courses in (i) further education colleges and (ii) universities in England in the last five years for which figures are available. [93955]
Bill Rammell: The following table shows numbers of students from Wales and from Wrexham in particular who enrolled in (i) further education colleges and (ii) universities in England. Figures for further education (FE) are only available for three years from 2002-03. FE learning is funded in England by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and statistics derive from the individual learner record (ILR). The FE ILR was collated for the first time in 2002-03 and comparable figures are only available from that point. Figures for higher education institutions are taken from data collected annually by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
| Table 1: Enrolments at further education colleges and higher education institutions in England for students domiciled( 1) in Wales and Wrexham parliamentary constituency | ||||
| Further education colleges | Higher education institutions( 2) | |||
| Wales | Wrexham | Wales | Wrexham | |
| n/a = not available (1) Figures for both FECs and HEIs are based on the permanent address prior to enrolment. (2) Figures for HEIs may contain a small element of double counting. Some students enrolled at HEIs and who are on courses franchised to FECs are included in the HEI figures but may-also have been included in the FEC. | ||||
Communities and Local Government
Ballpoint Pens
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2006, Official Report, column 1646W, on ballpoint pens, what use is being made of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister-branded pens; how much was spent between 2002 and the abolition of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on ODPM branded products and promotional gifts; and what types of goods were purchased. [94625]
Angela E. Smith: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) branded pens are being used to write with, and will continue to be used as standard stationery items until stocks are exhausted.
Between May 2002 and May 2006 a total of £5,095 was spent on ODPM branded pens, carrier bags, and note pads.
These items were used at exhibitions and events to help promote the Office’s schemes and policies.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2006, Official Report, column 1646W, on ballpoint pens, on what dates the pens were ordered. [94750]
Angela E. Smith: The pens were ordered on 11 August 2005, and 23 September 2005.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2006, Official Report, column 1646W, on ballpoint pens, how much her Department has spent on ballpoint pens with the Department for Communities and Local Government branding since May 2006. [95786]
Angela E. Smith: The Department has spent no money on pens with the branding Department for Communities and Local Government since May 2006.
Broadband
Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) whether it is her policy to exempt local loop unbundling broadband operators from paying non-domestic rates; and if she will make a statement; [92446]
(2) what assessment her Department has made of the impact of non-domestic rates on local loop unbundling upon the wholesale broadband market; and if she will make a statement; [92447]
(3) whether local loop unbundling will be exempt from non-domestic rates after 31 March 2008; and if she will make a statement; [92448]
(4) what discussions her Department has had with (a) BT and (b) local loop unbundling operators on the payment of non-domestic rates on unbundled local loops; and if she will make a statement. [92449]
Mr. Woolas: Liability for non-domestic rates on unbundled local loops is determined by the Central Rating List (England) Regulations 2006 which provide that, until 31 March 2008, unbundled local loops are part of British Telecommunications Ltd. (BT) single central list hereditament.
Local loop operators pay an annual cost-oriented rental charge to BT for each loop they unbundle. Included in the rental charge is an amount BT is entitled to recover as a contribution to their non-domestic rates bill.
The consultation paper issued by the Department in December 2005 proposed this arrangement and also invited comments on the long term options. It was recognised that further detailed analysis of the options was needed before a long term solution could be
implemented. The Department intends to issue a further consultation paper including a partial regulatory impact assessment once the detailed analysis work is completed. It is envisaged the outcome of the further consultation will determine whether BT continues to pay non-domestic rates for unbundled local loops or whether the non-domestic rates liability for the loops will shift to local loop unbundling operators.
The Department for Communities and Local Government, The Department for Trade and Industry, the Valuation Office Agency and Ofcom have held formal and informal discussions with BT and local loop unbundling operators on this subject and there will be further discussions as part of the work on determining the long term solution.
City Development Corporations
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how her proposed city development corporations will interact with (a) local authorities, (b) regional chambers and (c) regional development agencies. [94562]
Yvette Cooper: The concept of a city development company is a flexible one, and it is sensible for places to decide the approach that works best for them. We will want to see efficiency, innovation and delivery aligned with accountability to local government, regional development agency support, and strategic fit with regional economic strategies, the regional spatial strategy and other relevant regional and sub-regional strategies. We will consult on draft guidance for city development companies following the local government white paper.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding she has allocated to promote city development corporations. [94563]
Yvette Cooper: The Government will not be making decisions on funding allocations for future years in advance of the comprehensive spending review 2007. We will consult on draft guidance for city development companies following the Local Government White Paper.
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