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16 May 2007 : Column 768W—continued
Lone Parents: Income Support
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents (a) were claiming income support and (b) have been claiming income support for more than five years in May 1997. [137419]
Mr. Jim Murphy: As at May 1997, there were 1,014,200 lone parents in receipt of income support. Of those, 328,000 had been in receipt of the benefit for five years or more.
New Deal Schemes: Rotherham
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Rotherham received assistance from the New Deal in each year since 1997. [137562]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The available information is in the following table.
Occupational Pensions
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the written statement of 28 March 2007, Official Report, columns 113-14WS, (1) how many of the estimated number of people with pension losses are (a) at or above age 65, (b) aged 63 to 64, (c) aged 60 to 62, (d) aged 57 to 59, (e) aged 54 to 56, (f) aged 51 to 53, (g) aged 48 to 50, (h) aged 45 to 47, (i) aged 42 to 44, (j) aged 39 to 41 and (k) aged under 39 years; [135132]
(2) how many of the estimated number of people with pension losses are (a) at or above scheme retirement age, (b) (i) less than three years, (ii) three to five years, (iii) six to eight years, (iv) eight to 10 years, (v) 11 to 13 years, (vi) 14 to 16 years and (vii) more than 16 years away from scheme retirement age. [135133]
James Purnell: The information in the following tables show a breakdown of the estimated number of individuals who have suffered pension losses by age and the number of years away from scheme retirement age. This is based on their age as at May 2004.
| Table 1: Age profile of individuals who have suffered pension losses | |
| Age | Number of people |
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the written statement of 28 March 2007, Official Report, columns 113-14WS, on occupational pensions, (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of compensation from the extended Financial Assistance Scheme in (a) cash terms and (b) net present value terms for those who are (i) at or above age 65 years, (ii) aged 63 to 64 years, (iii) aged 60 to 62 years, (iv) aged 57 to 59 years, (v) aged 54 to 56 years, (vi) aged 51 to 53 years, (vii) aged 48 to 50 years, (viii) aged 45 to 47 years, (ix) aged 42 to 44 years, (x) aged 39 to 41 years and (xi) aged under 39 years if Pensions Protection Fund (PPF) level benefits were paid and PPF eligibility criteria were applied; [135134]
(2) what estimate he has made of the cost of compensation from the extended Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) in (a) cash terms and (b) net present value terms for those who are (i) at or above age 65, (ii) aged 63-64, (iii) aged 60-62, (iv) aged 57-59, (v) aged 54-56, (vi) aged 51-53, (vii) aged 48-50, (viii) aged 45-47, (ix) aged 42-44, (x) aged 39-41, (xi) aged under 39 years if Pensions Protection Fund level benefits were paid with eligibility determined according to the present FAS criteria; [135135]
(3) what estimate he has made of the cost of compensation from the extended Financial Assistance Scheme in (a) cash terms, (b) net present value terms for those who are (i) at or above age 65, (ii) aged 63 to 64, (iii) aged 60 to 62, (iv) aged 57 to 59, (v) aged 54 to 56, (vi) aged 51 to 53, (vii) aged 48 to 50, (viii) aged 45 to 47, (ix) aged 42 to 44, (x) aged 39 to 41 and (xi) aged under 39 years. [135136]
James Purnell: The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Education and Skills
Accountancy: Diplomas
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) whether students pursuing the new business, administration and finance diploma will be able to gain qualifications in accounting as part of that diploma; [136895]
(2) whether pursuing the new business, administration and finance diploma will give students a direct non-university progression route towards becoming chartered accountants in the same way as current Association of Accounting Technician national vocational qualifications. [136896]
Phil Hope [holding answer s 15 May 2007]: The new diplomas in business, administration and finance are being designed to give young people first hand experience and insight into the world of work and a broad based understanding of one or more sectors of employment preparing them to make informed choices of career or further study. They are not designed to provide full occupational competency in accountancy as NVQs are.
The Diploma Development Partnership is working closely with the Association of Accounting Technicians and other relevant professional bodies as it designs the diploma.
Within the mandatory part of the diplomas is an accounting topic that will provide a foundation in accounting for all learners. Learners who wish to progress to become a chartered accountant, or those who simply want more experience in this area, will be able to supplement their mandatory subjects with appropriate choices from the range of options within the diploma. This suite is currently being defined but it is likely to include elements from the existing range of accounting qualifications.
Young people who gain a diploma in business, administration and finance will be able to enter accountancy and other industries, direct from school or college or progress to higher education.
Adoption: West Midlands
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children were adopted in (a) Tamworth constituency, (b) Staffordshire, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England in each of the last five years. [128339]
Mr. Dhanda: The number of adoption orders made for all children by courts in England and Wales for the period 1 January 2001-31 December 2005 (latest figures available) are:
| Number | |
A breakdown of these figures on a geographical basis could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Statistical information on the total number of adoptions is included in the statistics series ‘Marriage, divorce and adoptions’, volume FM2, published by the Office of National Statistics. A copy of this publication is available in the House of Commons Library and on the National Statistics’ website at:
Apprentices
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many apprenticeships were started in each of the last 20 years. [133357]
Phil Hope [holding answer 23 April 2007]: Figures for those participating in apprenticeships funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) derive from the Individual Learner Record (ILR). Comparable figures are only available since 2000/01 when the ILR was collated nationally and consistently for the first time by the LSC. The following table shows the number of starts on Advanced Apprenticeships and Apprenticeships since 2000/01.
| Advanced apprenticeships | Apprenticeships | Total | |
The average number of apprentices actually in learning in 2005/06 was 254,000, an increase from 75,000 in learning in 1997.
Children’s Centres
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps have been taken to implement the recommendations in the National Audit Office report of December 2006 on Sure Start children’s centres. [137218]
Beverley Hughes: The National Audit Office’s report on Sure Start Children’s Centres contained a number of recommendations for the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), for local authorities and their partners, and for children’s centres themselves to improve the financial management of children’s services. The Public Accounts Committee took evidence from senior officials from DfES in January 2007 and we await their conclusions. We will be issuing guidance very shortly which contains the principles of good governance for children’s centres and extended services and includes details of children’s centres advisory boards which will support effective financial management and performance monitoring. In the summer we plan further guidance to accompany details of the additional funding for children’s centres, resulting from our Comprehensive Spending Review, to help local authorities ensure that resources are effectively targeted, fairly distributed according to need, and achieve value for money.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of issuing precise practice guidance to children’s centres; and if he will make a statement. [137219]
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