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25 Jun 2007 : Column 580W—continued


25 Jun 2007 : Column 581W

Higher Education: Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students from West Lancashire were allocated a university place in each year since 1997. [144820]

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is shown in the table. Figures for 2006/07 will be available in January 2008.

Entrants( 1, 2 ) to undergraduate courses from West Lancashire parliamentary constituency, UK higher education institutions( 3) , academic years 1997/98 to 2005/06
Academic year Number

1997/98

745

1998/99

845

1999/2000

910

2000/01

855

2001/02

910

2002/03

905

2003/04

1,010

2004/05

930

2005/06

1,035

(1) Covers students on full-time and part-time modes of study.
(2) Position at 1 December each year.
(3) Excludes the Open university.
Note:
All figures are rounded to the nearest five.
Source:
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA),

The figures are based on students enrolled at 1 December in each year because these are the only figures available on a comparable basis in each year since 1997.

Languages: China

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many higher education institutions have offered degrees in Chinese; and what the total number of students in each of the last 10 years has been. [145886]

Bill Rammell: The latest information available from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) website shows that there are 23 higher education institutions in the United Kingdom offering courses in Chinese studies for the 2007 year of entry. UCAS only hold data on full-time undergraduate courses.

The latest information on the number of students enrolled on courses coded as Chinese studies is shown in the following table. Comparable figures for 2006-07 will be available in January 2008.


25 Jun 2007 : Column 582W
Number of students enrolled on Chinese studies courses( 1) by Level of study UK higher education institutions academic years 1996-97 to 2005-06
Level of study
Postgraduate Undergraduate Total

1996/97

30

620

650

1997/98

30

600

630

1998/99

35

595

630

1999/2000

40

565

600

2000/01

40

535

575

2001/02

55

560

615

2002/03(2)

120

740

860

200/04(2)

155

780

935

2004/05(2)

175

935

1,110

2005/06(2)

210

1,130

1,340

(1 )The figures stated for those studying Chinese courses is likely to be an undercount. Some institutions which offer Chinese courses do so as part of a wider foreign languages course and the detail of the individual languages studied are not recorded on the HESA student record. (2 )In 2002/03 the coding frame and the method of recording subject of study was changed. The Joint Academic Classification Scheme (JACS) was introduced which although similar to the previous coding frame, is not directly comparable. Additionally, figures are on a full person equivalent basis whereby a student is apportioned between each of their subjects of study. Notes: Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December and are rounded to the nearest five. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much (a) his Department and (b) the Higher Education Funding Council for England has allocated to universities for the teaching of Chinese in each of the last four years for which figures are available. [145887]

Bill Rammell: We have increased funding for Higher Education by over 20 per cent. in real terms since we took office and now spend over £10 billion a year. However, the vast majority of funding is not ringfenced by either my Department or HEFCE for particular subjects but is demand led and allocated on the basis of student numbers. On that basis, about £3 million each year is made available to support students studying Chinese language and linguistics. However, we have consistently recognised that Chinese is an important subject and HEFCE has allocated an additional £1 million a year as special funding to support Chinese between 1999-2000 and 2003-04 as a special initiative for Chinese studies to ensure that we maintain capacity in this subject.

Literacy: Standards

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in how many maintained mainstream schools (a) less than 50 per cent. of pupils, (b) less than 40 per cent. of pupils, (c) less than 30 per cent. of pupils and (d) less than 25 per cent. of pupils do not achieve the expected level in English at key stage 3. [133651]

Jim Knight: The information requested can be derived from the achievement and attainment tables which are available in the Library.

Mandarin: General Certificate of Secondary Education

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) availability and (b) take-up was of GCSE Mandarin in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [138321]


25 Jun 2007 : Column 583W

Jim Knight: The information requested for part (a) is not held centrally. The information to part (b) is available only at a disproportionate cost.

Mothers: Finance

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much of the Learning and Skills Council £4 million budget for young mothers to be available from 1 April 2007 has been allocated to the Wirral. [138439]

Bill Rammell [holding answer 22 May 2007]: The Learning and Skills Council has made £4 million available nationally, in the financial year 2007-08 to support a range of programmes for young parents and young parents to be. A total of £124,688 has been allocated to the Merseyside area. This has not been further allocated to local authority level.

Nurseries: Non-domestic Rates

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will estimate the amount
25 Jun 2007 : Column 584W
that private, voluntary and independent nurseries in England pay in (a) business rates, (b) VAT and (c) Ofsted inspection fees per year. [138621]

Beverley Hughes: The information is not available in the form requested.

Nursery Schools: Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many nursery school places were available in West Lancashire in (a) 1996-97 and (b) 2006-07. [144825]

Beverley Hughes: The available information is shown in the tables.

Table 1 provides information about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds in West Lancashire parliamentary constituency area. Data are provided for 2006 only because data are not available at constituency level for 1997.

Table 1: Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1, 2, 3) filled by three and four year olds in West Lancashire parliamentary constituency area, position in January 2006
3-year- olds 4-year- olds
Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 5) Total 3- year - olds Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 5) Total 3- year - olds

2006

380

480

850

850

180

1,000

(1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child.
(2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise.
(3) Prior to 2004, information on early education places was derived from returns made by local authorities as part of the Nursery Education Grant (NEG) data collection exercise. These data were collected at local authority level, therefore, data for this parliamentary constituency for 1996-97 are not available.
(4) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census.
(5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census.
(6) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census.
(7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census.

Table 2 provides information for 2007 about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four year olds for Lancashire local authority area.

Table 2: Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1, 2) filled by three and four year olds in Lancashire local authority area, position in January 2007
3 year olds 4 year olds
Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 4) Total 3-year-olds Maintained nursery and primary schools( 5) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 6) Total 4-year-olds

2007

3,700

7,200

10,800

9,100

2,600

11,700

(1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child.
(2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise.
(3) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census.
(4) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census.
(5) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census.
(6) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census.

The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release (SFR) 19/2007 “Provision for children under five years of age in England: January 2007”, available on my Department’s website at www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.

Nursery Schools: Standards

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether he has undertaken an assessment of the impact of regulations applying to the provision of nursery education which have been introduced since 2001; and if he will make a statement. [145305]

Beverley Hughes: Successive Codes of Practice on the free early education entitlement for three and four-year-olds have had a substantial impact on the lives of our youngest children. 96 per cent. of three and four-year-olds now take up at least some early education, with the substantial developmental benefits that provides.


25 Jun 2007 : Column 585W

We consulted widely on the 2006 Code of Practice—with the responses showing both support for the free entitlement and for its extension to 38 weeks. We adjusted our proposals in response to comments about aspects of the extension which some nursery providers would have found difficult to meet.

Part-Time Education: North East Region

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many part-time students
25 Jun 2007 : Column 586W
registered for higher education courses at (a) Newcastle College, (b) Northumbria University and (c) Newcastle University in each year from 1997 to 2005. [145036]

Bill Rammell: The number of students enrolled on part-time higher education courses for each year since 1997/98 is given in the table.

Number of students enrolled on part-time higher education courses at Newcastle College, the University of Northumbria at Newcastle and the University of Newcastle , academic years 1997/98 to 2005/06
Institution
Academic year Newcastle College( 1) The University of Northumbria at Newcastle( 2) The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne( 2)

1997/98

n/a

5,675

4,015

1998/99

n/a

6,970

3,850

1999/2000

n/a

6,750

4,340

2000/01

n/a

6,325

4,215

2001/02

n/a

6,475

4,215

2002/03

655

7,135

2,530

2003/04

930

6,940

1,540

2004/05

915

6,435

1,290

2005/06

970

7,025

1,280

n/a = Figures given relating to study in English Further Education colleges are based upon the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) Individualised Learner Record (ILR). The FE ILR was collated for the first time in 2002/03 and figures are presented from that time.
(1) Learning and Skills Council (LSC) figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 November (Source).
(2 )Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 of December (Source).
Note:
All figures are rounded to the nearest five.

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