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4 July 2007 : Column 1080W—continued


Higher Education: Class Sizes

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the student to lecturer ratio is in (a) Russell Group, (b) pre-1992 and (c) post-1992 universities, broken down by subject. [146412]

Bill Rammell: The Department does not produce detailed breakdowns of student to staff ratios.


4 July 2007 : Column 1081W

Higher Education: Disabled

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what percentage of pupils in receipt of disabled students' allowance from (a) all schools, (b) maintained schools, (c) low-participation neighbourhoods and (d) socio-economic classes 4 to 7 who (i) applied and (ii) were accepted to (A) Oxbridge, (B) Russell Group universities and (C) other universities in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [146429]

Bill Rammell: The information is not collected centrally.

Higher Education: Teaching Methods

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what average number of contact hours students received per week in (a) Russell Group, (b) pre-1992 and (c) post-1992 universities with (i) fewer than five, (ii) fewer than 10, (iii) fewer than 15, (iv) fewer than 30 and (v) 30 or more students per academic year in the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by subject. [146411]

Bill Rammell: The information requested is not collected centrally. Scheduled contact time is a matter for individual institutions.

Research: Stem Cells

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much funding for research into the development of treatment using (a) embryonic stem cells and (b) stem cells from umbilical cords and other adult stem cells his Department has allocated in each of the last five years; and what mechanism is used to determine how funds are apportioned between the two treatments. [147400]

Mr. Denham: The Medical Research Council (MRC) is the main agency through which the Government support medical and clinical research.

The MRC allocates funding in response-mode following competitive peer review on the basis of scientific quality and potential impact. The MRC supports research on embryonic and adult (including fetal) stem cells, which ranges from fundamental cell biology through to early phase clinical trials. The ‘development of treatment’ is not a term usually associated with pre-clinical trial scientific research; however, based on a broad interpretation, the majority of MRC’s research could be categorised as such.

Funding for stem cell research by the MRC and the Department of Trade and Industry’s Technology Programme for the last five years was as follows:


4 July 2007 : Column 1082W
Percentage of spend on stem cell research (MRC only):
Financial year MRC (£ million) DTI, Technology Programme (£ million Adult (including fetal)( 1) Embryonic

2002/03

4.5

0.00

n/a

n/a

2003/04

14.5

0.00

n/a

n/a

2004/05

14.2

0.00

50

50

2005/06

17.4

0.80

45

55

2006/07

(2)

1.30

n/a = Not available.
(1) Fetal includes umbilical stem cells but information is not held in such a way as to identify spend separately.
(2) Not yet available.

Students: Part-Time Employment

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the number and percentage of undergraduate students who were in part-time work in the (a) first year, (b) second year, (c) third year and (d) fourth year of their degrees, broken down by (i) socioeconomic group and (ii) number of hours worked per week. [146413]

Bill Rammell: The Student Income and Expenditure Survey 2004/05, published on 30 March 2006, is a comprehensive study on students’ income, expenditure, borrowing and debt. The survey showed that full-time undergraduate students were less likely to undertake paid work in the final year of their course. Further details are available in table 1.

The survey also shows that while a smaller proportion of students tend to work in their final year, those who do tend to work slightly more hours per week (table 2).


4 July 2007 : Column 1083W
Table 1: the proportion of students who undertook paid work at some time during the academic year
Year of study Socio-economic group Proportion that were part-time work (percentage)

First year

Managerial/professional

55

Intermediate

64

Routine/manual

61

All socio-economic groups

58

Second/intermediate years

Managerial/professional

60

Intermediate

58

Routine/manual

64

All socio-economic groups

60

Final year/one-year course only

Managerial/professional

49

Intermediate

47

Routine/manual

58

All socio-economic groups

50

All years

Managerial/professional

55

Intermediate

55

Routine/manual

61

All socio-economic groups

56

Source:
Student Income and Expenditure Survey 2004/05

Table 2: the mean number of hours worked each week by full-time students who undertook paid work at some time during the academic year
Year of study Mean hours worked per week

First year

13.8

Second/intermediate years

12.3

Final year/one-year course only

14.7

All years

13.6

Source:
Student Income and Expenditure Survey 2004/05

Children, Schools and Families

City Academies: Standards

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what proportion of the average Level 3 qualification and curriculum authority point score for pupils attending state city academies in 2006 was represented by (a) GCE A levels, (b) GCE AS levels and (c) VCE A levels or other Level 3 qualifications; [147082]

(2) what proportion of the average Level 3 qualification and curriculum authority point score for pupils attending schools other than state city academies in 2006 was represented by (a) GCE A levels, (b) GCE AS levels and (c) VCE A levels or other Level 3 qualifications. [147083]

Jim Knight: The qualification composition contributing to Level 3 QCA point scores for students attending academies and for students attending institutions other than academies in 2006 are given in the following table.

Proportion of QCA point scores in the school and college achievement and attainment tables represented by different qualification types, 2005/06
Percentage
GCE A level GCE AS level( 1) Other Level 3 qualifications

Academies

61

9

30

Institutions other than Academies(2)

68

11

21

(1 )Points for GCE AS levels are discounted from average point score measures where students have achieved a GCE A Level in the same subject
(2) Including Further Education Institutions.

Class Sizes

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the relationship between class size and pupil
4 July 2007 : Column 1084W
achievement at (a) Key Stage 1, (b) Key Stage 2 and (c) Key Stage 3. [147545]

Jim Knight: There is evidence that smaller classes result in an increase in attainment at Key Stage 1, particularly in literacy and maths in the reception year. However the situation is more complex for other age groups. For Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 there is no clear evidence that points towards a similar link between smaller classes and pupils’ achievement.

Classroom Assistants: Mathematics

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2007, Official Report, column 783W, on classroom assistants: mathematics, how many placements were provided (a) overall and (b) in mathematics in each financial year since its establishment. [146955]

Jim Knight: The following table details the total placements, and maths placements, for the Student Associate scheme in each academic year since it began. The 2006/07 and 2007/08 figures are estimates. For 2006/07 we will not know the final figures until Sept 2007.

Academic year Total placements Maths placements

2003/04

4,734

417

2004/05

6,588

841

2005/06

8,640

1,121

2006/07

(1)7,925

(1)1,379

2007/08

8,338

(1)1,483

(1 )Estimate

Departments: Delivery Unit

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2007, Official Report, column 1702W, on Departments: delivery unit, what the (a) start date, (b) end date and (c) terms of reference are for the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit’s joint work with his Department on Academies. [147161]

Jim Knight: The Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit works with my Department on an on-going basis to monitor progress towards the Government’s commitment to establish 400 Academies.

Education: Disadvantaged

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much is being spent on (a) personalised learning, with special weighting for deprived areas, for low achievers and (b) one to one tuition in mathematics and English for low achievers; how much has been spent in Leyton and Wanstead; and if he will make a statement. [147131]

Jim Knight: It is a matter for each local authority—in consultation with their schools forums—to determine the level of funding between different providers, based on an assessment of local circumstances.


4 July 2007 : Column 1085W

Education: Expenditure

Ms Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was allocated for capital expenditure on education in Stockton-on-Tees in each year since 1997. [147291]

Jim Knight: Capital allocations for education in Stockton-on-Tees in each year since 1997 are set out in the following table.

£ million

1997-98

1.0

1998-99

2.4

1999-2000

7.1

2000-01

8.2

2001-02

14.6

2002-03

8.7

2003-04

11.9

2004-05

11.8

2005-06

7.7

2006-07

10.9

2007-08

7.7


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