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24 Oct 2007 : Column 433W—continued


Mature Students

Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what percentage of the adult population is participating in university education as mature students. [160178]


24 Oct 2007 : Column 434W

Bill Rammell: The table contains the latest available figures for the age specific initial participation rates for ages 17 to 60. The age specific initial participation rates cover English-domiciled first time entrants to HE courses, which are expected to last for at least six months, at UK higher education institutions and English, Scottish and Welsh further education colleges, and who remain on their course for at least six months.

The higher education initial participation rate (HEIPR) is the sum of the age specific initial participation rates for ages 17 to 30. The 2005-06 HEIPR is 43 per cent. and equates roughly to the probability that a 17-year-old will participate in higher education by age 30. The sum of the 2005-06 age specific initial participation rates for ages 17-60 is 53 per cent. and equates roughly to the probability that a 17-year-old will participate in higher education by age 60.

Both students and the general population aged up to 20 are deemed to be young, over 20 mature. The age specific initial participation rates for ages 21 to 60 are therefore indicative of the age participation rates of the mature population. These do not reflect numbers that have participated in higher education, rather, they represent initial participants in higher education in 2005-06.


24 Oct 2007 : Column 435W
Individual higher education initial participation rates for 17 to 60 year olds in 2005-06
Age Rate (percentage)

17

0.3

18

21.3

19

9.7

20

2.6

21

1.4

22

1.1

23

1.0

24

0.9

25

0.8

26

0.8

27

0.8

28

0.7

29

0.7

30

0.6

31

0.6

32

0.6

33

0.6

34

0.5

35

0.6

36

0.5

37

0.5

38

0.5

39

0.5

40

0.4

41

0.4

42

0.4

43

0.4

44

0.4

45

0.3

46

0.3

47

0.3

48

0.3

49

0.2

50

0.2

51

0.2

52

0.2

53

0.2

54

0.1

55

0.1

56

0.1

57

0.1


Medical Research Council: Finance

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the total allocated budget is for the Medical Research Council for the years 2008-09 to 2010-11. [157930]

Ian Pearson [holding answer 15 October 2007 ]: The following table sets out the Medical Research Council’s allocated budget for the years 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Medical Research Council
(£000)

2008-09

605,538

2009-10

658,472

2010-11

707,025


This compares with a 2007-08 baseline of £543,399,000 and means that in 2010/11 the budget will be 30.1 per cent. higher than it is this year.

Museums: Finance

Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what provision he plans to make for core funding of university museums from 2009. [158484]

Bill Rammell: Following the announcement of the Comprehensive Spending Review on 9 October, detailed changes in funding will be determined and announced over the coming months.

Office For Fair Access: Finance

Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much the Office of Fair Access cost in each year since it was set up; and what the budget is for the next three years. [155658]

Bill Rammell: The annual cost of the Office for Fair Access since its inception in FY 2004-05 is as follows:

Financial year £ million

2004-05

Outturn

0.41

2005-06

Outturn

0.5

2006-07

Provisional outturn

0.5

2007-08

Budget

0.5


Plans for CSR07 (covering FYs 2008-11) are not finalised and we cannot comment on specific areas of funding. An overall announcement will be made in the near future.


24 Oct 2007 : Column 436W

On the basis of OFFA’s work processing and agreeing access agreements, some 400,000 students from lower income backgrounds are expected to benefit around £300 million in bursaries and other financial incentives from institutions.

Postgraduate Education: Finance

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what financial support is made available by the Government to support post-graduate students. [160202]

Bill Rammell: A range of financial support measures is made available from the Department and its delivery partners to support post graduate students.

Doctoral students supported by the Research Councils receive a minimum stipend of £12,600 (rising to £12,940 in October 2008). PhD stipends have increased across the board, and enhanced stipends of over £13,000 are used to attract students to areas of recruitment difficulty such as engineering, statistics and informatics, economics, veterinary science. Enhanced stipends are also available through the Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering scheme for students to undertake research in collaboration with industry.

Research Councils support around 3,000 Masters students annually. Stipend support is provided to HEIs who determine the level per student. For instance, the NERC provide a basic maintenance award of £8,080 in 2007/08.

The Academic Fellowship scheme has been developed to provide 1,000 new fellowships over five years with the Research Councils investing £125,000 in each over a five year period.

The Department provides Initial Teacher Training at post graduate level for students in England. A disabled students allowance is available to postgraduate students, including those on taught Masters.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) provides grants to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in England for taught Masters courses. Funding in 2007/08 is in the region of £100 million.

The Learning and Skills Council provide Career Development Loans totalling around £20 million to around 3,500 postgraduate learners resident in England each year. Approximately 25 per cent. of Career Development Loans are taken out to support HE courses, primarily postgraduate courses such as Masters Degrees.

Qualifications: Age

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills (1) how many students aged 20 or over took (a) GCSEs and (b) A-levels in (i) English Literature, (ii) English Language and (iii) Mathematics in each year since 1997; [156955]

(2) how many students aged 20 or over received (a) an A*, (b) an A, (c) a B, (d) a C, (e) a D and (f) an E grade or less at (i) GCSE and (ii) A-level in (A) English Literature, (B) English Language and (C) Mathematics in each year since 1997. [156956]


24 Oct 2007 : Column 437W

Bill Rammell: The following table shows the number of adult (aged 19 plus) starts and achievers of GCSE or GCE A Level in English Literature, English and Mathematics with expected end year 2003/04, 2004/05 and 2005/06. The Learning and Skills Council’s (LSC) Further Education (FE) Individualised Learner Record (ILR) was collated for the first time in 2002/03 and figures are given from that time.

Starters Achievers Number of High grades( 1)

2002/03

GCSE English Literature

335

189

149

GCSE English

13,441

8,009

5,967

GCSE Mathematics

20,209

11,168

7,846

GCE A Level English Literature

296

179

79

GCE A Level English

159

84

41

GCE A Level Mathematics

236

103

42

2003/04

GCSE English Literature

217

140

110

GCSE English

11,949

7,587

5,838

GCSE Mathematics

18,261

10,962

7,942

GCE A Level English Literature

231

131

59

GCE A Level English

156

83

35

GCE A Level Mathematics

196

121

70

2004/05

GCSE English Literature

167

122

100

GCSE English

10,909

7,187

5,460

GCSE Mathematics

17,236

10,902

7,863

GCE A Level English Literature

208

124

47

GCE A Level English

101

51

16

GCE A Level Mathematics

125

78

44

2005/06

GCSE English Literature

154

93

68

GCSE English

10,202

7,080

5,495

GCSE Mathematics

15,566

10,399

7,396

GCE A Level English Literature

132

86

45

GCE A Level English

76

46

20

GCE A Level Mathematics

72

42

24

(1 )High grades are A*-C at GCSE and A-B at GCE A Level.
Source:
LSC ILR FE qualification level success rate data

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