Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 5 December 2007
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Adult Education: Finance
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what Government funding for adult education courses there has been in each year since 1997 for which records are available, broken down by local authority in the East of England. [169966]
Bill Rammell: The total funding allocated to providers for adult learners in the East of England region is set out in the following table. It includes funding for further education, work-based learning and adult community learning for all years, with train to gain funding included for 2006/07 and 2007/08.
It is not possible to breakdown funding by local authority as the data are not recorded on this basis. However information on adult funding by local Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for the period 2002/03 to 2005/06 is available in the LSC’s published accounts.
| Funding totals (£) | |
| (1) Train to gain funding included in the total for this year is based on contract values; providers will only secure the funding if they are successful in delivering to the expected number of learners. | |
The LSC Statement of Priorities 2008-11 published on 16 November sets out the Government’s funding strategy for 2008-09 to 2010-11.
Total investment through the Learning and Skills Council will increase from £11.2 billion in 2007-08 to £12.4 billion in 2010-11. Funding for adult participation will increase to £3.6 billion by 2010-11, an increase of 17 per cent. compared with 2007-08.
We will also be substantially increasing investment for adult learning through train to gain from £440 million in 2007-08 to over £1 billion by 2010-11. Taking into account both FE allocations and train to gain funding, 90 per cent. of all colleges will have the opportunity to increase their funding in 2007/08 compared with 2006/07, with 57 per cent. earning 5 per cent. or more (some of these colleges will be leading consortia).
Our priority is to make sure that adult learners have access to a full range of courses including progression and first steps learning through the foundation learning tier, learning for its own intrinsic value (personal and
community development learning) as well as courses which lead to full qualifications necessary for employment. That is why we are investing around £1.5 billion per year on learning below level 2 over the next three years. The recently published “Adult Learning and Skills: Investing in the First Steps” sets the story of our investment in this area and our vision for adult learners who have not yet obtained basic skills.
Islam: Education
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and universities are taking to address the gaps in Islamic studies teaching and research highlighted in the report Islam at Universities in England—meeting the needs and investing in the future; and how the HEFCE intends to spend the £1 million the Government committed to this work in June 2007. [169611]
Bill Rammell: Following the report “Islam at Universities in England”, we designated Islamic studies as a strategically important subject in Higher Education. This was on the grounds of its contribution to the UK’s political and cultural capital through its role in promoting understanding of Islam in the context of the world today. HEFCE are looking at longer term proposals to address the problem identified by Dr. Siddiqui that currently Islamic studies teaching and research do not address the dominant Muslim experience of the faith and its culture in Britain and are too focused on a Middle Eastern perspective and do not address the experience of living as a minority faith in a multi-cultural society.
HEFCE have set aside £1 million for 2007-08 to undertake development and research work and produce longer term proposals for addressing the gaps in Islamic studies teaching and research highlighted in the report. This development phase is well under way and we expect detailed proposals from HEFCE in summer 2008.
National Security
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the Statement of the Prime Minister of 14 November 2007, Official Report, columns 667-72, on national security, when he expects the investigation of the Higher Education Funding Council into setting up a European centre of excellence for Islamic students to be complete; what he expects its cost to be; and if he will make a statement. [168441]
Bill Rammell: I expect the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to report on the feasibility of establishing a European centre of excellence for Islamic studies in summer 2008. That report would include an estimate of the costs of such a centre.
In April this year, we responded to the report by Dr Siddiqui on Islam in Universities by defining Islamic studies as a strategically important subject in Higher Education. This was on the grounds of its contribution to the UK's political and cultural capital through its role in promoting understanding of Islam in the context of the world today. HEFCE are looking at longer term proposals to address the problem identified by Dr Siddiqui
that currently Islamic studies teaching and research do not address the dominant Muslim experience of the faith and its culture in Britain and are too focused on a Middle Eastern perspective and do not address the experience of living as a minority faith in a multi-cultural society.
The investigation of the idea of European centre of excellence will form part of HEFCE’s work to develop a long term response, in partnership with Government and the university sector to the shortcomings in Islamic studies identified in Dr Siddiqui’s report. We aim to establish the UK as an international benchmark for Islamic studies outside the Islamic world.
Students: Loans
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the cost of writing off unpaid student loans was in each year since their introduction. [161931]
Bill Rammell: Loans are cancelled due to the borrower’s death; being disabled and permanently unable to work; or, for loans issued before 2006/07, on age grounds. New students from 2006 will have any remaining balance cancelled after 25 years. Student loans are not written off simply because they are unpaid.
The available data are given in the table.
| Value of student loans cancelled—borrowers domiciled in the UK to 2001-02, England from 2002-03—financial year loan cancelled | |
| Financial year | Cost (£ million) |
| ‘(—)’ = Less than £50,000 (1) 1999-2000 includes some transactions which related to the previous year. (2) 2005-06 includes some transactions which could not be processed in the previous year for operational reasons. (3) 2006-07 data are provisional. Source: Student Loans Company | |
Separate England data are not available before 2002-03.
The increase in the value of loans cancelled is related to the increase in the loans portfolio, which has been growing since student loans were introduced in 1990. For English domiciled students the value of the portfolio has increased from £8.8 billion in March 2003 to £18.1 billion (provisional) in March 2007.
Student loans from the Government are not like commercial loans: interest is paid at the rate of inflation, so in real terms students only pay back what they borrowed. For income-contingent loans available since 1998, repayment is linked to earnings and borrowers only repay if their earnings are over £15,000; from April 2012 they will be able to take up to five years’ ‘Repayment Holiday’ and those taking out a student loan from 2006 have their debt cancelled after 25 years.
Northern Ireland
Delivery Services
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which companies are under contract to his Department to provide mail services. [170172]
Mr. Woodward: The following companies are under contract to my Department:
Captain Courier,
Crown Executive Cars,
DHL,
Hayes DX,
Royal Mail,
TNT.
Departmental Data Protection
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he proposes to review how his Department transports data; and whether his Department uses TNT to transport data. [169224]
Paul Goggins: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007, Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments’ procedures will be made on completion of the review.
Departmental Pay
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department and its agencies spent on end-of-year bonus payments in each of the last five years. [171535]
Mr. Woodward: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| End-of-year bonus payments (£) | |
Missing Persons
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to improve the speed and methods by which missing persons in Northern Ireland are traced. [168541]
Paul Goggins: PSNI appreciates the impact on families when loved ones are reported missing, and is committed to tracing such persons. Training is given at student officer level, in detective training, and in critical incident training for senior officers. The PSNI website includes pictures and details of those missing and links to support organisations. PSNI also works with the ‘Missing Kids’ initiative—a partnership between police services, the Police National Missing Persons Bureau and an international charity.
New initiatives are enhancing the police service’s approach to missing persons. A review of service procedures is nearly complete and includes tailored guidance on children and young persons absconding from residential care homes. PSNI has completed a pilot involving three care homes, working closely with social services.
District command units will introduce public protection units early in 2008. The units include expertise to identify trends and patterns to help ensure a corporate and effective approach on missing persons.
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission: Expenditure
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission on (a) salaries, (b) travel and (c) subsistence in each financial year since 2003-04. [168533]
Mr. Woodward: The information requested is as follows:
| £ | |
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