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7 Jan 2008 : Column 212W—continued


Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how much expenditure on education maintenance allowance (EMA) was provided to people in each local education authority in each year since the inception of the allowance; how many people of each (a) sex and (b) ethnic group have received EMA in each academic year since its inception; how many of those in receipt of EMA in each academic year went on to (i) study and (ii) complete a course at university; and what assessment has been made of those trends; [164381]

(2) what the administrative costs of the education maintenance allowance scheme were in each year since 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [164383]

Jim Knight: These are matters for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Mark Haysom, the LSC's chief executive, will write to the hon. Lady and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 22 N ovember 2007:

EMA student payment costs (£)

1999-2000

10,560,000.00

2000-01

49,920,000.00

2001-02

104,600,000,00

2002-03

115,200,000,00

2003-04

136,300,000,00

2004-05

217,300,000.00

2005-06

363,100,000.00

2006-07

457,100,000.00



7 Jan 2008 : Column 213W
EMA admin costs (£ million)

1999-2000

0.44

2000-01

2.08

2001-02

4.4

2002-03

4.8

2003-04

5.7

2004-05

42.7

2005-06

43.5

2006-07

45.8


Gender 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07

Male

125,516

187,912

244,345

Female

144,764

218,215

270,178

No information provided

27,287

24,202

13,873

Total

297,567

430,329

528,396


Ethnicity 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07

Asian or Asian British

Bangladeshi

7,840

8,065

9,893

Indian

10,983

12,370

14,282

Pakistani

15,137

18,916

21,760

Any other Asian background

3,602

4,301

5,596

Black or Black British

African

9,820

12,967

16,626

Caribbean

7,175

8,842

10,747

Any other black background

1,260

1,558

1,786

Chinese

Chinese

2,755

3,336

3,878

Mixed

White and Asian

1,792

2,581

3,155

White and Black African

1,028

1,341

1,631

White and Black Caribbean

4,652

5,839

7,934

Any other mixed background

2,720

3,672

4,452

White

British

200,808

301,158

387,672

Irish

1,402

849

1,027

Any other white background

4,074

5,267

6,390

No information provided

22,519

39,267

31,567

Total

297,567

430,329

528,396


Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many young people in (a) Warrington, South and (b) Warrington received the education maintenance allowance in each year since its establishment. [167071]

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), who operate the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and hold the information about take-up and payments made under the scheme. Mark Haysom, the LSC's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Lady with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 28 November 2007:

Number

2004/05

726

2005/06

1,332

2006/07

1,685

2007/08

(1)1,497

(1 )To 31 October 2007.

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effects of education maintenance allowances on educational attainment; and if he will make a statement. [174551]

Jim Knight: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for the operation of the education maintenance allowance (EMA) scheme. An analysis of the impact of EMA on attainment was commissioned by the LSC and a copy of the results, with a summary of the key findings was placed in the House Library, on 3 December 2007.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Apprentices

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many learners in programme-led apprenticeships have received an education maintenance allowance. [165534]


7 Jan 2008 : Column 215W

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), who operate the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and hold the information about take-up and payments under the scheme. Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 26 November 2007:

Education: Assessments

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether it is the policy of his Department to regard trends in examination results in England as reliable quantitative indicators of long-term changes in educational standards; and if he will make a statement. [163534]

Jim Knight: The Department has a public service agreement (PSA) to support its strategic objective to achieve world-class standards in education by raising the educational achievement of all children and young people. The proportion of young people who succeed in public examinations is one of the key performance indicators of this PSA. In this context it is important that exam standards are maintained, which is why the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has rigorous procedures in place for ensuring consistency over time.

To ensure the reliability of the PSAs, each target is supported by guidance which sets out exactly how it will be measured. The Department is committed to ensuring that PSA targets are supported by rigorous performance information and in conjunction with the National Audit Office (NAO) has reviewed the data systems underpinning the former DfES PSA targets and is acting on these findings. A copy of the departmental report on progress towards meeting the Department's public service agreement (PSA) targets has been placed in the Library.


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