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7 Jan 2008 : Column 212W—continued
EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 and to date in 2007/08 is now also available on the LSC website, at the following address:
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:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Questions that asked:
1. How much expenditure on educational maintenance allowance (EMA) has been 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 figures.
2. What the administrative costs of the educational maintenance allowance scheme have been in each year since 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement.
Information relating to costs of EMA are only available at a national level. The following table shows the expenditure on EMA payments to learners by financial year since inception.
| EMA student payment costs (£) | |
The following table shows the information requested which relates to the administration costs of EMA by financial year:
| EMA admin costs (£ million) | |
Information on the number of young people who have received EMA payments each academic year is provided below, split by Gender and Ethnicity. This information is collected as part of the application process for EMA and is non-mandatory. The No Information Provided rows below detail where this section was left incomplete.
| Gender | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | 2006/07 |
| Ethnicity | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | 2006/07 |
The first cohort of learners to be eligible to receive EMA following national roll-out will have recently progressed into higher education. The LSC is working with UCAS and HESA to analyse those learners who have progressed to higher education
courses after completing further education with support from EMA. We are planning that the results of this work to be available in Summer 2008.
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:
I am writing in response to your recent Parliamentary Question that asked; how many young people in (a) Warrington South and (b) Warrington received the education maintenance allowance in each year since its establishment.
Information on the number of young people who have applied, enrolled and received Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available at Local Authority Level but not at local area level. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
EMA take-up for Warrington Local Authority area during each academic year since inception is as follows:
| Number | |
| (1 )To 31 October 2007. | |
EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 and to date in 2007/08 is now also available on the LSC website, at the following address:
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]
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:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked; "How many learners in programme-led apprenticeships have received an education maintenance allowance."
By mid November 2007, 5,811 learners in programme-led apprenticeships have received one or more Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) payments during the 2007/08 academic year.
EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 and to date in 2007/08 is now also available on the LSC website, at the following address:
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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