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15 Jan 2008 : Column 1198W—continued
Higher Education: Cumbria
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what percentage of young people who left school at the age of 18 years in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland entered (i) higher education and (ii) further education in 2007. [175613]
Bill Rammell: The information requested is as follows:
The main measure for tracking progress on increasing participation in higher education is currently the higher education initial participation rate (HEIPR). This is the sum of the HE initial participation rates for individual ages between 17 and 30 inclusive. It covers 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 earliest figure is 39.3 per cent. for 1999-2000 and the latest available figure is 42.8 per cent. for 2005-06.
Equivalent figures for 18-year-olds only are 19.3 per cent. for 1999-2000 and 21.3 per cent. for 2005-06.
Figures for 2006-07 will become available in 2008. The HEIPR is not disaggregated below national level
HEFCE's 'Young participation in Higher Education' publication includes the proportion of young people who enter higher education at age 18 or 19 by parliamentary constituency, although this only covers the years up to 2000. Participation rates based on this work are given on the supporting POLAR website (www.hefce.ac.uk/polar).
For England: these indicate that, for the cohort reaching 18 in 1997, the proportion of young people in England who entered higher education at age 18 or 19 was 29 per cent. For the cohort reaching 18 in 2000, the proportion of young people in England who entered higher education at age 18 or 19 was 30 per cent.
For Cumbria: these indicate that, for the cohort reaching 18 in 1997, the proportion of young people from Cumbria who entered higher education at age 18 or 19 was 27 per cent.
For the cohort reaching 18 in 2000, the proportion of young people from Cumbria who entered higher education at age 18 or 19 was 28 per cent.
For Copeland: for the cohort reaching 18 in 1997, the proportion of young people from Copeland who entered higher education at age 18 or 19 was 22 per cent. For the cohort reaching 18 in 2000, the proportion of young people from Copeland who entered higher education at age 18 or 19 was 23 per cent.
The Department's estimates of the proportion of young people in education and training at a local level are only available for young people of academic age 16 and 17. Figures for 18-year-olds are not available.
The proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds in Cumbria who were in education or work-based learning at the end of 2005 was 84 per cent. This compares to 76 per cent. in England overall. Figures are not available for Copeland.
Further information can be found at the following link:
Higher Education: Finance
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect on the lifelong learning of Peterborough residents of the reduction in funding for equivalent or lower qualifications. [178094]
Bill Rammell: No students currently studying equivalent or lower qualifications will be affected by these changes. In future, our policy of redistributing grant will widen participation and mean that, as elsewhere, more of the majority of Peterborough residents who do not have a first higher-level qualification, especially those from non-traditional backgrounds, will be able to benefit from participating in higher education.
Higher Education: Standards
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what his policy is on the decertification of university courses deemed not to be of adequate academic quality; and if he will make a statement. [178223]
Bill Rammell:
Higher education institutions, as autonomous bodies, are responsible for the quality of their provision and the academic standards of the qualifications which they award. Individual institutions are therefore responsible for the quality of their
courses. HE institutions are supported by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for higher education, which exists to safeguard the public interest and to help improve the academic standards and quality of higher education in the UK. QAA reviews since 1997 have consistently shown that high quality and standards are being maintained.
Minimum Wage
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many London-based staff are employed by his Department on the national minimum wage. [175964]
Mr. Lammy: All London-based staff in the Department are employed above the national minimum wage level.
Student Loans Company: Complaints
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many complaints have been received by the Student Loans Company on loan repayments made via HM Revenue and Customs not being recorded by the Student Loans Company or appearing on Student Loans Company statements in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available. [175398]
Bill Rammell: The Student Loans Company's (SLC) data on complaints do not record this level of detail. The SLC received a total of 343 complaints about the Income Contingent Loan scheme in the year ending 30 November 2007, details of which are set out in the following table.
Within the total number of complaints, the SLC have categorised 109 as being about deductions taken, although a number of complaints recorded under other categories may also relate to loan repayment deductions. In addition HMRC receives and responds to MP enquiries on behalf of individual borrowers where there is a mismatch between deductions taken and annual statements. The number made in 2006-07 was 41; for 2007-08 it stands at 21 to date.
| Complaints received by SLC about ICL repayments | |||||
| Category of complaint | |||||
| Deductions taken | Incorrect advice via telephone or correspondence | Misunderstood scheme | System/clerical error | Total | |
Justice
Chorley Magistrates Court
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many courts operate on a regular basis at Chorley magistrates court. [177071]
Maria Eagle: Chorley magistrates court is part of the South West Lancashire magistrates courts. South West Lancashire magistrates courts are administered from the courthouse at Chorley, and courts sit at courthouses in Chorley, Leyland and Ormskirk.
Chorley magistrates court has three actual courtrooms, which are in regular use. Currently three courts sit three days a week, with two courts sitting two days a week. One court sits on each Saturday and bank holiday.
One of the courtrooms at Chorley will be temporarily out of commission between 28 March and 16 May 2008. This is to enable staff to be trained on site, for the new IT system, Libra, which goes live at the court on 9 May 2008. The Libra IT system is being rolled out to all magistrates courts nationally.
Work that would ordinarily be accommodated in this courtroom will be allocated to the neighbouring courthouses, namely at South Ribble and Ormskirk (primarily to South Ribble). This arrangement will be monitored to ensure it is operating effectively, and any disruption to court users is kept to a minimum.
Clearsprings Management: Approved Premises
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many defendants on (a) bail and (b) home detention curfew have been released into accommodation provided by Clearsprings HDC under the bail and accommodation support services in each month since August 2007, indicating the numbers that relate to (i) pre- and (ii) post- conviction remand. [179351]
Mr. Hanson:
From 18 June 2007 to 14 January 2008 a total of 467 people have been released into the Clearsprings service; 298 on bail and 169 on home detention curfew. I will provide the monthly data requested as soon as possible. Information on the breakdown of bail cases between those untried and
those convicted but unsentenced cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost.
Coroners Act 1988
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were (a) charged and (b) convicted in each of the last 10 years under the Coroners Act 1988. [178571]
Bridget Prentice: Coroners, jurors and medical practitioners may be charged and convicted under sections 3, 9, 10 and 21 of the Coroners Act. Records are not held centrally of any offences under the Act and as a result we are unable to provide details of the numbers of jurors and medical practitioners who have been charged or convicted. We do know, however, that during the past 10 years no coroner has been charged or convicted under section 3(5) of the Coroners Act which provides that a coroner found guilty of corruption, wilful neglect of duty or misbehaviour in the discharge of his duty shall be liable to conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine or to both.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what meetings he had with his officials on the subject of the Coroners Act 1988 in each of the last three months; and what was discussed at these meetings. [178574]
Bridget Prentice: Ministers regularly have meetings with and receive advice from officials on the whole range of the Department's portfolio.
Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2008, Official Report, column 138W, on the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, what the 18 broad categories are; and what proportion of successful claims were awarded under each category. [178182]
Mr. Straw: The following table gives the 18 broad categories of occupational type, and shows the number of successful claims awarded under each category in the last 10 years.
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