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4 Feb 2008 : Column 932W—continued
Performing Arts: Royalties
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what representations he has received since June 2007 on performing rights royalties; what discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials have had with representatives of the music and film industry since June 2007 on this issue; what the (i) location and (ii) duration of each meeting was; whether a record of each meeting was kept; who attended each meeting; and if he will undertake an assessment of the effectiveness of the royalties system. [177121]
Ian Pearson: Ministers and officials from my Department have had, and continue to have, regular contact with representatives of the music and film industry. An inspection of available records show that there have been no substantive discussions on performing rights royalties during this period.
In terms of other representations, the Department has occasionally received letters forwarded by hon. Members from their constituents about this issue.
Although copyright law that underpins these royalties is shaped largely by international and European law, Ministers and officials are aware of the need to keep the UK system under review. The most recent review of intellectual property, by Andrew Gowers, made no recommendations which directly focused on the royalties system.
Physical Education: Training
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many initial teacher training places will be available for physical education teachers in 2008-09. [183659]
Jim Knight [holding answer 31 January 2008]: I have been asked to reply.
In 2008/09, there will be 1,570 places available for physical educational initial teacher training (ITT). This includes school centred ITT and employment-based routes ITT, but does not include teach first.
The following table show the number of initial teacher training (ITT) places which were allocated for physical education at Loughborough university for academic years 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08.
| Physical education ITT allocation to Loughborough university | |
| Allocated places for physical education at Loughborough university | |
| Source: TDA’s ITT Trainee Number Census. | |
Student Loans Company: Complaints
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Cheltenham of 15 January 2008, Official Report, column 1200W, on Student Loans Company: complaints, if he will provide the equivalent information on complaints to the Student Loans Company made from January 2001 to November 2006. [182919]
Bill Rammell: The total number of complaints received by the Student Loans Company (SLC) about the income contingent loan scheme in the period April 2005 to November 2006 is set out in the following table. This information is not available prior to April 2005.
| Complaints received by the SLC about ICL repayments April 2005 to November 2006 | |||||
| Deductions taken | Incorrect advice—telephone and correspondence | Misunderstood scheme | System/clerical failure | Total | |
Students Debts
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much student debt is owed to the Government. [178090]
Bill Rammell: At as the end of the financial year 2006-07, for English domiciled students and EU students studying in England, there was a total of £18,100 million loans outstanding, consisting of £17,000 million income contingent loans, and £1,100 million mortgage style loans.
Students: Finance
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many complaints have been received about the time taken to pay student loans or grants; and what assessment he has made of the reasons for complaints. [181908]
Bill Rammell: In the academic year 2007-08 the Student Loans Company (SLC) has so far received 65 complaints about the time taken to pay student loans or grants. We do not have a breakdown of the causes of the complaints received by SLC and we have no record of complaints that may have been made to local authorities.
The SLC has paid loans and grants to 825,000 customers attending university in England in academic year 2007-08. Delays can occur at different parts of the process: late applications; delays in supplying information and evidence; if confirmation is not received that students have registered at their college; if assessment and approval processes are not completed within the agreed performance standards.
Students: Grants
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what plans there are to give grants to more university students. [181019]
Bill Rammell: We announced in July last year that from academic year 2008/09 we will substantially increase the number of students entitled to non-repayable maintenance grants. The minimum household income for a full maintenance grant of £2,835 a year will be extended from £17,910 in 2007/08 to £25,000 in 2008/09. The maximum household income for a partial maintenance grant has been raised from £38,300 in 2007/08 to £60,005 in 2008/09. By 2011, the number of students receiving some level of grant will increase by 100,000. As part of this change, an extra 50,000 students will receive a full grant. In total, around two thirds of eligible students will be entitled to a full or partial grant each year—compared to around a half now. The new grant arrangements will be available to all eligible 2008/09 entrants, including those who have deferred entry from academic year 2007/08. The aim of these new arrangements is to ensure that everyone with the potential to progress into higher education has the financial support to do so, no matter what their background.
Students: Loans
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills for what reasons the annual percentage interest rate on student loans increased from 2.4 per cent. to 4.8 per cent. on 1 September 2007. [175643]
Bill Rammell: Student loans have very different features to commercial loans. Graduates with income contingent loans (ICL) only repay once they are in work and only when their annual income reaches £15,000. Interest is charged at the rate of inflation, so students only pay back in real terms the amount they originally borrowed.
This is achieved by linking the interest rate for student loans to the annual rate of inflation as defined by the retail prices index (RPI). The interest rate is recalculated each year at the beginning of September using the RPI figure from the previous March. This methodology ensures that over time the student loan interest rate will be equivalent to the rate of inflation but with a time lag.
For the academic year 2007/08, the interest rate is set at the rate for RPI for the year to March 2007—4.8 per cent. Although the underlying RPI rate has fallen since March, and is now below the 2007/08 student loan interest rate, this works both ways. In other years, the time-lag will benefit borrowers, as it did in 2006/07. Over time, peaks and troughs even out, and borrowers repay no more in real terms than they borrow.
Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the resource cost is expected to be of (a) fee loans and (b) maintenance loans in each year from 2008-09 to 2010-11. [183947]
Bill Rammell: Provision for the resource cost of fee and maintenance loans for English domiciled HE students in RAB terms(1) is shown in the following table. The RAB charge applied for fee loans is 33 per cent. and for maintenance loans is 21 per cent.(2)
(1) The RAB charge is an estimate of the percentage of the face value of loans issued in that year which reflects the resource cost over the expected life of the loan to the Government of making the loans.
(2 )Figures exclude the impact of the repayment holiday.
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