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25 Feb 2008 : Column 1322W—continued

EBITT trainees
Percentage
	2001/02		2002/03		2003/04		2004/05		2005/06
	Under 30	30 and over	Under 30	30 and over	Under 30	30 and over	Under 30	30 and over	Under 30	30 and over
Primary and Secondary	34	66	36	64	40	60	45	55	48	52
Primary	33	67	37	63	36	64	41	59	42	58
Secondary	34	66	36	64	42	58	47	53	52	48
Art and design	41	59	48	52	47	53	51	49	46	54
Business studies	10	90	31	69	33	67	47	53	50	50
Citizenship	50	50	21	79	32	68	42	58	47	53
Design and technology	30	70	29	71	32	68	36	64	43	57
English (including dance and drama)	39	61	42	58	48	52	52	48	57	43
Geography	52	48	49	51	44	56	56	44	63	37
History	37	63	41	59	40	60	47	53	57	43
Information and communications technology	26	74	28	72	32	68	37	63	40	60
Mathematics	22	78	22	78	29	71	32	6	39	61
Modern languages	45	55	44	56	43	57	48	52	53	47
Music	33	67	41	59	57	43	63	37	59	41
Other(1)	44	56	29	71	42	58	49	51	41	59
Physical education	61	39	72	28	82	18	76	24	81	19
Religious education	24	76	38	62	51	49	46	54	47	53
Science	31	69	32	68	35	65	40	60	47	53
Vocational subjects	—	—	—	—	9	91	41	59	34	66
‘—’ Represents data which is not available. (1) Other includes classics, economics and social sciences and other subjects. Notes: 1. Data relating to the age of trainees are not collected on entering ITT courses. This information is collected as part of the performance profiles data at the end of trainees’ first year. 2. Performance profiles data are collected at the end of a trainee’s first year, therefore 2006/07 data are collected in autumn 2007 and will be published in July 2008. 3. The age breakdown for the teach first programme was not collected prior to 2005/06. Therefore only 2005/06 data includes teach first trainees. 4. The age breakdown of overseas trained teacher programme trainees was not collected prior to 2004/05, therefore only 2004/05 and 2005/06 data includes overseas trained teacher programme trainees. Source: TDA’s Performance Profiles

Vocational Education

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of his staff responsible for work on skills possess a vocational qualification. [178197]

Mr. Lammy: DIUS staff records are not yet kept on a single database system. Until this is the case, staff records are kept on systems in BERR and DCSF, depending on which Department the individual transferred from.

There have been no formal processes in either of the two Departments for holding such data records. To gather this data to answer this question would incur disproportionate cost.

Vocational Training

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people completed training or obtained qualifications as (a) carpenters, (b) electricians, (c) plumbers (water), (d) plumbers (gas), (e) plumbers (full central heating), (f) bricklayers and (g) plasterers in each of the last five years. [188556]

25 Feb 2008 : Column 1323W

Mr. Lammy: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Vocational Training: Manpower

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate has been made of the effect on staffing costs of the (a) skills brokerage service and (b) National Employer Service arising from the expansion of Train to Gain. [174366]

Mr. Lammy: The National Employer Service (NES) is an internal division of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Any expansion of the NES will have to be managed within the overall reduction in administration costs agreed with this Department as part of the CSR settlement.

LSC and DIUS officials are still developing the detailed plans for the expansion of brokerage, including how larger employers with between 1,000 and 4,999 staff might best be supported. These plans are being developed within the transition to a single brokerage service from April 2009, delivered through Business Link.

Justice

Appeals: Incapacity Benefits

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2008, Official Report, column 298W, on incapacity benefits appeals, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of upheld appeals lodged against an incapacity benefit personal capability assessment. [186220]

Bridget Prentice: The Tribunals Service works with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), with whom appeals are lodged regarding decisions on incapacity benefit, to improve original decision making on an ongoing basis.

In accordance with S81 of the Social Security Act 1998 the president of the Social Security and Child Support Appeals Tribunal provides an annual report on the standards of decision making by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. The Tribunals Service is currently working with DWP officials specifically to improve original decision making and the appeals process for all Jobcentre Plus benefits, including incapacity benefit. This includes reviewing decision making processes and developing standards for submissions made by Jobcentre Plus staff for the tribunal.

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