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10 Mar 2008 : Column 110W—continued
Departmental Property
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what property has been lost or stolen from his Department since its formation; and what the cost of replacement was. [187477]
Bill Rammell: Records of lost or stolen property for the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills are kept on its behalf as part of a shared service provided by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Where such assets have been lost, they have been included in answers given on behalf of those Departments.
Departmental Publicity
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the estimated total cost of re-branding is expected to be following the formation of his Department. [162287]
Bill Rammell: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was formed on 28 June 2007, following the machinery of Government changes. Since this date the Department has spent an estimated £33,556.75 on signposts, graphic designers and stationery. Work on the website is expected to come to in the region of £60,000 for the financial year 2007-08. We are not expecting any further rebranding costs.
Departmental Records
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many classified documents went missing from his Department in the last 12 months for which figures are available; at what grades of classification; and whether any of these were in the post. [181787]
Bill Rammell: No such incidents have been reported.
Higher Education: Immigration
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the financial impact of the new immigration rules on the income of universities. [185695]
Bill Rammell: International students contribute an estimated £5 billion a year to the UK economy and are vital to the economic, academic and cultural life of FE and HE institutions. Through Universities UK’s membership of the Joint Education Taskforce, we are ensuring that Universities are fully engaged in changes to immigration rules and, in particular changes that may impact on their income, such as the ability to recruit international students.
Higher Education: International Cooperation
Dr. Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Foreign Secretary on improving higher education links with (a) Vietnam, (b) the People’s Republic of China, (c) the Republic of South Africa and (d) Cuba; and if he will make a statement. [192016]
Bill Rammell:
The Secretary of State regularly meets the Foreign Secretary and discusses a range of issues including higher education links between England/UK and other countries. The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills has lead responsibility for the Prime Minister’s Initiative for international education (PMI) which seeks to maintain the United Kingdom’s position as a leader in international education. One of the major elements of the PMI is about enhancing and improving collaboration between UK educational institutions and those abroad and higher education plays a key role in this. China and Vietnam are priority countries for PMI. I have today signed a Memorandum of Collaboration with my counterpart from Vietnam,
the Vice Minister of Education and Training. The MoC signing reconfirms the UK Government’s support for education co-operation with Vietnam.
The Department also supports a number of programmes to encourage collaboration between the UK and strategic partner countries These include the development of higher education links with China and South Africa.
Higher Education: Islam
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether his Department plans to provide guidance to further education colleges planning to recruit Muslim chaplains or train those already carrying out this function. [191579]
Bill Rammell: The Learning and Skills Council has funded the National Ecumenical Agency in Further Education (now reconstituted into the National Council for Faiths and Beliefs in Further Education—FBFE) to develop guidance for chaplains and multi-faith support teams. This was published in January 2008. Training materials for new chaplains will be published very shortly.
Any further enhancements that are needed to the guidance and training materials will be determined according to the outcome of the consultation on ‘The Role of Further Education Providers in Promoting Community Cohesion, Fostering Shared Values and Preventing Violent Extremism’, once known.
Communities and Local Government (CLG) is leading on the development of a framework of standards for institutions engaging Muslim faith leaders in public service. This will deliver a commitment set out in CLG’s Preventing Violent Extremism Action Plan, published in April 2007, and will include FE colleges.
Higher Educations: Radicalism
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether he has made an assessment of which further education colleges face a particular threat from violent extremism. [191578]
Bill Rammell: The evidence we have is that there is a very small minority of individuals who seek to promote or undertake acts of violence and that they sometimes seek to recruit other individuals to hold similar views. As such, there is a serious, but not widespread problem.
We believe that colleges are best placed, with their local partners, to determine the level of threat they may face from violent extremism, but that all should be actively promoting community cohesion and shared values while remaining vigilant.
Students: Finance
Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much was spent by the Higher Education Funding Council for England on teaching costs for full-time and part-time higher education students on level 4 programmes in 2006-07; and how much is planned to be spent in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09, (c) 2009-10 and (d) 2010-11. [192344]
Bill Rammell: We do not hold data specifically at level 4. However, the amounts that the Higher Education Funding Council for England have/will spend on teaching costs for full and part time higher education students on programmes at level 4 and above are outlined in the following table:
| Recurrent teaching grant ( £ million ) | |
| (1) The figures for 2009-10 and 2010-11 are indicative at this stage and will be confirmed in the grant letters for those years. | |
Students: Loans
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether, following the introduction of identity cards on a voluntary basis, an applicant for a student loan will be required to demonstrate that they hold an identity card in order to complete the application. [184065]
Bill Rammell: The policy on the introduction of identity cards on a voluntary basis rests with the Home Office. Currently either a passport or a birth certificate (accompanied by an identity confirmation form signed by a person of good standing) is required as proof of identity for students applying for a Government Student Loan. We have no current plans to change this, although the process for verifying the identity of applicants is kept under review.
Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of people who encountered difficulties in providing personal identification on applying for a student loan in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement. [192336]
Bill Rammell: The responsibility for confirming the identity of applicants for student support in England rests with local authorities and no information is held centrally about the numbers of applicants who experience difficulties in providing the necessary personal information.
Students are currently asked to provide either a valid passport, or a birth certificate accompanied by an identity confirmation form signed by a person of good standing.
Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which student loans cover university accommodation costs; and if he will make a statement. [192342]
Bill Rammell: Maintenance loans are available to eligible full-time students on courses of higher education to help them cover their general living costs. However, we do not specify how students should spend their loans.
The Department undertakes a Student Income and Expenditure Survey (SIES) periodically. This survey provides information about patterns of student income and expenditure, including average accommodation costs, for an academic year, and also the level of support that students receive by way of loans. The last published report covered the 2004/05 academic year, and research is currently in the field for 2007/08, which will report in 2009.
The maximum amounts of loan available are uprated each year in line with forecast inflation. However, we departed from our usual practice during the public debate on the new package of student support for 2006/07 that took place during the time that the 2004 Higher Education Bill was passing through Parliament. We adjusted the maximum loan amounts for the 2008/07 academic year in order to match the median of students’ basic living costs, as established by the 2002/03 SIES. For subsequent academic years up to and including 2009/10, we have reverted to the usual practice of uprating the maximum loan amounts in line with forecast inflation.
Translation Services
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills into what languages departmental publications were translated in 2006-07; how many were translated; and what the total cost of translation was in that year. [178220]
Bill Rammell: Following the machinery of government changes, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created in June 2007 and therefore DIUS did not translate any publications in financial year 2006-07.
Vocational Guidance
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what contribution his Department makes to the pursuit of the skills agenda through career guidance programmes run in schools. [181031]
Mr. Lammy: We are working closely with the Department for Children, Schools and Families to raise aspirations of young people and encourage them to acquire the skills and qualifications they will need to succeed in their careers. Through Sector Skills Councils, we are ensuring employers have a strong voice in shaping qualifications to meet their needs. We are also working with DCSF to ensure young people have access to the range of information about careers to help them make informed choices and to ensure smooth transition in the support available to them as young adults and the help provided by the new adult advancement and careers service.
Vocational Training
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will list the signatories to the Skills Pledge. [192546]
Bill Rammell: Latest data from the Learning and Skills Council indicate that as at the end of January 2008 there were 1,239 organisations that had made the Skills Pledge. I am placing a copy of the information in the Libraries of the House.
Treasury
Alcoholic Drinks: Death
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people died from an alcohol-related underlying cause aged (a) under 20, ( b) 21-30, (c) 31-40, (d) 41-50, (e) 51-60 and (f) 61 years and above in each constituency in Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last 10 years, broken down by sex; and if he will make a statement. [192896]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 March 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people died from an alcohol-related underlying cause aged (a) under 20, (b) 21-30, (c) 31-40, (d) 41-50, (e) 51-60 and (f) 61 years and above in each constituency in Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last 10 years, broken down by sex. (192896)
The tables attached provide the number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause in the Yorkshire and The Humber government office region, broken down by age group (Table 1), and in parliamentary constituencies in the Yorkshire and The Humber government office region, broken down by sex (Table 2), from 1997 to 2006 (the latest year available). Figures are not available for parliamentary constituencies, broken down by sex and age together, as these data are judged to be too detailed to preserve anonymity in death statistics. A copy of the tables has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
Bank Services: Liechtenstein
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when his Department became aware that details of bank accounts in Liechtenstein of UK residents were available for sale; and if he will make a statement; [191987]
(2) when his Department took the decision to purchase information relating to bank accounts in Liechtenstein of UK residents; how many of the Liechtenstein account holders are non-domiciled for tax purposes; and if he will make a statement; [191988]
(3) what discussions were held on the issue of purchasing information on bank accounts in Liechtenstein of UK residents between HM Revenue and Customs and (a) Treasury officials and (b) Ministers before the decision was taken to purchase the information; and if he will make a statement; [191989]
(4) what estimate his Department has made of the number of UK residents referred to in the information purchased from Liechtenstein who (a) are and (b) have been evading UK tax payments; and if he will make a statement; [191990]
(5) how many UK residents referred to in the information purchased from Liechtenstein are the subject of investigation by HM Revenue and Customs; and if he will make a statement. [191991]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 6 March 2008]: HMRC learnt in July 2005 that details of Liechtenstein bank accounts held by UK residents might be made available to a number of countries. HMRC worked with other countries to secure and share Liechtenstein bank account information through bi-lateral international treaties.
By virtue of section 26 of the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005, HMRC is empowered to pay a reward in return for a service provided to it. No further information can be provided on the handling of individual cases involving intelligence sources of this kind.
126 individuals who are or were resident in the United Kingdom have been investigated or are presently under inquiry by HMRC. The existence of an account in Liechtenstein does not of itself indicate tax evasion but many of the individuals under inquiry by HMRC have made disclosures about their tax affairs. HMRC does not have details at this time of the domicile status of Liechtenstein account holders under inquiry.
Child Benefit: Overseas Residence
Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons claiming child benefit in the United Kingdom are doing so in respect of children not resident in the United Kingdom; and what the financial cost was of such payments in the latest period for which figures are available. [186155]
Jane Kennedy: Entitlement to child benefit is generally reliant on the child in the award being present in the UK. There are a number of circumstances where child benefit is payable when the child is not resident. For example where the child is receiving medical treatment anywhere abroad for an illness that began before the child left the UK or where the person claiming child benefit is working in the UK and paying UK national insurance contributions and their family is living in another EEA country.
The information requested is not available in the format requested.
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