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21 Apr 2008 : Column 1608W—continued
English Language: Education
Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of levels of demand for places on courses in English for speakers of other languages in London; and if he will make a statement. [186638]
Bill Rammell: The demand for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses has been very high with funding and enrolments across England tripling since 2001.
Detailed information on ESOL funding and enrolments is collected by the Learning and Skills Council (LSG) but this does not extend to waiting lists. However, some institutions, particularly in London, have suggested they have waiting lists of up to 24 months.
A number of ESOL funding measures were introduced from August 2007 to help vulnerable learners. The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills has commissioned a report to look at the impact of these measures. The interim findings indicate a continuing high level of demand for ESOL and that the learner profile seems to be changing in some colleges, with more enrolments onto evening than daytime classes. A full report is planned for early spring.
The national comprehensive spending review (CSR) has fixed ESOL spending until 2010 and participation figures in London have been forecast to align with this. London Learning and Skills Council has negotiated an increase in the size of its employer responsive budget for 2008-09 due to the specific socio-economic needs of London and ESOL needs for the individual and employers will be addressed within this.
In addition, the London Learning and Skills Council is expanding the offer of ESOL Skills for Life to Entry Levels 1 and 2 within the train to gain service. The service will also be expanded to include the new ESOL for Work qualifications. This enables a greater flexibility for employers and individuals in accessing ESOL.
Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many places on courses for qualifications in English for speakers of other languages have been provided in London over the last eight years. [186477]
Bill Rammell: The Government have put adult skills at the heart of their strategy for long-term prosperity and social justice. The total Government investment in further education has increased by 52 per cent. in real terms between 1997-98 and 2006-07 and we are committed to further increases in adult participation funded through the Learning and Skills Council to £3.6 billion in 2010-11.
Since 2001 the Government have invested over £3 billion through the Skills for Life Strategy. The strategy offers adults the chance to improve their basic skills by enrolling on further education courses and other provision leading to qualifications in literacy, numeracy and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL).
So far, 4.7 million people have taken up 10.5 million Skills for Life learning opportunities nationally, including 2 million people who have improved their English language skills. The number of learners enrolled on ESOL courses in London between 2001 and July 2007 was 999,747.
Information about ESOL provision before 2001 when the Government launched the Skills for Life Strategy is not held in a format from which comparable data can be extracted without disproportionate cost.
Fairtrade Initiative
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what his Department's policy is on the use of fair trade goods (a) in staff catering facilities and (b) at official departmental functions and meetings; and if he will make a statement. [183881]
Mr. Lammy: Catering facilities and for the Department are provided on our behalf by the Department for Children Schools and Families and the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Both of those Departments have a policy to make fair trade products available throughout their catering operations.
Finance
Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills (1) if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of making the support available to full-time over 25-year-olds enrolled on their first full level 3 course equivalent to that of full-time, home-based, first degree undergraduates in respect of (a) grants, (b) maintenance loans and (c) fee loans; [196897]
(2) if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of making the support available to part-time over 25-year-olds enrolled on their first full level 3 course equivalent to that of full-time, home-based, first degree undergraduates in respect of (a) grants, (b) maintenance loans and (c) fee loans; and if he will make a statement; [196898]
(3) if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of making the support available to full-time 19 to 25-year-olds enrolled on their first full level 3 course equivalent to that of full-time, home-based, first degree undergraduates in respect of (a) grants, (b) maintenance loans and (c) fee loans; and if he will make a statement. [196899]
Bill Rammell: The Government offer a range of support for adults to enable them to get the skills they need for their career, or for progression, in whatever way best suits their needs, including both full and part-time provision.
We have put in place a different set of support arrangements for learners on full level 3 courses in Further Education, compared to home-based university undergraduates. Our priority for level 3 entitlement learners is to help young adults to complete their initial education and provide full fee remission to protect them from increases in FE fees and learner support for those on low incomes; the Adult Learning Grant pays up to £30 per week during term times to help with learning costs for those studying for a first full level 3 (or first full level 2) qualification. They may then go on to higher education and take advantage of HE student support, or progress to higher skills training and/or employment. HE students undertake longer, more expensive courses, with higher additional incidental costs, such as books and materials, which is why the financial support arrangements are not directly comparable.
We already have a strong package of measures in place to help young adults achieve advanced level 3 qualifications. In the Budget, the Chancellor announced an additional £60 million over the next three years for advanced level 3 skills. This will allow more individuals to get the skills they need to get second chances and unlock their talents. We will be exploring new and innovative approaches to delivering training that individuals and employers need.
These new resources will move us a step closer to realising our ambitious vision for universal Skills Accounts where adults will be able to access significant investment in their skills, including an Apprenticeships credit to cover training costs. We will be undertaking trials of Skills Accounts in 2008/09 and 2009/10, with national roll-out from 2010. And increasing the number of Advanced Apprenticeships will be a key focus for these additional resources, building on the recommendations of the recent Apprenticeships review.
Further Education
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will place in the Library a copy of the options analysis for post-19 provision as referred to in the regulatory impact assessment for Raising Expectations: Enabling the system to deliver. [196769]
Bill Rammell:
Following the creation of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills in June 2007 the Secretary of State, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills and I led an internal review of the post-19 skills landscape. The review considered a functional analysis of England's skills policy delivery mechanisms and was informed by stakeholder and other expert views given in confidence. The options examined for possible reconfigurations of the functions of the skills landscape were wide-ranging and comprehensive, as befits an organisational review following a major change in the Machinery of Government. The mechanism for the review was a series of ministerial submissions and discussions,
focusing in on preferred options in an iterative process; no consolidated ‘options analysis’ covering the entire work of the internal review was compiled. The internal review resulted in the proposals published in Raising Expectations: Enabling the system to deliver, which are presented for external consultation until 9 June 2008.
Further Education: Admissions
Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills (1) how many 19 to 25 year olds enrolled on their first full level 3 qualification there were in each year since 2001; [196900]
(2) how many (a) 25 to 30, (b) 25 to 35 and (c) over 25 year olds enrolled on their first full level 3 course there were in each year since 2001. [196905]
Bill Rammell: The Government are committed to ensuring that young adults have the opportunity to complete their education and gain a full level 3 qualification that will enable them to progress into skilled employment or higher education. We are committed to achieving the 2011 indicator of 56 per cent. of working age adults qualified to at least full Level 3.
The following table shows the number of people aged 19+ (to the nearest 1,000) doing full level 3 in each year since 2002/03 (the earliest available), and estimated numbers doing a first full level 3. Historical data on first full level 3 by the requested age-bands is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| 2002/03 | 2003/04 | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | 2006/07 | |
| Note: This time series combined data on learner numbers from the Individualised Learner Record with information from the Learning and Skills Council’s Prior Qualifications Survey on ‘firstness’. The survey tells us that 55 per cent. of full Level 3 learners in FE and 60 per cent. of people starting an Advanced Apprenticeship are doing their first full Level 3. | |||||
Further Education: Higher Education
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2008, Official Report, column 930W, on further education: higher education, what proportion of students were funded by (a) the Higher Education Funding Council for England and (b) the Learning and Skills Council. [188582]
Bill Rammell: The latest available information is given in the table.
The changes in the number of higher education enrolments at further education colleges will have been affected by the transfer of institutions from the further education sector to the higher education sector. The number of higher education enrolments at further education colleges will also have been affected by the transfer of higher education activity from further education colleges to higher education institutions under franchising arrangements. Franchising is a process where students take a course delivered by an institution on behalf of another institution and this often occurs between higher education institutions and further education colleges.
Further Education: Qualifications
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills (1) what proportion of (a) HNDs and (b) HNCs were taught in further education colleges in the last 12 months; [195656]
(2) what proportion of foundation degrees were taught in further education colleges in the last 12 months. [195657]
Bill Rammell: The latest available information is shown in the following table.
| Proportion of HND, HNC and foundation degree students( 1) taught in English further education colleges, 2005-06 academic year | |
| Qualification aim | Proportion (percentage) |
| (1) Figures are on a headcount basis and cover all students registered at English higher education institutions and English further education colleges. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record and Learning and Skills Council (LSC) Individualised Learner Record (ILR). | |
An estimate for the 2007-08 academic year shows that there are almost 72,000 people studying foundation degrees. We are therefore making good progress towards achieving our target participation rate of 100,000 by 2010.
We are committed to foundation degrees as a key vehicle for higher education expansion as they provide precisely the type of business-facing, demand-led provision that is helping employers to address higher level skill needs.
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