| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
8 May 2008 : Column 1122W—continued
| 2003/04 | ||||||
| 16-18 | 19+ | |||||
| Further Education | Schools | Further Education | ||||
| FTE numbers ( 1) | Funding per FTE ( 2) | SSF learner numbers ( 3) | Funding per SSF learner ( 4) | FTE numbers ( 1) | Funding per FTE ( 2) | |
| (1) A full-time equivalent learner is defined as the total guided learning hours divided by 450 (maximum of one FTE per learner). (2) The funding allocated per FTE to the colleges and FE providers located in the local authority (excluding additional learning support). (3) School sixth form learner numbers (these are predominantly full-time learners). (4) Funding allocated per learner (including pensions funding, but excluding the block LA SEN allocation). Note: In FE, additional learning support was not allocated by age band and therefore it is not possible to split between 16-18 and 19+ (this is changing in 2008/09). All above figures are based on the allocations made to the schools, colleges and other providers located in that LA area. The learners recruited may not be resident in the same LA area. | ||||||
UK Commission for Employment and Skills: Public Appointments
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether Sector Skills Council board members or officers are able to serve on the board of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. [203924]
Mr. Lammy: Sector skills council board members are able to serve on the board of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. Sector skills council board members were also able to serve on the board of the former Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA). Many of the functions of the SSDA transferred to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills from 1 April 2008.
Vocational Training: Energy
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what vocational training and courses are available to provide the skills needed for the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors; and whether there are plans further to establish such courses. [202628]
Mr. Lammy: The Government are committed to developing a sustainable, innovative and productive economy that delivers a high level of employment, and a just society that promotes social inclusion, sustainable communities and personal well-being.
The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for the commissioning and funding of post-16 education and training up to (but not including) higher education. Information on the number and type of courses is an operational matter for the LSC and I have asked Mark
Haysom, the LSC chief executive, to write to the hon. Gentleman with further information. A copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 8 May 2008:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked:
What vocational training and course are available to provide the skills needed for the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors; and whether there are plans further to establish such courses.
The LSC holds data on vocational learning in England that is funded through the public purse. Through Colleges of Further Education and other training providers we support business and individuals to acquire the skills that they need to achieve personal and organisation aims.
However, the actual content of qualifications is largely decided by the Sector Skills Councils, who represent employers in different sectors, and Awarding Bodies who develop qualifications to meet market need. There are a range of Sector Skills Councils with responsibility for occupations that require skills in energy efficiency and renewable energy, and as such no one Sector Skills Council is accountable specifically for this area of skill. The SSCs with most interest in renewables and energy efficiency include Construction Skills, Energy and Utility Skills, Built Environment (Summit Skills), property and facilities (Asset Skills), energy production and polymers (Cogent) and a range of manufacturing SSCs. Combined, these sectors account for a significant proportion of funded provision in England.
The SSCs are already supporting changes to provision, and courses are already being updated in line with the newest developments for example the addition of condensing boilers into standard heating and plumbing provision. Within the Energy and Utility Skills Sector Skills Council footprint there are 342 learning aims available to the sector, which represent 287 different qualifications. Within 2006/2007 there were a total of 11,781 individuals who enrolled on these qualifications which shows an increase of 17% on the previous year. In addition to these qualifications there are four apprenticeship frameworks specifically developed for the sector. The SSC will work with Awarding Bodies to ensure that the latest skills are taught within these programmes.
The courses available in the future will be largely developed in response to the requirements set out by Sector Skills Councils. Each SSC is currently producing a Sector Qualification Strategy (SQS) covering all skills and qualifications required by their sector, and this must be fully implemented by 2010 at the latest, supported by appropriate National Occupational Standards and robust Labour Market Intelligence. The SQS will set out the need for accredited qualifications and other learning provision in each sector, as part of the SQS, each SSC will produce an action plan with more detail about qualifications which they view as no longer fit for purpose or supported by employers (and which therefore should be removed) and those qualifications which need to be reformed or where new qualifications need to be developed. This process will provide the mechanism for updating skills in line with new technology.
In England, from August 2009 the LSC will align public funding with those qualifications highlighted in SQS and Action Plans which LSC identify as a priority for public funding (mediated by LSC and government targets and priorities). Where the LSC deems a qualification as not fit for purpose, the qualification will be made ineligible for continued public funding. This will ensure that up to date qualifications receive funding and out of date skills are no longer supported.
Treasury
Bingo
Mr. Godsiff: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues in the Department for Communities and Local Government on the impact of bingo club closures; and what the outcome was of those discussions. [204482]
Angela Eagle: Treasury Ministers and officials have regular discussions with the Department for Communities and Local Government about a range of issues.
Excise Duties: Fuels
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the revenue to the Exchequer which will accrue from taxation of petrol and diesel in 2008-09 if fuel prices remain at their current level; and what forecast he made for such revenues for 2008-09 in Budget 2008; [203778]
(2) what assumption was made in Budget 2008 about the price of a litre of petrol; [203779]
(3) what the tax take is on a litre of petrol costing 110 pence at the pump. [203781]
Angela Eagle: The current fuel duty payable on a litre of petrol is 50.35p and is the total amount of tax paid by businesses that can reclaim VAT. For households and businesses that cannot reclaim VAT, it is charged as 17.5 per cent. on the sum of the pre-tax price of petrol and fuel duty.
In estimating the impact on receipts of spending on fuel it is necessary to take into account a broad and complex range of reclaims and displacement factor, over a reasonable period of time.
The forecast revenue for 2008-09 from fuel duty is published in table C.6 of the 2008 Financial Statement and Budget Report. This can be found at:
Road fuel duties are charged at a fixed amount per litre and higher road fuel prices generally reduce revenues from fuel duties as they result in lower fuel consumption. The impact of higher oil prices on overall tax revenues and the public finances is complex, and will depend on their wider impact on the economy in general, including the effect on factors such as profitability and retail prices. Reliable estimates of the impact of changes in prices are not available.
The petrol price incorporated into the Budget 2008 forecast for fuel duties was consistent with the NAO—National Audit Office—audited assumption on oil prices. This assumed that oil prices would average $83.8 a barrel in 2008, the average of independent forecasts.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |