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28 Oct 2008 : Column 1011W

Specialised Diplomas: Disadvantaged

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils studying for diplomas are eligible for free school meals. [226482]

Jim Knight: In summer 2009 we will have information about the proportions of pupils entered for diplomas, broken down by those eligible for free school meals for those pupils sitting examinations in 2009.

Specialised Diplomas: Rural Areas

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to help rural schools collaborate in offering the diploma courses. [230054]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: We have set out our assessments in “Delivering 14-19 Reforms in Rural Areas”, which we published on 30 June 2008. This report shows that rural and semi-rural areas face a particular set of challenges. We are committed to supporting these areas to overcome the challenges they face and know that many rural areas are already deploying a range of innovative solutions to ensure that young people get access to 14-19 provision.

Teachers: Pay

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what representations he has received on the difference in salary levels between further education lecturers and schoolteachers; and if he will make a statement. [229299]

Jim Knight: Following the machinery of government changes in 2007, responsibility for further education colleges falls to the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. I have not, therefore, received representations since that time about the relative levels of salaries payable to school teachers and further education lecturers.

However, the Government are not the employer of FE staff and DIUS is not involved in pay issues. Following enactment of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, FE employers became independent institutions and pay in the FE sector is a matter for the staff and colleges concerned. Pay settlements for FE colleges and sixth form colleges are agreed in consultation with staff and their unions, without Government involvement in either national or local machinery.

Teachers: Pensions

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was paid (a) by (i) employees and (ii) employers into and (b) to those receiving pensions payments from the teachers’ pension scheme in each of the last five years. [229432]

Jim Knight: The values of contributions received to each of the last five years are:

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£000
	Employer contributions	Employee contributions
2002-03	1,447,375	1,078,462
2003-04	2,506,296	1,163,695
2004-05	2,578,001	1,189,792
2005-06	2,670,087	1,229,680
2006-07	2,819,704	1,320,010

The values of benefits paid (including lump sums) in each of the last five years are:

	Pensions p aid (£000)
2002-03	3,972,147
2003-04	4,190,227
2004-05	4,501,543
2005-06	4,898,595
2006-07	5,294,682

The figures are taken from the published teachers' pension scheme resource accounts and vary from those provided in my response to the hon. Member on 20 October 2008, Official Report, column 84W, which were provided on a cash basis.

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the annual change in cost to the public purse of the 2006 changes to the teachers' pension scheme; and if he will make a statement. [229491]

Jim Knight: Savings in employer contributions for the teachers' pensions scheme in 2007-08 have been estimated at around £280 million a year, and will grow in subsequent years in proportion to the growth in the salary bill.

Trade Unions

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many civil servants in his Department were seconded to work for (a) trades unions and (b) the Trades Union Congress in each year since its inception. [229107]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department was created on 28 June 2007 and since then nobody has been seconded to a trade union or to the Trades Union Congress.

In common with other Departments and agencies, my Department does provide agreed time off and facilities for trade union representatives to take part in trade union duties, activities and training.

Young People: Unemployment

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people aged 16 to 24 years old not in education, employment or training there were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) constituency, (b) local authority and (c) region. [228730]

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Beverley Hughes: The data presented in the following table (i) are taken from the labour force survey (LFS). The table shows, for each Government office region, the estimated number of people aged 16 to 24 not in
28 Oct 2008 : Column 1014W
employment, education or training (NEET) in the fourth quarter (October to December) of each year since 1997. Estimates are not available by constituency or by local authority.

Table (i): Number of 16 to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training in quarter 4 of each year by region, 1997 to 2007
	North East	North West	Yorkshire and the Humber	East Midlands	West Midlands	Eastern	London	South East	South West	England
1997	43,000	100,000	72,000	47,000	83,000	59,000	123,000	91,000	47,000	665,000
1998	54,000	119,000	83,000	51,000	82,000	53,000	117,000	75,000	49,000	683,000
1999	49,000	87,000	73,000	62,000	75,000	50,000	112,000	72,000	45,000	626,000
2000	50,000	95,000	75,000	56,000	82,000	54,000	95,000	74,000	48,000	629,000
2001	46,000	110,000	76,000	51,000	81,000	59,000	114,000	85,000	43,000	664,000
2002	50,000	100,000	73,000	56,000	79,000	69,000	108,000	76,000	49,000	659,000
2003	46,000	105,000	76,000	51,000	81,000	50,000	122,000	99,000	37,000	667,000
2004	58,000	113,000	81,000	68,000	83,000	61,000	139,000	82,000	60,000	744,000
2005	61,000	114,000	107,000	70,000	93,000	77,000	143,000	110,000	63,000	837,000
2006	45,000	120,000	95,000	65,000	96,000	77,000	148,000	93,000	68,000	808,000
2007	49,000	120,000	82,000	70,000	93,000	74,000	123,000	116,000	56,000	782,000
Source: Labour Force Survey.

The total number of 16 to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training has risen since 1997, but this reflects an increase in the overall population. The proportion of 16 to 24-year-olds NEET remains unchanged (table (ii)).

Table ( i i): Percentage of 16 to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training in quarter 4 of each year by region, 1997 to 2007
	North East	North West	Yorkshire and the Humber	East Midlands	West Midlands	Eastern	London	South East	South West	England
1997	16	14	13	11	15	11	15	11	10	13
1998	20	17	16	12	15	10	14	9	10	13
1999	18	12	14	14	14	10	13	9	10	12
2000	18	13	14	13	15	10	11	9	10	12
2001	16	15	14	11	14	11	13	10	9	13
2002	17	13	13	12	14	13	13	9	10	12
2003	15	13	13	11	14	9	14	12	7	12
2004	19	14	13	14	14	11	16	9	11	13
2005	19	14	17	14	15	13	17	13	12	15
2006	14	14	14	12	15	13	17	11	12	14
2007	15	14	12	13	15	12	14	13	10	13
Source: Labour Force Survey.

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