House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 12 Nov 2008 (pt 0026)

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Education Maintenance Allowance

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what measures will be put in place to prevent a backlog of education maintenance allowance payments in the future. [227007]

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and hold information about applications made under the scheme. Mark Haysom, the LSC’s chief executive, has written to my hon. Friend with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 11 November 2008:

I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question 227007 that asked:

“What measures will be put in place to ensure a backlog of education maintenance allowance payments does not happen again.”

The Education Maintenance Allowance is operated under contract with a service delivery supplier to run the Helpline, Assessment and Payment Body. The Learning and Skills Council has put robust procedures in place to monitor performance and to minimise the potential of a backlog re occurring. This includes daily monitoring of applications received, applications processed and Notice of Entitlements issued.

I would like to reassure you that considerable effort is also being made to improve the long-term performance of the Helpline Assessment and Payment Body and to ensure that a backlog does not happen again.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when his Department expects the current backlog of education maintenance allowance applications to be processed. [227900]

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and hold information about applications made under the scheme. Mark Haysom, the LSC's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for West Lancashire with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 11 November 2008:

I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question 227900 that asked:

"When his Department expects the current backlog of Education Maintenance Allowance applications to be processed."

The work in progress figure is reducing and currently stands at less than 40,000. The current projection is that a complete application received on 5th November should be processed by 20th November. By the end of the month we expect the “backlog” to have reduced significantly, and good applications will be processed within five days.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what steps have been adopted by the learning and skills council to allow colleges to give learner support fund monies to students yet to receive their education maintenance allowance grant; [229261]

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(2) how many requests the Learning and Skills Council has received from colleges for funds to cover expenditure from their learner support funds to replace delayed education maintenance allowance grants; and how much has been (a) requested and (b) supplied; [229262]

(3) how much colleges have paid monies from their learner support funds to students yet to receive their education maintenance allowance grant; [229263]

(4) whether the Learning and Skills Council will reimburse college spending from the learner support funds to redress the effects of delayed education maintenance allowance payments. [229264]

Jim Knight: These are all matters for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) and other learner support schemes funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Mark Haysom, the LSC's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 7 November 2008:

I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Questions 229264 and 229261 that asked: “whether the Learning and Skills Council will reimburse college spending from the learner support funds to redress the effects of delayed education maintenance allowance payments,” and “what steps have been adopted by the Learning and Skills Council to allow colleges to give Learner Support monies to student yet to receive their Education Maintenance Allowance.”

The Learning and Skills Council provides schools and colleges with discretionary learner support to help learners in severe hardship. Where individuals are suffering as a result of late payment of their EMA, we would want colleges to offer whatever forms of help are necessary to learners. How these arrangements are best administered is a matter for colleges. Colleges will also need to determine how to recover any expenditure from learners once they receive their EMA back payment.

Many colleges are putting such arrangements in place using existing funding. However, where in the short term a college does need additional funding, the LSC will be willing to reprofile payments to the college in year, to front load their overall funding allocation. This will ensure that funds are available to each and
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every college to meet the current situation. The priority must be to ensure that any learner in need of support to alleviate hardship is able to access it. Colleges wishing to explore the possibility of reprofiling have been advised to contact their Regional Finance Director.

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students have not yet received education maintenance allowance payments which are due to them. [227518]

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and hold information about payments made under the scheme. Mark Haysom, the LSC’s chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Pendle with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 11 November 2008:

I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question 227518 that asked: “How many students have not received education maintenance allowance payments which are due.”

As of 5^(th) November 446,993 Notice of Entitlements (NoE) had been issued. In order to receive EMA payments the applicant must enrol by taking his/her NoE to a valid learning provider and attend his/her course. A student can only receive a payment where the learning provider verifies he/she has met the criteria to receive one.

As of the 5^(th) November the number of students enrolled was 337,831 and 322,585 of these students had received at least one payment.

Free School Meals: Hemel Hempstead

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of students in Hemel Hempstead (a) were eligible for free school meals, (b) had a statement of special education needs and (c) were on School Action Plus in the latest year for which figures are available. [234577]

Jim Knight: The requested information is shown in the tables.

Maintained primary schools, state-funded secondary schools and all special schools: school meal arrangements^{( 1)} , position in January 2008, England, East of England, Hertfordshire and Hemel Hempstead
	England^{( 2)}			Hertfordshire			Hemel Hempstead
	Number on roll	Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals	Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals	Number on roll^{( 3)}	Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals	Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals	Number on roll^{( 3)}	Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals	Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals
Maintained Primary Schools⁽⁴⁾	4,090,400	638,310	15.6	91,823	7,207	7.8	8,259	879	10.6
State-funded Secondary Schools⁽⁵⁾	3,294,580	433,140	13.1	80,210	4,874	6.1	7,116	643	9.0
All Special Schools⁽³⁾	90,690	28,680	31.6	2,163	418	19.3	220	46	20.9
⁽¹⁾ Includes all pupils with dual (main) registration and boarding pupils. ⁽²⁾ National totals have been rounded to the nearest 10. There may be discrepancies between totals and the sum of constituent parts. ⁽³⁾ Excludes general hospital schools. ⁽⁴⁾ Includes middle schools as deemed. ⁽⁵⁾ Includes middle schools as deemed, city technology colleges and academies. Source: School Census

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Maintained primary schools, state-funded secondary schools and all special schools: special educational needs^{( 1)} , position in January 2008, England, East of England, Hertfordshire and Hemel Hempstead
	England^{( 2)}
	Pupils on roll^{( 3)}	Pupils with statements	Incidence (percentage)^{( 4)}	Pupils on roll^{( 5)}	SEN provision, school action plus^{( 5)}	Incidence (percentage)^{( 4)}
Maintained Primary Schools⁽⁶⁾	4,087,790	59,130	1.4	4,087,790	253,590	6.2
State-funded Secondary Schools⁽⁷⁾	3,289,000	67,270	2.0	3,289,000	186,860	5.7
All Special Schools	89,480	86,950	97.2	89,310	1,730	1.9

	Hertfordshire
	Pupils on roll^{( 3)}	Pupils with statements	Incidence (percentage)^{( 4)}	Pupils on roll^{( 5)}	SEN provision, school action plus^{( 5)}	Incidence (percentage)^{( 4)}
Maintained Primary Schools⁽⁶⁾	91,812	1,013	1.1	91,812	4,922	5.4
State-funded Secondary Schools⁽⁷⁾	80,202	927	1.2	80,202	3,691	4.6
All Special Schools	2,160	2,149	99.5	2,160	5	0.2

	Hemel Hempstead
	Pupils on roll^{( 3)}	Pupils with statements	Incidence (percentage)^{( 4)}	Pupils on roll^{( 5)}	SEN provision, school action plus^{( 5)}	Incidence (percentage)^{( 4)}
Maintained Primary Schools⁽⁶⁾	8,256	94	1.1	8,256	495	6.0
State-funded Secondary Schools⁽⁷⁾	7,116	98	1.4	7,116	334	4.7
All Special Schools	219	219	100.0	219	0	0.0
⁽¹⁾ Excluding dually registered pupils. ⁽²⁾ National totals have been rounded to the nearest 10. There may be discrepancies between totals and the sum of constituent parts. ⁽³⁾ Includes general hospital schools for pupils with statements of special education needs. ⁽⁴⁾ Incidence of pupils—the number of pupils with SEN without statements expressed as a proportion of pupils on roll. ⁽⁵⁾ Excludes general hospital schools. Data for pupils with SEN without statements are not collected from these schools. ⁽⁶⁾ Includes middle schools as deemed. ⁽⁷⁾ Includes city technology colleges and academies. Source: School Census.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2008, Offic ial Report, column 577W, on general certificate of secondary education, what the breakdown of the estimated £4,000 cost is. [234386]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: As on 4 November, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 30 October 2008, Official Report, columns 1305-06W.

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