| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
21 July 2009 : Column 1722W—continued
There are a number of differences between the data gathered by UCAS on applicants and those gathered by HESA on entrants. Not all students apply through the UCAS system as they may apply directly to the institutions. UCAS does not cover part-time students, so these have been shown separately in table 2.
Higher Education: International Cooperation
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the US/UK study group on US/UK higher education links. [277842]
Mr. Lammy: The report of the US/UK study group on higher education and collaboration in a global context was commissioned by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. The group included a number of university Vice-Chancellors and Presidents from the UK and USA, led by Professor John Sexton, President of New York University and Professor Rick Trainor, Prinicpal of King's College London. The report contains a very helpful analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of US/UK collaboration and recommends significant investment in a new programme of joint activities involving the US, UK and third country partners. Its recommendations are being considered in the context of the work on a framework for higher education over the next 10-15 years which is expected to be launched in the autumn. I have arranged for a copy of the report to be placed in the House Libraries.
Higher Education: Student Numbers
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what margin of flexibility on UK and EU undergraduate student numbers has been offered by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in each year since 1997. [286986]
Mr. Lammy: The HEFCE funding model for teaching is constructed in broad terms and generally allows institutions to vary the number and mix of students within a tolerance band of plus/minus 5 per cent, of a standard reference point. Other specific controls (minimum Full Time Equivalents (FTE) required to satisfy the funding agreement) apply if institutions are awarded funded growth. Institutions are expected to deliver growth for which they have received additional funding, but are given two academic years to deliver a minimum target FTE student number. Institutions can vary between full-time, part-time, undergraduate and postgraduate provision.
In addition, during the period 1997-98 through to 2001-02 another control on full-time undergraduate home and EU students applied known as the Maximum aggregate Student Number (MaSN). It related specifically to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate certificate in education home and EU students. Institutions were set a maximum number of students with margin which if exceeded resulted in holdback of grant.
Since 2001-02 institutions have been allowed to vary their mix of students so long as they remain within their contract range which is generally plus/minus 5 per cent. but may be wider for some institutions that are in the process of migrating towards it.
Higher Education: Student Wastage
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what percentage of students in higher education left their course before completion in each year since 1997. [287757]
Mr. Lammy: The latest information from the "Performance Indicators in Higher Education" published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is shown in the table, which has been placed in the Library. Information is available on the proportion of students who are projected to neither obtain an award nor transfer to another institution; but the associated numbers have not been published. Figures for the 2007-08 academic year will be available in June 2010.
Innovation Fund
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when the £150 million Innovation Fund referred to in paragraph 35 of Building Britain's Future, column 7654, will be established; and how manufacturing firms will be able to obtain funding from that Fund. [287539]
Mr. Lammy: The UK innovation investment fund will operate on a fund of funds structure which means it will not invest directly in companies, but rather invest in a small number of specialist technology funds that have the expertise and track record to invest directly in companies, in sectors such as ICT, life sciences, low carbon and advanced manufacturing. A fund of funds manager will be appointed during 2009 to manage the fund and make investments in underlying technology funds with the expertise and track record to invest directly in technology businesses.
Insolvency
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2009, Official Report, column 97W, on insolvency, what criteria are used to prioritise cases; and whether the effectiveness of the new scheme will be monitored. [285749]
Ian Lucas [ holding answer 13 July 2009]: The answer of 29 June 2009 referred to company administrations. This answer encompasses company administration as well as other corporate failures. This is because the principles of prioritisation of cases apply to all company failures.
The case prioritisation process takes into account a number of factors including, in particular, the nature of the financial losers and the impact on them; the content and level of complaints received; and the characteristics of the misconduct identified with an emphasis on prioritising cases of serious fraud and dishonesty.
The duty and process of administrators to report to the Secretary of State for BIS on the conduct of directors and shadow directors of insolvent companies is not new. The process has already been subject to audit by my Department and will be periodically reviewed to ensure it remains fit for purpose.
Mike Penning:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many companies went into administration in (a) Hemel Hempstead
constituency, (b) Dacorum, (c) Hertfordshire and (d) England in each of the last five years. [287862]
Ian Lucas: Official statistics covering administrations and other corporate insolvency procedures are not currently available at sub-national level, or for England separately. Table 1 shows the number of administrations in England and Wales as a whole for the period requested.
| Table 1 | |
| Administrations-number of new cases | |
| (1) The figure for 2006 includes 844 separate, limited companies created and managed by Safe Solutions Accountancy Limited for which Grant Thornton was appointed administrator. (2) The figure for 2008 includes 729 separate managed service companies for which BDO Stoy Hayward was appointed administrator. | |
Mike Penning: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many companies were declared insolvent in (a) Hemel Hempstead constituency, (b) Dacorum, (c) Hertfordshire and (d) England in each of the last five years. [287863]
Ian Lucas: Official statistics for corporate insolvencies are not currently available at sub-national level, or for England separately. Table 1 gives the number of corporate insolvencies, by type of procedure, in England and Wales as a whole for the period requested.
| Table 1 | |||||
| Compulsory liquidations | Creditors' voluntary liquidations( 1) | Receivership appointments( 2) | Administrations | Company voluntary arrangements | |
| (1) Excludes creditors' voluntary liquidations which follow administration. (2) Includes Law of Property Act receiverships. Receivership figures from 2007 are not entirely consistent with those for the earlier period. | |||||
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |