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28 Oct 2009 : Column 430W—continued
| Table 3: Full-time undergraduate entrants from East Government Office Region( 1) -UK higher education institutions( 2) : Academic years 2003-04 to 2007-08 | ||||||||||
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | ||||||
| Socioeconomic classification | Under 21 | 21 and over | Under 21 | 21 and over | Under 21 | 21 and over | Under 21 | 21 and over | Under 21 | 21 and over |
| (1) The table does not include entrants whose Government office region cannot be established due to missing or invalid home postcodes. (2) Excludes the Open University due to inconsistencies in their coding of entrants across the time series. (3) Includes those classified as "Never worked and long-term unemployed", "Not classified" and "Missing". Note : Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). | ||||||||||
Higher Education: Student Numbers
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many of the 10,000 additional student places available in 2010-11 have (a) already been assigned to existing initiatives and (b) been reserved for (i) strategically important and (ii) vulnerable subjects. [296244]
Mr. Lammy: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has allocated 7,604 (full-time equivalent) additional student numbers (ASN) for 2010-11 to institutions to support existing initiatives such as those supported by the Strategic Development Fund. This allocation protects and enhances existing projects already being funded by the council. The remainder are the subject of a bidding process. The priorities for these places are Strategic and Vulnerable Subjects, and Health. The balance between the two groups is not yet known.
Internet
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of internet users in each local authority area whose internet access is via (a) dial-up modem, (b) asymmetrical digital subscriber line and (c) cable in 2008-09. [293017]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 27 October 2009]: This Department has made no estimation of the proportion of internet users in each local authority area whose internet access is via (a) dial-up modem, (b) asymmetrical digital subscriber line and (c) cable in 2008-09. However, figures from Ofcom indicate that in Q1 2009, 70 per cent. of UK homes had connection to internet, with 65 per cent. having fixed broadband connection. Cable connections constituted 21.5 per cent. of fixed broadband connections, with 5 per cent. of total internet connections being through dial-up modem, mobile broadband, satellite and ISDN lines.
National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills: Thurrock
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made during the summer recess on securing the funding package for the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills in Thurrock; and if he will make a statement. [295804]
Kevin Brennan: My officials have been working with officials from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) over the summer to secure a way forward for this and other National Skills Academy capital proposals. On 9 September, Geoff Russell, Acting Chief Executive of the LSC, wrote to all National Skills Academies, setting out a process for taking capital proposals forward. Since then, the NSA Creative and Cultural proposal was approved by the LSC Regional Committee on 14 October and is due to be assessed by the LSC's national Capital Committee on 2 November; if successful, it would then be able to proceed to implementation.
I and colleagues from the Department for Communities and Local Government believe that the NSA Creative and Cultural has a key role to play in the regeneration
of the Thames Gateway through transforming the delivery of skills to meet business needs in this important sector. It will play a valuable role in the development of technician skills in the Performing Arts in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics and will provide a centre of excellence in these skills not available elsewhere.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the funding provision for the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills in Thurrock; and if he will make a statement. [295805]
Kevin Brennan: I can confirm that I had representations from my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr. Malik) during the summer recess in relation to the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural.
I and colleagues from the Department for Communities and Local Government believe that the NSA Creative and Cultural has a key role to play in the regeneration of the Thames Gateway through transforming the delivery of skills to meet business needs in this important sector. It will be playing a valuable role in the development of technician skills in the Performing Arts in the run up to the 2012 Olympics and will provide a centre of excellence in these skills not available elsewhere.
Party Conferences
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any of his Department's non-departmental public bodies sent representatives to attend one or more political party conferences in 2009. [293484]
Mr. McFadden: The following non-departmental public bodies have sent representatives to the political party conferences listed in the following table:
| RDA | Liberal Democrat party conference 2009 | Labour party conference 2009 | Conservative party conference 2009 |
Public Sector: Construction
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to facilitate the tendering of public sector contracts for construction works. [292973]
Mr. McFadden: This Department sponsors Constructionline, which is a pre-qualification database of construction contractors to be used by public sector buyers when looking for potential tenderers for construction works. Further information on this can be found on our web site at:
Royal Mail: Industrial Disputes
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to the economy of industrial action at Royal Mail in 2009 to date. [295883]
Mr. McFadden: It is clear that postal disruption will have an impact on those businesses and services that heavily rely on Royal Mail services.
We continue to maintain regular contact with both the management and the union about the dispute. Our message to them is that, in the interests of Royal Mail, the CWU's members and the country, they should sit down and resolve this dispute through talks.
Vetting
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to publish regulations to outlaw blacklisting; if he will ensure that they (a) make it unlawful for companies to provide information to be used for the compilation of blacklists and (b) establish the right to damages for those named on any such lists; and if he will make a statement. [295707]
Mr. McFadden: The Government have received 52 responses to this summer's consultation on draft regulations. Many points for consideration were raised, but it firmly remains our intention to finalise the regulations as speedily as possible. The draft regulations published in the consultation already make it unlawful for a party to compile a list and they contain provisions for those suffering a loss to claim compensation for the damage inflicted.
Health
Bolton and Wigan Primary Care Trust: Managers
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the number of senior managers (a) employed by Bolton and Wigan primary care trust and (b) who were employed by Bolton and Wigan strategic health authority in its final year of existence. [295504]
Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally.
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