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16 Dec 2009 : Column 1364W—continued
Pupils: Travel
Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the number of students in each local authority area who travel at least 20 miles to their further education college. [304839]
Kevin Brennan: The information requested is not available. To provide it would entail disproportionate costs.
The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has undertaken analysis of Travel to Learn Patterns for 16 to 18-year-olds at Further Education Providers as part of the work on responsibility for 16 to 19-year-olds transferring to
local authorities following the machinery of government changes. This analysis looked at the local authority of the learner and the local authority of their provider. Much of this work has been published on the LSC's website. An example of this analysis, for the East of England, can be found at:
However, this analysis does not look at the number of miles that a learner travelled to their FE provider.
Royal Mail: Industrial Disputes
Dr. Fox: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) letters and (b) parcels sent to members of the armed forces stationed in (i) the UK, (ii) Europe, (iii) Afghanistan and (iv) elsewhere have been delayed as a result of industrial action by Royal Mail postal workers in each month in 2009. [307355]
Mr. McFadden: The issue raised is an operational matter for Royal Mail. I have therefore asked the chief executive of Royal Mail, Adam Crozier, to provide a direct reply to the hon. Member.
I understand however that the Ministry of Defence British Forces Post Office (BFPO) established arrangements with Royal Mail that allowed for mail items to be sent to BFPO oversees addresses throughout the period of industrial unrest.
A copy of Royal Mail's response will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Student Loans Company
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of theft and fraud at the Student Loans Company by (a) staff and (b) students in each of the last five years. [304956]
Mr. Lammy: The cost of theft or fraud by staff at the Student Loans Company in each of the last five years is set out in the following table.
| Financial year | Cost (£) |
We do not have an estimate of the cost of student-related fraud for the last five years.
In 2005/06 academic year, the Student Loans Company made almost 800,000 payments of grants and loans. A review of identity fraud was conducted by the NHS counter-fraud and security management service, which found an estimated fraud rate of 0.6 per cent. of applications, representing approximately £8.2 million. As a result, a number of improvements have been made to help detect and prevent identity related fraud.
Subsequently, the company assessed the level of income related fraud from a sample of 2008/09 applications
and found that the fraud and error rate was between 1 and 4 per cent. The study implies that it should be possible to detect and prevent fraudulent claims worth around £5million, and the company has introduced additional checks on applications made in the 2009/10 academic year.
The company aims to have simple and straightforward processes for students to apply for student support whilst at the same time remaining vigilant in detecting and preventing fraud.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any employees of the Student Loans Company have been subject to disciplinary hearings in respect of allegations of theft or fraud in each of the last five years. [304959]
Mr. Lammy: The number of Student Loans Company Ltd. employees who have been subject to disciplinary hearings in respect of allegations of theft or fraud is set out in the following table. I am advised that the hearing in 2005-06 resulted in one employee being dismissed while, prior to the other hearings taking place, the employees concerned resigned.
| Financial year | Number of employees |
| (1) To date | |
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people were employed by the Student Loans Company in each of the last three years. [307412]
Mr. Lammy: The number of people employed by the Student Loans Company in each of the last three years is set out in the following table.
| Financial year | |||
| Staff in post | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 (to date) |
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much was spent on the salaries of senior management staff at the Student Loans Company in each of the last three years. [307413]
Mr. Lammy:
The amount spent on the salaries of senior management staff at the Student Loans Company in each of the last three years is publicly available in the Student Loans Company's Annual Report and Accounts. The Annual Report and Accounts for each year are
available in the House of Commons Library and to download from the Student Loans Company website at:
Student Loans Company: Dismissals
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many employees of the Student Loans Company have been dismissed following allegations of theft or fraud in each of the last five years. [303184]
Mr. Lammy: I am advised that one Student Loans Company employee was dismissed in 2005 following allegations of theft or fraud.
Student Loans Company: Public Relations
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much the Student Loans Company (SLC) has spent on public relations (PR) in the last 12 months; and whether the SLC employs an external PR agency. [302505]
Mr. Lammy: The Student Loans Company (SLC) spent £83,892 on two staff engaged on public relations (PR) and press office work and consultancy from a PR firm, in the 12 months to 31 October.
Student Loans Company: Response Handling
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of telephone calls to the Student Loans Company were outsourced to Response Handling in each of the last five years. [303182]
Mr. Lammy: The number and proportion of telephone calls to the Student Loans Company outsourced to Response Handling in the last five years are set out in the following table:
| Financial year | 2005-07 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
| Notes: 2009-10 figures are year to date. 2. These figures relate to calls from customers in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. | |||||
Professor Sir Deian Hopkin's review of the delivery of financial support to students in England by the Student Loans Company for the academic year 2009-10 recommended that the company should reconsider its resourcing model for the contact centres. The SLC has accepted this recommendation and is taking urgent steps to implement improvements.
Student Loans Company: Telephone Services
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff were employed by the Student Loans Company in customer contact roles in each of the last five years; and how many are forecast to be so employed in 2010. [302889]
Mr. Lammy: I am advised that the number of SLC staff employed in customer contact roles for the financial years 2004-05 to 2008-09 are as set out in the following table. The resource forecast for financial year 2010-11 has not yet been finalised.
| Full-time equivalent | |
| Notes: 1. Figures show the number of SLC permanent and temporary staff employed on customer contact functions in October in each year from 2005 to 2009, including outsourced call handling staff but excluding SLC staff re-assigned temporarily from other duties to help with customer contact in peak periods. 2. Staff deal with contact from potential students and sponsors relating to higher education services in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The figures exclude contact relating to mortgage style loan collection activities and further education services. | |
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments have been made by the Student Loans Company to Response Handling in each of the last five years. [303181]
Mr. Lammy: The following payments have been made by the Student Loans Company to Response Handling in each of the last five years for outsourced contact services:
| Financial Year | Amount |
| (1) 2009-10 figures are year to 31 October 2009. | |
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average time taken to answer a telephone call to (a) Student Loans Company helplines and (b) calls outsourced to Response Handling was in each of the last 12 months. [303183]
Mr. Lammy: The average speed to answer telephone calls relating to Student Finance England (SFE) at the Student Loans Company (SLC) contact centre in each of the last 12 months is indicated in the following table:
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