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19 Oct 2010 : Column 707W—continued
Prisons: Food
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of food supplied to prisons under contracts negotiated by the National Offender Management Service was domestically produced in the latest period for which figures are available. [16861]
Mr Blunt: The most recent information is supplied to the Ministry of Justice (including public sector prisons in England and Wales) by prime food contractors under contracts negotiated by HM Prison Service, now part of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is shown in the following table.
Probation
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what assessment he has made of the likely effects on (a) Probation Service staff numbers and (b) prisoners in Greater London of Probation Service spending reductions of (i) 10, (ii) 20 and (iii) 30 per cent; [16604]
(2) what assessment he has made of the likely effects on prisoner numbers in London of Probation Service spending reductions of (a) 10, (b) 20 and (c) 30 per cent; [16606]
(3) what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the (a) caseload of Greater London Probation Service and (b) provision by that service of court reports and supervision of people on parole licences of Probation Service spending reductions of (i) 10, (ii) 20 and (iii) 30 per cent. [17069]
Mr Blunt: Like other public bodies, London Probation Trust must seek to use public funds in as effective a way as possible. As part of that, they must apply rigorous financial controls and undertake financial planning against a range of factors. These include, not only their overall budget, but also changes to the number of offenders requiring supervision, the effectiveness of interventions, and offending patterns. The Director of Offender Management for London, who commissions the services provided by London Probation Trust, will finalise the negotiations with them in the light of the outcome of the comprehensive spending review. These discussions will stress the need to ensure that front line activities are delivered as efficiently as possible and that HQ and support costs are minimised.
Prosecutions: Convictions
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been for offences under section 32(1) of the Chiropractors Act 1994 in each year since 2000. [17099]
Mr Blunt: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under Section 32 of the Chiropractors Act 1994, England and Wales 2000 to 2008 (latest available) are shown in the table.
Data for 2009 will be published on 21 October 2010.
| Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty( 1,2) at all courts for offences under Section 32 of the Chiropractors Act 1994, England and Wales 2000 to 2008 | ||
| Proceeded against | Found guilty | |
| (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Staffordshire Police Force were only able to supply a sample of data for magistrates courts proceedings covering one full week in each quarter for 2000. Estimates based on this sample are included in the figures as they are considered sufficiently robust at this high level of analysis. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice | ||
Trials: Administrative delays
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the likely effects on (a) caseload, (b) processing times and (c) the number of adjournments in courts in Greater London of HM Courts Service spending reductions of (i) 10, (ii) 20 and (iii) 30 per cent. [16605]
Mr Djanogly: No assessment has been made of the potential effects of spending reductions on courts in London. The Government are committed to ensuring that there is an efficient and effective justice system. The impact of potential spending reductions on HM Courts Service cannot be assessed until the announcement of the outcome of the spending review.
Answers received for publication Tuesday 19 October 2010
Prisoner Activities
17. Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to increase the proportion of time that prisoners spend in purposeful activity. [17828]
Mr Blunt: The Government are committed to overhauling the system of rehabilitation and we will set out our intentions in a forthcoming Green Paper.
We believe that custodial and community sentences should punish offenders, but they should also be productive - focused on getting offenders into work, off drugs and contributing to society.
We are exploring how prisoners could spend more of their time doing productive, meaningful work. As part of this we are looking to expand the prisoner working week to up to 40 hours.
Welfare Benefit Cases: Legal Aid
19. Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on legal aid in respect of defendants in cases involving welfare benefits in each year since 2007. [17830]
Mr Djanogly: There are no legally aided defendants in welfare benefits cases. Those responding to such cases would usually be a central or local government department, such as the Department for Work and Pensions.
Legal aid is available for advice, though not normally for representation, on welfare benefits matters, including for individuals appealing to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal. During the financial year 2007-08 expenditure on legal aid for welfare benefits matters was £22.3 million, in 2008-09 it was £24.8 million and in 2009-10 it was £28.3 million.
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on legal aid in respect of defendants in cases involving welfare benefits in each year since 2007. [17820]
Mr Djanogly: There are no legally aided defendants in welfare benefits cases. Those responding to such cases would usually be a central or local government department, such as the Department for Work and Pensions.
Legal aid is available for advice, though not normally for representation, on welfare benefits matters, including for individuals appealing to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal. During the financial year 2007-08 expenditure on legal aid for welfare benefits matters was £22.3 million, in 2008-09 it was £24.8 million and in 2009-10 it was £28.3 million.
Crown Court Sentencing Survey
20. Anna Soubry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Crown Court sentencing survey forms in assisting judges in their sentencing duties. [17831]
Mr Blunt: The Crown Court Sentencing Survey is being conducted by the Sentencing Council. It is essential to enable the Sentencing Council to fulfil its statutory responsibilities to prepare guidelines, monitor their use and assess impact. It will help the Council to produce guidelines that will provide greater assistance to judges.
Prison Service Staff: Training
21. Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the provision of training for prison service staff on the management of offenders with mental health conditions. [17832]
Mr Blunt: Ministry of Justice and Department of Health ministers and senior officials discuss offender health issues regularly. Over 17,000 prison officers received mental health awareness training between 2006 and 2009. A new mental health training framework was launched in 2009-2010, which regional offender health teams now co-ordinate.
Prison Building Programme
22. Mr Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for the future of the prison building programme; and if he will make a statement. [17833]
Mr Blunt: The Ministry of Justice is committed to publishing a Green Paper on Rehabilitation and Sentencing, consulting on our longer term plans for offender management. As a consequence the Ministry will re-evaluate its strategy for prison capacity.
Magistrates Courts
23. Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to increase the administrative efficiency of magistrates' courts. [17835]
Mr Djanogly: Significant efficiencies have already been made through the implementation of the Criminal Justice Simple Speedy Summary (CJSSS) programme in the magistrates courts. This programme has improved timeliness of cases and reduced the number of hearings per case. HMCS continues to improve administration efficiency within the magistrates courts through the introduction of lean working.
Aarhus Convention
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on the recent draft findings ACCC/C/2008/33 of the UNECE Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee on compliance by the United Kingdom with its obligations under the Aarhus Convention. [17117]
Richard Benyon: I have been asked to reply.
We take our commitment to access to justice under the Aarhus Convention extremely seriously, and have carefully considered the findings of the Compliance Committee in ACCC/C/2008/33. We believe that the law across the United Kingdom is compliant with all obligations under the Convention, and we continue to look for ways to improve access to justice in the UK.
In this regard, the Ministry of Justice expects to codify the case law on Protective Costs Orders, and implement the necessary rule changes by April 2011.
The Ministry of Justice will also consult shortly on whether the factors which the courts should consider when deciding whether to dispense with cross undertakings in damages should be set out in court rules or the guidance, and the detail of those factors. Further discussions are continuing with the judiciary and other interested parties with regard to the time limits for judicial review.
Courts: Standards
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the potential effects on the (a) caseload, (b) processing times and (c) number of adjournments in courts in Northumbria of HM Courts Service expenditure reductions of (i) 10, (ii) 20 and (iii) 30 per cent. [17577]
Mr Djanogly: No assessment has been made of the potential effects of spending reductions on courts in Northumbria. The Government are committed to ensuring that there is an efficient and effective justice system. The impact of potential spending reductions on HM Courts Service cannot be assessed until the announcement of the outcome of the spending review.
Criminal Justice System
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment his Department has made of the cost-effectiveness of (a) the criminal justice system and (b) early intervention and prevention of crime programmes. [17715]
Nick Herbert: One of the Ministry of Justice's principal aims is to increase the overall value for money and cost-effectiveness of the system through a range of reform and efficiency measures. For example, the Ministry's 'Transforming Justice' programme has focussed heavily on greater system efficiency, which will remain a priority over the coming Parliament and through the deficit reduction plan. Criminal justice agencies have analytical tools to enable the analysis of impacts across the criminal justice system.
There is good evidence for some of the approaches taken to reduce crime. However, most of the evidence addresses effectiveness in reducing offending rather than cost-effectiveness. The use of payment by results mechanisms to reduce re-offending will ensure that resources are allocated in a more cost-effective way.
Departmental Drinking Water
Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on bottled water in the financial year 2009-10. [17543]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry's accounting records do not specifically record expenditure on bottled water. To identify relevant expenditure would require examination of thousands of individual invoices, many held locally within the courts, prison and probation systems, and would incur disproportionate cost. It has, however, been possible to identify expenditure on bottled water within the Ministry's headquarters function. The amount for the 2009-10 financial year being £1,407.
The expenditure relates to bottled water used for water coolers and dispensers. The cost includes sanitisation and maintenance of these devices. Water dispensers are gradually being replaced by mains-fed water filtration systems across the Ministry's estate. The Ministry no longer provides bottled water when catering for meetings or events within its headquarters buildings.
Legal Aid: Washington: Tyne and Wear
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many family legal practices in Washington and Sunderland West constituency providing legal aid services will not be eligible to do so following the recent Legal Services Commission tendering round. [17834]
Mr Djanogly:
Following the quashing order issued by the High Court in respect of the tender for family services, the Legal Services Commission is currently
considering the detail of the judgment and its implications, including its grounds for appeal. Therefore, details of awards for family legal aid are not currently available.
Probation Service
Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to end targets for the Probation Service for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of that service. [18082]
Mr Blunt: The Government believe that the culture of top-down target setting has got out of hand. We are taking steps to reduce the burden of bureaucracy and enable the probation service to focus on what really makes a difference in cutting reoffending. We will reward the achievement of results.
We are already piloting ways in which probation professionals can be allowed to exercise their judgment and be freed from excessive prescription from the centre.
In parallel we are trialling a scaled-down Probation Trust Rating System with fewer indicators and a greater emphasis on outcomes rather than inputs and processes.
We will be consulting on a new approach to rehabilitation and sentencing, including proposals to introduce payment by results, in a Green Paper to be published before Christmas. This consultation will help inform the design of a replacement assessment model for the probation service for 2011-12.
Rape: Criminal Proceedings
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information he holds on the average time taken between charges being brought and a rape case coming to trial in the latest period for which figures are available. [17535]
Mr Djanogly: The estimated average time taken from charge (or laying of information) to completion of sexual offence cases in the magistrates courts was 50 days. This information is based on the latest Time Interval Surveys for March and June 2010. Information is not available for rape cases specifically.
In the second quarter of 2010, the average time taken from receipt in the Crown Court to the first substantive hearing, in cases, where there was a trial, was 14 days for rape or attempted rape cases. This information is based on the Crown Court administrative data and is not directly comparable with the estimates derived from the Time Intervals Survey for the magistrates courts. Therefore, these statistics cannot be combined to provide a timeliness estimate from charge to the date of trial in the Crown Court.
The Ministry of Justice is currently running a project to link magistrates courts and Crown Court administrative data together to develop a better understanding of case progression through the Criminal Justice system.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Apprentices: Witham
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what incentives his Department has put in place to encourage small businesses in Witham constituency to offer apprenticeships. [17408]
Mr Hayes: We are determined to make it easier for companies of all sizes to take on apprentices so that more businesses can access the tremendous benefits they can bring. That is why we are redirecting £150 million of Train to Gain in 2010-11 to create an additional 50,000 high quality employer-led places. The Skills Funding Agency work with the National Apprenticeships Service, employers, colleges and training organisations in Witham to make additional apprenticeship places available where there is local demand. SMEs are a priority but there is also a need to support large employers who are prepared to recruit and train apprentices.
I am pleased to report that Essex county council is working with the National Apprenticeship Service on an Apprenticeship Training Agency pilot which is testing out a new way to make it easier for small businesses to take on apprentices in the area and has already created over 100 new apprenticeship places.
Arms Trade: Exports
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much the Government have spent on arms exports in each of the last five years; and how much has been spent in each such year on (a) research and development funding, (b) export promotion assistance through UK Trade and Investment and (c) support through the Export Credits Guarantee Department. [17077]
Mr Prisk: All research and development spending by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) relates to the UK's own requirements, with none dedicated to defence exports.
Government expenditure on supporting defence companies seeking to export was delivered by the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) of the Ministry of Defence until 31 March 2008, and thereafter by UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO). The net operational cost of UKTI DSO in the last two financial years is as follows:
| £ million | |
| Note: Figures prior to 2008-09 are not available on a comparable basis. | |
The Export Credits Guarantee Department has supported defence exports involving a maximum potential liability in each of the last five financial years as follows:
| £ million | |
Business Link
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many small and medium-sized enterprises used the Business Link service in financial year (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08, (c) 2008-09 and (d) 2009-10. [17739]
Mr Prisk: The Business Link regional advisory service, as contracted by the Regional Development Agencies, records the number of unique SME service users in each financial year. The following are the number of start-up and established business service users (excluding pre-starts) in each of the requested financial years:
| Business Users | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
The centrally operated Business Link national website is managed by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Any questions relating to usage of the website should be submitted to HMRC.
Direct Selling
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the merits of requiring organisations not to withhold their number when undertaking telephone marketing. [17666]
Mr Prisk: No assessment has been made by the Department as this is the responsibility of Ofcom. Under the Communications Act 2003, Ofcom's guidelines require organisations which undertake telephone marketing using automated calling systems to ensure, amongst other things, for valid and accurate Call Line Identification (CLI) to be provided in order that consumers can determine who called in the event of a silent call, by dialling 1471. Ofcom can take enforcement action against those organisations that persistently misuse networks or services in this way which causes, or is likely to cause, unnecessary annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety. Ofcom published a revised statement of policy, on 10 September 2008, which includes examples of behaviour which may lead them to take enforcement action and have an ongoing enforcement programme.
EU Grants and Loans
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on the implications for the distribution of European Union funds of replacing regional development agencies. [17564]
Mr Prisk: BIS has received a number of representations on the implications of the abolition of the regional development agencies on the distribution of European Regional Development Funding, these include three parliamentary questions on ERDF funding in Blackpool; and correspondence relating to convergence funding in Cornwall.
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what mechanisms he plans to adopt to ensure that remaining unspent funds allocated to regions of England under the European Regional Development Fund for 2007 to 2013 are (a) claimed and (b) allocated. [17693]
Robert Neill: I have been asked to reply.
As managing authority for English 2007-13 ERDF programmes, my Department closely monitors the progress of these programmes against spend targets and will take any necessary steps to ensure that the remaining unspent funds are allocated and claimed.
Further Education: Finance
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions (a) he had with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and (b) further education colleges or their representative organisations had with the ONS before its decision to reclassify general further education as part of central Government for accounting and borrowing purposes. [18244]
Mr Hayes: There were no discussions between the ONS and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills or representative organisations prior to notification of its decision. The ONS is an independent body which classifies organisations as public or private sector bodies for the purposes of compiling National Accounts according to international and EU agreed guidelines. The ONS' decisions are based on objective consideration of the facts and it is the final arbiter of classification decisions for the purpose of National Accounts.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely effect on the borrowing ability of general further education colleges of the reclassification of such colleges as part of central Government. [18245]
Mr Hayes: The reclassification will mean that colleges are treated differently for National Accounts purposes. This change is not expected to make any difference to the financial arrangements of further education colleges for the remainder of this financial year (2010-11). We are in discussion with HM Treasury to agree how the changes will work in future years but it does not automatically follow that further education colleges should adopt the same control systems as central Government. The reclassification does not in itself limit their ability to borrow money.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely effect on general further education colleges of the reclassification of them as part of central Government in (a) 2010-11 and (b) subsequent years. [18246]
Mr Hayes:
The reclassification will mean that colleges are treated differently for National Accounts purposes. There may be some changes to the way financial information from colleges is collected and monitored. However, the change is not expected to make any difference to current accounting practice, standards or financial arrangements for the remainder of this financial year (2010-11). The reclassification does not automatically mean that colleges should adopt the same accounting, budgeting and control systems as central Government. The Department is taking forward urgent work with HM Treasury to agree how the changes will work in practice for the future,
seeking to minimise burdens wherever possible. We will fully engage representatives from the sector in these discussions.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to assist further education colleges whose borrowing ability is affected by their reclassification as part of central Government. [18247]
Mr Hayes: The reclassification does not in itself limit the ability of further education colleges to borrow money. It does not automatically mean that they should adopt the same accounting, budgeting and control systems as central Government. The Department is considering how the changes will work in practice for the future, seeking to minimise burdens wherever possible. We will fully engage representatives from the sector in these discussions.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the monetary value of loans taken out by general further education colleges in 2010-11; and if he will estimate the level of borrowing by those colleges affected by the decision to reclassify them as part of central Government for accounting purposes in each of the next three years. [18248]
Mr Hayes: Information held by the Skills Funding Agency estimates new long term loans taken out by further education colleges in the academic year 2010/11 at £445 million; 2011/12 at £125 million; and 2012/13 at £8 million. Overall borrowing is expected to return to its current value of £1.3 billion at July 2010 by July 2013. College financial forecasts do not project beyond this date.
This information relates to 249 of the 251 further education colleges incorporated under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 for which the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is responsible. Hilderstone College and The Co-operative College do not receive funds from the Skills Funding Agency and are not required to provide it with financial returns.
Further Education: Non-departmental Public Bodies
Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to reduce the number of non-departmental public bodies involved in the further education sector. [17562]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 18 October 2010]: I am replying to this question as Minister responsible for the further education sector. As part of our radical steps to reform the network of bodies sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, we are planning to significantly reduce the non-departmental public bodies involved in the further education sector.
The UK Commission for Employment and Skills, providing high level employer engagement and sectoral reach, is under consideration. A review will be completed by the end of the year of core functions and the most appropriate organisational model to deliver a simplified skills landscape across the UK.
A range of other bodies are being abolished, merged, or are becoming part of the further education sector. In addition, as with the three industry training bodies, we are exploring the scope for a statutory levy to be operated by a private sector organisation.
The Department for Education is responsible for funding 16 to 18 education; a lot of which is delivered by the further education sector. The DfE has confirmed that the Young People's Learning Agency which funds young people's participation in education and training is under departmental review as part of the wider work on education structural reforms.
In addition the DfE has, in line with plans to improve accountability, transparency and efficiency, announced proposals to close the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency and the Qualification and Curriculum Development Agency.
Higher Education: Ethnic Groups
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent estimate is of the proportion of school leavers from ethnic minority groups entering higher education. [17774]
Mr Willetts: 44% of English maintained-school pupils from ethnic minority groups, who were aged 15 in the 2003/04 academic year, progressed to higher education by age 19 in 2007/08. This figure is the latest available estimate based on matched data from the National Pupil Database, the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record and the Learning and Skills Council Individualised Learner Record. Progression rates to higher education for ethnic minority groups are shown in the following table.
| Estimates of the proportions of English maintained-school pupils from ethnic minority groups( 1) aged 15 in 2003/04 who progressed to higher education( 2) by age 19 in 2007/08 | |
| Ethnic group | Progression rate (percentage) |
| (1) Ethnic minority groups include pupils whose ethnicity was classified as Black, Asian, Mixed or Other. (2) Covers UK higher education institutions and English further education colleges. (3) Includes African, Caribbean and other Black backgrounds. (4) Includes Bangladeshi, Chinese, Indian, Pakistani and other Asian backgrounds. (5) Includes White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean and other mixed backgrounds. (6) Includes Romany Gypsy and other backgrounds. Note: Percentages are based on pupils with known ethnicity and exclude those pupils whose ethnicity information was classified as unknown, refused or missing. Source: Matched data from the National Pupil Database, the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record and the Learning and Skills Council Individualised Learner Record. | |
Higher Education: Finance
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he had with (a) the Secretary of State for Scotland, (b) the Scottish Executive and (c) Universities Scotland on the Browne Review of higher education funding and student finance before the publication of the report of that review. [18083]
Mr Willetts: Since taking office my ministerial colleagues and I have had discussions with the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Scottish Executive on a variety of subjects. Higher education is a devolved matter and I have not met with Universities Scotland. Lord Browne and his team took their own decisions about the wide discussions they had with interested parties prior to the publication of their independent review.
Local Enterprise Partnerships
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has (a) estimated the optimal geographic area to be covered by a local enterprise partnership (LEP), (b) estimated the optimal (i) population and (ii) gross domestic product of an area to be covered by an LEP and (c) estimated the optimal number of LEPs to be established. [17946]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 18 October 2010]: The development of local enterprise partnerships is a bottom up process. We have made no judgements regarding the optimal geography, population or gross domestic product of a LEP nor made an estimate on the optimal number of LEPs to be established. We wish to enable partnerships to better reflect the natural economic geography of the areas they serve and hence to cover real functional economic and travel to work areas. In addition, we would expect that partnerships to be of sufficient size to be able to have a strategic oversight of the area covered.
Midwives: Training
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students were enrolled on each midwifery course at each higher education institution in the latest period for which figures are available. [17592]
Mr Willetts: The latest information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is shown in the table. These figures cover the total number of midwifery enrolments at each UK higher education institution. Each institution may run more than one course; however HESA data do not allow identification of enrolments at course level. Figures for the 2009/10 academic year will be available in January 2011.
One NorthEast
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will ensure that the (a) assets and (b) income from assets held by the North East Regional Development Agency remain in the North East. [17520]
Mr Prisk: This Department is currently working with One NorthEast to gather a full picture of all their assets and liabilities. No decisions have yet been made on the future of these assets. Government's aim is to use funding for economic development as effectively as possible and to target resources where they are most needed. Consideration will be given to options for disposal, transfer, or retention of these assets, consistent with the Government's commitment to localism.
Public Houses: Rural Areas
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the proportion of those pubs in rural areas which have closed in the last 12 months which were located in areas where affordable housing developments are planned. [17696]
Regional Growth Fund
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria his Department plans to use to determine the outcome of applications to the Regional Growth Fund. [17525]
Mr Prisk: The Government's consultation on the Regional Growth Fund sought views on the proposed criteria against which applications for the fund could be judged. The consultation closed on 6 September and the responses received are now being considered with a view to publishing further information on the design and implementation of the Regional Growth Fund as part of the White Paper on sub-national growth, expected later in the autumn.
Research: Standards
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he made of the effectiveness of the Research Assessment Exercise in evaluating the quality of research undertaken by higher education institutions. [16639]
Mr Willetts: The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) rates the quality of research in higher education institutions in the UK. The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has not assessed the RAE process. Instead, the UK Higher Education funding bodies invited Sir Gareth Roberts to lead an independent review of research assessment in 2002. The review made recommendations which were incorporated into RAE 2008. The results of the review are available at:
Skilled Workers: Construction
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme on the comprehensive spending review; [17557]
(2) what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the construction industry on the future of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme smart cards. [17558]
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to provide support for the construction industry. [17560]
Mr Prisk:
The Government's priority is to address the budget deficit and the challenge of creating growth
across the economy, in order to create conditions where investment in construction can start to grow, and more jobs can be created. For example, the Government are supporting the construction sector through the ongoing work of the chief construction adviser, Paul Morrell, who is leading the Low Carbon Construction Innovation and Growth Team, which is reviewing opportunities for the construction industry in a low carbon economy.
Student Loans Company
Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the monetary value was of loans made by the Student Loans Company in each of the last five years; and what he expects the monetary value to be of loans made in each of the next five years. [18250]
Mr Willetts: The information is as follows:
| Student loans issued by financial year( 1) | |
| Financial year | Amount (£ million) |
| (1) The table covers English domiciled students studying in the UK and EU students studying in England. Source: Student Loans Company. | |
The introduction of tuition fee loans in academic year 2006/07 has contributed to the increase in loans made.
Data for 2010-11 out-turn are not yet available. Expenditure for 2011-12 and future years will depend on the outcome of the spending review which will be announced on 20 October and on the response to the Browne review of higher education funding and student finance. This is a substantial report and we shall consult further on some of the more detailed proposals before making specific recommendations to Parliament, with a view to implementing the changes for student entering higher education in autumn 2012.
Students: Loans
Sir Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of people who took out student loans between 1998 and 2009 who will not have repaid the loan in full (a) 25 years after such loans were taken out and (b) at the age of 65 years. [17747]
Mr Willetts: Student loans issued to students who entered Higher Education in Academic Year 1998/99 onwards were issued under the Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) scheme. Loans can be cancelled if the borrower dies or receives a disability related benefit and because of the disability is permanently unfit for work. They can also be cancelled on age grounds-at age 65 for entrants pre-2006/07 and after 25 years for entrants from 2006/07 onwards.
At the end of April 2010 there were 2.985 million borrowers either English domiciled studying in the UK or EU domiciled studying in England. Of these 0.238 million had repaid their loans in full and 7,000 had their outstanding sum cancelled.
Of the remaining 2.741 million borrowers we estimate that around 8% will have their outstanding sum cancelled after 25 years or at age 65 and 3% will have their outstanding sum cancelled because of death or permanent disability. We estimate that the remaining 89% of borrowers will fully repay.
Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the average debt repayment by graduates to the Student Loans Company in each financial year since 1998 for which figures are available. [17758]
Mr Willetts: The answer covers English domiciled borrowers who studied in the UK and EU students who studied in England. It excludes Welsh, Northern Irish and Scottish domiciled students.
| Average amount repaid by Income Contingent student loan borrowers making repayments via HMRC( 1) | |
| Tax year | Average repayment |
| (1) The table covers borrowers who received loans as English domiciled students studying in the UK or as EU students studying in England. It relates to repayments made via HMRC as known by SLC at 30 April 2010. Repayments not yet reported to SLC and repayments made directly to SLC will not be included. (2) The repayments threshold was raised from £10,000 to £15,000 at the start of tax year 2005/06, which caused the average repayment to fall. Source: Student Loans Company | |
Income Contingent loans were introduced in 1998 and the first repayments were made in 2000/01, therefore
consistent data before 2000/01 are not available. The figures are taken from the publication Income Contingent Repayment by Repayment Cohort and Tax Year, available from the Student Loans Company website at:
Note that figures cover student loan borrowers regardless of whether they are graduates or not. Figures show averages for those making repayments; borrowers earning below £15,000 per year are not required to repay.
Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the likely percentage of graduates who will have paid off their debt from the Student Loans Company within 30 years. [17759]
Mr Willetts: Student loans issued to students who entered higher education in academic year 1998/99 onwards were issued under the Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) scheme. Loans can be cancelled if the borrower dies or receives a disability related benefit and because of the disability is permanently unfit for work. They can also be cancelled on age grounds-at age 65 for entrants pre-2006/07 and after 25 years for entrants from 2006/07 onwards.
We do not specifically estimate the percentage of graduates who will repay their loans within 30 years. However, at the end of April 2010 there were 2.985 million borrowers either English domiciled studying in the UK or EU domiciled studying in England. Of these 0.238 million had repaid their loans in full and 7,000 had their outstanding sum cancelled.
Of the remaining 2.741 million borrowers we estimate that around 8% will have their outstanding sum cancelled after 25 years or at age 65 and 3% will have their outstanding sum cancelled because of death or permanent disability. We estimate that the remaining 89% of borrowers will fully repay.
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