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Terrorism Bill
Brought from the Commons; read a first time, and ordered to be printed.
House adjourned at fifteen minutes before six o'clock.
Written Statements
Thursday 10 November 2005
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Animal Procedures Committee: Membership
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Andy Burnham) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
I am pleased to announce the appointment of four new members to the Animal Procedures Committee. They were appointed with effect from 1 February 2005.
Dr John Doe is a director of the Central Toxicology Laboratory and global head of health assessment at Syngenta. Mr Robert Kemp retired recently from AstraZeneca. He has over 20 years' experience of working as an animal care technician and is the current chairman of the Institute of Animal Technology. Professor Keith Kendrick is head of neuroscience at the Babraham Institute. Professor John Pickard holds senior neurosurgical/neuroscience clinical and academic posts in Cambridge.
Each has been appointed for a four-year term. I am pleased that they have agreed to serve on this important committee.
Army: Battle and Theatre Honours
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): My right honourable friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
In June 2005, Her Majesty the Queen graciously approved the award of a Theatre Honour ("IRAQ 2003") and the Battle Honour ("AL BASRAH") for units of the British Army. Subsequently, individual regiments and corps applied to the Army Honours and Distinctions Committee for the award of these honours. Following receipt of the committee's recommendations, the Executive Committee of the Army Board has sought, and obtained, Her Majesty's gracious approval for the following awards to be made.
The following regiments and corps are to be awarded the Theatre Honour "IRAQ 2003":
The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1 Dragoons)
1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards
Irish Guards (already awarded 1 )
The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and The Ulster Defence Regiment)
The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding)
The following regiments and corps are to be awarded the Battle Honour "AL BASRAH":
The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons)
1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys)
Irish Guards (already awarded)
The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)
1 Her Majesty gave early approval, in June 2005, for the Irish Guards to be awarded the Theatre Honour "IRAQ 2003" and the Battle Honour "AL BASRAH". This early award allowed the Irish Guards to Troop their colour, with their new Theatre Honour emblazoned upon it, at The Queen's Birthday Parade.
Criminal Cases Review Commission
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Fiona Mactaggart) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
I would like to inform the House that Mr David Jessel and Dr James MacKeith have been reappointed as commissioners to the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Copies of the press release relating to these appointments are available in the House Library.
Education Finance
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Lord Adonis): My honourable friend the Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education (Bill Rammell) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
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The regulatory impact assessment that was published alongside the Higher Education Act 2004 contained estimates of the fee income for the higher education sector and the costs of student grants and loans. These estimates were updated on 23 March 2005 (Official Report, Commons, col. 71WS). The figures below are a further update of the March Statement. This latest update takes account of latest RAB charges, devolution of student support to Wales from academic year 2006–07, updated student numbers and decisions about household income thresholds for the new maintenance grant for 2006–07, announced on 14 July 2005 (Official Report, Commons, col. 35WS). The latest RAB charges from 2006–07 are 21 per cent for maintenance loans and 33 per cent for fee loans.
| Cost | |
| New grant of £2,700 | £860 million |
| Maintenance loans | £510 million |
| Fee Loans | £600 million |
Notes:
1. Fee income figures rounded to the nearest £50 million. Remaining costs have been rounded to the nearest £l0 million. Both are given in steady state 2006–07 terms.
2. The forecasts are based on RAB charges under a 2.2 per cent discount rate of 21 per cent for maintenance loans and 33 per cent for fee loans. The RAB charge is an estimate of the percentage of the face value of loans issued in a given year which reflects the resource cost over the expected life of the loan to the government of making the loans. The RAB charge is made up of a) the face value of loans issued that are not expected to be repaid due to low income, death of the borrower, etc; and b) the net present value of the interest subsidy on loans that are repaid. There is an interest subsidy as borrowers pay zero real interest and the Government's current published discount rate in resource accounts is 2.2 per cent. Changes to the discount rate therefore cause changes to the RAB charges, and to the resource costs of student loans.
3. The maintenance loan forecast assumes an 82 per cent take-up.
4. Fee loan forecasts are based on the assumption that 9 per cent of students are charged a fee of £2,000 and 91 per cent of students are charged a fee of £3,000. Average fee for new students will be £2,910. The forecasts also assume 80 per cent take-up of fee deferral.
5. New grant forecasts reflect policy announcements on 14 July 2005.
6. Forecasts now exclude costs of student support for Welsh domicile students, following decisions about devolution of student support to Wales.
7. Table 3 refers to full-time, undergraduate students only. Means-testing arrangements for the maintenance grant and student loan rates for 2006–07 were announced in a Written Statement, placed in the House on 14 July. Maintenance loan entitlement will be reduced by £1 for every £1 of maintenance grant payable up to a maximum of £1,200. Maintenance loan entitlement will continue to be reduced by £1 for every £9.50 of household income in excess of £37,900 until 75 per cent of loan maximum loan rate is left.
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