House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 9 Feb 2001 (pt 16)

Learning and Skills Councils

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list those local learning and skills councils to which no elected local authority member has been appointed. [148625]

Mr. Wicks [holding answer 7 February 2001]: To date, I am pleased to report that 62 candidates with experience as elected local authority members have been appointed to the local learning and skills councils (LSCs). With a number of vacancies still to be filled, those local LSCs where no elected local authority members have been appointed are:

Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight;

Berkshire;

Northumberland;

Gloucestershire; and

London West.

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In addition, 46 candidates who are currently local authority officials have been appointed across the 47 local LSCs. This combination of elected members and officials from local authorities will ensure that local LSCs are well placed to work closely in partnership with local authorities.

Degree Students

Ms Kelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the social class breakdown was in 2000 of students who (a) applied for and (b) were successful in obtaining places on degree courses at British universities in (i) law, (ii) medicine, (iii) engineering, (iv) nursing, (v) BEd teaching, (vi) accountancy, (vii) veterinary studies and (viii) psychology. [148702]

Mr. Wicks [holding answer 7 February 2001]: The information is shown in the following table.

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Applicants⁽³⁸⁾ and accepted applicants through UCAS to full-time and sandwich first-degree courses in the United Kingdom by social class and subject

Social class

Year of entry 2000 Professional Intermediate Skilled manual Skilled non-manual Partly skilled Unskilled Not known Grand total

Applicants⁽³⁸⁾

Pre-clinical medicine 2,823 2,979 699 702 360 79 915 8,557

Nursing 515 2,731 1,079 915 1,089 146 1,342 7,817

Psychology 2,877 9,582 3,853 3,254 2,064 486 2,663 24,779

Veterinary science 377 792 178 157 72 14 116 1,706

Engineering⁽³⁹⁾ 3,449 8,351 3,795 2,388 1,913 366 2,776 23,038

Law 2,532 7,483 2,866 2,527 1,472 427 2,518 19,825

Accountancy 1,002 3,535 1,840 1,528 898 265 1,317 10,385

Education⁽⁴⁰⁾ 1,381 6,625 3,575 2,628 2,026 404 2,141 18,780

Accepted applicants

Pre-clinical medicine 1,970 1,843 363 423 200 44 386 5,229

Nursing 251 1,218 358 380 419 36 536 3,198

Psychology 1,095 3,519 1,188 1,131 689 140 949 8,711

Veterinary science 163 276 51 42 12 2 49 595

Engineering⁽³⁹⁾ 2,077 4,608 1,917 1,280 1,003 181 1,455 12,521

Law 1,614 4,350 1,522 1,384 741 229 1,332 11,172

Accountancy 411 1,382 719 662 348 104 572 4,198

Education⁽⁴⁰⁾ 569 2,639 1,278 997 779 125 765 7,152

	Social class
Year of entry 2000	Professional	Intermediate	Skilled manual	Skilled non-manual	Partly skilled	Unskilled	Not known	Grand total
Applicants⁽³⁸⁾
Pre-clinical medicine	2,823	2,979	699	702	360	79	915	8,557
Nursing	515	2,731	1,079	915	1,089	146	1,342	7,817
Psychology	2,877	9,582	3,853	3,254	2,064	486	2,663	24,779
Veterinary science	377	792	178	157	72	14	116	1,706
Engineering⁽³⁹⁾	3,449	8,351	3,795	2,388	1,913	366	2,776	23,038
Law	2,532	7,483	2,866	2,527	1,472	427	2,518	19,825
Accountancy	1,002	3,535	1,840	1,528	898	265	1,317	10,385
Education⁽⁴⁰⁾	1,381	6,625	3,575	2,628	2,026	404	2,141	18,780
Accepted applicants
Pre-clinical medicine	1,970	1,843	363	423	200	44	386	5,229
Nursing	251	1,218	358	380	419	36	536	3,198
Psychology	1,095	3,519	1,188	1,131	689	140	949	8,711
Veterinary science	163	276	51	42	12	2	49	595
Engineering⁽³⁹⁾	2,077	4,608	1,917	1,280	1,003	181	1,455	12,521
Law	1,614	4,350	1,522	1,384	741	229	1,332	11,172
Accountancy	411	1,382	719	662	348	104	572	4,198
Education⁽⁴⁰⁾	569	2,639	1,278	997	779	125	765	7,152

⁽³⁸⁾ Each student can make up to six applications. In the table, applicants are counted once under each subject to which they applied.

⁽³⁹⁾ Includes general, civil, mechanical, aeronautical, electrical, electronic, production/manufacturing and chemical engineering courses.

⁽⁴⁰⁾ Includes courses with the Education Group that lead to Qualified Teacher Status.

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Individual Learning Accounts

Mr. Mudie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the target number for opening was and how many people have opened, individual learning accounts in (a) 1990 to 2000 and (b) 2000 to date. [148871]

Mr. Wicks: We have exceeded our interim target of opening 500,000 individual learning accounts by March 2001. From April 1999 to September 2000, prior to the launch of the national framework of individual learning accounts, training and enterprise councils (TECs) opened 202,654 accounts. From June 2000 until the end of January 2001, under the national framework, the individual learning account centre has opened a further 420,225 accounts. This means that 622,879 people in England have opened an individual learning account. We are on target to meet our commitment of 1 million people with an individual learning account by 2002.

Connexions Service

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what systems he will establish for reporting in respect of each Connexions partnership the respective level of funding in cash or kind (a) from partnership members, (b) derived from local non-partnership interests and (c) derived from other Government or European Union programmes. [148933]

Mr. Wicks [holding answer 7 February 2001]: The Connexions service business planning guidance published on 23 October 2000 requires partnerships to detail, in their own plans, the resources that will be available locally to deliver the service. Connexions partnerships will also be required to provide management accounts on a quarterly basis which will include the details of the sources and level of all income received whether in cash or in kind.

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what action he is taking to ensure that the delivery and funding of the Connexions service (a) respects the integrity of socially excluded young people, (b) reflects the interests of those young people who are not so excluded and (c) delivers a service which seeks to integrate all young people of qualifying age. [148934]

Mr. Wicks [holding answer 7 February 2001]: The Connexions service will be a universal service that will provide advice, guidance and personal support to all

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young people according to their needs. This will be delivered principally through specially trained personal advisers equipped to deal with the broad range of issues and problems faced by young people as they progress through their teenage years. Planning guidance was issued in October 2000 that set out clearly how Connexions would address the needs of the entire range of young people. It asked partnerships to state how they would provide a universal and targeted service, with key dates for implementation and also how partnerships would work with voluntary organisations to reach the hard to help. The aim is to provide a service that meets the needs of all young people during their crucial transition from adolescence to adulthood and working life.

It will be important that future funding arrangements underpin this key aim and ensure that Connexions partnerships have the funding they need to deliver a universal service to all young people according to their needs. That is why we published "Connexions Service Funding--A Consultation Paper" on 15 January to obtain a wide range of views on these important arrangements. The consultation closes on 6 April 2001 and the findings will be published in due course. A copy of the consultation paper can be found in the House of Commons Library.

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what action he plans to take to ensure that the Connexions funding formula approximates to the local needs of young people, and to verify and refine the accuracy of proxy measurements employed in making such calculations. [148935]

Mr. Wicks [holding answer 7 February 2001]: The future funding arrangements for the Connexions service are currently the subject of public consultation. "Connexions Service Funding--A Consultation Paper" was published on 15 January and seeks views on a range of issues including the structure of a funding formula and the proxies that would best capture the needs of young people. In finally deciding which proxies should be used in the funding formula, we will be looking to ensure that the data are robust at local level and that they will be updated at least annually. The consultation ends on 6 April 2001 and a report of the findings will be published in due course. A copy of the consultation paper can be found in the House of Commons Library.

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Student Visas

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what consultations he has held with the Home Office on the possible misuse of student visas as a means of obtaining entry to the United Kingdom; and what strategy he is taking to prevent this. [148937]

Mr. Wicks [holding answer 7 February 2001]: The Department for Education and Employment has on-going discussions with the Home Office, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the British Council about how best to facilitate visa applications by genuine students. The requirements of the immigration rules for students have not been relaxed.

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