§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many students with student loans eligible for repayment are currently(a) in arrears and (b) in litigation in respect of their repayments. [17718]
§ Mr. ForthThese are matters for the Student Loans Company. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how often she has met representatives of the Student Loans Company in the last year. [17719]
§ Mr. ForthMy right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, met the chairman and chief executive of the Student Loans Company on 9 September.
§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations she has received in the last year about the student loans system; and if she will make a statement. [17720]
§ Mr. ForthSince 1 March 1996, my right hon. Friend has received 202 letters from hon. Members and members of the public on the subject of student loans. In addition, my right hon. Friend has received a number of letters on 627W student support generally. The breakdown of how many of those letters included student loans issues could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations she has received from bodies interested in winning a contract to take over the administration of the student loans system. [17721]
§ Mr. ForthContracting out of the administrative functions of the Student Loans Company will be by competitive tendering. The competition has not yet begun, but to date, there have been three such representations.
First degree home graduates from HE institutions in the UK in 1995 for whom destination is known Subject of degree: Destination/occupation Mathematical sciences Computing science Engineering/technology1 Humanities Creative arts Education Entered employment: Managers 246 445 1,147 746 450 244 Professional Occupations 697 1,122 4,994 629 473 8,067 Associate professional occupations 317 2,213 1,266 509 2,405 324 Clerical and secretarial 281 376 507 954 624 220 Craft occupations 11 85 276 234 18 Personal protective occupations 72 50 175 410 412 261 Sales 106 107 451 545 687 144 Plant machine operatives 17 17 145 49 83 24 Other occupations 63 99 361 196 329 84 Unknown 36 46 124 63 396 103 Entered study or training 1,090 485 2,055 2,491 1,920 390 Not available for employment 120 145 485 428 439 246 Seeking employment 313 695 1,627 1,002 2,006 883 Total home graduates for whom destination is known 3,369 5,885 13,613 8,056 10,458 11,008 1 Including biotechnology.