§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on(a) the margin of failure and (b) the reason for failure to meet the public service agreement target of a 2 per cent. reduction in unit price per work-based trainee in 1999–2000 over 1998–99. [14053]
§ John HealeyThe unit price per work-based trainee in 1999–2000 was £2,933 compared with £2,734 in 1998–99. This represents a real terms increase of 4.7 per cent.
Departmental plans for 1999–2000 were on the basis of a 2 per cent. overall efficiency gain. The consequential unit price was passed out for local negotiations to establish the actual local unit prices, within training and 635W enterprise councils' agreed flexibilities. The range of young people being helped and the mix of occupational training delivered however also influenced the overall unit price. In 1999–2000, the average numbers on higher value and quality modern apprenticeships were 10 per cent. higher than in 1998–99 and numbers on higher value and quality national traineeships (now foundation modern apprenticeships) increased threefold. The result of negotiations and the factors for 1999–2000 was that training and enterprise councils delivered a more expensive menu of training than in the previous year and the overall unit price reflects this.
Average expenditure per student on student loans in the United Kingdom; average expenditure per student on fees and maintenance in England and Wales1,2: Academic years 1990–91 to 1999–2000 Academic year 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 Student loans2 Total value of loans (£ million) 69.9 139.2 226.5 316.7 538.8 700.8 877.2 941.0 1,233.5 1,823.0 Average loan per student3 390 530 660 740 1,040 1,250 1,490 1,530 1,870 2,520 Student Fees4 Total fee expenditure (£ million) 843.8 1,281.3 1,536.6 1,549.2 970.5 984.3 977.5 986.9 678.8 555.5 Average fee per student (£)3 1,700 2,250 2,310 2,100 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,260 870 700 Student maintenance grants1,5 Total maintenance expenditure (£ million) 713.4 859.7 1,045.8 1,202.0 1,158.6 1,074.8 948.2 931.6 782.8 347.5 Average maintenance grant per student3 1,480 1,550 1,610 1,670 1,520 1,390 1,240 1,210 1,030 1,150 Additional allowances/grants/loans6,7,8 Total expenditure on additional allowances/grants/loans 79.2 104.2 137.4 173.6 196.5 190.7 179.3 171.2 164.9 164.1 Average additional allowance/grant/loan3 330 360 400 420 460 450 440 450 470 420 1 Totals include both students funded under the mandatory scheme and those funded under the new student support scheme. New student support arrangements were introduced from academic year 1998–99. New students in 1998–99 received support for maintenance through income-assessed grants (comprising about a quarter of the support available) and non income-assessed student loans (comprising about three quarters of the support available). (The ratio for existing students is roughly 50 per cent. income-assessed grant and 50 per cent. non income-assessed student loan). In 1999–2000, students who entered higher education from 1998–99 onwards received support for maintenance entirely through loans, of which three quarters of the value was non income-assessed. Loans made under these arrangements are repayable on an income contingent basis. 2 Student loans are available to eligible students normally domiciled in the United Kingdom. From 1999–2000 student loans have been made available to those aged 50 to 54 who plan to return to work after studying. A time series of data for England and Wales domiciled students is not available. 3 Average loan, fees, maintenance grant and additional allowance/grant/loan rounded to the nearest £10. 4 Most new students in 1998–99 and 1999–2000 were expected to contribute up to £1,000 and £1,025 respectively to their fees depending on family income. 5 Maintenance shown in 1999–2000 relates to mandatory awards scheme students only. 6 Up to academic year 1999–2000 data on additional allowances/grants/loans are included in the maintenance grants information, totalling will therefore include some double counting. 1999–2000 data relating to mandatory awards scheme students will also be included in maintenance grants, however those relating to students funded under the support scheme will not, as these students received support for maintenance entirely through loans. 7 Students may receive more than one additional allowance/grant/loan. The average figures shown will include an element of double counting of student numbers. The profiles of additional allowances/grants/loans have not remained constant over the time period and this accounts for some of the variation in the average values shown. 8 For student support scheme students, grants for living costs are no longer available except for some limited allowances, eg for students with dependants; single parent students; and disabled students. Grants for students with dependants and single parents students will be income-assessed but the disabled students allowance will not. Source:
The Student Loans Company; F503G survey of local education authorities.