School Transport (Hansard, 20 April 2004)

§ Mr. McNamara
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures in the draft School Transport Bill will ensure that pupils attending denominational schools of their particular faith are not put at a disadvantage for home-school transport arrangements. [165482]

§ Alan Johnson
The draft School Transport Bill contains powers that will allow Local Education Authorities (LEAs) to operate school travel schemes. The only group of pupils specifically protected in the draft Bill is those entitled to free school meals, who are protected from charges provided they attend their nearest suitable school. However, in the draft prospectus that was published alongside the draft Bill we remind LEAs that local schemes must comply with the European Convention on Human Rights, which requires LEAs to take account of the religious and philosophical beliefs of parents, particularly in respect of pupils from low income families who will probably depend on public transport to get to school.
It is important that parents can choose a school in accordance with their religious convictions and in approving schemes, we will not expect LEAs to disturb well established arrangements for denominational transport, particularly where they are associated with local agreements or understandings about the sitting of denominational schools.

Entrants to Postgraduate Research Courses¹ in UK HE institutions

Subject of course:

Science² Engineering Technology Mathematical Sciences Other subjects All subjects

1994–985 9,575 2,555 535 500 8,243 21,408

1995–96 8,852 2,397 476 550 8,954 21,229

1996–97 8,662 2,380 469 508 8,934 20,953

1997–98 9,181 2,153 507 501 8,726 21,068

1998–99 11,070 2,676 745 513 10,256 25,260

1999–2000 10,843 2,604 734 554 10,428 25,163

2000–01 11,007 2,936 591 529 10,916 25,979

2001–02 11,341 2,724 519 638 10,532 25,754

2002–03³ 11,781 2,827 542 671 10,449 26,271

Source:

Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record.

¹ Covers UK and overseas students taking Doctorates, Masters and other postgraduate courses mainly by research.

² Covers Medicine and Dentistry, subjects allied to Medicine, Biological Sciences, Veterinary Sciences, Agriculture and related subjects, Physical Sciences, Computer Sciences, Architecture, Building and Planning.

³ Provisional.

§ Chris Grayling
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportions of state-supported PhD students beginning their courses in each of the last 10 years have studied scientific subjects. [152633]

§ Alan Johnson
The latest available information, for UK and EU students entering PhD courses in the UK, is shown in the table. Figures for earlier years are not available centrally.
472W

Entrants to Postgraduate Research Courses¹ in UK HE institutions
	Subject of course:
	Science²	Engineering	Technology	Mathematical Sciences	Other subjects	All subjects
1994–985	9,575	2,555	535	500	8,243	21,408
1995–96	8,852	2,397	476	550	8,954	21,229
1996–97	8,662	2,380	469	508	8,934	20,953
1997–98	9,181	2,153	507	501	8,726	21,068
1998–99	11,070	2,676	745	513	10,256	25,260
1999–2000	10,843	2,604	734	554	10,428	25,163
2000–01	11,007	2,936	591	529	10,916	25,979
2001–02	11,341	2,724	519	638	10,532	25,754
2002–03³	11,781	2,827	542	671	10,449	26,271
Source:
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record.
¹ Covers UK and overseas students taking Doctorates, Masters and other postgraduate courses mainly by research.
² Covers Medicine and Dentistry, subjects allied to Medicine, Biological Sciences, Veterinary Sciences, Agriculture and related subjects, Physical Sciences, Computer Sciences, Architecture, Building and Planning.
³ Provisional.