HC Deb 20 January 1986 vol 90 cc70-2W
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report the targets of moneys directed by his Department via the PICKUP programme, together with the total cost of the programme so far, including and excluding (a) administration fees and (b) incidental costs.

Mr. Walden

The overall aid of the DES PICKUP programme is to increase and improve the provision of adult updating and training for employees provided by colleges, polytechnics and universities. The programme started in 1982 and the Department's annual expenditure, excluding administrative costs has been:

1982–83 289,000
1983–84 763,996
1984–85 1,084,795
1985–86* 5,696,000
* Estimated

The PICKUP budget for 1985–86 is being deployed on:

Research and development (including for example, the PICKUP short courses directory, the Coventry consortium, a learning pack on marketing PICKUP.

The local collaborative projects programme (a programme of projects jointly funded by DES, MSC, WOED and SED to initiate or improve the identification of local training needs and provision to meet them).

The PICKUP university initiative (which aims to improve the response of universities to industry's training needs).

The staff development scheme (which supports the provision and organisation of FE staff development courses to update staff in their professional knowledge and skills relevant for PICKUP work).

Further education unit (a programme of curriculum projects and co-ordination and management of the PICKUP regional development agents).

Mandatory awards All full-value awards
Maintenance expenditure £ million In 1983–84 real terms £ million Real term indexed £ million Maintenance expenditure £ million In 1983–84 real terms £ million Real term indexed £ million
1979–80 33[...] 486 100.0 382 558 100.0
1980–81 398 490 100.9 451 555 99.5
1981–82 443 496 102.0 499 557 99.9
1982–83 472 493 101.5 531 555 99.3
1983–84 502 502 103.4 566 566 101.4

Mr. Andrew F. Bennett

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to

Number of new full-value discretionary awards As percentage of all new awards Number of new lesser value discretionary awards As percentage of all new awards
1979–80 29,279 15 50,034 25
1980–81 27,682 14 47,005 24
1981–82 28,362 13 57,923 26
1982–83 29,609 13 60,701 27
1983–84 31,557 13 67,136 28

Mr. Andrew F. Bennett

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total cost, or the estimated total cost, to parents of the assessed contributions to student grants in each year since 1974 in (a) cash terms and (b) 1984–85 prices; and if he will provide forecasts for future years.

Mr. Walden

The information relates to all full-value mandatory and discretionary awards.

Education support grant (to help local education authorities develop PICKUP activities).

The total expenditure to 31 March 1986 excluding the Department's administrative costs is estimated to be £7,833,791 and including those costs £8,351,269.