§ Mr. Win GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what were the staff-to-student ratios in further education in Wales in(a) 1980–81, (b) 1994–95 and (c) on the latest data for which figures are available;[26469]
(2) what was the staff-to-student ratios in higher education in Wales in (i) 1980–81 (ii) 1994–95 and (iii) the latest date for which figures are available. [26476]
§ Mr. RichardsFull information is not available for the years requested. Information for the earliest and latest years available is shown in the following table.
Ratios of full-time equivalent student numbers to full-time equivalent academic and academic related staff numbers in Wales Academic year 1980–81 1982–83 1993–94 University of Wales1 6.2 6.1 9.0 Other Higher Education2 8.1 8.8 16.7 Further Education 8.1 9.2 14.1 1 As at December of each year. 2 Includes higher education provision at further education institutions. Source:
Universities Statistical Record and the Welsh Office Annual Monitoring Survey.
§ Mr. GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the institutions of Welsh higher education categorised by their financial status as determined by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. [26470]
320W
§ Mr. RichardsInformation about the financial status of individual institutions is a confidential matter between the individual institutions and the funding council. Nine institutions are currently designated as being in a satisfactory financial position, four are marginal; and one is unsatisfactory.
§ Mr. GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in(a) cash and (b) real terms the capital funding of Welsh higher education institutions in 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96 and indicate in (i) cash and (ii) real terms the amount of capital funding per student. [26472]
§ Mr. RichardsThe amount of capital funding for Welsh higher education institutions in 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96 in cash and real terms was as follows:
£ million 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 Cash November 1994 prices Cash November 1994 prices Cash November 1994 prices 21.534 21.930 30.893 30.893 25.297 24.620 The amount of capital funding per student is as follows:
£ 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 Cash November 1994 prices Cash November 1994 prices Cash November 1994 prices 376 383 493 493 392 382
§ Mr. GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of Stew for Wales if he will list in(a) cash and (b) real terms the amount of capital funding he plans to make available over the next three years and indicate in (i) cash and (ii) real terms the amount of capital funding per student in each of these years. [26473]
§ Mr. RichardsThe indicative capital allocation for higher education for 1996–97, 1997–98 and 1998–99 in cash and real terms is as follows:
£ million 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 Cash November 1994 prices Cash November 1994 prices Cash November 1994 prices 23.681 22.430 21.158 19.552 14.538 13.139 The amount of capital funding per student is as follows:
£ million 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 Cash November 1994 prices Cash November 1994 prices Cash November 1994 prices 363 344 326 301 222 200
§ Mr. GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the number of students 321W in higher education in Wales who did not complete their studies in each of the last three years; and what estimate he has made of the impact of the changes in the value of awards made to students and the development of the student loan scheme on the student drop-out rate. [26474]
§ Mr. RichardsThe information requested is not currently available but it is being collected by the higher education statistics agency and will be available in due course.
The introduction of loans has given students more money for their living costs. Borrowers do not have to begin repaying their loans until at least the April after they leave their courses, and then only if and when their income exceeds 85 per cent. of average earnings. There is no reason, therefore, why students should be unable to continue their education as a result of the shift from grant to loan.
For students who do find themselves in financial difficulties institutions can use access funds to help. In 1993–94 and 1994–95 some 4,000 students in higher education institutions in Wales received help from the access funds. In both years, no students in these institutions, who were refused help from the access funds, failed to start or to continue their courses because of financial considerations.
§ Mr. GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the impact on jobs in higher and further education of the funding announcements for 1996–97. [26475]
§ Mr. RichardsThe financial provision for higher education for 1996–97 assumes an efficiency saving of 2 per cent. over 1995–96. For further education the planned efficiency saving is 5.3 per cent.
It is for institutions to decide how they manage the resources made available to them by the higher and further education funding councils for Wales, including the numbers of staff they employ.
§ Mr. GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent in(a) cash and (b) real terms per student in higher education in Wales in (i) 1980–81 and (ii) 1994–95. [26477]
§ Mr. RichardsThe information in respect of 1980–81 is not available. The provision in cash and real terms for 1994–95 was £5,004.