§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of the recently announced access package for higher education is designed to benefit part-time students; and how this will be implemented. [29980]
§ Dr. HowellsThe extra £165 million for higher education in 1998–99 announced on 23 September 1997 included an access package of £36 million. Within this package £2 million will enable universities and colleges to remit tuition fees for part-time students who lose their jobs after their course has started. Access funds will be doubled at a cost of £16 million in the present financial year and eligibility extended to part-time students.
It will be for higher education institutions, which administer the Access Funds, to make the decisions on individual payments to students whether full-time or part-time. We are currently considering how fee remission arrangements will be implemented.
Applications and target intake to initial teacher training (ITT) courses England and Wales Undergraduate applications1 Postgraduate applications Actual intake 1996–97 ITT Target intake Undergraduate applications1 Postgraduate applications2 Actual intake 1997–98 ITT Target intake Primary3 92,293 12,583 13,819 12,700 78,117 13,217 13,020 12,200 Secondary Mathematics 750 1,873 1,741 2,700 589 1,579 1,538 2,370 English4 765 3,197 2,190 2,210 436 3,104 2,255 2,270 Science 640 3,698 3,078 3,905 517 3,265 2,941 3,460 Technology5 1,677 1,549 2,050 2,880 1,492 1,605 2,087 3,380 History 75 2,017 1,006 930 0 1,901 1,043 980 Geography 41 1,297 901 900 29 1,188 904 960 Music 351 594 543 650 78 549 546 650 Art 70 939 960 970 63 1,503 962 1,020 Physical Education 9,132 1,145 1,455 1,360 7,843 1,372 1,725 1,610