§ Mr. Hilary BennTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many students attending higher education institutions have received financial help from access funds in each of the last 10 academic years. [96186]
§ Mr. WicksThe following table shows the number of successful applications in 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98. Comparable figures for 1998–99 will not be available until the New Year. The figures for earlier years are not immediately available, but I shall write to my hon. Friend with them shortly.
72WThese figures are based on returns from higher education institutions to the Higher Education Funding Council for England. Some institutions have not returned information for the relevant years. The returns show only approved applications, and some students have applied successfully more than once.
Year Number of successful applications 1997–98 49,236 1996–97 52,256 1995–96 55,453 The Government have more than tripled spending on HE Access Funds, to £75 million, since 1997.
§ Mr. Hilary BennTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the funding available for access funds for each further education college in England in the(a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98, (c) 1998–99 and (d) 1999–2000 academic years. [96188]
§ Mr. WicksTotal access funds provision for further education colleges has been £6.0 million in 1996–97, £6.0 million in 1997–98, £10.3 million in 1998–99 and £37.4 million in 1999–2000. Grants to individual colleges are published in an annual Further Education Council Circular. The references for the Circulars for the years in question are:
- 96/22 for 1996–97
- 97/32 for 1997–98
- 98/29 for 1998–99
- 99/27 for 1999–2000
Copies of the circulars have been placed in the Library.