HC Deb 28 March 2000 vol 347 cc91-5W
Mr. Öpik

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Charter for Higher Education for Northern Ireland will be published; and if he will make a statement. [114666]

Mr. Ingram

The Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment has no plans to publish a Higher Education Charter for Northern Ireland.

Mr. Öpik

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans the Department of Education for Northern Ireland has to promote sporting provision and facilities in the further education sector; and if he will make a statement. [114653]

Mr. Ingram

The Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment has worked with the Further Education Sector to develop guidelines for colleges on a number of health related issues, including physical activities. Further, it has undertaken a mapping exercise on the provision and use of physical education and sports facilities, as part of the Northern Ireland Physical Activity Strategy Action Plan 1999–2002, and as a result has written to the colleges encouraging them to make increased use of such facilities.

The Department has also recently nominated a representative to the Northern Ireland Physical Activity Implementation Group (NIPAIG) which will oversee the implementation of the NI Physical Activity Strategy. One of the key activities of the groups is to consider ways in which Further Education and Higher Education students' participation in fitness and sporting activities can be enhanced and how the time allocated to higher education based teacher training in Physical Education might be increased.

Mr. Öpik

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications have been made by students from Northern Ireland during the current year to UCAS and CAO/CAS; and if he will make a statement. [114659]

Mr. Ingram

For entry in 2000, there were 13,539 NI applicants to Higher Education courses through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and 1,242 through the Central Applications Office at their respective closing dates for applications. The closing date for applications to UCAS was 15 December 1999 and 1 February 2000 for applications to CAO. Both UCAS and CAO expect further applications after the closing date.

Mr. Öpik

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the breakdown is by(a) gender, (b) age and (c) religious background of student enrolments in each further and higher education institution in Northern Ireland for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement. [114676]

Mr. Ingram

The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Mr. Öpik

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications were made by students from Northern Ireland during each of the last three years to UCAS and CAO/CAS; and if he will make a statement. [114660]

Mr. Ingram

NI applicants to Higher Education courses through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and the Central Applicants Office (CAO) are as follows:

UCAS applicants CAO applicants
1998 15,515 1,348
1999 15,067 1,437
2000 13,539 1,242

Note:

Figures for 2000 are at the respective closing dates for applications (15 December for UCAS and 1 February for CAO) and do not include late applications.

Mr. Öpik

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the student dropout rates were for each further and higher education college in Northern Ireland in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement. [114678]

Mr. Ingram

This Department does not calculate drop out rates for Higher Education institutions. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has calculated projected non-completion rates for full-time students starting first degree courses in Higher Education institutions in the UK. Currently, values are available for 1996–97 only. The values for the Queen's University of Belfast are 10 per cent., and for the University of Ulster are 17 per cent. It should be noted that differences between institutions, such as subject mix or the qualifications on entry of their students make comparisons between institutions unreliable. For this reason HEFCE has produced benchmarks against which an institution's value can be compared. The benchmarks for the Queen's University of Belfast and the University of Ulster are 12 per cent, and 18 per cent, respectively. The methodology used to calculate values and benchmarks is contained in the HEFCE publication "Performance indicators in higher education 1996–97, 1997–98".

Student dropout rates for each further Education College are not available.

Mr. Öpik

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research his Department has commissioned or evaluated on gender differences in the participation of Protestants from a manual work background in post-school education in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [114658]

Mr. Ingram

This Department has not commissioned or evaluated any research which has looked specifically at gender differences in the participation of Protestants from a manual work background in post-school education in Northern Ireland.

Mr. Öpik

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the Government's current policy on promoting community relations programmes in post-school education in Northern Ireland. [114655]

Mr. Ingrain

The Department fully recognises the importance of promoting community relations programmes in post-school education.

The Department is setting up a working group together with representatives from the further education sector and the National Union of Students/Unions of Students in Ireland (NUS/USI), to consider how cultural diversity can best be recognised and promoted.

The Northern Ireland Universities have affirmed their commitment to promoting a pluralist environment which celebrates diversity across their campuses. They are working closely with the Student Unions in support of their programme for promoting community relations among students.

Mr. Öpik

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the PAFT analysis carried out by the Department of Education for Northern Ireland regarding recent changes to student financial support arrangements. [114664]

Mr. Ingram

The PAFT analysis of the student support arrangements introduced from the 1998–99 academic year recognised that the changes would have beneficial effects for some groups of students, but might also have the potential to act as a disincentive for others entering higher education. It concluded that, in general terms, the policy of maintaining parity in student support matters with England and Wales has been, over the long term, to the advantage of Northern Ireland students and that, in value for money terms, it represented an effective use of resources.

Mr. Öpik

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the expenditure was on promoting community relations work in each further and higher education college in Northern Ireland in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement. [114677]

Mr. Ingram

The Department does not hold these details.

£
Academic year
1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000
Allocation Expenditure Allocation Expenditure Allocation Expenditure
Armagh 7,618 7,720 16,033 15,931 14,046 1
BIFHE 94,612 94,503 180,076 104,220 302,739 1
Castlereagh 7.612 7,612 14,779 14,779 28,047 1
Causeway 10,927 10,927 33,913 19,040 42,923 1
East Antrim 19,763 21,097 38,048 28,500 54,998 1
East Down 14,188 14,196 28,945 26,196 42,735 1
East Tyrone 17,830 18,370 30,704 26,071 36,986 1
Fermanagh 12,990 12,920 38,410 34,927 51,878 1
Limavady 3,236 3,236 32,293 32,293 37,541 1
Lisburn 8,958 8,958 14,231 14,230 30,371 1

Mr. Öpik

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the(a) number of and (b) expenditure on postgraduate awards in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement, [114652]

Mr. Ingram

The number of, and expenditure on, postgraduate awards in each of the last three years are as follows:

Financial year Number of awards Expenditure (£000)
1997–98 575 4,565
1998–99 536 4,253
1999–2000 434 3,903

These figures exclude a small number of postgraduate awards made by the Education and Library Boards under the Department of Higher and Further Education Discretionary Awards arrangements. The collation of such information would involve disproportionate costs.

Mr. Öpik

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans the Government have to make UCAS collect data relating to the religious background of applicants from Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [114654]

Mr. Ingram

My Department has written to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) asking it to include a question about community background on UCAS application forms completed by Northern Ireland-domiciled students. The request is under consideration and a conclusion may not be reached for some months. Pending the outcome I should say there is no question of my Department forcing UCAS to include a question on community background. Such a question would in any event be subject to voluntary response by the student applicant.

Mr. Öpik

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate his Department has made of the cost of restoring maintenance grants for students in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [114662]

Mr. Ingram

If maintenance grants for Northern Ireland-domiciled students were to be restored, the costs could be in the region of £40 million in a full year.

Mr. Öpik

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the access fund allocation and take-up rate was for each institution of further and higher education in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [114657]

Mr. Ingram

Access Funds allocation and take-up rates for the last three years are:

£
Academic year
1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000
Allocation Expenditure Allocation Expenditure Allocation Expenditure
Newry 44,212 43,480 53,168 48,444 70,229 1
NIHCC 3,265 2,771 47,071 29,381 44,815 1
North Down 33,202 33,202 68,075 60,639 89,571 1
North East 40,522 42,997 67,303 54,521 74,053 1
North West 31,142 33,235 102,440 95,961 118,265 1
Omagh 12,595 12,595 18,902 18,902 28,507 1
Upper Bann 28,264 26,066 32,920 26,015 60,296 1
Total 390,936 393,885 817,311 650,050 1,128,000 1
1 Expenditure details not yet available

Note:

Funding has been substantially increased over this period and is evidence of Government's commitment to implementing their Lifelong Learning Policy

Mr. Öpik

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate his Department has made of the cost of abolishing the system of student tuition fees in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [114661]

Mr. Ingram

If the contribution towards the cost of tuition fees was to be abolished, the cost would be in the region of £15.5 million in a full year.

Enrolments at NI higher education institutions 1996–97 to 1998–99
1996–97 1997–98 1998–99
Full-time Part-time Total Full-time Part-time Total Full-time Part-time Total
The Queen's University of Belfast 11,763 6,794 18,557 13,750 6,712 20,462 13,575 7,446 21,021
University of Ulster 13,131 5,698 18,829 13,617 6,541 20,158 13,464 6,015 19,479
St. Mary's University College 601 19 620 590 22 612 609 29 638
Stranmillis University College 594 65 659 578 70 648 668 282 950
Total 25,989 12,576 38,665 28,535 13,345 41,880 28,316 13,772 42,088

Enrolments on vocational courses at NI further education colleges/institutes, by mode of attendance, 1996–97 to 1998–99
1996–97 1997–98 1998–99
College/Institute Full-time Part-time Total Full-time Part-time Total Full-time Part-time Total
Armagh 1,287 605 1,892 1,374 591 1,965 1,295 613 1,908
BIFHE 4,680 17,462 22,142 4,407 17,456 21,863 4,030 18,336 22,366
Castlereagh 777 2,552 3,329 851 2,463 3,314 767 2,487 3,254
Causeway 1,211 2,143 3,354 1,065 1,958 3,023 1,070 1,834 2,904
East Antrim 1,127 3,763 4,890 1,152 3,923 5,075 1,069 3,769 4,838
East Down 1,227 2,879 4,106 1,227 2,523 3,750 1,154 2,722 3,876
East Tyrone 863 1,817 2,680 868 1,978 2,849 828 1,879 2,707
Fermanagh 1,076 1,790 2,866 1,060 2,060 3,120 948 2,318 3,266
Limavady 839 1,046 1,885 821 1,116 1,937 934 1,374 2,308
Lisburn 1,103 2,562 3,665 1,108 2,333 3,441 1,097 2,417 3,514
North Down and Ards 1,878 4,183 6,061 1,973 4,409 6,382 2,049 4,580 6,629
North East 2,098 4,227 6,325 2,181 3,790 5,971 2,107 3,915 6,022
Newry and Kilkeel 1,858 3,241 5,099 1,820 3,682 5,502 1,774 3,831 5,605
NIHCC 378 162 540 422 226 648 395 158 553
North West 2,496 5,442 7,938 2,474 6,247 8,721 2,358 6,212 8,570
Omagh 918 1,822 2,740 917 1,977 2,894 778 1,715 2,493
Upper Bann 1,217 4,373 5,590 1,248 3,969 5,217 1,201 4,286 5,487
Total 25,033 60,069 85,102 24,968 60,701 85,669 23,854 62,446 86,300

Note:

Figures represent snapshots of enrolments at 1 November each academic year