Individual Learning Accounts (Hansard, 31 October 2001)

§ Mr. Willis
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people have registered for individual learning accounts. [9684]

§ John Healey
By 26 October 2,490,966 individual learning accounts had been opened in England.

§ Mr. Damian Green
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her estimate is of the total cost of the suspension of individual learning accounts. [11540]

§ John Healey
It is not possible to estimate the total cost at this stage. However, letters notifying our 2.5 million individual learning account (ILA) holders that the programme is to be withdrawn from 7 December were sent out from 29 October 2001. The cost to the Department to complete this is £789,000. In addition, notices were placed in nine national newspapers on 26 and 27 October at a cost of £37,679.
In addition, we will be working to ensure that existing account holders can take up learning opportunities booked by 7 December, and to look into complaints made against some learning providers.

§ Mr. Damian Green
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost has been to date of the advertising campaign advising people of the suspension of individual learning accounts. [11541]

§ John Healey
Notices advising that the individual learning account programme is to be withdrawn in England from 7 December 2001 were placed in nine newspapers on 26 and 27 October—The Daily Mirror, The Daily Express, The Daily Mail, The Daily Star, The Evening Standard, The Independent, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, and The Times.
The cost was £37,679.

§ Mr. Damian Green
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance she has given to UK online centres following the suspension of individual learning accounts. [11542]

§ John Healey
We immediately acknowledged the concerns of UK online centres through the dedicated centre managers' online resource website. In addition, I wrote to all learning providers who are operating the individual learning accounts (ILAs) programme, informing them of the changes.
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We have asked centres to inform our partners, the Government offices and the agencies responsible for the UK online centres application process of the impact that the withdrawal of ILAs will have on them. These partners will then be able to provide the Department with a clear picture of the position for UK online centres.