HC Deb 28 October 2003 vol 412 cc199-200W
Mr. Brady

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether eligibility for Key Teacher Homebuy loans will be affected by total family income. [134603]

Mr. Miliband

The package of assistance announced by the Secretary of State on 21 October is designed to help retain good teachers within London with the potential to rise to leadership positions within the profession, by enabling them to purchase the types of homes that suit their needs but which may have been beyond their means until now. Although we are still in the process of finalising full details, it is very likely that teachers will only be eligible if their total family income is below a certain level.

Mr. Brady

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the Key Teacher Homebuy scheme will be available to teachers in all subjects. [134604]

Mr. Miliband

The package of assistance announced by the Secretary of State on 21 October is designed to help retain good teachers within London with the potential to rise to leadership positions within the profession, by enabling them to purchase the types of homes that suit their needs but which may have been beyond their means until now. Although we are still in the process of finalising full details, it is very likely that teachers in any subject will be eligible to apply.

Mr. Brady

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether Key Teacher Homebuy loans will be repayable in the event of teachers(a) taking a sabbatical, (b) taking a period of secondment and (c) moving to employment in (i) an independent school and (ii) an academy in London. [134605]

Mr. Miliband

The package of assistance announced by the Secretary of State on 21 October is designed to help retain good teachers within London with the potential to rise to leadership positions within the profession, by enabling them to purchase the types of homes that suit their needs but which may have been beyond their means until now. Eligible teachers will be required to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to working within maintained sector schools (as well as Academies) within London. However, in the case of sabbaticals, secondments and work in the independent sector, periods of up to two years will be permitted before loans become repayable.

Mr. Brady

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether teachers will have to repay equity loans under the Key Teacher Homebuy scheme(a) on retirement, (b) on retiring on grounds of ill-health and (c) when made redundant. [134612]

Mr. Miliband

The package of assistance announced by the Secretary of State on 21 October is designed to help retain good teachers within London with the potential to rise to leadership positions within the profession, by enabling them to purchase the types of homes that suit their needs but which may have been beyond their means until now. Although details are still to be finalised, we would normally only expect loans to be repaid when a property is sold or if a teacher is no longing teaching in London for more than two years, or if a teacher wishes to own the property outright and chooses to repay the loan.

Mr. Brady

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria he will use to assess a teacher's suitability for an equity loan under his Department's Key Teacher Homebuy Scheme. [134613]

Mr. Miliband

The package of assistance announced by the Secretary of State on 21 October is designed to help retain good teachers within London with the potential to rise to leadership positions within the profession, by enabling them to purchase the types of homes that suit their needs but which may have been beyond their means until now. We are currently working with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to develop a system that will enable us to be able to identify and prioritise those teachers who might be eligible. We expect to be able to publicise this information before the end of the year.