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Written Answers
Tuesday, 20 April 2004.
Overseas Students
Lord Chan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which 10 countries send the largest number of students to study in the United Kingdom in schools, colleges and universities. [HL2254]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): The latest available information is shown in the table. Comparable information for schools is not held centrally.
| Numbers | |
| HE institutions(1) | |
| Greece | 22,100 |
| China | 15,900 |
| Germany | 10,600 |
| France | 10,100 |
| United States | 9,700 |
| Hong Kong | 7,600 |
| Malaysia | 7,500 |
| Republic of Ireland | 6,200 |
| Spain | 6,200 |
| Japan | 5,800 |
| FE sector institutions(2) | |
| China | 5,900 |
| Spain | 4,300 |
| France | 2,800 |
| Czech Republic | 2,200 |
| Italy | 2,200 |
| Germany | 2,200 |
| India | 2,100 |
| Japan | 1,800 |
| Pakistan | 1,700 |
| Turkey | 1,600 |
(1) Covers all HE and FE students in institutions funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
(2) Covers all HE and FE students in institutions funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).
Source:
Learning and Skills Council; Higher Education Statistics Agency. Numbers have been rounded to nearest 100.
Lord Chan asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The latest available information is shown in the tables. Comparable information for schools is not available centrally.
(3) Covers all HE and FE students in institutions funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
(4) Covers all HE and FE students in institutions funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).
Source:
Learning and Skills Council; Higher Education Statistics Agency. Numbers have been rounded to nearest 100.
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): Successor Identification Friend or Foe (SIFF) equipment is being fitted to some 40 in-service sea, land and air platform types, covering over 1,000 individual platforms. Good progress is being made on the extensive fitting and integration programme. Nearly 50 per cent of the platforms will be fitted over the next two financial years, with the remainder scheduled to be fitted by the end of the decade.
New platforms will include a SIFF capability as part of their baseline designs.
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Bach: All the project fact files have been updated in the past six months.
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Bach: It is planned to award the design and manufacture contract for the NATO Submarine Rescue System by the end of April 2004, on completion of contract negotiations.
Lord Dixon asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Bach: Ministers are currently considering the output to date from the assessment phase, including proposals on when to proceed to the demonstration and manufacture phase. Our aim is to spend the right amount of time and money on assessment phase activity before taking a major capital investment, so that we can mitigate risks and seek to deliver the future aircraft carriers to their target delivery dates of 2012 and 2015.
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Bach: The Scammell EKA recovery vehicle first entered service in 1977.
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Bach: There is no shortage of wheeled vehicle recovery vehicles in the Armed Forces and there are sufficient in-service wheeled recovery vehicles to meet the current operational requirement. The Support Vehicle Recovery (SV(R)) will replace the three in-service variants, with equivalent numbers and increased capability.
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Bach: There are no safety concerns regarding the long-term use of the Foden Recovery Vehicle. It is likely to remain in service until 2013 and will be used alongside the Support Vehicle Recovery Variant, which will enter service via a phased programme from 2007–08 onwards.
Lord Jopling asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Bach: Reservists are called-out under the authority of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 (RFA 96) which governs the use of the Reserve Forces. RFA 96 provides reservists with certain safeguards which include the right for a reservist to seek exemption from, or deferral of, call-out and the right to claim financial assistance. The latter takes account of the difference, within certain banded limits, between the reservist's civilian and military salaries. This assistance is paid in the form of a reserve standard award (RSA); RSA is paid in banded rates that are related to a reservist's rank and specialisation. The current rates are set out in the Reserve Forces (Call-out and Recall) Financial Assistance Regulations (Statutory Instrument 1997/309) and are shown in the table below:
In cases of special need, reservists may also apply for a reserve hardship award (RHA) if the RSA alone would cause financial hardship. RHA is calculated on essential expenditure rather than actual earnings and evidence of expenditure must be provided. There is no ceiling for RHA payments. As taxpayers' money is involved, the Ministry of Defence must have evidence of the outgoings before any such payment can be made. Should a reservist be dissatisfied with the Ministry of Defence's decision in any given case, they have a right to appeal to an independent Reserve Forces Appeals Tribunal.
RFA 96 and supporting legislation did not come into force until 1997. The current rates of RSA have remained unchanged since then. Prior to 1997, neither RSA or RHA were available to reservists.
What courses in schools, colleges and universities in England are the most popular among students from China. [HL2255]
Numbers
HE institutions(3)
Business and administrative studies 5,600
Computer science 2,000
Engineering and technology 1,800
Languages 1,800
Combined courses 1,700
Social, economic and political studies 800
Law 500
Creative art and design 300
Physical sciences 300
Biological sciences 200
Mathematical sciences 200
Librarianship and information science 200
Education 200
Subjects allied to medicine 100
Humanities 100
Architecture, building and planning 100
Medicine and dentistry —
Veterinary science —
Agriculture and related subjects —
Total 15,900
FE sector institutions(4)
Humanities 3,800
Basic education 800
Sciences 500
Business 400
Hotel and catering 200
Engineering 100
Art and design 100
Health and community care —
Construction —
Agriculture —
Total 5,900
What is the current and future deployment of Successor Identification Friend or Foe equipment.[HL2283]
How many project fact files on the Defence Procurement Agency's website have not been updated for six months or more.[HL2284]
When the design and manufacture contract will be awarded for the NATO Submarine Rescue System.[HL2285]
Whether the "assessment phase" which they are currently carrying out for the new carrier programme will result in any delay in the proposed construction operation.[HL2331]
When the Scammell EKA recovery vehicle first entered service.[HL2344]
Whether there is any shortage of wheeled vehicle recovery vehicles in the Armed Forces; whether the support vehicle will help mitigate this; and, if so, to what extent.[HL2345]
20 Apr 2004 : Column WA24
Whether there are any safety concerns regarding the long-term use of Foden Recovery Vehicles in the Armed Forces; and whether they will be kept in service after the support vehicle recovery variant comes into service.[HL2346]
What were the levels of the reservist standard award for the mobilised members of the Army Reserve and the Territorial Army over each of the past 10 years for the ranks of Private, Sergeant and Captain; and what recognition is made in each case of income lost during the period of active service.[HL2404]
Band Rank or category Band maximum (per annum)
1 The rank of Corporal and below £22,500
2 The rank of Sergeant through to Captain inclusive £37,500
3 The rank of Major or Lieutenant Colonel £55,000
4 The rank of Colonel or Brigadier or a member of specialist category I (medical officers or aircrew) £70,000
5 The rank of Major General and above or a member of specialist category II (consultants) £153,000
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