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Written question asked by Geoffrey Robinson (Labour) on Friday, 2 September 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 6 September 2011. It was answered by John Hayes (Conservative) on Thursday, 20 October 2011 on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Education: English Language

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of learners who were in receipt of the fee remission for English for Speakers of Other Languages courses also receive active benefits in the Coventry local authority area in the latest period for which figures are available.
Answer

We do not directly record what type of benefits people are receiving when they take up training. We do, however, collect information on why a learner has received fee remission for a particular learning aim they undertake. From these data we can provide some information on claimants, but this should be used with caution given it does not provide an accurate picture of the full range of entitlements that a person has.In Coventry local education authority there were 3,240 English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) adult (19+) aims in 2009/10, the latest academic year for which final year data are available. (As learners can enrol on more than one aim, 2,310 learners participated in these aims.)Based on the ““fees waived”” field in the Individualised Learner Record, 2,850 aims were in receipt of fee remission. Of these, 1,700 (59%, based on unrounded figures) received fee remission as the learner was in receipt of an income-related benefit.The Government currently provide 50% fee remission for all learners in England participating on ESOL courses who are eligible for public funded skills provision. Those on income based-benefits are eligible for full fee remission. Further education colleges and training organisations also have local discretion to provide fully subsidised courses for people on a wider range of benefits where the training is to help them enter employment.From August 2011, where English language skills have been identified as a barrier to entering employment, full Government funding will be provided for ESOL to unemployed people in receipt of jobseekers allowance or in the employment and support allowance (Work-Related Activity) Group. We will also continue to pay 50% of ESOL course fees for people who are settled here. We will no longer fund ESOL courses delivered in the workplace.Further education (FE) colleges and training providers are responsible for meeting the needs of their local community, and increased freedoms and flexibilities that we have introduced will help them respond and determine within their funding where this is prioritised.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
70352; 533 c1148W
Session
2010-12
Subjects
Education English language
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk