The Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) is an unfunded occupational pension scheme, which is managed centrally by the Secretary of State. As an unfunded scheme, there is no actual fund, instead the Department maintains a single notional fund for all members and employers, which is used to set the contribution rate. The TPS is entirely separate from the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and, as part of the reform of public sector pension schemes, these different funding methods will be maintained. There are therefore no plans to include teachers' pensions for converted academies in local authorities' pension pools, and the level of pension the teachers receive should be unaffected by the academy conversion.

In assessing University Technical College applications, the Department uses the criteria published in the 'How to Apply' guidance. This covers the education vision and plan, evidence of demand for the UTC, the capacity and capability of the applicant group, and the financial viability of the UTC. Applicant groups also inform the Department about their site proposals but these are not part of the assessed criteria.

The guidance for the current competitive application round is available on the Department's website and can be found at

http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/h/utcs%20%20%20how%20to%20apply%20guidance.pdf

If the number of university places had been maintained between 2011-12 and 2012-13 an additional 10,000 entrants would have required funding. The extra student finance costs for these students could have been around £16 million per year in maintenance grants and around £100 million per year in additional fee and maintenance loans (or £32 million per year in resource terms, i.e. net of the expected value of future loan repayment).

The Government is committed to raising the age of compulsory participation in education or training to 17 in 2013 and 18 in 2015 and is spending a record £7.5 billion on education and training places for young people in 2012-13. Under the Education Act, the Government is also committed to ensuring suitable training is available for all young people who secure an apprenticeships place. However, apprenticeships are demand led and depend on employers offering places; the Government does not therefore set targets for future expansion, and the exact costs of future provision will depend upon the mix of opportunities which employers offer.

Information for the 2012/13 academic year will not be available until the end of the application cycle at the end of this year. Figures for the two most recently completed application cycles show that in 2010/11 371,840 applicants from all domiciles holding a firm first choice offer at a UK institution obtained a place on that course, compared to 374,311 in 2011/12.

In addition to the support that we are providing within the country itself, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State recently announced that we were increasing our funding to £3 million to support the UN-led response for Syrian refugees, providing humanitarian assistance for up to 185,000 people in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq.

We have channelled significant funding through UN agencies such as the World Food Programme, the UNHCR and the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Some humanitarian agencies have requested us not to name them publicly as they are concerned that their staff and operations could be put at risk. We fully respect those concerns, and I can assure the House that all UK funding is nevertheless going to humanitarian agencies with a proven ability to operate in Syria.

The Government vigorously condemned the execution to which my hon. Friend referred. One of the key ways of transforming Afghan society to prevent the return of the Taliban’s evil practices is, of course, to get girls into school. When they are a critical mass, that will have a big effect on Afghan society. Nine years ago, there were no girls in school in Afghanistan; today, there are nearly 2.5 million.

The National Scholarship Programme is designed to help people of all ages whose family income is no greater than £25,000 per annum. Higher education institutions set their own criteria for determining entitlement to an award from among this broad group of people. Institutions will offer a range of support from a menu which includes tuition fee waivers or discounts, subsidised accommodation and other institutional support, and a cash bursary of up to £1,000.

All institutions that intend to charge more than the basic rate for tuition from 2012 are required to participate in the programme and contribute match funding which they will use either to increase the number of awards available, or the value of an award. Universities are responsible for advertising their criteria and making the awards.

In the first year, the Government will contribute £50 million towards the NSP with the minimum level for an award set at £3,000 for each eligible full-time student. That would mean around 17,000 students would benefit. Of course the actual number is likely to be larger than this when institutions' match funding is taken into account as well as awards made to students studying part-time. By 2014/15 when the programme is fully operational, the Government's contribution to the National Scholarship Programme will be three times higher and, with match funding, up to 100,000 students a year could be supported.

We have said that we intend to listen carefully to feedback we receive and look at the data that can tell us how effective the programme is, so that we can learn lessons and make changes as necessary. We have reconvened the expert group that helped us with the initial design to advise us on how best to proceed.

The National Scholarship Programme (NSP) is designed to help people of all ages whose family income is no greater than £25,000 per annum. Higher education institutions set their own criteria, based on their own priorities, for determining entitlement to an award from among this broad group of people.

Institutions will offer a range of support from a menu which includes tuition fee waivers or discounts, subsidised accommodation and other institutional support, and a cash bursary of up to £1,000. The minimum level for an award is set at £3,000 for each eligible full-time student. Part-time students studying to a minimum intensity of 25% receive a pro-rata award. Universities and colleges can use their match funding to either increase the number of awards available, or the value of an award.

Higher education institutions and further education colleges with access agreements provided the Office for Fair Access (OFA) with estimates of how much they expect to spend in each of these areas under the NSP. The breakdown was published by the OFA in December 2011 and is given in the following table.

No data is available yet for institutions without access agreements who have taken up the option of participating in the programme.

In 2012-13, the Government will contribute £50 million towards the National Scholarship Programme with the minimum level for an award set at £3,000 for each eligible full-time student. Part-time students studying to a minimum intensity of 25% receive a pro-rata award.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England publishes the allocation for each institution from the Government's contribution to the National Scholarship Programme. This information can be found at:

http://www.hefce.ac.uk/whatwedo/wp/currentworktowidenparticipation/nationalscholarshipprogramme/

In addition, universities and colleges will match fund the Government's contribution either to increase the number of awards available, or the value of an award.

The Government has made no estimate of the average value of an award.

The National Scholarship Programme (NSP) is designed to benefit students whose family income is no greater than £25,000 per annum. Higher education institutions set their own criteria for determining entitlement to an award from among this broad group of people.

In the first year, the Government will contribute £50 million towards the NSP with the minimum level for an award set at £3,000 for each eligible full-time student. Part-time students studying to a minimum intensity of 25% receive a pro-rata award. Universities and colleges can use their match funding to either increase the number of awards available, or the value of an award. The Government has no information on the number of awards likely to be made by each participating institution. The Higher Education Funding Council for England informs us that this information is likely to be available early next year.

The Government has no information on the likely number of students who will receive an award from the National Scholarship Programme (NSP) at each participating institution. The Higher Education Funding Council for England informs us that this information is likely to be available early next year.

The NSP will benefit eligible students from low income families entering higher education from autumn 2012. It is for higher education institutions to set their own criteria, according to their own priorities, for determining entitlement to an award.

Each eligible full-time student who meets the institution's criteria will receive a minimum level of award set at £3,000. Eligible part-time students, studying to a minimum intensity of 25%, receive a pro-rata award.

In the first year, the Government will contribute £50 million towards the NSP. That would mean around 17,000 full-time students would benefit. By 2014/15 when the programme is fully operational, the Government's contribution to the NSP will be three times higher and, with match funding, up to 100,000 students a year could be supported.