Results 1-20 of 4,085 for in the 'Written Answers' speaker:David Willetts

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Higher Education: Standards (21 May 2013)

David Willetts: The Government's higher education reforms are designed to make universities more responsive to students' needs, to increase student choice and to improve information to students so they are able to choose a course and institution that best suits their needs and expectations. Universities that provide a better student experience will attract more students and be able to expand where they chose...

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Higher Education: Standards (21 May 2013)

David Willetts: Universities have to provide more information to students and prospective students than ever before. The Key Information Set provides 17 pieces of information on student satisfaction rates, employment outcomes, fees and accommodation costs. We wish to see universities supplement this with a wider range of clear information on, for example, contact hours, class sizes and who will provide the...

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Innovation: Gender (21 May 2013)

David Willetts: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) welcomes the European Commission's report on gender research and innovation, which highlights the continuing under-representation of women in both the public and private research sector. Although BIS has not been asked formally by the Commission to respond to the report, we will consider how best to make use of the data in developing...

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Medicine: Education (21 May 2013)

David Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on staff at UK higher education institutions (HEIs). The HESA Staff Record provides data in respect of the characteristics of members of all academic and non-academic staff employed under a contract of employment at a reporting HEI in the UK. Staff employed under consultancy contracts, or on the basis of payment of fees...

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Science: Higher Education (21 May 2013)

David Willetts: The responsibility for staff equality matters rests with higher education institutions (HEIs), as the employers. In the annual Grant Letter to the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Government encourages the sector to continue to address long standing equality issues, including more diverse representation at senior levels in HEIs. Higher education institutions receiving grant...

Written Answers — Environment Food and Rural Affairs: Genetically Modified Organisms: Wheat (21 May 2013)

David Willetts: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave on 18 April 2013, Official Report, columns 529-30W.

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Further Education (20 May 2013)

David Willetts: The UK has an efficient tertiary education system that performs above the OECD average for both the entry and the completion rate for academic degrees. Relative spending levels do not indicate the quality of a system. There are a number of indicators reporting on tertiary education expenditure in the OECD’s annual publication “Education at a Glance”. These figures are...

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Higher Education (20 May 2013)

David Willetts: The Government recognises the important contribution that our higher education (HE) institutions make to the UK through teaching, research and income from export activities. Our HE institutions have a world class reputation for quality which underpins their strong presence in international university league tables, recruitment of international students and in attracting international...

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Higher Education (20 May 2013)

David Willetts: According to OECD figures, in 2010, 27% of gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD) in the UK was performed in the HE sector—above the OECD average of 19%. The Government recognises the importance of innovative research and development in UK universities and that is why, despite very difficult fiscal circumstances the £4.6 billion per annum funding for science and research...

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Higher Education: Admissions (20 May 2013)

David Willetts: Applicants to UCAS (undergraduates) from India increased from 2011 to 2012 and applicants to UCAS from Pakistan declined: Applicants to UCAS (undergraduates) from India and Pakistan Year of entry India Pakistan 2008 3,030 2,601 2009 3,287 2,402 2010 3,552 2,348 2011 3,441 2,081 2012 3,602 2,056 Note: Entrants to higher education institutes in England and...

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Higher Education: Gender (20 May 2013)

David Willetts: The responsibility for staff equality matters rests with higher education institutions (HEIs), as the employers. In the annual Grant Letter to the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Government has encouraged the sector to continue to address long standing equality issues, including more diverse representation at senior levels in HEIs. Higher education institutions receiving...

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Higher Education: Wales (20 May 2013)

David Willetts: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data of income to higher education institutions shows the following research grant income from central Government received by universities in Wales in 2011-12:   £ million Higher Education Funding Council recurrent research grant 71.1 BIS Research Councils research grants 51.0 UK central Government bodies(1) 46.2 (1) This...

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Renewable Energy (20 May 2013)

David Willetts: On behalf of the Research Councils UK (RCUK) Energy Programme, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) appointed Energy Strategy Fellow, Professor Jim Skea, to develop a new roadmap of research, skills and training needs across the entire energy landscape. The roadmap will provide the evidence base for the RCUK Energy Programme to plan its long-term research activities...

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Renewable Energy (20 May 2013)

David Willetts: The Research Councils UK (RCUK) Energy Programme has a Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), which advises on the strategic direction, scientific content and co-ordination of research and development (R and D) within the Energy Programme. Representatives from BIS, Technology Strategy Board and Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) attend the RCUK Energy SAC meetings held three times a...

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Students: Loans (20 May 2013)

David Willetts: Fraud detection and prevention are key areas of work for the Student Loan Company (SLC). The SLC has always applied a check first before paying approach, but is continuously looking to improve the quality of the data and tools it has to support that approach. It continues to make a valuable contribution to the counter fraud activities of the taskforce sharing good practice developed with...

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Overseas Students: Bahamas (15 May 2013)

David Willetts: The Government recognises the important contribution that international students make to the UK and we welcome all genuine international students to study at our world-class academic institutions. There is no cap on the number of international students coming to study in the UK. In addition to promoting UK education through a range of channels, including the Education UK website, managed by...

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Climate Change (14 May 2013)

David Willetts: The analyses used the statistical model developed by Brohan et al and published in the following peer-reviewed paper: Brohan, P., J. J. Kennedy, I. Harris, S. F. B. Tett, and P. D. Jones (2006), Uncertainty estimates in regional and global observed temperature changes: A new data set from 1850, J. Geophys. Res., 111, D12106, doi:10.1029/2005JD006548.

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Sussex University (14 May 2013)

David Willetts: Section 65(1) of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 makes the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) responsible for administering the funds made available by the Secretary of State to HE institutions. The following table shows the funding which HEFCE has allocated to the university of Sussex for the period requested. The Further and Higher Education Act 1992 requires...

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Sussex University (14 May 2013)

David Willetts: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is responsible for administering the funds made available by the Secretary of State to HE institutions. HEFCE agrees a Financial Memorandum with all the institutions it funds which sets out the regulatory and accountability framework. Under this framework, HEFCE monitor financial and accountability information from institutions on an...