Ms George asked the Minister for Education, Science and Training, upon notice, on 10 September 2003:

(1) For each year from 1998 to 2003 for each of the postcodes (a) 2502, (b) 2505, (c) 2506, (d) 2526, (e) 2527, (f) 2528, (g) 2529, and (h) 2530, how many persons in the electoral division of Throsby undertook undergraduate university study.

(2) Of these students, what proportion and what number undertook study in (a) Accounting, (b) Arts, (c) Dentistry, (d) Economics, (e) Engineering, (f) Information Technology, (g) Law, (h) Medicine, (i) Nursing, (j) Teaching, (k) Science, and (l) Veterinary Science.

(3) How many students (a) in total, and (b) from the electoral division of Throsby, are enrolled at the University of Wollongong and what proportion of all enrolments at the University of Wollongong do the students from the electoral division of Throsby represent.

(4) How many people (a) in total, and (b) in the electoral division of Throsby currently have an outstanding or accumulated Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) debt.

(5) How many students in the electoral division of Throsby paid (a) upfront HECS fees, and (b) upfront full fees in 2002-2003.

(6) How many people in the electoral division of Throsby not currently enrolled at a university have an outstanding or accumulated HECS debt.

(7) Of those people with a HECS debt, what is the average HECS debt per person in (a) Australia, and (b) the electoral division of Throsby.

(8) How many students (a) in total, and (b) from the electoral division of Throsby, are enrolled at the Illawarra Institute of TAFE, and what proportion of all enrolments at the Illawarra Institute of TAFE do the students from the electoral division of Throsby represent.

(9) How much money has been allocated from the 2003-2004 Budget for apprenticeship programs in the electoral division of Throsby and what are the programs.

Dr Nelson (Minister for Education, Science and Training) —The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

(1) My Department does not collect student enrolment data on the basis of electorates. Information for the postcodes requested has been provided at Attachment A. As data for 2003 is not yet available the table only includes the number of students from 1998 to 2002.

(2) The answer to this question is provided at Attachment B. Full year data for 2003 is not yet available.

(3) (a) Total enrolments at the University of Wollongong in 2002 were 18,764.

(b) My Department does not collect records of student enrolments on the basis of the electorate in which university students live.

(4) (a) As at 30 June 2003, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) recorded a total of 1,154,812 persons with an outstanding HECS debt.

(b) The ATO does not collect records of HECS debts on the basis of the electorate in which persons with a HECS debt live.

(5) My Department does not collect records of student payment options on the basis of the electorate in which university students live.

(6) The ATO does not collect records of HECS debts on the basis of the electorate in which persons with a HECS debt live.

(7) (a) As at 30 June 2003, the average HECS debt per person was $8,500.

(b) The ATO does not collect records of HECS debts on the basis of the electorate in which persons with a HECS debt live.

(8) (a) Total enrolments at the Illawarra Institute of TAFE in 2002 were 41,397 (Source: Page 9, the Illawarra Institute of TAFE's 2002 Annual National Report). My Department has not been able to use National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) data for this response. Due to confidentiality issues, details of VET participants at the level of individual Institute will not be released by NCVER without written permission of the manager of the TAFE concerned.

(b) My Department is not able to answer this question because records of the electorate in which TAFE students live are not collected under the Australian Vocational Education and Training Management Information Statistical Standard (AVETMISS).

(9) The New Apprenticeships Incentives Program has been designed to develop a more skilled Australian workforce that delivers long-term benefits for our nation and our international competitiveness. This is achieved by encouraging employers, through financial incentives, to open up genuine opportunities for skills-based training of their employees. The New Apprenticeships Incentives program is demand driven and does not allocate funding on a State or regional basis. The 2003-2004 Budget allocated $533.5 million to this programme nationally. My Department is only able to collect records of New Apprenticeship funding by postcode areas and not by electoral divisions.

ATTACHMENT A

Undergraduate students by specified postcode from 1998 to 2002

ATTACHMENT B

Undergraduate students by specified postcode and selected fields of study from 1998 to 2002

Table 1 1998

Table 2 1999

Table 3 2000

Table 4 2001

Table 5 2002