theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the appointment of the interim chair of the Competition Markets Authority on the regulation of (a) technology and (b) other large corporations. \p Justin Madders: The Secretary of State is grateful for the leadership Doug Gurr, the Interim Chair of the Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”), has shown since his appointment.

Businesses of all sizes and types are required to comply with competition law. The CMA has published its prioritisation principles which set out the factors the CMA takes into consideration when deciding how to use its resources as effectively as possible.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the UK crypto and digital asset industry. \p Justin Madders: Details of any meetings and engagements with the UK crypto and digital asset industry can be found in the Department’s quarterly transparency returns on Gov.uk.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to section 2, action 1 of his Department's policy paper entitled New approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth, published on 17 March 2025, what methodology his Department plans to use to measure the monetary cost of regulation; and whether this is a (a) gross cost and (b) net cost offset by the benefits of regulation. \p Justin Madders: The government has committed to cut the administrative costs of regulation to business by 25% by the end of this Parliament. To do this, we must determine the cumulative administrative costs of regulation that businesses face, which has not been done for 15 years. By focusing on reducing administrative costs, we will ensure that regulations achieve their policy objectives in the most efficient way possible with the lowest possible costs to business.

My department is working with others across Whitehall to determine the best approach to do this and will provide further updates in due course.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when his Department plans to launch its consultation on the future of the Post Office. \p Gareth Thomas: We aim to publish a Green Paper later this year which will set out several proposals for discussion on the future direction of the Post Office. As part of this work, Government will be carefully considering what customers, communities and postmasters would like to see from a modern Post Office network.
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Liam Conlon:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department has taken to encourage small businesses to export in (a) Beckenham and Penge constituency and (b) the UK. \p Gareth Thomas: The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is committed to supporting UK businesses, including those in the Beckenham and Penge constituency, to grow and export.

Under the umbrella of the recently announced Business Growth Service, UK businesses can access DBT’s wealth of export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises an online support offer and a wider network of support including the Export Academy, UK Export Finance and the International Markets network.

We are targeting market access barriers in priority markets to open more opportunities for UK exporters and are looking at further proposals to help UK businesses to export more.
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Will Stone:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of appointing trade envoys to Nordic countries. \p Gareth Thomas: We carry out analyses of suitable countries, regions, and markets to identify where the appointment of a Trade Envoy can be of greatest benefit to our trade and investment objectives.

We remain committed to strengthening our long, positive and wide-ranging trading relationship with each of the Nordic Countries, but there are no plans at present to add any Nordic Countries to the Trade Envoy Programme.

Markets such as these already have significant diplomatic, trade and investment networks, as well as receiving regular high-level visits by Ministers.
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Brian Leishman:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many arms export licences to Israel were approved and subsequently (a) adjusted and (b) rejected between September and December 2024. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: On 2 September, the Government announced the suspension of certain export licences to Israel, related to items for use in military operations in Gaza. New licence applications for such items were also refused on the same basis following this decision.

Detail on individual licences are published periodically by the Export Control Joint Unit. On 10 December, an ad hoc data release was published on ‘Export control licensing management information for Israel’. These figures show that in addition to the 29 licences issued prior to September 2024 that were suspended or amended as a consequence of the suspension, between 2 September and 6 December 2024, 34 military licences were issued, 17 were refused and none were revoked.

Examples of licence applications issued during this period include items for academic research, items for commercial aircraft, military equipment for re-export, and components for trainer aircraft, not assessed to be used in relation to current military operations in Gaza. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/export-control-licensing-management-information-for-israel/israel-export-control-licensing-data-6-december-2024).
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the closure of the Crown Post Office in Brixton on the community. \p Gareth Thomas: In order to create a long-term, sustainable future for post offices in communities across the UK, Post Office is moving to a fully franchised network. All 108 Directly Managed Branches (DMBs) – including Brixton Post Office – are in scope of these changes.

Post Office intends to replace DMBs with Mains branches where possible (Mains branches offer similar services to DMBs). Where this is not possible, Post Office has committed to ensure that all communities currently served by a DMB will have at least one Mains branch within a 1-mile radius of the existing branch. Post Office will keep staff, customers and my honourable friend informed about changes to Brixton Post Office.
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Kim Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when her Department plans to launch the public consultation on the future of postal services. \p Gareth Thomas: Post Office recently announced that it will be moving to a fully-franchised network. Transitioning to a franchise model will help in tackling the losses that directly managed branches incur on a sustainable basis, as this is expected to result in over £100 million of savings for the company over the next five years.  This aligns with Post Office’s commitment to deliver a New Deal for Postmasters, as the savings created by these changes will put Post Office in a better position to increase remuneration for postmasters across the UK.  This decision regarding the network, and decisions around the circumstances of each directly managed branch are operational matters for Post Office.

The Government’s Green Paper, due to be published later this year, will ask the public what they want to see from a modern Post Office network. The Green Paper is about a long-term vision for the Post Office, not about operational decisions related to individual branches.
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John Lamont:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to support British (a) brands and (b) manufacturers in the context of proposed US tariffs. \p Sarah Jones: The UK Government is acutely aware of the potential impact that these proposed tariffs could have on British businesses. We are committed to ensuring that our brands and manufacturers are supported during this challenging period.

On 13 April 2025, the Chancellor announced the Growth Guarantee Scheme will provide approximately £500m of additional lending capacity to help more smaller businesses across the UK. The extra funding is aimed at smaller businesses that may need support with cashflow issues due to changes in global tariff rates.

Advanced manufacturing is critical to UK prosperity. This Government will continue to support the sector through our forthcoming Industrial Strategy, where advanced manufacturing has been selected as one of eight growth-driving sectors.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the cost of office solutions across central government; and what framework agreements exist for office stationery and paper. \p Georgia Gould: Value for money in public procurement is essential for the efficient use of government resources​. The Cabinet Office does not hold a central estimate of office solution costs. However, public sector organisations can benefit from procuring office supplies through the Crown Commercial Service's RM6299 Office Solutions agreement. This framework covers various products, including stationery and paper, and streamlines procurement processes ensuring access to competitive pricing.
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Sarah Olney:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether benefits advisors are classified as civil servants for the purposes of the regulated period ahead of an election. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: Section 4.4 of the Civil Service Management Code sets out restrictions on civil servants with regard to political activity, including examples of roles that fall into the politically restricted category. This category includes members of the Senior Civil Service and civil servants at levels immediately below the Senior Civil Service, plus members of the Fast Stream Development Programme.

A civil servant is normally defined as someone who is employed by the Crown to work for a Civil Service body.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Pursuant to the answer of 8 April 2025, to Question 43946, on Alex Chisholm, what steps have been taken to address the staffing issues, and what impact has this had on the processing time of Business Appointment applications to ACOBA. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: The Cabinet Office, as the sponsoring department of ACoBA, has supported the Committee’s secretariat to recruit the additional staff it required to ensure it is fully resourced to deliver its core functions to agreed timescales.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department has issued on transparency in relation to levels of remuneration for direct ministerial appointments. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: The Cabinet Office has not issued specific guidance on transparency around remuneration offered when making direct ministerial appointments.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the (a) Office for National Statistics and (b) UK Statistics Authority plan to publish a response to the recommendations of the Independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender, published on 19 March 2025. \p Georgia Gould: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 28th April is attached.

Letter from the National Statistician (pdf, 101.4KB)
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to use AI technology for public appointments. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: AI technology is not currently used in the public appointments process. AI technology may be used in the future to support certain elements of the process.
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Mark Pritchard:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will amend the (a) Military Aid to the Civil Powers (Emergency Powers) Act 1964 and (b) Civil Contingencies Act 2004 to ensure parliamentary oversight during national crises. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: The Civil Contingencies Act (CCA) 2004 and the associated Regulations deliver a single framework for civil protection in the UK. While emergency regulations could be brought into force immediately during a crisis they must be presented to Parliament as soon as practicable after being made, ensuring parliamentary oversight. The Cabinet Office has a legal obligation to review the CCA every five years. The most recent review was published in March 2022 and concluded that the Act continues to achieve its stated objectives.

The Ministry of Defence keeps all relevant legislation under review to ensure it remains fit for purpose and appropriate to the operational context, this includes the Emergency Powers Act 1964. Using the Emergency Powers Act requires Defence Council Order and considerable policy, legal and financial scrutiny including specific Ministerial approval.

There are no current plans to amend either of these Acts.
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Mike Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with Student Finance England on the (a) ease of access to and (a) adequacy its customer services. \p Janet Daby: Student Finance England (SFE) is part of the Student Loans Company (SLC). The SLC is a wholly owned government company which delivers student finance services to students on behalf of the four UK Governments (the shareholders).

The department is responsible for oversight of the SLC, and my noble Friend, the Minister for Skills meets regularly with the SLC chair and chief executive. Alongside the other shareholders, the department sets key performance targets in the SLC Annual Performance and Resource Agreement. These targets include measures for customer service and satisfaction and are monitored at the SLC Board and through Board committees. The department and the shareholders scrutinise data relating to the quality of customer experience, including call response times and contact resolution.

Since the 2022/23 financial year the SLC has invested in improving its digital platforms for students and customers. Customers now have a variety of options to contact the SLC, including online account interactions, virtual assistants, live chat, social media and by telephone or in writing.

The SLC reports on customer satisfaction targets for applicants, students, sponsors, and customers in its Annual Report and Accounts. The most recent publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/slc-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-to-2024/slc-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-2024.
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Rachel Gilmour:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to provide support to parents who have had children removed into the care system; and what support is available to help those parents maintain or develop a relationship with their children where appropriate. \p Janet Daby: The children’s social care national framework and ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance is clear that children should be raised by their families, within their family networks or in family environments wherever possible. The department’s family help reforms will promote a greater emphasis on whole-family working, ensuring the needs of parents and carers and how they impact on children and young people is carefully considered, improving the outcomes for families.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill also includes measures to ensure that all local authorities must offer family group decision making before bringing about care proceedings. This empowers families by prioritising family-led solutions, and engaging wider family networks throughout decisions made about a child.

Where a child enters care, maintaining contact with family is one of the key principles of the Children Act 1989. The local authority must consider the parent's wishes in the child's care plan and any changes to it. Parents should be involved in decisions and review meetings about their child, alongside relevant services. The Fostering national minimum standards ensure support for the child's contact with siblings, especially if placed far from home.
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Mary Kelly Foy:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to remove the immigration health surcharge for international students. \p Janet Daby: It is right that international students pay the immigration health surcharge (IHS), which sees them make a financial contribution to the comprehensive range of NHS services available to them during their stay in the UK. Students are subject to the discounted rate of £776 per person, per year.

This government currently has no plans to remove the IHS for international students. We have, however, made clear that our overall approach is to welcome international students who enrich our university campuses, forge lifelong friendships with our domestic students and become global ambassadors for the UK.
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Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of apprenticeship starts in the hairdressing sector in Leeds since 2024; and what steps she is taking to support salons to provide apprenticeships. \p Janet Daby: Apprenticeships are a great way for individuals to begin or progress a successful career in the hairdressing industry.

There have been over 135 starts in hairdressing and barbering apprenticeships within the Leeds local authority across the 2023/24 academic year and the 2024/25 academic year, up until January 2025.

To support smaller employers access apprenticeships, the government pays full training costs for young apprentices aged 16 to 21, and for apprentices aged 22 to 24 who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan, or have been in local authority care. Employers can benefit from £1,000 payments when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, or apprentices aged 19 to 24 who have an EHC plan or have been in local authority care.

Employers also benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance contributions for all apprentices aged up to age 25 where they earn less than £50,270 a year.
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure all schools have the recommended allergy safeguards in place. \p Catherine McKinnell: Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. The accompanying statutory guidance makes clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the individual needs of pupils with medical conditions, including allergies.
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Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to mandate (a) allergy safety training, (b) the provision of spare epipens and (c) other allergy safety measures in schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. The accompanying statutory guidance makes clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the individual needs of pupils with medical conditions, including allergies.

In 2017 the Department of Health published non-statutory guidance confirming that schools are able to purchase spare adrenaline auto injectors (AAIs) from a pharmacy, without a prescription and for use in an emergency situation. This guidance is kept under review and gives clear advice to schools on the recognition and management of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis, and outlines when and how an AAI should be administered for pupils in schools.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Pension Sharing Orders administered by Teachers’ Pensions are processed within stated timeframes. \p Catherine McKinnell: Pension scheme administrators have four months to implement pension sharing orders (PSOs), however the department is aware that for some members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, this timescale has been affected by the transitional protection remedy.

In some cases, there has been outstanding guidance whereby the scheme administrator could not progress PSOs until this was received, and other cases require responses from the member before they can be implemented.

The department is in regular discussion with the scheme administrator to consider the issues which have prevented some PSOs being issued to the normal timescales and will continue to closely monitor performance.
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Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish the (a) postcode, (b) local authority area and (c) rural urban classification for each state school that has closed and not reopened in another form in each year since 2000. \p Catherine McKinnell: Information on closures of state-funded schools, including the urban/rural classification for each school, is available on the Get Information about Schools (GIAS) website, which can be found at: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Search?SelectedTab=Establishments.

GIAS records a number of different reasons for closure, including closure as a result of amalgamation, “closure” where a school has been replaced by a successor institution, including academy conversions, as well as outright closure of provision.
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David Davis:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to implement recommendation two of the First Report of the Committee of Public Accounts of Session 2024-25 on Support for children and young people with special educational needs, HC 353, published on 15 January 2025. \p Catherine McKinnell: An update is publicly available through the Treasury Minutes published in April 2025, and can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67ed087598b3bac1ec299b5a/Treasury_Minutes_v02_PRINT.pdf.
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David Davis:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure estimates of demand for SEND support in each local authority area are accurate. \p Catherine McKinnell: The school capacity survey (SCAP) collects data on the capacity of state-funded special schools and special educational needs (SEN) units and resourced provision in mainstream schools. The survey also collects local authority forecasts of the number of resident pupils with an education, health and care plan who require a specialist provision place. Data were first collected in 2023, and the latest data for 2023/24 is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity/2023-24.

The department provides survey guidance to support local authority forecasting. Whatever forecasting method a local authority chooses, the process should be robust and analytically sound. The guidance is available at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capacity-survey-guide-for-local-authorities.

The department recognises the challenges of forecasting demand for specialist provision and expects close collaboration between local authority capital, high needs revenue, and special educational needs and disabilities and alternative provision teams to ensure forecasts are realistic and reflect the local authority’s overarching strategy for delivery of SEN provision.

In the first two years of data collection, the department undertook data validation focused on ensuring completeness, and identifying and helping local authorities with the aim of improving understanding and quality of data. These validations will continue to be enhanced for future SCAP collections.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities.
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David Davis:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to provide sustainable funding for local authorities for SEND-related spending. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. Total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND is over £12 billion in 2025/26. Of that total, East Riding of Yorkshire Council is being allocated over £42 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £3.5 million on the 2024/25 DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs national funding formula (NFF). This NFF allocation is an 9.1% increase per head of their two to 18-year-old population, on their equivalent 2024/25 NFF allocation.

​The government has indicated that it will take the time needed to consider changes to the high needs NFF used by the department to allocate funding for children and young people with complex SEND. It is important that there is a fair education funding system that reflects differences in the level of underlying need across the country and directs funding accordingly, to support improved outcomes for these children and young people.

The department’s objective is to ensure local authorities, schools and colleges can deliver high-quality services for children and young people with SEND in a financially sustainable way, and we are considering the funding required to achieve that in future years as part of the current spending review that is due to conclude in June.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to provide additional (a) resources, (b) teacher training and (c) curriculum support to improve media literacy education in schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: Media literacy is covered in the citizenship, relationships, sex and health education and computing curriculums.

The department funds the National Centre for Computing Education, which provides teachers with continuing professional development and resources to support the teaching of computing. This includes units on messaging in digital media, the credibility of sources, and identifying ‘fake’ news and edited images, supporting the teaching of artificial intelligence (AI) and media literacy.

In 2024, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) provided £0.5 million to scale up two programmes, to provide media literacy support to teachers, children aged 11 to 16, parents/carers and other professionals working with families.

The Educate against Hate website also hosts a series of online media literacy resources which seek to help young people evaluate the validity of information. This can be accessed at: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/.

The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s interim report notes the rise of AI and trends in digital information and that it is necessary that the curriculum keep pace with these changes, including a renewed focus on digital and media literacy and critical thinking skills. The interim report is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-and-assessment-review-interim-report. The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in autumn with the government’s response.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to ensure that information and communications technology literacy forms part of the national curriculum following the Curriculum and Assessment Review. \p Catherine McKinnell: The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s interim report notes the rise of artificial intelligence and trends in digital information and that it is necessary that the curriculum keep pace with these changes, including a renewed focus on digital and media literacy and critical thinking skills. The interim report is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-and-assessment-review-interim-report. The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in autumn with the government’s response.
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Claire Young:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential effectiveness of the Regional Care Cooperative pathfinder programme; and whether he plans to expand the programme to the South West. \p Janet Daby: The department is currently setting up two pathfinders in Greater Manchester (launched April 2025) and the South East (launching June 2025) to test the delivery of Regional Care Co-operatives. An evaluation is in place to support the delivery of the pathfinders. This will focus on assessing the implementation and delivery of the pathfinders, and the impact on improving the commissioning of placements for children in care. We will publish regular findings from this evaluation. We would make any announcement on funding to set up further Regional Care Co-operatives in the usual way. Local authorities may voluntarily choose to set up and fund Regional Care Co-operatives independently of the department.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 11 April to Question 40395 on Further Education: Special Educational Needs, whether any ringfenced capital grants have been made to the SEND-specialist further education sector in the last ten years; and what information her Department holds on capital expenditure by SEND-specialist further education providers. \p Janet Daby: The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or who require alternative provision sits with local authorities.

The department provides funding to local authorities to support them to meet this duty. Local authorities can spend their funding across the 0 to 25 age range, including in special post-16 institutions or other further education settings. The need for investment across this age range will differ between different local authorities, dependent on local circumstances, and it is therefore for local authorities to determine how best to prioritise available funding to address their local priorities.

The department has published £740 million of local authority high needs capital allocations for the 2025/26 financial year. Although this funding is not ringfenced and local authorities have discretion over how they spend their funding, we do ask local authorities to complete and return a grant assurance data return each year to provide details on the projects they intend to fund using their high needs provision capital allocation funding.

Whilst local authorities are not required to publish these returns, the department does encourage them to consider doing so to aid local transparency.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

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Grahame Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the time taken to process applications for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support fund in the 2025-26 financial year. \p Janet Daby: The changes made to the adoption and special guardianship support fund will enable the funding to be accessed by the maximum number of children and families. This level of funding will still allow eligible adoptive and kinship children to access a significant package of therapeutic support to help prevent placement breakdowns. The department always considers the impact of decisions on vulnerable children.

We have been working closely with our delivery partners to implement operational changes which will make it easier for local authorities and regional adoption agencies to submit applications, and we will continue to review what further steps we can take. The department’s delivery partners are working as quickly as possible to review and approve applications so that children and families can access therapy without delay.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_177

Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much and what proportion of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund budget for the 2024–25 financial had been spent by 31 March 2025. \p Janet Daby: The new criteria for the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) will enable as many children and families as possible to access the available funding. The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children. The changes were finalised during Parliamentary recess and the announcement was made during recess to allow the fund to open and minimise further delays to children waiting for therapy. A written statement was laid on Parliament’s first day back after recess.

By 31 March 2025, the ASGSF had spent all its allocated budget.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_178

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of employers’ National Insurance contributions on the availability of apprenticeships in 2025-26. \p Janet Daby: I refer the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire to the answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39407.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_179

Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed reductions in funding for level seven apprenticeships on barriers of access to the legal profession. \p Janet Daby: I refer the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43275.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_180

Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of students that will be entering further education colleges in the 2025-26 academic year. \p Janet Daby: The information requested is not held centrally.

For capital funding, the department uses information from a number of sources, including the Office for National Statistics, to understand future demand so that there is sufficient capacity in the system.

For revenue funding for 16 to 19-year-olds, allocations to colleges are based on the previous year’s numbers, with growth funding available where there is exceptional growth. The most recently published 16 to 19 student numbers relate to the 2023/24 academic year and can be found in the funding allocations for the 2024/25 academic year at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/16-to-19-education-and-skills-funding#published-allocations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_181

Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Spring Statement of 26 March 2025, how the £625 million for construction skills will be allocated; and when providers will receive (a) funding allocations and (b) bidding information. \p Janet Daby: My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced an additional £625 million of funding to support construction skills training, with the detail set out in the Spring Statement 2025. This is expected to deliver up to 60,000 additional skilled construction workers this Parliament.

The measures will support the expansion of existing skills programmes, including Skills Bootcamps and apprenticeships, as well as help to deliver new initiatives, such as establishing ten Technical Excellence Colleges specialised in construction in every region in England.

Additional information regarding allocations and bidding information at regional and provider level will be shared in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_182

Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve (a) pay and (b) working conditions in further education colleges. \p Janet Daby: Further education (FE) colleges, rather than government, are responsible for setting and negotiating pay within colleges and for the working conditions of their staff.

FE Colleges were incorporated under the terms of the 1992 Further and Higher Education Act, which gave them autonomy over the pay and contractual terms and conditions of their staff. Unlike maintained schools, colleges are not bound by the national pay and conditions framework for school teachers, but are free to implement their own pay arrangements in line with their own local circumstances.

The department will be investing over £400 million more on 16 to 19 education in the 2025/26 financial year to ensure enough funding is available to respond to the significant increase in student numbers and other pressures on the system. We are making approximately £50 million of this funding available to colleges for April to July 2025 to respond to current priorities and challenges as they see fit, including workforce recruitment and retention.

The Plan to Make Work Pay sets out an ambitious agenda to deliver our Plan for Change by ensuring employment rights are fit for a modern economy, empowering working people and contributing to economic growth. Once implemented, it will represent the biggest upgrade of workers’ rights in a generation, including for those in the FE sector.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_183

Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase (a) teaching capacity and (b) student places in further education colleges. \p Janet Daby: To ensure that further education colleges can meet student demand, the department is spending approximately £87 million in the 2024/25 academic year to support in-year growth costs. This recognises the very large increase in students this year, which has led to the need for an unprecedented amount of in-year growth.

The department will be investing over £400 million more on 16 to 19 education in the 2025/26 financial year to respond to the significant increase in student numbers and other pressures on the system. We are making approximately £50 million of this funding available to colleges for April to July 2025 to respond to current priorities and challenges as they see fit, including workforce recruitment and retention. In addition, eligible early career teachers of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and priority technical subjects can receive up to £6,000 after tax annually, on top of their normal pay.

In the 2025/26 financial year, the department is providing £10 million of capital funding to Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Leeds City Council to support capacity for rising numbers of 16 to 19-year-olds, increasing opportunities in these places with the greatest pressures.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_184

Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to amend the Construction Industry Training Board’s legislative scope order to include (a) plumbing and (b) electrical work. \p Janet Daby: Plumbing and electrical works are excluded from the Industrial Training Board’s (ITBs) current legislative scope order.

The 2023 independent review of the two remaining ITBs, Construction and Engineering Construction, recommended that there should be consultation with industry on a modified legislative scope order, aimed at resolving the most obvious anomalies.

The department is establishing a steering group to oversee the implementation of the accepted review recommendations and will explore out of scope sectors.

Whilst this is likely to primarily focus on new and emerging sectors, part of the exercise will be to listen to views from industry. Where there is strong evidence to support inclusion of different sectors this will be considered before legislative changes are progressed.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_185

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Ofqual has offered apprenticeships in each year since 2010. \p Janet Daby: This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham, to write to the right hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_186

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Education and Skills Funding Agency has offered apprenticeships in each year since 2017. \p Janet Daby: The government is committed to using apprenticeships to break down barriers to opportunity, support skills development and deliver more effective public services.

As the policy holder for apprenticeships, the department has achieved over 5% of departmental headcount for the last three years. We offer apprenticeships to fill strategic skills gaps and as a development opportunity to all employees.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) closed on 31 March 2025, with its work being integrated into the department.

The department has made use of apprenticeships in its workforce since 2016 and recruitment data for ESFA can be found in the following table:

Year

Number of ESFA Apprentice enrolments starting in year

2016

3

2017

6

2018

50

2019

60

2020

57

2021

56

2022

51

2023

16

2024

26
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_187

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what local taxes she intends for Mayors to be able to levy. \p Jim McMahon: The English Devolution White Paper sets out an enhanced Devolution Framework. This will be available by default rather than by deal, to both existing and new strategic authorities, creating a consistent, systematic approach and providing Mayor’s with the power to decide what is right for their areas. This framework includes the ability for all Mayoral Strategic Authorities to introduce mayoral precepting on council tax and the ability to raise a Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy to fund strategic infrastructure once a Spatial Development Strategy is in place.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_188

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance the Government has provided to police forces on election purdah (a) rules and (b) restrictions on publicity during the pre-election period of local elections. \p Jim McMahon: The government does not issue pre-election guidance to Police Forces.