Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the average duration to apprenticeship gateway and what was the maximum apprenticeship funding available in (1) 2015, (2) 2022, and (3) 2025 for the apprenticeship standards of (a) engineering operative, (b) maintenance and operations engineering technician, (c) engineering technician, (d) hairdressing professional, (e) advanced and creative hairdressing professional, (f) creative, hair and fashion director, and (g) hair, skin and scalp specialist.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Apprenticeship starts for individual apprenticeship standards are published in the Apprenticeships accredited official statistics publication:
Starts | ||||||
|
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies | Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician (ST0154) | 1,080 | 1,510 | 1,900 | 2,050 | 2,220 |
Engineering Operative (ST0537) | 1,090 | 1,460 | 1,500 | 1,800 | 1,850 | |
Engineering Technician (ST0457) | 5,040 | 5,660 | 6,030 | 5,490 | 4,120 | |
Retail and Commercial Enterprise | Advanced and Creative Hair Professional (ST0214) | 810 | 1,220 | 1,040 | 1,120 | 870 |
Hairdressing Professional (ST0213) | 5,650 | 5,770 | 4,630 | 5,230 | 4,050 | |
| Starts | ||||
2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | ||
Total | Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician | 30 | 910 | 1,020 | 1,090 |
Engineering Operative | no data | no data | 140 | 480 | |
Engineering Technician | 600 | 3,080 | 4,310 | 4,770 | |
Advanced and Creative Hair Professional | no data | no data | no data | 30 | |
Hair Professional | 640 | 6,220 | 6,700 | 5,330 | |
Please note that there were no apprenticeship starts on these standards prior to 2016/17. The Hairdressing Professional (ST0213) standard was previously named Hair Professional. No standards exist for (f) and (g).
The typical duration from apprenticeship start date to apprenticeship gateway and the maximum funding available for standards (a) to (e) are in the below table. This information is published at Apprenticeship search / Skills England.
Standard Name | Typical Duration (months) | Maximum funding 2022 | Maximum funding 2025 |
Advanced and creative hair professional | 12 | £5,000 | £5,000 |
Engineering operative | 12 | £6,000 | £10,000 |
Engineering technician | 42 | £26,000 | £26,000 |
Hairdressing professional | 24 | £7,000 | £11,000 |
Maintenance and operations engineering technician | 36 | £26,000 | £26,000 |
Please note that as the listed standards were not approved until after 2015, the maximum funding available for this year is not available.
Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people started apprenticeships in (1) 2015, (2) 2017, (3) 2022, and (4) 2024 in the apprenticeship standards of (a) engineering operative, (b) maintenance and operations engineering technician, (c) engineering technician, (d) hairdressing professional, (e) advanced and creative hairdressing professional, (f) creative, hair and fashion director, and (g) hair, skin and scalp specialist.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Apprenticeship starts for individual apprenticeship standards are published in the Apprenticeships accredited official statistics publication:
Starts | ||||||
|
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies | Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician (ST0154) | 1,080 | 1,510 | 1,900 | 2,050 | 2,220 |
Engineering Operative (ST0537) | 1,090 | 1,460 | 1,500 | 1,800 | 1,850 | |
Engineering Technician (ST0457) | 5,040 | 5,660 | 6,030 | 5,490 | 4,120 | |
Retail and Commercial Enterprise | Advanced and Creative Hair Professional (ST0214) | 810 | 1,220 | 1,040 | 1,120 | 870 |
Hairdressing Professional (ST0213) | 5,650 | 5,770 | 4,630 | 5,230 | 4,050 | |
| Starts | ||||
2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | ||
Total | Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician | 30 | 910 | 1,020 | 1,090 |
Engineering Operative | no data | no data | 140 | 480 | |
Engineering Technician | 600 | 3,080 | 4,310 | 4,770 | |
Advanced and Creative Hair Professional | no data | no data | no data | 30 | |
Hair Professional | 640 | 6,220 | 6,700 | 5,330 | |
Please note that there were no apprenticeship starts on these standards prior to 2016/17. The Hairdressing Professional (ST0213) standard was previously named Hair Professional. No standards exist for (f) and (g).
The typical duration from apprenticeship start date to apprenticeship gateway and the maximum funding available for standards (a) to (e) are in the below table. This information is published at Apprenticeship search / Skills England.
Standard Name | Typical Duration (months) | Maximum funding 2022 | Maximum funding 2025 |
Advanced and creative hair professional | 12 | £5,000 | £5,000 |
Engineering operative | 12 | £6,000 | £10,000 |
Engineering technician | 42 | £26,000 | £26,000 |
Hairdressing professional | 24 | £7,000 | £11,000 |
Maintenance and operations engineering technician | 36 | £26,000 | £26,000 |
Please note that as the listed standards were not approved until after 2015, the maximum funding available for this year is not available.
Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much was paid into the NHS pension scheme by (1) NHS employers, and (2) NHS pension scheme members, in (a) 2023, and (2) 2024.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows how much was paid into the NHS Pension Scheme in the financial years 2023/24 and 2024/25, broken down by the contributions paid into the scheme by employees and employers:
Financial year | 2024/25 | 2023/24 |
Employer contributions | £17,326,697,000 | £13,764,474,000 |
Employee contributions | £7,152,279,000 | £6,561,252,000 |
The employee contribution figures include the standard employee contributions, added years, additional pension purchases, and early retirement reduction buy‑out contributions. The employer contribution figures include National Health Service employer contributions for exiting staff, as well as other contributions payable on retirement/redundancy.
Annual accounts for the scheme are published for each financial year online and record the total value of all payments made. The annual accounts are available on the GOV.UK website and on the NHS Business Service Authority’s website.
Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much was paid out to NHS pension scheme members in (1) 2023, and (2) 2024.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows the value of pension benefits paid to NHS Pension Scheme members in financial years 2023/24 and 2024/25:
Financial year | 2024/25 | 2023/24 |
Pensions | £13,760,850,000 | £12,577,538,000 |
Commutations and lump sum benefit on retirement | £4,050,330,000 | £3,095,639,000 |
These figures comprise the value of annual pensions and lump sums paid. It does not include other payments made by the scheme such as contribution refunds or pension tax payments to HM Revenue and Customs.
Annual accounts for the scheme are published for each financial year and record the total value of all payments made. The annual accounts are available on the GOV.UK website and on the NHS Business Service Authority’s website.
Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) NHS-employed doctors, and (2) self-employed GPs who are members of the NHS pension plan, who retired in (a) 2022, (b) 2023, and (c) 2024, were (i) 60 years old and younger, (ii) 61–67 years old, and (iii) 68 years old and over.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows the number of National Health Service employed doctors, and self-employed general practitioners (GPs) who are members of the NHS pension plan, who retired in 2022, 2023, or 2024, and who were aged 60 years old and younger, 61 to 67 years old, or 68 years old and over:
Year | Job | 60 years old and younger | 61 to 67 years old | 68 years old and over |
2022 | Doctor | 2,697 | 962 | 129 |
2022 | GP | 1,113 | 216 | 14 |
2023 | Doctor | 2,970 | 1,155 | 134 |
2023 | GP | 1,244 | 228 | 11 |
2024 | Doctor | 2,962 | 1,227 | 161 |
2024 | GP | 1,189 | 202 | 13 |
The data is unpublished and is provided by the NHS Business Services Authority which administers the NHS Pension Scheme. Normal pension ages vary across the NHS Pension Schemes. In the 1995 section of the legacy scheme, the normal pension age is 60 years old, and in the 2008 section of that scheme, it is 65 years old. In both these sections, actuarially reduced benefits can be taken from 55 years old, or 50 years old in some cases. In the 2015 scheme, the normal pension age is 65 years old or State Pension age, whichever is later, and reduced benefits can be accessed from 55 years old.
Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much was paid to retired teachers in pension payments in 2024; and what estimate they have made of the total pension payments to retired teachers in (1) 2040, and (2) 2050.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
A total of £2.921 billion was paid by members into the Teachers’ Pension Scheme in the 2024/25 financial year, and £8.866 billion was paid by employers over the same period.
In the 2024/25 financial year, £10.253 billion was paid to retired members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.
The Teachers’ Pension Scheme does not produce long‑term forecasts beyond its normal planning horizon. Estimates for 2040 and 2050 are therefore not available.
Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much in total was paid to the Teachers' Pension Scheme by (1) teachers, and (2) employers, in 2024.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
A total of £2.921 billion was paid by members into the Teachers’ Pension Scheme in the 2024/25 financial year, and £8.866 billion was paid by employers over the same period.
In the 2024/25 financial year, £10.253 billion was paid to retired members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.
The Teachers’ Pension Scheme does not produce long‑term forecasts beyond its normal planning horizon. Estimates for 2040 and 2050 are therefore not available.
Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the apprenticeship budget for the Department for Education in 2024–25; what proportion of that budget was spent in total; and what proportion was spent on (1) training for apprenticeships with levy-paying employers, (2) training for apprenticeships with non-levy-paying employers, and (3) other activities.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In the 2024-25 financial year, the English apprenticeships budget was fully spent.
The following table provides a breakdown of total spend for the 2024-25 financial year, including the proportion of total spend on training for apprenticeships with levy paying employers and training for apprenticeships with non-levy paying employers in England.
In addition, the table reflects the spend on apprenticeships that started prior to the introduction of the apprenticeships levy and new funding system, as well as non-apprenticeships participation spend, such as the cost of running digital services and marketing and communications campaigns.
Apprenticeships spend from the department’s apprenticeships budget | 2024-25 financial year (£million) | Proportion of total spend (%) |
Levy paying employers | 1,979 | 71% |
Non-levy paying employers | 742 | 27% |
Pre-reform apprenticeships | -1 | 0% |
Non-apprenticeships training | 49 | 2% |
Total | 2,769 | 100% |
Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of developers’ ability under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to support apprenticeships and upskilling across local authorities as well as in specified developments, and to that end provide wage support as well as direct training costs.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Section 106 planning obligations are legally binding agreements made to mitigate the impacts of a proposed development. These obligations are an essential part of the planning system, ensuring that developments contribute positively to their surrounding area and address specific concerns that arise as a result of their implementation.
All contributions under Section 106 must adhere to the three statutory tests set out in regulation 122 of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) regulations. Any contribution must be:
Ultimately, the responsibility for determining whether a planning obligation is necessary to make a development acceptable lies with the local planning authority – including any obligation around to apprenticeships and skills.
Current planning practice guidance encourages local planning authorities to facilitate the process of agreeing planning obligations by using and publishing standard forms and templates. These resources may include model agreements and clauses, some of which have already been published by other organisations. Making these documents publicly available assists both authorities and applicants during the planning application process.
Guidance additionally states that policies regarding planning obligations should be clearly set out in local plans and subject to public examination, ensuring transparency and consistency in their application.
Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance, if any, they provide to local authorities on the content and drafting of agreements made under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Section 106 planning obligations are legally binding agreements made to mitigate the impacts of a proposed development. These obligations are an essential part of the planning system, ensuring that developments contribute positively to their surrounding area and address specific concerns that arise as a result of their implementation.
All contributions under Section 106 must adhere to the three statutory tests set out in regulation 122 of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) regulations. Any contribution must be:
Ultimately, the responsibility for determining whether a planning obligation is necessary to make a development acceptable lies with the local planning authority – including any obligation around to apprenticeships and skills.
Current planning practice guidance encourages local planning authorities to facilitate the process of agreeing planning obligations by using and publishing standard forms and templates. These resources may include model agreements and clauses, some of which have already been published by other organisations. Making these documents publicly available assists both authorities and applicants during the planning application process.
Guidance additionally states that policies regarding planning obligations should be clearly set out in local plans and subject to public examination, ensuring transparency and consistency in their application.