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Written Question
Shipping: Education
Monday 1st August 2022

Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the uptake of maritime qualifications in (1) schools, and (2) colleges.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Provision is already available for both those under 16 in a school setting seeking to understand more about the industry, and for post-16 students studying at level 2 and 3, who may be seeking to undertake a qualification to progress into an apprenticeship or into employment and wish to take a qualification which will involve a work-based setting.

There are around 40 qualifications focusing on aspects of maritime studies approved for funding for young people and adults, some of which are available only to adults. Others are available to those of school age or in further education. There are 12 apprenticeship standards in this sector approved for delivery, including Maritime Mechanical and Electrical Mechanic, Marine Surveyor, and Seafarer.

The Careers & Enterprise Company is supporting schools and colleges to embed best practice in the delivery of careers information, advice, and guidance, so young people are aware of the full range of training and careers available to them and have access to a broad range of employers and workplaces, including those in the maritime sector. This will be delivered through the national roll-out of Career Hubs, Careers Leaders training, and the Enterprise Adviser Network.

The department has recently established the UK Shipbuilding Skills Taskforce (UKSST). This group is made up of representatives from across industry, trade unions, and training providers. It will look to address skills barriers in the sector by utilising and catalysing existing skills provisions. As part of this, existing provision will be reviewed to see how it can best meet the present skills demand and future needs. UKSST’s work will be driven by the needs of stakeholders from across the sector.


Written Question
Arts: Education
Tuesday 26th July 2022

Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the article 'News & campaigns' in the Incorporated Society of Musicians July/August 2022 music journal; and what assessment they have made of the concerns expressed in that article that the Schools White Paper "suggests a possible narrowing of focus away from creative subjects such as music".

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is grateful to the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) for providing us with a copy of this issue of the Music Journal, which we understand is normally made available solely to its members.

Whilst the department acknowledges that there are challenges to delivering high quality music education in every school, schools the length and breadth of the country are doing just that. The White Paper is clear that ‘as part of a richer school week, all children should be entitled to take part in sport, music and cultural opportunities and that these opportunities are an essential part of a broad and ambitious curriculum’, a point that the ISM itself acknowledged in its response to the White Paper.

The department was pleased to note that the ISM has welcomed the refreshed National Plan for Music Education, which we published in June 2022 and in particular its restatement of the importance of music as an essential part of a broad and ambitious curriculum for all pupils.


Written Question
Ministers: Conduct
Monday 25th July 2022

Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Education broke the Ministerial Code by raising her middle finger to a crowd outside Downing Street on 7 July.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government recognises how important professional conduct, ethical standards and appropriate behaviour are in setting a good example for our children and young people. My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, is similarly clear that MPs and those in government should be held to the highest standards.

My hon. Friend, the Minister for Skills, Further and Higher Education has acknowledged that she should have shown more composure and regrets that her behaviour fell short of expected standards on this occasion.


Written Question
Arts: Higher Education
Monday 25th July 2022

Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the article 'News & campaigns' in the Incorporated Society of Musicians July/August 2022 music journal; and what assessment they have made of the concerns expressed in that article that proposals to reform Higher Education courses "will cause particular harm to arts courses, as well as damaging the government's own levelling-up agenda".

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The higher education (HE) reforms, to which the Incorporated Society of Musicians article refers, were subject to consultation earlier this year. The consultation outlined proposals for controls to prevent the growth of low-quality courses with poor outcomes and sought views on what was a fair and appropriate level at which to potentially set a minimum eligibility requirement for access to student finance for degree-level study. The consultation period has now concluded and we are considering the views submitted. The government will respond in due course.

The article concentrates on the government’s proposal to prevent the growth of low-quality courses. If implemented, all areas of HE would be considered, including creative arts, humanities, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses, to inform an assessment of which provision offers the best outcomes. Our focus would be on courses which are of the lowest quality. Supporting students onto high-quality HE courses, that will offer them good outcomes, ensures that students, of all backgrounds, are not misdirected or encouraged towards courses that are unlikely to provide high-quality outcomes and good value for money. This will support levelling up.


Written Question
Music: Teachers
Monday 8th November 2021

Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to encourage professional musicians (1) to teach music to young people, and (2) to help young people to become music teachers.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government has a long-term commitment to ensuring that high-quality music education is not the preserve of the elite, but the entitlement of every single child. Music education remains a central part of a broad and balanced curriculum in schools, and that is why music is a statutory subject from age 5 to 14 in the national curriculum, and why pupils have an entitlement to study at least one arts subject at key stage 4 in maintained schools.

The department has committed £79 million this year for Music Education Hubs, and a further £1 million for charities which teach pupils about different styles of music and will often work with, and employ, professional musicians.

New trainee teachers are now entitled to at least three years of evidence-based professional development and support. We saw 483 new entrants to music in the 2020/21 academic year. This is 171 more new entrants than were seen in 2019/20.

Our Get into Teaching service provides inspiration to explore a career in teaching and support to successfully apply. Through the service, prospective candidates can access advice from expert Teacher Training Advisers throughout the application process and also identify opportunities to gain school experience in their local area.

In October our new digital service, Apply, for teacher training was rolled out. This is a key milestone in the delivery of a more streamlined, user-friendly application route. Apply will allow us to collect more data and insight into candidate behaviour than ever before. This means that we will get a much more granular understanding of the route into teaching across different subjects and this will allow us to deliver innovative policy interventions in key areas.


Written Question
Ministerial Responsibility: Young People
Thursday 23rd September 2021

Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to respond to the recommendation of the Co-op report The Ghosted Generation, published on 9 September, to appoint a Youth Minister.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

At the end of 2020, 57.2% of 16 to 24 year olds were in education and training, the highest proportion on record. Whilst 11.5% of this age group were not in education, employment, or training (NEET), at the end of 2020, it is one of the lowest rates on record, the lowest being 11% at the end of 2017.

Ministers at the Department for Education are aware of, and addressing, the issues highlighted by the Co-op report. The Department for Education and the Department for Work and Pensions are working jointly to monitor NEET rates, considering ways to support young people to continue developing the skills they will need for the future.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to identify and support young people who are NEET. All 16 and 17 year olds are entitled to an offer of a suitable place in education or training under the September Guarantee, regardless of qualifications gained.

A range of provision is available for young people aged 16 to 24 to equip them with the skills and experience they need to progress. This includes traineeships that prepare young people for apprenticeships and work through a combination of sector-focused skills development and work experience, and supported internships offering tailored support for young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

The Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge for Schools and Colleges programme provides targeted local and regional support on NEET prevention, to raise aspirations of young people in areas of disadvantage and support their post-education progression. It also offers support for local authorities to help them support young people during this time. This includes support activities for staff, teachers, and careers advisors to engage young people, and training workshops to develop knowledge.


Written Question
Employment and Further Education: Young People
Thursday 23rd September 2021

Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of research into young people's views on COVID-19 conducted by the Co-op, The Ghosted Generation, published 9 on September, which found that (1) two-thirds said job competition had increased during the pandemic, and (2) almost one third felt less likely to continue with futher education due to it; and what steps they intend to take to reverse this trend.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

At the end of 2020, 57.2% of 16 to 24 year olds were in education and training, the highest proportion on record. Whilst 11.5% of this age group were not in education, employment, or training (NEET), at the end of 2020, it is one of the lowest rates on record, the lowest being 11% at the end of 2017.

Ministers at the Department for Education are aware of, and addressing, the issues highlighted by the Co-op report. The Department for Education and the Department for Work and Pensions are working jointly to monitor NEET rates, considering ways to support young people to continue developing the skills they will need for the future.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to identify and support young people who are NEET. All 16 and 17 year olds are entitled to an offer of a suitable place in education or training under the September Guarantee, regardless of qualifications gained.

A range of provision is available for young people aged 16 to 24 to equip them with the skills and experience they need to progress. This includes traineeships that prepare young people for apprenticeships and work through a combination of sector-focused skills development and work experience, and supported internships offering tailored support for young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

The Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge for Schools and Colleges programme provides targeted local and regional support on NEET prevention, to raise aspirations of young people in areas of disadvantage and support their post-education progression. It also offers support for local authorities to help them support young people during this time. This includes support activities for staff, teachers, and careers advisors to engage young people, and training workshops to develop knowledge.


Written Question
Students: Loans
Monday 12th April 2021

Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 22 March (HL14145), what plans they have to assess the annual cost of removing interest payments from the student loans of (1) health, and (2) social care, workers.

Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

There are no current plans to assess the annual cost of removing interest payments from the student loans of health or social care workers.

The student loans system is designed to protect borrowers, including those who are employed in health and social care. Repayments are made based on a borrower’s monthly or weekly income, not the interest rate or amount borrowed. Only those who earn above the repayment threshold are required to make repayments. The repayment threshold is £27,295 per year from April 2021, or its monthly or weekly equivalent. Any outstanding debt, including interest accrued, is written off after 30 years with no detriment to the borrower.

The vast majority of students who do not fully pay back their loans (an estimated 75% of Plan 2 loans given out in the 2019/20 academic year) would see no reduction in their lifetime repayments, because this part of their borrowing is already written off: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/student-loan-forecasts-for-england/2019-20.

Our income-based repayment system means that those who benefit the most from their education repay their fair share. The repayment system also helps to ensure that costs are split fairly between borrowers and the taxpayer. In total, the government subsidises around 50% of the overall cost of higher education, making a conscious investment in the skills and people of this country.


Written Question
Students: Loans
Monday 22nd March 2021

Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the annual cost of removing interest payments from the student loans of health and social care workers.

Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The student loans system is designed to protect borrowers, including those who are employed in health and social care. Repayments are made based on a borrower’s monthly or weekly income, not the interest rate or amount borrowed, and no repayments are made for earnings below the repayment thresholds. Any outstanding debt, including interest accrued, is written off at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower.

The people who would benefit most from an interest rate reduction are those high-earning borrowers who pay back all, or very nearly all, their student loans. The vast majority of those people who do not fully pay back their loans would not benefit because this part of their borrowing is written off. The government has not produced costings for the specific proposal to reduce student loan interest rates for health and social care workers.

In total, the government subsidises around 50% of the overall cost of higher education, making a conscious investment in the skills and people of this country. From September 2020, all eligible new and continuing nursing, midwifery and many allied health students on pre-registration courses at English universities are able to receive at least £5,000 per academic year of additional maintenance grant funding that they will not need to pay back.


Written Question
Music: Education
Monday 21st December 2020

Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their timetable for the introduction of a new national plan for music education.

Answered by Baroness Berridge

To gather views on how the National Plan for Music Education could be refreshed and strengthened, the Department launched a Call for Evidence on 9 February 2020, which then closed on 13 March 2020.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, analysis of the Call for Evidence and the refresh of the National Plan is currently on hold. The results of the Call for Evidence, the department’s response to it, and the refreshed Plan will be published in due course.