Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the reduction in retail sector apprenticeship starts between 2012 and 2017.
Answered by Anne Milton
The retail framework had around 1,000 starts in 2017/18, with a further 8,300 on the new retail standards. Two of the largest supermarkets were involved in the design of these standards.
It is important to recognise that apprenticeships are paid jobs and can be subject to wider labour market and economic pressures. The impact of a number of companies closing down, online shopping and automation means that there has been a general decrease in recruitment within the retail sector.
In 2018, I hosted a roundtable with employers in the retail sector, including John Lewis and Greene King, to explore some of the challenges and opportunities for apprenticeships in retail, and we continue to work closely with employers to better understand these.
Earlier this year, I met with the British Retail Consortium, and I am in regular contact with ministers from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the issue.
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2019 to Question 267319 on Apprentices: Taxation, how frequently his Department plans to publish expiry of funds information for the apprenticeship levy.
Answered by Anne Milton
We do not currently intend to publish expiry of funds information for the apprenticeship levy as a matter of course.
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will sign his Department up to the UK Steel charter.
Answered by Anne Milton
The department’s commercial activities comply with current government policy on steel procurement as set out in Cabinet Office guidance, Procurement Policy Note 11/16.
The department is happy to commit to supporting the charter where this is relevant to our commercial activities and only where consistent with the relevant regulations.
The department is reviewing the charter and the steps within it, and will discuss with other departments as appropriate in due course.
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has had discussions with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the UK Steel charter.
Answered by Anne Milton
The department’s commercial activities comply with current government policy on steel procurement as set out in Cabinet Office guidance, Procurement Policy Note 11/16.
The department is happy to commit to supporting the charter where this is relevant to our commercial activities and only where consistent with the relevant regulations.
The department is reviewing the charter and the steps within it, and will discuss with other departments as appropriate in due course.
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to invest in ESOL provision for (a) refugees and (b) migrants.
Answered by Anne Milton
The government recognises that learning English is essential to enabling refugees to rebuild their lives. The government has committed to developing a new strategy for English for speakers of other languages in 2019. The strategy will provide a shared vision for all publicly funded English language provision, including addressing the needs of refugees and migrants. Funding for all programmes beyond 2019/20, including any potential funding for this strategy, will be set during the upcoming Spending Review.
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to improve access to English for Speakers of Other Languages for refugees.
Answered by Anne Milton
The government recognises that learning English is essential to enabling refugees to rebuild their lives. The government has committed to developing a new strategy for English for speakers of other languages in 2019. The strategy will provide a shared vision for all publicly funded English language provision, including addressing the needs of refugees and migrants. Funding for all programmes beyond 2019/20, including any potential funding for this strategy, will be set during the upcoming Spending Review.
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much apprenticeship levy was paid by levy employers in (a) May 2017 and expired in April 2019 and (b) June 2017 and expired in May 2019 because the funds had not been used.
Answered by Anne Milton
When employers pay the Apprenticeship Levy, their contribution (as well as a 10% top up) is made available to them via the digital apprenticeship service to spend on apprenticeships in England.
We recognise that employers want and need flexibility. Employers have 24 months to spend their levy and levy-paying employers can transfer 25% of funds to other employers.
The amount of funds entering employers’ digital apprenticeship service accounts in May 2017 was £135 million, of which £11 million in unspent funds expired in May 2019. This was the first month of expiry of funds. The amount of funds entering employer’ accounts in June 2017 was £152 million, for which the expiry of unspent funds will occur at the end of June 2019.
These figures are for employers in England and include the 10% government top up. The proportion of an employer’s levy contributions made available as funds in their digital apprenticeship service account depends on how many of their employees live in England and the proportion of their pay bill paid to these employees.
Unspent funds are used to support existing apprenticeships learners, levy paying employers who spend more than the funds available in their accounts and to fund training for non-levy paying employers.
We do not currently intend to publish expiry of funds information on a monthly basis.
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish from May 2019 the monthly (a) proportion and (b) amount of unused apprenticeship levy following the expiry of the two-year period for its use.
Answered by Anne Milton
When employers pay the Apprenticeship Levy, their contribution (as well as a 10% top up) is made available to them via the digital apprenticeship service to spend on apprenticeships in England.
We recognise that employers want and need flexibility. Employers have 24 months to spend their levy and levy-paying employers can transfer 25% of funds to other employers.
The amount of funds entering employers’ digital apprenticeship service accounts in May 2017 was £135 million, of which £11 million in unspent funds expired in May 2019. This was the first month of expiry of funds. The amount of funds entering employer’ accounts in June 2017 was £152 million, for which the expiry of unspent funds will occur at the end of June 2019.
These figures are for employers in England and include the 10% government top up. The proportion of an employer’s levy contributions made available as funds in their digital apprenticeship service account depends on how many of their employees live in England and the proportion of their pay bill paid to these employees.
Unspent funds are used to support existing apprenticeships learners, levy paying employers who spend more than the funds available in their accounts and to fund training for non-levy paying employers.
We do not currently intend to publish expiry of funds information on a monthly basis.
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the new EdTech Leadership Group will be convened; and how the leadership group will be selected.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The EdTech Leadership Group is due to convene for the first time before summer recess.
Members of the group have been selected on the basis of their experience and ability to influence either the education technology industry or the education sector to further the aims of the Government’s education technology strategy. Members were also selected to ensure a balance of experience between the technology industry and education sectors (ensuring representation across different age-phases of education).
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the National Audit Office report, The apprenticeships programme, published on 6 March 2019, HC 1987, what assessment he has made of the future financial sustainability of the apprenticeship levy; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Anne Milton
The apprenticeship levy is collected by HM Revenue and Customs from all UK employers with a pay bill above £3 million.
Separately, HM Treasury have set the Department for Education a budget for apprenticeships in England for the current Spending Review period (to 2019-20). This budget is distinct from the levy and is not dependent on receipts from the levy. This budget is used to fund new apprenticeship starts for both levy and non-levy paying employers and must also cover the ongoing costs of apprentices that are already in training.
In 2019-20 funding available for investment in apprenticeships in England is over £2.5 billion, double what was spent in 2010-11.
Currently, we expect to remain within budget in this spending review period to the end of the 2019-20 financial year. A detailed breakdown of spending for 2018-19 will be published in the Education and Skills Funding Agency Annual Report and Accounts.
The level of funding for the apprenticeship programme beyond 2019-20 will be determined by the forthcoming Spending Review.