To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
English Language and Mathematics: Education
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure Education Investment Areas are meeting their targets of (a) helping 90% of pupils meet the expected standard in (i) reading, (ii) writing and (iii) maths combined at key stage 2 and (b) increasing the GCSE average grade at key stage 4 in English language and maths from 4.5 to 5.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

In all 55 Education Investment Areas, the department is taking steps to support underperforming schools to make necessary improvements, build trust capacity and improve digital connectivity, with the purpose of helping 90% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at key stage 2, and increasing the GCSE average grade at key stage 4 in English language and mathematics from 4.5 to 5 by 2030. This includes access to up to £86 million in Trust Capacity Funding to support strong multi-academy trusts to expand into these areas, up to £200 million to upgrade schools that fall below the department’s Wi-Fi connectivity standards, and an extra £3000 after tax per year to mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers working in disadvantaged schools.


Written Question
Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many standards the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has retired in the last two years; and for what reason those standards were retired.

Answered by Robert Halfon

This is a matter for the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. I have asked its Chief Executive, Jennifer Coupland, to write to the Honourable Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.


Written Question
Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education: Small Businesses
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education Route Panel members are SMEs.

Answered by Robert Halfon

This is a matter for the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. I have asked its Chief Executive, Jennifer Coupland, to write to the Honourable Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.


Written Question
Vocational Education: Qualifications
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much has been spent on marketing for (a) Institutes of Technology, (b) T Levels and (c) Higher Technical Qualifications in each year since 2017.

Answered by Robert Halfon

From January 2022, the department has moved away from delivering individual campaigns for each policy product and started delivery of joined up, audience-led campaigns under the banner of Skills for Life, which covers T Levels, Institutes of Technology, Higher Technical Qualifications and others.

Up to and including the 2020/21 financial year, there was a T Level specific marketing campaign with incurred costs of £400,000 in the 2018/19 financial year, £2,667,975 in the 2019/20 financial year and £4,109,207 in the 2020/21 financial year.

The Skills for Life campaign is ongoing. The overall spend for 2023/24 was £12,085,527, as detailed in my response to 7043 on 8 January 2024, which is available at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-12-14/7043. For the 2021/22 financial year the overall spend was £4,092,000. In the 2022/23 financial year overall spend was £12,400,000.



Written Question
Local Skills Improvement Plans
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department will place details of the projects funded by the Local Skills Improvement Fund in the Library of the House of Commons.

Answered by Robert Halfon

The department has published information about the local skills improvement fund (LSIF) awards that have been made to further education colleges and training providers in each area of England, as well as the sectors that the funding will support. The LSIF awards for 2023 to 2025 are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-skills-improvement-fund-lsif-lead-providers-2023-to-2025/lead-applicants-for-lsif-by-region.

There are no plans to place details of the individual projects funded by the LSIF in the House Library. Where up to date project-specific information is required, it is recommended that contact is made with the lead applicant for the area, whose name is published on GOV.UK.


Written Question
Department for Education: Apprentices
Friday 1st March 2024

Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department (a) paid in apprenticeship levy fees and (b) spent from its apprenticeship levy funds between September 2021 and August 2023.

Answered by Robert Halfon

Between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2023, the department’s levy declarations, including the 10% government top-up and as shown in its apprenticeship service account, was £4 million. In the same period, the department’s levy spend was £4.1 million.

The funds in apprenticeship service accounts are available for levy-paying employers to draw on for 24 months before they expire on a rolling, month-by-month basis.

This spend covers the costs of apprenticeship training and assessment and levy transfers to other employers. It excludes any additional payments made to employers, providers, and apprentices, such as the care leaver’s bursary.


Written Question
Higher Technical Qualifications
Tuesday 27th February 2024

Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) public and (b) employer awareness of higher technical (i) education and (ii) qualifications.

Answered by Robert Halfon

The department has published the following data on awareness of Level 4 and 5 qualifications and Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs):

Introducing HTQs is central to the department’s drive to increase the profile, prestige, and uptake of higher technical education. HTQs were first available for teaching from September 2022 and are now offered by over 140 providers across the country in construction and build, digital, and health and science occupations. In the 2023/24 academic year, over 140 qualifications were available. More HTQs will be available to study from September 2024.

The department is promoting HTQs as part of the Skills for Life cross-government communications and engagement campaign for young people, adults and employers. This campaign aims to raise awareness of the various skills offers, help them to decide which one is right for them (or their workforce) and increase take-up.

The department is working with stakeholders, including the National Careers Service, Careers & Enterprise Company and UCAS, to improve the support that is available to young people and adults. The department is also working with employers and professional bodies to improve their recognition of HTQs.

Finally, the department is supporting providers to increase their HTQ provision and to promote it effectively and widely. The department has announced investment of around £115 million in funding to providers to support higher technical education provision.


Written Question
Apprentices
Monday 19th February 2024

Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of apprentices completed their endpoint assessment (a) on the date of, (b) one to three months after, (c) three to six months after and (d) more than six months after completing their apprenticeship in each academic year since 2016-17.

Answered by Robert Halfon

The attached table shows achievers, rounded to the nearest 100, on apprenticeship standards in each academic year since 2019/20. Data is unavailable for the preceding years as the achievement date was not collected as part of the department’s individual learner records prior to the 2019/20 academic year.

To note, achievements totals may not match published standards achievements totals as the attached table does not include those where an invalid achievement date was entered.


Written Question
Apprentices
Monday 19th February 2024

Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeship spaces were available in each academic year since 2016-17.

Answered by Robert Halfon

Apprenticeships offer a high-quality and popular route into nearly 700 occupations from entry level to expert roles. The table below shows the number of apprenticeship vacancies that were advertised and the number of apprenticeship applications that were submitted through the ‘Find An Apprenticeship’ (FAA) service in each academic year from 2016/17 to 2022/23. Due to the data protection policy in place prior to 2021/22, the department does not hold an accurate record of the number of applications submitted between 2016/17 and 2020/21.

Academic year

Vacancies advertised

Applications submitted

2016/17

185,160

N/A

2017/18

173,520

N/A

2018/19

151,720

7,950

2019/20

98,530

16,990

2020/21

134,460

360,100

2021/22

189,430

681,090

2022/23

148,720

669,450

Employers can choose to advertise apprenticeship vacancies through their own websites, recruitment agencies or local job centre instead of, or in addition to, the FAA service. As a result, the actual number of apprenticeship vacancies and applications will be higher.

Apprenticeship vacancies can now be browsed on the University and Colleges Admissions Service website and later this year they will also be able to use the service to apply for apprenticeships. In January 2024, the department also launched the ‘It all starts with skills’ campaign which is encouraging people to find out more about the different apprenticeship and wider skills programmes available.


Written Question
Apprentices
Monday 19th February 2024

Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people applied for an apprenticeship in each academic year since 2016-17.

Answered by Robert Halfon

Apprenticeships offer a high-quality and popular route into nearly 700 occupations from entry level to expert roles. The table below shows the number of apprenticeship vacancies that were advertised and the number of apprenticeship applications that were submitted through the ‘Find An Apprenticeship’ (FAA) service in each academic year from 2016/17 to 2022/23. Due to the data protection policy in place prior to 2021/22, the department does not hold an accurate record of the number of applications submitted between 2016/17 and 2020/21.

Academic year

Vacancies advertised

Applications submitted

2016/17

185,160

N/A

2017/18

173,520

N/A

2018/19

151,720

7,950

2019/20

98,530

16,990

2020/21

134,460

360,100

2021/22

189,430

681,090

2022/23

148,720

669,450

Employers can choose to advertise apprenticeship vacancies through their own websites, recruitment agencies or local job centre instead of, or in addition to, the FAA service. As a result, the actual number of apprenticeship vacancies and applications will be higher.

Apprenticeship vacancies can now be browsed on the University and Colleges Admissions Service website and later this year they will also be able to use the service to apply for apprenticeships. In January 2024, the department also launched the ‘It all starts with skills’ campaign which is encouraging people to find out more about the different apprenticeship and wider skills programmes available.