Asked by: Trudy Harrison (Conservative - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
What steps his Department is taking to increase the quality of apprenticeships.
Answered by Anne Milton
New industry-designed standards are driving up quality, such as the project management apprenticeship developed by employers. We have increased off-the-job training and introduced rigorous end-point assessments so apprentices are occupationally competent. We’ve also strengthened the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers giving employers confidence apprentices will receive high-quality training.
Asked by: Trudy Harrison (Conservative - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will assess the potential effect on passengers of the RMT Union's Saturday strikes on the Cumbrian Coast Line service.
Answered by Andrew Jones
I share the frustrations of passengers on Northern whose journeys have been repeatedly disrupted by the actions of the RMT. This dispute is not about safety – the independent rail regulator has said driver controlled doors on trains are safe.
Asked by: Trudy Harrison (Conservative - Copeland)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to support exporters based in Cumbria.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Businesses across Cumbria have access to the full range of DIT support. International Trade Advisers from our whole North West team operate throughout the county, deployed according to the specific needs of each customer. This support is also underpinned by our full UK and global network, with DIT teams overseas, sector specialists and the Exporting is GREAT Digital Hub. UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK’s export credit agency, can also help businesses in Cumbria win, fulfil and get paid for their overseas sales.
We encourage and help businesses to start, increase or sustain exporting activity, and this support includes 1-1 advice, trade missions, exhibitions, workshops and other activities. Additionally, free support is available to them from 92 DIT Northern Powerhouse Export Champions.
The trade needs of businesses of all sizes in Cumbria will be further addressed through the Export Strategy. This sets out how the government will support businesses to make the most of the opportunities presented by markets around the world. Launched in August 2018, we consulted with over 200 businesses to develop the Strategy, which will see DIT join up across government, with local partners and with the private sector to break down barriers to exporting. The strategy sets out how DIT will Encourage; Inform; Connect; and Finance UK businesses with the potential to export.
Asked by: Trudy Harrison (Conservative - Copeland)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of funding additional domestic medical student places to meet growing NHS demand in (a) Cumbria and Lancashire and (b) England.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government has announced a near record increase of an additional 1,500 medical school places for domestic students in England – 630 started this September, with a further 690 starting in 2019/20 and the final 180 in 2020/21. This expansion will also deliver five brand new medical schools in Sunderland, Lancashire, Chelmsford, Lincoln and Canterbury. This has meant an additional 171 places for domestic students in the North West, 81 of which started this September.
On the back of the additional £20 billion additional National Health Service funding, NHS leaders are currently producing a long-term plan that will include proposals for the NHS workforce, training and leadership, which the Government will consider and respond to in due course.
Asked by: Trudy Harrison (Conservative - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reasons it was decided (a) to include razorbills and (b) not to include common guillemots as an additional feature of the Cumbria Coast Marine Conservation Zone in the Government's June 2018 consultation on sites proposed for designation in the third tranche of Marine Conservation Zones.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The inclusion in Marine Conservation Zones of highly mobile species, such as seabirds, is considered where it can be demonstrated that it would help meet the conservation objectives for that species. Numbers of razorbill at this site have shown a significant decline in recent years and their inclusion is therefore warranted. Numbers of common guillemot, by contrast, have more than doubled at this site over the same period and it was therefore decided that there was insufficient justification to include them as a feature in this Marine Conservation Zone. We look forward to receiving views on our proposals through the consultation, which will inform our final decisions.
Asked by: Trudy Harrison (Conservative - Copeland)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government has made an estimate of the number of Daesh fighters and supporters who have returned to the UK from both Iraq and Syria since January 2017.
Answered by Ben Wallace
Approximately 850 UK linked individuals of national security concern have travelled to engage with the Syrian conflict. We estimate that just under half have returned and approximately 15% are now dead. This number includes all those of national security concern, not just those affiliated with Daesh. Everyone who returns from taking part in the conflict in Syria or Iraq must expect to be investigated by the police to determine if they have committed criminal offences, and to ensure that they do not pose a threat to our national security. Due to national security we cannot provide a further breakdown of the figures.
Asked by: Trudy Harrison (Conservative - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Government has invested in Cumbria to reduce the risk of flooding downstream of reservoirs in each of the last five years.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Environment Agency has strategic oversight of all sources of flooding and coastal erosion, including reservoir flooding. The Environment Agency also has a regulatory role in managing flood risk with reservoirs and works to make sure reservoir owners effectively manage their own flood risk.
Where appropriate, reducing the risk of flooding downstream from reservoirs is integrated within flood risk management schemes. The Environment Agency does not collect separate financial information for measures to reduce this specific flood risk.
The Government is committed to reducing flood risk and has made the following capital investment to flood and coastal erosion risk management in Cumbria in each of the last five years:
2012/13 | £ 4.3 million |
2013/14 | £ 2.4 million |
2014/15 | £ 2.1 million |
2015/16 | £ 3.0 million |
2016/17 | £ 14.3 million |
Asked by: Trudy Harrison (Conservative - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to ensure that water companies invest in flood mitigation.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
On 13 September, the Government issued a strategic policy statement to Ofwat. This set out clear priorities for Ofwat to secure the water industry’s long-term resilience to flooding, drought, and other risks, and to protect vulnerable customers. The policy statement makes clear that we expect Ofwat to challenge companies to assess the resilience of their systems and infrastructure against flooding and take proportionate steps to improve resilience where required.
Asked by: Trudy Harrison (Conservative - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to increase the number of technical apprenticeships.
Answered by Anne Milton
It is not possible to distinguish between (a) technical or (b) non-technical apprenticeships as there is no definition of technical apprenticeship in the Individualised Learner Return. We can provide a breakdown of apprenticeship starts by apprenticeship sector area and age, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/650226/201617_Oct_Apps_Level_SSA_And_Framework_Data_Tool_FINAL.xlsx.
Overall, there have been over 1.1 million apprenticeship starts since May 2015 and the Government is committed to achieving three million apprenticeship starts in England by 2020.
We have introduced the Apprenticeship Levy to encourage sustained employer-investment in high quality apprenticeships of all kinds. This will provide £2.45 billion for apprenticeships in England by 2020. Our apprenticeship reforms are the largest changes to apprenticeships the Government has ever made. These changes are investing in the future of millions of people of all ages and from all backgrounds.
Employers are currently designing new apprenticeships across a broad range of sectors. The Government has also established the employer-led Institute for Apprenticeships to support this and will extend the remit of the Institute to cover college-based technical education from 2018. This will ensure there is a clear route into skilled and technical occupations across a range of sectors, through both apprenticeships and T Levels.
Asked by: Trudy Harrison (Conservative - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many young people are undertaking (a) technical and (b) non-technical apprenticeships.
Answered by Anne Milton
It is not possible to distinguish between (a) technical or (b) non-technical apprenticeships as there is no definition of technical apprenticeship in the Individualised Learner Return. We can provide a breakdown of apprenticeship starts by apprenticeship sector area and age, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/650226/201617_Oct_Apps_Level_SSA_And_Framework_Data_Tool_FINAL.xlsx.
Overall, there have been over 1.1 million apprenticeship starts since May 2015 and the Government is committed to achieving three million apprenticeship starts in England by 2020.
We have introduced the Apprenticeship Levy to encourage sustained employer-investment in high quality apprenticeships of all kinds. This will provide £2.45 billion for apprenticeships in England by 2020. Our apprenticeship reforms are the largest changes to apprenticeships the Government has ever made. These changes are investing in the future of millions of people of all ages and from all backgrounds.
Employers are currently designing new apprenticeships across a broad range of sectors. The Government has also established the employer-led Institute for Apprenticeships to support this and will extend the remit of the Institute to cover college-based technical education from 2018. This will ensure there is a clear route into skilled and technical occupations across a range of sectors, through both apprenticeships and T Levels.