Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 26 Apr 2021
Oral Answers to Questions
" What recent discussions his Department has had with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the effect of official development assistance funding reductions on (a) higher education research and (b) universities. ..."Alan Brown - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 26 Apr 2021
Oral Answers to Questions
"Because of the ODA cuts, universities have reported that research contracts have been terminated, sometimes with just a few hours’ notice. This has undermined trust between researchers, universities and UK Research and Innovation, and it also means that research commissioners now require a risk assessment on the UK Government’s ability …..."Alan Brown - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 23 Nov 2020
Oral Answers to Questions
" What recent discussions he has had with (a) the Scottish Government and (b) professional bodies in the education sector on the effect of the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill on Scotland’s education system. ..."Alan Brown - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 23 Nov 2020
Oral Answers to Questions
"During the debate on that Bill in the other place last week, Lord Callanan assured peers that
“the devolved Administrations will retain the right to legislate in devolved policy areas.”
—[Official Report, House of Lords, 18 November 2020; Vol. 807, c. 1520.]
However, during the previous Education questions the …..."Alan Brown - View Speech
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Written Question
Tuesday 20th October 2020
Asked by:
Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question
to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of suspending the teacher pensions abatement threshold during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nick Gibb
As both my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.
Our latest guidance on for schools and other educational settings is set out below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings.
Whilst education is a devolved matter, colleagues at the Scottish Public Pensions Agency have confirmed that, in line with the England and Wales scheme, they will consider the effect of abatement as part of any response to COVID-19 should a need emerge. These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 09 Jun 2020
Education Settings: Wider Opening
"In Scotland, shielding has been extended to the end of July, but in England there is not the same clarity. There is a risk that vulnerable teaching staff might feel pressure to return to work before it is safe to do so. What are the Government’s plans to enable staff …..."Alan Brown - View Speech
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Written Question
Tuesday 21st April 2020
Asked by:
Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question
to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial support the Government will provide to the childcare sector during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The government has set out specific measures to support childcare providers during the COVID-19 outbreak:
- We will continue to pay funding to local authorities for the early years entitlements for 2, 3 and 4-year-olds
- To support private nurseries, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has also announced that they will be eligible for a business rates holiday for one year from 1 April
Childcare providers will also benefit from the wider measures the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced to support the people and businesses of the UK:
- A three-point plan announced in the Budget providing £12 billion of support for public services, individuals and businesses whose finances are affected by the outbreak
- A package to provide additional support for businesses and individuals totalling £350 billion
- The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help firms continue to keep people in employment. This means that businesses can put workers on temporary leave and the government will pay them cash grants of 80% of their wages up to a cap of £2,500, providing they keep the worker employed
- A scheme to help the UK’s self-employed who are affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The new Self-Employed Income Support Scheme will enable those eligible to receive a cash grant worth 80% of their average monthly trading profit over the last three years. This covers 95% of people who receive the majority of their income from self-employment
- On 28 March, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, announced that the government will also temporarily suspend the wrongful trading provisions to give company directors greater confidence to use their best endeavours to continue trading during this pandemic emergency, without the threat of personal liability should the company ultimately fall into insolvency
The government is also providing the following additional support:
- deferral of Self-Assesment income tax payments due in July 2020
- VAT payments due with VAT returns between now and the end June 2020 will be deferred. UK VAT registered businesses will not need make those payments until March 2021
- grants for businesses that pay little or no business rates
- increased amounts of Universal Credit
- the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme
The latest guidance from the department for early years and childcare providers can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures and
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-education-early-years-and-childrens-social-care.
Speech in Westminster Hall - Thu 13 Feb 2020
Apprenticeships: SMEs
"It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Davies. I thank the hon. Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi) for bringing forward the debate. Westminster Hall may not be as busy as he would like; I am sure that is not because it is Thursday and the day the …..."Alan Brown - View Speech
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Thu 13 Feb 2020
Apprenticeships: SMEs
"On quality, will the Minister address the point about ensuring that when companies take on apprentices, there is a long-term future for them? What are the Government doing to ensure that there is not a continual churn of apprentices, as companies may use them to fill short-term labour gaps?..."Alan Brown - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 20 Jan 2020
Oral Answers to Questions
"Does it?..."Alan Brown - View Speech
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