Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent progress her Department has made on implementing the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
On 28 April, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, signed commencement regulations, bringing the following provisions into force on 1 August 2025:
We are seeking a suitable legislative vehicle to amend and repeal other elements of the Act in due course, including in relation to the complaints scheme.
In the meantime, the OfS published its regulatory guidance on free speech on 19 June 2025. The OfS Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom continues to work with the sector to offer advice and share best practice, so providers themselves are more effectively protecting free speech and academic freedom.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the economic impact of growth and skills levy proposals to allow levy-paying companies to retain 50% of their contributions.
Answered by Janet Daby
The government is transforming the Apprenticeship Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy. The new levy will build on the apprenticeships programme to create opportunities for learners of all ages, give employers of different sizes greater flexibility to address critical skill shortages in their workforces and drive economic growth.
The department is working across government to develop the design of the Growth and Skills Levy and will set out more detail in due course. This will include further information on the role of Skills England in ensuring that levy-funded training delivers value for money and meets the needs of levy paying and non-levy paying businesses.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding the retention of 50% of the contributions of apprenticeship levy-paying companies.
Answered by Janet Daby
The government is transforming the Apprenticeship Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy. The new levy will build on the apprenticeships programme to create opportunities for learners of all ages, give employers of different sizes greater flexibility to address critical skill shortages in their workforces and drive economic growth.
The department is working across government to develop the design of the Growth and Skills Levy and will set out more detail in due course. This will include further information on the role of Skills England in ensuring that levy-funded training delivers value for money and meets the needs of levy paying and non-levy paying businesses.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 18 October 2023 to Question 201370 on Apprentices: Finance, how she plans to fund the policy of allowing levy-paying companies to retain 50% of their contributions under the Growth and Skills levy.
Answered by Janet Daby
The government is transforming the Apprenticeship Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy. The new levy will build on the apprenticeships programme to create opportunities for learners of all ages, give employers of different sizes greater flexibility to address critical skill shortages in their workforces and drive economic growth.
The department is working across government to develop the design of the Growth and Skills Levy and will set out more detail in due course. This will include further information on the role of Skills England in ensuring that levy-funded training delivers value for money and meets the needs of levy paying and non-levy paying businesses.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the financial impact of the proposed growth and skills levy on (a) non-levy paying companies, (b) the apprenticeship budget and (c) overall apprenticeship spending.
Answered by Janet Daby
The government is transforming the Apprenticeship Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy. The new levy will build on the apprenticeships programme to create opportunities for learners of all ages, give employers of different sizes greater flexibility to address critical skill shortages in their workforces and drive economic growth.
The department is working across government to develop the design of the Growth and Skills Levy and will set out more detail in due course. This will include further information on the role of Skills England in ensuring that levy-funded training delivers value for money and meets the needs of levy paying and non-levy paying businesses.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of the growth and skills levy on non-levy paying companies.
Answered by Janet Daby
The government is transforming the Apprenticeship Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy. The new levy will build on the apprenticeships programme to create opportunities for learners of all ages, give employers of different sizes greater flexibility to address critical skill shortages in their workforces and drive economic growth.
The department is working across government to develop the design of the Growth and Skills Levy and will set out more detail in due course. This will include further information on the role of Skills England in ensuring that levy-funded training delivers value for money and meets the needs of levy paying and non-levy paying businesses.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of implementing proposals for a growth and skills levy.
Answered by Janet Daby
The government is transforming the Apprenticeship Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy. The new levy will build on the apprenticeships programme to create opportunities for learners of all ages, give employers of different sizes greater flexibility to address critical skill shortages in their workforces and drive economic growth.
The department is working across government to develop the design of the Growth and Skills Levy and will set out more detail in due course. This will include further information on the role of Skills England in ensuring that levy-funded training delivers value for money and meets the needs of levy paying and non-levy paying businesses.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will provide a list of (a) professional staff networks and (b) social clubs operating within his Department; and if he will provide the (i) budgets and (ii) FTE staff time allocated to each group within each of the last three years.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
The department has a variety of staff networks for all employees to join on a voluntary basis.
We have 11 core diversity staff networks, these are 50+, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME), Carers, Disability, EU National, Interfaith, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) +, Neurodivergence, Parents, Social Mobility and Women’s Networks. Each core network has a budget of up to £3,000 per year and network chairs have 10% corporate time allowance for leading network activities.
The remaining staff networks do not receive a budget or corporate time allowance, these are Bereavement, Christian, Coaching Community, Eating Disorder, Fertility, Governor and Trustee, Greener, Hindu, Menopause, Positivity Wellbeing Group, Sikh, Vegan, Women of Colour, Working through Cancer, and Young People.
Teams or individuals may engage with social activities or clubs outside of work however this is not monitored by the department. Some of our employees are members of the Civil Service Sports Club (CSSC) but we do not have data on membership. CSSC provide sports, leisure, benefits, and discounts to our employees for personal use. Membership costs are paid by employees.